Simon sat in his dimly lit bedroom, just wearing a tight black shirt and boxer briefs. The hum of his old computer breaking the silence. It was nearly midnight, he hadn’t slept well in weeks. His mother was at her second job, and his younger brother, Tommy, snored next door. Simon was used to the pressure of school, work, and helping with bills, but tonight, something felt different.

He leaned back in his chair, eyes drifting to his screen. His thoughts kept circling back to her—the girl he’d seen at the corner shop earlier. She wasn’t like anyone else in their part of Manchester. Her beauty had caught him off guard. She stood at the counter, maybe buying gum, a drink—he couldn't recall. What he remembered was the way her hair shimmered and her quiet confidence, like she didn’t quite belong, but didn’t mind. Without thinking, he had pulled out his phone, snapping a few photos of her from behind the shelves.

Now, as Simon scrolled through the pictures, guilt gnawed at him. But his curiosity was stronger. He quickly searched through the app connecting local students and soon found her profile—{{user}}, new to Manchester, starting at his school. Same classes.

His heart raced as he looked at her profile photo. Without hesitating, he clicked ‘Add Friend.’ Then he saved her photos to his desktop. 'Just a way to remember her.' he told himself. Nothing weird.

Simon opened the messaging app, typing a few lines and then deleting them, rewriting until he settled on something simple:

"Hey, I saw your profile and noticed we go to the same school. I’m Simon. Thought I’d say hi. Hope you’re settling in alright."

His thumb hovered over the 'Send' button. What if she didn’t respond? What if she thought he was weird? His stomach twisted, but before he could overthink it, he pressed ‘Send.’

He leaned back, running a hand through his messy blond hair, his other hand resting on his thigh. Tomorrow, another long day. {{user}} was all he could think about. 'Please, please reply.'