I walk home with this strange, fluttering feeling in my chest. I feel so weak I can barely walk, and my arms are trembling. Oliver used to act like I didn’t even exist, and now, all of a sudden, he can’t keep his eyes off me. I don’t know what’s happening. It’s like my dream came true out of nowhere, so unexpected that I have to pinch my skin to make sure it’s real.

  I’ve wanted his attention for so long; it’s really the only attention I’ve ever wanted. I can’t put into words how much I craved even a single look from him. Now that I finally have it all, I don’t know how to reciprocate. I’m new to all this love stuff, and it is both exciting and terrifying. It is thrilling because my wish has finally come true, but it is also frightening because I am afraid I might lose it if I don’t handle it the right way.

  When I get home, I push open my window and fall onto my bed. I curl up and try to replay everything from today - the way his eyes met mine while I was helping Selena, his hand brushing against mine more than once, the slight smile he gave me when I looked at him, the fist bump. I hold on to every single moment, as if letting go might make it disappear.

  I don’t feel like eating. I don’t feel like studying for the exam tomorrow, taking a bath, or getting ready for bed. The only thing I want to do is lie here and think about everything that happened, playing the image over and over in my mind. Thank goodness Mom isn’t home to get in the way. Minutes, or maybe hours, pass, and I’m not even sure how long I’ve been lying like this when my phone chimes.

  I check my phone, and my heart races, beating twice its usual speed when I see an unknown number. I roll onto my tummy, lift my head, and read the message, keeping the phone tucked between my hands.

  “Hey, it’s Oliver. Thanks for all the wisdom you’ve dropped on us. Got a minute to share a bit more before I start bothering you too much?” He’s probably trying to be funny to avoid any awkwardness.

  I type back, fingers shaking a little.“Yes. What would you like?”

  “I really liked your lesson. I was hoping you could help me with science, too. Are you free after the exam tomorrow?”

  I know he doesn’t need any help with science, and all he wants is to spend time with me. Selena would be so mad if he did things like today, and it wouldn’t be wise to upset my only friend. I want to say no, but my fingers seem to have a mind of their own. “Sure. I can come over to your house after the exam, if you want.”

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  “No, not my house,” he replies. “How about your secret place?”

  “My secret place?” I ask, confused.

  “Yeah. The railway track behind the school.”

  I go completely still, my mind blank with surprise. Whenever I feel too lonely or too sad, I go to that old, abandoned railway track behind the school. It is full of trees and dark, perfectly matching my mood. I sit on a big rock and stay there until I feel a little better. The birds singing in the trees and the gentle bubbling of the nearby stream slowly ease the chaos inside me.

  This place has a reputation for being haunted, and no one goes near it. I’ve been there countless times and know that isn’t true. Someone may have spread the story to keep school kids away, given how close it is to the school.

  That place has always been mine. How could he possibly know?

  I text him back, heart pounding. “How do you know about it?”

  As soon as the question is sent, he starts typing, but it takes two minutes to get a reply. It feels like he is typing and retyping, correcting his words over and over. “Last Friday, when you were crying your eyes out, I was there too. Sorry. I didn’t want to bother you or make things uncomfortable. That’s why I didn’t say anything.”

  Last Friday! That was when a group of girls from our class picked on me for no reason during lunch. They made rude comments about my appearance and my clothes, and said other horrible things I didn’t even understand. That is how high school can be sometimes, brutal when you lack the courage and have no one to stand up for you. I held it together until school finished, then ran to my secret place and cried until I couldn’t anymore, and he saw it all.

  Embarrassment washes over me. I’m incredibly private, and I hate anyone seeing me at my lowest, and knowing he watched me break down makes me want to cry all over again. I don’t even know how to respond.

  “Why are you always so sad?” he writes. Then, a moment later, he adds, “Sorry, I didn’t mean it in a bad way. Just wondering.”

  “It’s nothing big. When people treat me poorly, I feel down. It really hurts when they pick on me for no reason.” I quickly read what I wrote, and not feeling satisfied, I delete the last sentence and hit send.

  “That’s because you let them walk all over you,” he replies. “You’ve got to be strong. Show them you can fight back. If they bully you, give it right back to them.”

  “I’ll try,” I type, adding a smiling emoji.

  “So tomorrow at 3.15? At the track?”

  “Sounds good,” I reply.

  “Don’t tell Selena, okay?” he adds. “I want it to be the two of us.”

  I send a thumbs-up emoji.

  “Good night,” he texts.

  “Good night,” I reply. I toss the phone aside and lie back, my hands stretched out above my head, still thinking about what just happened and trying to process it all. My chest feels full of something I’ve never felt before, and I lie there, lost in it.

  Then, on second thought, I pick up my phone and save his number as My Olly.