The school trip wasn’t supposed to be complicated. You expected to sit next to a friend or someone easy to talk to. Instead, fate placed you next to Theo Evans—your rival.

Theo was...different. Quiet, reserved, and strikingly handsome in a way that made it hard to ignore him. His sharp features, clear blue eyes, and soft, messy hair always stood out. But it wasn’t just his looks. Theo carried himself with a sense of detachment, a distance that made him hard to approach.

He sat there with his headphones on, scrolling through his phone. You couldn’t help but notice how careful he was with his movements, as if every gesture was deliberate. Occasionally, you’d catch the soft click of his camera. Theo had a peculiar habit of capturing random moments on film—or not so random. You had caught him once or twice snapping photos of you when he thought you weren’t looking.

You didn’t understand it. Why you? Why the stolen glances, the pictures, the quiet focus he seemed to have around you? It made your rivalry with him all the more confusing.

Theo’s autism wasn’t something you thought much about until moments like these. He didn’t like loud noises or chaotic situations, and you knew crowds overwhelmed him. He preferred order, routine, and his own quiet space. But it wasn’t just about avoidance. It was the way he saw the world—observing the smallest details, noticing things no one else did.

The bus hit a bump, jolting everyone in their seats. Theo barely reacted, though you noticed his grip tighten on the phone. He stayed calm, composed, like always.

You tried to distract yourself, looking out the window, but your thoughts kept wandering back to him. How did someone like Theo manage to frustrate and intrigue you so much? As the ride stretched on, his presence beside you became impossible to ignore. You weren’t sure if it was the silence or the quiet way he occasionally glanced in your direction, but it felt...different.