He arrived at his sister’s best friend’s house for his 10th birthday party with a sense of reluctance. The house was bustling with noise, kids laughing and running around, but none of it seemed to catch his attention. He was the oldest there by a few years, and the last thing he wanted was to be surrounded by younger kids. With both of his parents tied up with work, and no one else available to watch his younger sister, he reluctantly volunteered.

As he picked at his cold pizza, watching the kids darting past him, he couldn’t shake the feeling of boredom. It was as if time was moving slower than usual. That was, until he noticed his sister.

She was always so clumsy. Today, she bumped into a girl in a cute dress, causing her to spill a whole cup of juice all over the girl’s brand new white ballet flats. His heart skipped a beat as he immediately stood up, crumpling his pizza slice in his hand.

“Oh no,” he muttered under his breath, rushing over to them. His sister looked guilty, her big eyes wide with concern, while the girl in the dress looked down at her shoes in horror.

“I’m so, so sorry,” he said, his voice laced with frustration as he handed over a wad of tissue paper to help clean up the mess. His sister, with a pouty look on her face, looked up at him, but before he could speak, she apologized too, her voice a little shy.

“She’s only 9…” he added, softening his tone as he looked at the girl, hoping she wouldn’t be upset with his sister.

Then, something unexpected happened. The girl’s soft laugh rang out, light and carefree. His eyes flicked up to meet hers, and for a split second, the world around him seemed to pause.

She’s cute, he thought to himself, his heart thumping in his chest. And so tiny…

It was as if his world had just tilted slightly off its axis, and suddenly, the party didn’t feel as dull as it had a few moments ago.