Luca seems pretty

All Gabby could see was a bright, red glow hovering above her eyes as waves of excruciating pain coursed through her body. "Push, Gabby! Be courageous!" a man dressed in white, with only his eyes visible, urged.

Nurses scurried around, exchanging equipment and tending to Gabby. One nurse massaged her belly, trying to ease the discomfort. Gabby's vision rapidly blurred, overwhelmed by the intensity of the pain.

Giving birth was agonizing, the pain suffocating. Gabby's world went dark as she succumbed to the exhaustion, her body surrendering to the overwhelming sensation. She fainted.

....,.............

At school, they were nearing the end of their tour. Luca trailed behind the teacher, his arms crossed and his jaws still smarting from the earlier encounter with Jane.

They concluded their tour by visiting the school's gym, canteen, and infirmary. As they returned to class, the children's faces beamed with excitement. The school's playground was vast, with numerous games to enjoy, and the library was impressively large, seeming to stretch on forever. It was clear that this school catered to the affluent.

"Now, each of my little friends here should introduce themselves, sharing their favorite food and game," Mrs Evelyn instructed.

"Let's start with Alexandra Bass,"

The girl stepped forward, a faint smile on her face. "My name is Jane Alexandra Bass. I'm the granddaughter of Mayor Koren Bass. My favorite meal is Japanese Ramen, and I enjoy playing chess." The class listened intently, impressed that a six-year-old could play chess, let alone win a medal at it.

Alexandra, nicknamed the "Sly Fox," was renowned as the school's brainbox. She consistently demonstrated exemplary behavior, never getting caught misbehaving – not even for running down the stairs, a common infraction among students.

Once Jane finished, the next student continued, introducing themselves. The classroom consisted of twenty students, and each one presented themselves, with Luca being the last. However, when the teacher called out his name, she realized he was nowhere to be found.

"Where is Luca?" the teacher asked, scanning the room. The students around his seat seemed to have forgotten he was even there.

The teacher promptly informed the school's security to initiate a search for the missing student. Meanwhile, Luca was squatting in the school garden, intently uprooting plants with a cute, focused expression. His messy brown hair was disheveled, and as the wind blew, loose strands fell across his forehead, adding to his endearingly girlish appearance.

The fifth-grade students, whose classroom was adjacent to the school garden, began to file out. Luca, still engrossed in uprooting plants, remained oblivious to the attention he was about to receive.

"Hey, Natus, look at that girl over there. Isn't she so cute?" one of the students, Freddy, whispered, nodding in Luca's direction.

Natus turned, following Freddy's gaze. Unlike the typical girls in their school, Luca wore a Marvel T-shirt instead of the usual pink attire. "Looks like she's still in grade two," Natus replied, his messy red hair and bright, reddish-brown eyes giving him a distinctive appearance.

As a student, Natus wore the school's blue uniform, looking every bit the formal, well-behaved student.

Natus stood a hand's breadth taller than Freddy, who in turn was a hand's breadth taller than the girl uprooting plants in the garden. Without hesitation, Natus approached the child, recognizing that what she was doing was not right and someone needed to intervene.

"Hey, you!" Natus called out, but the girl ignored him. He gently tapped her shoulder to get her attention. Luca, startled, almost lost balance, but Natus instinctively grasped his collar, steadying him.

As their faces drew close, Natus felt as though he'd been struck by the intense gaze of Luca's large, blue eyes. Luca's lips parted, and words flowed smoothly from his mouth. "Let go of me," he said, his voice a captivating blend of masculine and feminine tones.

Luca stood up, his eyes level with the chest of the boy in front of him. Despite the height difference, Luca didn't seem intimidated; he had time to grow taller, after all. He casually slipped his hand into his pocket and turned to walk away.

Natus called out, "My name is Natus, by the way. Just saying, it's not a good idea to dig up the plants in the school garden. You could get into real trouble." Luca ignored him and continued walking, leaving Natus standing alone in the garden.

Natus trailed behind Luca, accompanied by Freddy. "What I'm saying is, can we hang out together? Could we be friends?" Natus asked.

Luca abruptly halted, turning to face Natus. "Are you reprimanding me or wanting to be my friend?" he asked, his eyes locked on Natus.

Natus, completely enchanted by Luca's piercing gaze, felt his face flush with a blush. "I-I want to be your friend," he stuttered.

Luca's expression softened. "Friends, then," he said with a small smile, recalling his dad's words about attending school to make many friends.

As Luca turned to continue on his way, Natus quickened his pace to keep up. "Hey, where are you headed?" Natus asked, walking beside Luca.

Just then, Luca's stomach growled, reminding him it was time for a snack. Natus followed Luca to the canteen, where he bought sandwiches for both of them. Meanwhile, Freddy, who had been quietly observing from the sidelines, sat down at the same table with a container of homemade pancakes.

As they ate, Natus couldn't help but watch Luca, mesmerized by the way he delicately pinched small pieces of his sandwich and brought them to his mouth. Even the way Luca ate was endearing, Natus thought, a smile spreading across his face.