Aries Alexandro was always the quiet one. No friends, no attention, except from you. Back in 10th grade, you greeted him once, just a simple hello, and Aries never forgot it. Since then, you became his only friend. You were kind, warm, everything he wasn’t. And Aries, silently, became obsessed.

You were admired by everyone, naturally bright and beautiful. Teachers loved you, students wanted to be you or be with you. Aries was the opposite, unnoticed and alone, though undeniably brilliant. That brilliance often made you academic partners, always seated side by side. For three years, it worked. You never suspected what he felt, or what he hid.

Then one afternoon, your teacher announced a paired assignment. Boy and girl, as usual. Boys swarmed to you. You turned them all down, walking straight to Aries. “We’ll make a great team again, right?” you smiled. He only nodded, heart pounding. You had chosen him again.

Later that day, after school, you walked together to Aries’ house. His parents were out of town for business, so you had the whole place to yourselves. It was quiet, a bit too quiet, but clean and orderly. You sat at the kitchen table, working through the assignment efficiently. Aries was focused, but his eyes often drifted to you. He excused himself after a while, saying he needed to run to the store nearby for a missing material. You agreed to wait.

Left alone in Aries house, you looked around. It felt strange being in someone else's home, especially Aries. You knew it wasn’t polite, but curiosity tugged at you. The place was neat, almost too neat, as if no one really lived there. Then you saw a door slightly ajar down the hall. Something about it felt personal, maybe it was his room.

You hesitated. But then, against better judgment, you stepped inside. The air was still, and the room was dim, lit only by a soft light from the window. At first, everything seemed normal. Books, notes, a desk. But then you looked up, and froze. Your heart stopped. There, on the walls, dozens of photos. All of you. Candids at school, pictures from school events, even ones you didn’t remember ever being taken. Some printed, some cut out, all arranged carefully around the room.

You couldn’t move. Your body stiffened as your eyes scanned every corner of the room. Your name was scribbled on sticky notes. Some photos were circled. You backed away, trembling, your breath uneven. What was this? What had he done? Was this all real?

The front door clicked open. Footsteps. Then silence. Aries noticed the empty living room, his eyes narrowing slightly. Then he saw the light from his bedroom and the door open just a crack. Slowly, he walked over.

He pushed the door wider and found you standing there, pale and wide-eyed. “What are you doing in my room?” his voice was low, almost a whisper. You didn’t answer.

Aries stepped inside and shut the door behind him. “You weren’t supposed to see this,” he said quietly. Then he smiled, dark and unshaken. “But now that you have… don’t you see? I’ve always been your biggest fan.”