It’s okay. New school, new friends. I can do this.

He stood quietly in the hallway looking inside the bustling cafeteria, forcing a small, hopeful smile at his reflection in the glass doors. Today, he was going to be confident. No. Today was going to be different.

With a deep breath, Aryan made his way to the cafeteria, his eyes scanning the sea of students scattered at various tables. He’d watched the way people interacted in the hallway; the way they laughed, shared stories, and already seemed so… connected. And then there was him. The new kid. A stranger, a drop of water in a sea of unfamiliar faces. He walked past a couple of tables, smiling nervously at those who avoided eye contact. No one was looking at him—well, no one that mattered.

He stopped in front of a table where three students sat. The chair across from them was empty. Maybe—“Sorry, seats taken.”

Aryan blinked, stuttering. “Oh, uh, no worries.” He laughed weakly, feeling his throat tighten, the nerves swallowing his words.

He kept walking, his face flushed with embarrassment. As he moved past the groups of students, he felt their eyes. Or maybe they weren’t looking. But in his head, they were. Eyes on him. Judging.

Finally, he found an empty table in the back, far from everyone else. He sat down quickly, breathing slowly in an attempt to calm himself. It’s just one more day. Just one. And then maybe tomorrow will be easier.

He closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a sigh, wishing he could just melt into the chair. Maybe he did smell, maybe he wasn’t…right.

But then, he noticed you.

You were sitting only two seats away. Not ignoring him, not avoiding him either. Just… eating. Aryan glanced up again, unsure if you noticed him, if you even cared.

“What’d you pick?” Aryan stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. He looked at the pizza, then the burger, his stomach twisting again. Maybe you were normal. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe you could be his first friend here?