Wake up, Freya! Lunas going to be here any minute. And dont come complaining later that I didnt wake you up,my grandmother called from the kitchen.
Her voice cut through my dreams like a foghorn. I groaned and pulled the blanket over my head.
Five more minutes,I mumbled.
Its already half the day gone!she called again, a teasing tone laced in her voice. Get up and take a shower. And dont take forever like you usually do!
Yeah, yeah, five minutes,I muttered again, voice muffled by my pillow.
Still, her words echoed in my sleepy brain, and eventually, I dragged myself out of bed like a zombie on low battery. The moment I stood up, a yawn took over my whole body. I stretched, glanced at the clockugh, it was nearly 2 PM. Half the day really was gone.
I stumbled into the bathroom, took a quick shower (which, okay, maybe wasn't that quick), and then ate what technically counted as breakfast but was absolutely lunch. Toast, some juice, and a bananathat was good enough. Luna still hadnt arrived, which was surprising considering she usually storms in like a hurricane by noon.
I flopped back on the sofa and stared at the ceiling fan spinning lazily above me. By 4 PM, I had already checked my phone five times, scrolled through Instagram twice, and started questioning whether Luna had forgotten about me.
But thenfinallythe doorbell rang.
Where have you been?I asked the moment she stepped inside, her hair tied up in a messy bun and her arms carrying a giant tote bag like she was moving in.
Ugh, sorry,she said, blowing a loose strand of hair from her face. There was no one at home, so I had to clean everything before I left. Otherwise, mom would've freaked.
I looked at her for a second, then shrugged. Okay, fair enough.
She grinned and tapped me lightly on the shoulder. Yupp. Soready to finish that boring project of ours?
I let out the longest sigh. Lets just get it over with.
Trueeeee,she replied, flopping onto the carpet beside me as we opened our half-finished history project.
Wed only been working for thirty minutes when disaster struck.
Freya?Luna said slowly.
Hmm?I replied without looking up.
Were out of glue.
I stopped mid-cut, stared at her, and then at the empty glue stick in her hand. Youre kidding me.
Nope,she grinned, mischievous as always. Now we have to go out and get some.
I dont want to go,I said immediately, slumping back against the wall.
Me neither,she said, echoing my exact mood.
We sat in silence for a beat. Then, as if a switch flipped in her brain, Luna sprang to her feet.
Lets go!she said with fake excitement.
Well get some fresh air, you know?
I looked at her, unamused. You sound like my grandma.
Take it as a compliment,she said, doing a dramatic little hair flip. Now get up!
Okay, fine,I grumbled.
Yesss! Get ready fast,she said, practically skipping to my room like she owned the place.
I looked down at myselfoversized t-shirt with a cartoon cat and baggy trousers. Yeah, definitely not stepping out like this.
I stood in front of my closet like it was personally mocking me. Seriously, how did I have so many clothes and still nothing to wear?
After what felt like a war with every hanger and drawer, I finally threw on my favorite blue jeans and a simple white top. Not too much effort, but it worked. I let my hair fall naturallylong, a bit messy thanks to the ceiling fan, but whatever. I wasnt in the mood to fight it today.
As I stepped out of my room, Luna gave me a look of approval.
We were leaving the house and suddenly grandmother asked, Where are you both going?
To grab some glue sticks, we don't have any,I said.
She nodded.
See? You look totally date-ready now,Luna said.
Its glue, Luna, not a date.
She smirked. You never know who you might bump into.
I rolled my eyes, and followed her out the door.
Finally, we left my house. The sky was a soft blue, not too brightof course, it's almost evening. The heat had calmed a bit, and there was a faint breeze moving through the trees. Not the worst weather, but definitely that lazy kind of evening that makes everything feel slow.
As we walked after grabbing some glue sticks, Luna suddenly said, Lets take the shortcut. Otherwise well be walking forever.
I raised an eyebrow. The one through the park?
Yep. It'll save us, like, fifteen minutes.
I hesitated. The park wasnot creepy or anything, just kind of forgotten. Overgrown in places. But I nodded. Okay, fine.
The shortcut led us past the old neighborhood park, the one wed grown up passing by but never really hanging out in. The paint on the swings was chipped. Dry leaves crunched under our shoes. A few kids played in the distance, and someones dog barked happily as it chased a ball. There were teens sitting on the benches, some chatting, others scrolling their phones, a few deep in conversation like they were solving the universe.
As we entered, the earthy scent of grass and dust hit me. There was something calming about it, even in the quiet.
We hadnt even completed one round when Luna spotted someone and veered off. Hey, Ill be right backI think thats Rhea.
You know everyone,I said, rolling my eyes playfully.
I have connections,she said, smirking, and walked off.
She started chatting with a girl I didnt recognize. They seemed closelaughing, nudging each other. I stood nearby, aimlessly kicking at a pebble.
I remembered once reading somewhere: Even your best friend has a best friend.That thought lingered in my mind as I watched them, but I shrugged it off.
I turned away.
And thats when it happened.
I saw him.
He was walking from the opposite end of the park, his head slightly tilted down, hands in his pockets. He wasnt doing anything dramatic, just walking. But everything slowed down.
No, seriously. I dont know how to explain it. It was like something in the air shifted. The park, Luna, her friend, the background noiseall of it faded. Like someone had muted the entire world. And in that silence, all I could see was him.
At the time, I didnt even know his name. But he had this presence. A calmness.
He was wearing a white T-shirt layered with a blue shirt, sleeves rolled up just enough. Black jeans. White sneakers. A black bracelet on his left wrist. Curly, slightly messy hair that caught the light as he walked, sharp jawline. There was something so effortlessly real about him.
And when he walked past me, not even touching, just close enough... I swear I felt something.
Not butterflies. Not fireworks. Just a spark. A strange, silent kind of electricity.
My breath caught for a second. My mind blanked.
And then
Babe?Luna touched my shoulder, bringing me back to earth. What happened? Everythings alright?
I blinked. Yeahyeah, Im fine.
We started walking out of the park, but I couldnt stop thinking. Something had changed. And I couldnt ignore it.
I suddenly grabbed her wrist. Luna.
She turned. Yeah?
That guy. In the blue shirt. Curly hair. Who is he?
She looked around. Which one?
That one.I subtly pointed. He was walking toward the other side of the park now.
Luna squinted. Ohhh... Jasper?
Jasper?I repeated, trying the name in my mind.
Yeah, hes a friend of one of my friends.
Oh...I said, trying to sound casual. Cool.
Why?she asked, a little smirk forming on her lips.
No reason.
Hmm.She clearly wasnt buying it. Okayyy, lets go.
Yeah, of course.
But even as we left, something lingered. A feeling. A question. Something I couldnt put into words.
I didnt tell Luna more than that. But I could tell she had already figured it out. She always does. Thats the thing about best friends. They know your silence better than anyone else.
The rest of the walk was quiet. I think she was giving me space.
I kept thinking: How can you feel something so strong without even seeing someones face properly? Without talking to them?
Was it just attraction?
But it didnt feel like the kind of crush you get on a guy from school who posts thirst traps and gym selfies. It felt... different. Like I had seen someone I was meant to see. Like something had clicked in that moment, and nothing else mattered.
That feelingthe way everything paused around me, how the park faded, how I felt that little spark when he passed meit was real.
"Today was the day he walked into my lifeand just like that, everything changed. It was the first time I saw him, and somehow, in that one moment, he made me feel so many things all at once."
Like he is the answer of my whispers to the Universe. Like the boy I write about in my diary just entered my life. I knew itI will recognize him not by his looks but by his presence, by the calmness he holds. And I know he is the one I am waiting for.
I will never forget that moment.
Ever.
Even if I never see Jasper again.
Even if it turns out to be nothing.
Even if it was just my mind playing games on a boring summer afternoon.
Because in that one second, that one glance, something inside me shifted.
And I dont think Ill ever be the same again.