[Mira's POV]
For some reason that I couldn't explain, that boy had managed something that no one had managed in a long time: to get my attention. That in itself was strange enough. After all, it wasn't in my nature to take an interest in someone I barely knew, let alone try to get close to.
The simple fact that he wasn't part of our group, in theory, should have caused me to ignore him. At least, that's what I used to do with almost everyone who tried to approach me. My indifference was almost a rule; interacting with those outside my world was never a priority.
But there was something about him. Something that made me want to look again.
The sensation was irritating. It wasn't attraction - I was sure of that. It was something else. Curiosity? Maybe. But why? There was nothing special about him. Still, something about him didn't leave me alone.
And, as it turned out, it wasn't just me. Astrid seemed to feel the same way, although she tried to disguise it.
I knew her well enough to notice. She was restless, as if she wanted to ask something. And, all said and done, before I could say anything, she stepped forward and spoke first.
"So... you're telling me that he 'fell' on the very first day of school?"
Astrid asked in a slightly sarcastic tone, which, it seemed to me, went unnoticed by the principal.
"At least, that's what he's saying."
My sister replied, with a calmness that sounded almost innocent, without realizing Astrid's sarcastic tone.
After hearing that answer, Astrid let out a discreet sigh, cast a quick glance at the ceiling and commented with a slight irony.
"Wow, what an unlucky guy..."
I almost smiled at her comment, but I was more worried about what was behind it. The boy... what had led him to fall in such a way?
"Headmaster... which class did he fall into?"
I asked, trying to show as little interest as possible, although the feeling of curiosity was still nagging at me.
The principal looked at me for a moment, as if evaluating my question. He seemed to strive to maintain a serious countenance, but the expression in his eyes revealed something else - concern, perhaps, or a slight hesitation.
"At the table you... Class 1, Room 5."
His answer was direct, but the tone carried a weight I hadn't expected. I was silent for a moment, trying to process the information.
With that information in mind, a certain thought ended up popping into my head, and before I knew it, I had already said out loud what I was thinking.
"Perfect."
Without meaning to, I ended up letting those words come out louder than I wanted.
Astrid looked at me with a curious expression, and the director seemed momentarily perplexed, as if the word didn't fit with what he expected from an answer to something so serious.
With so many eyes on me, I couldn't help but feel a certain embarrassment. After all, it wasn't like me to expose myself so much, especially to the point of revealing who I really was. However, something told me that this coincidence wasn't just a coincidence, and I knew I couldn't just ignore it.
"Why is that perfect?"
Astrid asked with an arched eyebrow, clearly amused by my reaction.
After hearing my 'friend's' question, the director turned and faced me with a serious look on his face.
"I'm also curious to know, why is this good news? Don't tell me you're planning something, Mira."
His question ended up sounding more serious than he intended, due to the expression he assumed.
The seriousness in his voice made me realize that he was really worried, maybe even suspicious. It wasn't often that I showed any interest in anything or anyone, but the fact that I was reacting in this way towards a boy, and without even knowing much about him, probably put him on alert.
My eyes met Astrid's, who was still smiling, as if to say to me: 'I didn't do anything, now get on with it. I knew she wasn't going to let that pass.
"I... I'm not planning anything. I just want to be friends, that's all."
I tried to be confident in my words, but something in the way the director looked at me told me that he wasn't completely convinced.
Astrid, realizing that my plan wasn't going very well, decided to give me a hand.
"Director..."
As soon as Astrid managed to get Director Arden's attention, I noticed that she let out a short sigh before continuing what she was about to say.
"What Mira said is true, we just want to get a little closer to him."
As soon as she said those words, Astrid quickly turned her eyes to me, as if to tell me that I now owed her a favor.
As if that wasn't enough, the principal decided to believe my friend rather than me, who was the class representative.
I looked at Astrid, who seemed completely at ease with the situation, as if she already knew what she was going to do to get around it. Not only had she taken the lead in the conversation, but she also seemed to be amused by my discomfort. After all, my misfortune was her amusement. She knew exactly what to say to change the focus of the conversation, and now the director was completely distracted, his eyes fixed on her.
"That's good, Sid really needs friends."
The director's response turned out to be much less serious than when I had asked the question. How can this kind of treatment be possible? Shouldn't I, the representative, be treated with more respect?
Before I could express my displeasure at all this lack of trust, the school bell rang, as if it were a warning from beyond, interrupting any words I might say.
After the bell rang, the principal looked at the watch on his wrist and, without giving any further explanation, threw us out of his classroom.
"Now that you know where your class is, you can go."
I sighed internally, annoyed at how quickly things had unfolded. The principal seemed to be satisfied with Astrid's explanation, while I, as class representative, was left with the feeling that my word didn't carry the weight it should. How come he believed her more than me? It was a simple question, but the way he behaved made me feel that he had somehow underestimated my intentions.