Prologue

"True love doesn't have a happy ending, because true love never ends."

Maybe this phrase doesn't make sense right now, but for that, we need to go back to the beginning of it all.

With Jacob Anderson, a 16-year-old with clear dreams and goals. He's a tall guy with brown eyes and jet-black hair, not very popular and somewhat discriminated against for his great intelligence. His days at school passed between books and solitary thoughts, but despite his reserved appearance, Jacob had always been a dreamer. His goals weren't just about good grades or getting into a good university; he longed for something deeper, something that would fill the emptiness he had felt since he was a child.

It all began on a typical autumn day. The leaves were falling around the school, and the cold wind announced the arrival of winter. As always, Jacob walked home alone, lost in his thoughts, when he came across her: Emily. She wasn’t new to the neighborhood, but for some reason, that day their paths crossed in a different way.

Emily, a girl with brown hair that cascaded over her shoulders and green eyes that seemed to hide a thousand secrets, smiled at him for the first time. Jacob didn't know it at the time, but that small gesture would change his life forever.

She passed by him and they continued on their way, but something about the way Emily looked at him stayed in Jacob’s mind. A mixture of curiosity and surprise overwhelmed him, almost as if that encounter had been planned by some whimsical fate. For the rest of the walk home, he couldn’t stop thinking about her, about that subtle smile and what those deep green eyes were hiding.

(...)

The next day, Jacob found himself in the library with his best friend: Axl Molina, an Afro-Dominican guy, tall and wearing glasses.

—What’s up, bro? You seem more distracted than usual —Axl said jokingly.

—It’s nothing... it’s just the upcoming exams, that’s all —Jacob replied nervously.

—Exams? Dude, you’ve never been nervous about an exam. I know that look. It’s a girl, isn’t it? —he nudged Jacob’s shoulder lightly.

—Alright, alright, yeah… it’s a girl —he replied, tired —Do you know Emily Green?

—I think I’ve seen her… but I wouldn’t get my hopes up if I were you. She’s the typical popular girl who dates other popular guys —Axl turned his attention back to his homework.

At that moment, Anne arrived, a friend of both Jacob and Axl. She was a girl with long brown hair, a fringe barely revealing her dark, shiny eyes, sarcastic but with a kind heart, always labeled as "the weirdo" at school.

Anne dropped into the chair next to Jacob, interrupting the conversation.

—What are you two talking about? —she asked, with her usual sarcastic tone while pulling out a notebook and pen.

Jacob shot a nervous glance at Axl, who simply shrugged.

—Oh, nothing… just talking about a girl —Axl replied, grinning mischievously—. Do you know Emily Green?

Anne remained silent for a moment, her usual disinterested expression tensing slightly. She subtly averted her gaze before answering:

—Yeah, of course. What about her?

—Jacob’s… interested —Axl answered before Jacob could step in.

Anne frowned but quickly masked it with a dry laugh.

—Interested? In Emily Green? —she asked, looking at Jacob with a mix of surprise and… disappointment?—. Don’t take this the wrong way, Jake, but that girl is out of your league. Have you seen who she hangs out with? They’re all the typical 'popular' crowd. People who don’t even notice you unless they need help with homework.

Jacob, uncomfortable with the comment, tried to downplay it.

—I know, I know... It’s not like I’m expecting anything to happen. It was just… a strange encounter. Nothing more.

Anne narrowed her eyes, trying to understand what was behind those words. There was something about the way Jacob talked about Emily that she didn’t like, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on why. And that feeling irritated her.

—Well, if you need a reminder of reality, Axl and I are here. The three weirdos of the school —she joked, though her tone carried a touch of bitterness.

Axl, noticing the tension in the air, decided to change the subject.

—Hey, speaking of important things, who’s going to soccer practice this afternoon? They say this year’s team is better than last year’s.

Jacob sighed, grateful for his friend’s intervention.

—I don’t think I can. I’ve got a bunch of assignments piled up —he lied, though his mind was elsewhere.

Anne glanced at him sideways, and though her usual sarcasm remained, something inside her hurt. Secretly, Anne had felt something for Jacob for a long time, but she had never had the courage to tell him. Now, the very thought that he might be interested in someone else, especially someone like Emily, made her feel a sting of jealousy she couldn’t quite hide.

—You should focus on more important things, Jake —Anne said, standing up—. Popular girls like Emily only look at guys who are like them, empty inside. It’s not worth it.

Without waiting for a response, she turned and left the library, leaving Jacob with a knot in his stomach. Anne was right, or at least that’s what he thought. But there was something about Emily that attracted him in a way he couldn’t understand or control.

Axl looked at Jacob and then at the door through which Anne had left.

—I think someone’s a little jealous, bro —he whispered.

Jacob shook his head, sighing.

—I don’t know what to think, Axl. Sometimes I feel like I don’t fit into any world.

Axl looked at him, this time without the usual jokes in his eyes.

—Look, Jake, fitting in isn’t what matters. What’s important is being true to yourself. Don’t let what seems unattainable pull you away from what you already have here.

Jacob nodded slowly, knowing Axl was right. But that didn’t stop the image of Emily’s green eyes and enigmatic smile from lingering in his mind, nor the fact that, for the first time in a long while, he felt that something exciting was about to happen.