We both wake up to the magnificent sound of my morning alarm blasting some aggressive loud noises. The sun rays are set directly in my eyes, and my face aches a little for I fell asleep in some chemistry book.

Nick groans a bit, his hair in an awful mess, and suddenly I’m aware of his presence. I try not to be grumpy as I just woke up so that he doesn’t run away at the sight of my morning Grinch face. I think I may be able to manage a little smile at least.

Honestly, the situation’s quite awkward. He grabs his glasses (that I gently removed and put aside, because what an angel am I) and gets out of my bed with a slightly confused expression. Realization flashes in his eyes and he suddenly turns to me: "I'm so sorry for falling asleep on you, Oliver!"

Too loud. Way too loud. I grumble a few words, telling him not to worry about it as I rub my sleepy eyes. I really don’t understand morning people.

My attitude seems to make him laugh, and I get up to find something for him to wear. I find some t-shirt that might fit him, but he refuses to take it, saying he’s got to get home before his first class anyway.

He’s practically running out of my apartment, leaving a quick “see you in school” before disappearing. I really do wonder how he can have so much energy so early in the morning.

I get to my small kitchen, and, fixing myself some breakfast, I replay the last day’s events over and over again. With my mind stuck in repeat, my eyes catch my university’s campus through my window.

It all seems to have happened too fast, yet I am unbearably happy. I have made what seems to be a friend, and that honestly feels weird. I make myself a cup of coffee before I hurry to my magnificent calculus class. I can’t calculate a single thing before ten without caffeine.

•••

I take my usual spot: first row, in the closest corner to the door so I can leave as fast as possible when class ends. I’m so lost in my own thoughts today that the teacher’s words faint and fall to my feet. That isn’t like me, and it looks like I’m going to have a lot of catching up to do after this comes to an end.

The feeling I had around Nicholas isn’t normal, but at the same time he made me feel so... normal. I don’t understand a thing of what’s going on through my head. No one ever dares to get close to me, and just like that we talked like I wasn’t in any way different. To be fair, my hair sticks in weird directions, I always have my nose stuck in some book and I have Harry Potter glasses: if there is anything that screams “nerd” more than that, please enlighten me. And, really, no one wants to get close to the nerd. The fear of being rejected by those around us is so huge that it overcomes everything else, and so it generally results with me being alone. What if they caught you speaking with me, heh? How terrible that would be, you poor thing.

But really, I don’t complain. It is true that, at first, I tried to fit in: I even joined the hockey team in a pathetic attempt. Turns out I don’t want any attention. I stopped trying to tame my hair and caring about the holes in my favorite pair of jeans. I stopped smiling at those whom I don’t care about and I started to focus on what really matters: books, warm coffee and my studies.

So yeah, the need to get to know Nicholas is quite new and surprising, but so exciting at the same time.

I realise class is over as many students pass my desk, the whole classroom exploding in chatters. Waking up from my thoughts, I grab my things and hurry out.