Chapter One

The cold autumn wind whipped Jacob's face as he walked out of the school. The leaves fell slowly, painting the streets in shades of gold and orange. The sound of his footsteps echoed on the wet pavement, while his mind kept wandering. He couldn't get Emily Green's brief but intense gaze out of his head, nor the strange feeling of inevitability that had accompanied him since that encounter.

The way home was the same as always, but that day everything seemed different. The doubts about what Axl and Anne had said kept echoing in his mind. Emily was, after all, one of the most popular girls in school, and he... well, he was just Jacob Anderson, a boy that few paid attention to. But there was something else, something that worried him, and although he couldn't explain it, he felt that what had happened was not simply a coincidence.

As he walked absorbed in his thoughts, a figure unexpectedly appeared at his side.

"Jacob, right?" said a familiar voice.

Jacob stopped abruptly, and when he looked up, there she was: Emily Green. Her brown hair shone in the evening light, and her green eyes stared at him with an intensity that completely disarmed him.

“E-Emily…” Jacob stammered, feeling his heart racing.

“I saw you yesterday, when you passed me on the way out,” she continued, cracking a smile. “I haven’t seen you much before, but it struck me that you always walk alone.”

Jacob was silent for a second, trying to find the right words, but nothing coherent seemed to come out of his mouth.

“Uh… yeah, I usually… walk alone. It’s not a big deal,” he replied awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

Emily let out a soft laugh, something that disconcerted Jacob even more.

“I don’t mean that in a bad way, it’s just that… well, it’s rare to see someone so calm among all the chaos of school,” she said, as her eyes continued to explore Jacob’s face. I guess sometimes I'd like to have a little of that peace.

"Peace?" Jacob blinked, surprised. "I don't know if I'd call it peace... but aren't you the one who seems to have it all?"

Emily smiled, but this time her smile was more melancholic.

"Sometimes appearances are deceiving," she murmured, looking towards the horizon. "I guess we all have our own struggles, don't you think?"

Jacob watched her in silence. He had never stopped to think that someone like Emily could feel the same as him, that loneliness that seemed to drag him down day after day. And now that he thought about it, her popularity might not be the key to the happiness he had imagined.

"Well, I guess so," Jacob replied, still not knowing how to interpret the situation. "We all have things that weigh us down, but sometimes it's easier to hide them than to face them."

Emily looked at him for a long moment, as if she were evaluating each word. Finally, she nodded slowly.

"You're right." Sometimes pretending is easier… even if it’s not always the right thing to do.

They both continued walking in silence, letting the sound of the wind and the leaves rustling on the ground fill the void between them. But the silence wasn't uncomfortable; on the contrary, it seemed like a kind of truce, a respite that they both needed.

"Thanks for listening to me, Jacob," Emily said when they reached the corner where their paths were supposed to separate.

"Uh, you're welcome... I didn't do much though," she replied, with a shy smile.

"Sometimes, you don't have to do much. See you tomorrow, okay?"

And before Jacob could answer, Emily had already walked away, leaving him alone once again, but with a different feeling in his chest. Something had changed. Maybe he didn't quite understand it, but he was sure that this was just the beginning of something bigger.

As he continued on his way home, Jacob couldn't help but think about what Anne had told him. Maybe she was right, maybe Emily was in a completely different world than his. But there was something in that conversation, in those shared moments, that told him that, against all odds, their destinies were intertwined in a way that neither he nor Emily could foresee.

He soon arrived home where he was greeted by his mother.

“Oh son, you've arrived, is it cold?” she took Jacob's face subtly.

“A little bit.” She smiled slightly. “What time did you get here?”

“Not long ago,” she answered. “Do you want to eat something?” she asked in a motherly tone.

“Yes, but I'll do it, you must be tired from working. I'll have some tea and then I'll do my homework. You rest.” She smiled warmly and headed to the kitchen.

His mother nodded with a slight smile.

While Jacob prepared a cup of tea, the silence of the house gave him a tranquility that he rarely found at school. The aroma of tea filled the kitchen as he let himself be enveloped by his thoughts. The conversation with Emily continued to spin around in his head. What was it about her that made him feel so different? Maybe it was that melancholy hidden behind her smile, that loneliness he could recognize so easily.

After a few minutes, the tea was ready. Jacob sat at the kitchen table, watching the steam slowly rise from the cup. Although the thought of Emily was still present, he decided to focus on his homework. He knew that if he let his thoughts wander too much, he would never be able to concentrate.

He took his notebook and began to write, trying to divert his attention to the math exercises. But then, the sound of his phone interrupted him. It was a text from Axl.

—Axl: Bro, what are you doing tomorrow night? There's a movie I want to watch, are you in?

Jacob smiled at the familiarity of the message. Axl always had a carefree way of asking him out, as if there was nothing else in the world to do.

—Jacob: Maybe. What's the movie about?

—Axl: It's one of those action movies with explosions everywhere! You know you love those dumb movies.

—Jacob: Hahaha, okay. Give me an hour and I'll tell you.

He put the phone aside and focused on his homework again. But despite his efforts, Emily's words kept echoing in his mind: "Sometimes looks can be deceiving." Jacob had never thought that someone like her could have the same doubts or insecurities as him. Maybe he wasn't so different after all.

The sound of the door opening interrupted his thoughts. His mother poked her head into the kitchen.

"Honey, I'm going out for a bit. I need to do some shopping and I have to go pick up your little sister from dance class. Can you take care of dinner, please?"

Jacob nodded, knowing that his mother worked long hours and that she could use some time away from home. He often worried about her, especially after his father left them years ago. Since then, Jacob always tried to help her in any way he could.

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll take care of it." He smiled, wanting to assure her that everything would be okay.

Jacob watched as his mother closed the door behind her, and for a moment, the sound of the empty house enveloped him. He finished his tea and looked at the list of tasks he had to do. But despite his efforts, his mind was still elsewhere.

He sighed and stood up, putting his books and papers into his backpack. Somehow, he felt like something important was about to happen. Although he didn't know what, that feeling had stayed with him since he talked to Emily.

He put his backpack aside and decided to go ahead and prepare something for dinner. He checked the refrigerator and took out what he needed: some vegetables, meat, and a package of pasta. As he cut the ingredients, his phone vibrated again.

—Axl: Hey, don’t make me wait too long, okay? This movie’s gonna get better with a pizza in between.

Jacob smiled at his friend’s insistence and quickly replied.

—Jacob: Easy, bro. Let’s get organized. Pepperoni pizza?

—Axl: Is there any other option? :P

—Jacob: Fine, tomorrow at my house.

—Axl: DEAL!

The conversation relaxed him a little, bringing him back to the real world. But then, as he stirred the boiling pasta, his mind returned to Emily. He couldn't shake that image of her melancholic smile. What was behind that facade of popularity? Maybe tomorrow he would try to find out. After all, the next time they talked, he didn't want to be so paralyzed.

The sound of the front door opening again brought him out of his thoughts.

“Hey, Jacob.” The small voice of his younger sister, Sophie, filled the house as she ran in, her dancing shoes still on and a big smile on her face. “Look what I learned today!”

Sophie did a little twirl in the kitchen, her arms raised in a movement that imitated a ballet step. Jacob smiled at seeing her so excited.

“Wow, Sophie!” he said, clapping his hands in an exaggerated manner. You're turning into quite the professional dancer.

Sophie laughed and kicked off her shoes, then walked over to the kitchen table.

"What are you cooking? It smells good," she asked, climbing up onto a chair.

"Just some pasta for dinner. Mom asked me to help her, and you know I'm the best chef in the house."

"That's not true." Sophie looked at him with a mischievous smile. "I make the best desserts."

"You're right, I can't compete with your cookies." Jacob laughed as he served the pasta on a plate for Sophie. "Here you go, but wait until Mom gets back so we can all eat."

When his mother returned and everyone sat down to dinner, Jacob tried to keep the conversation light, but he couldn't help but wonder what the next day at school would be like.

Sophie began eating as she talked excitedly about her dance classes, her friends, and what she'd done at school. Jacob listened with a smile, glad to have a quiet moment with her. His sister's presence always managed to clear the cloud of thoughts that surrounded him a little.

However, in the back of his mind, he still felt that the meeting with Emily had been more important than it seemed. Something was changing in his life, and, although he didn't know exactly what, he was sure that he would soon find out.

There was something about Emily that deeply intrigued him, something that made him feel that his life, so predictable until now, was about to become much more interesting.