the boy who sat behind me

Chapter 1: “The Boy Who Sat Behind Me”

It had been raining for days.

Not the kind of rain that made people run for shelter.

Not the kind that flooded streets or filled the sky with thunder.

Just—

Quiet rain.

The kind that stayed.

In the small town where Maria Edwards lived, the rain was almost a part of life.

It clung to windows.

Softened footsteps.

Turned everything a little grey, a little distant.

Most people didn’t like it.

But Maria did.

She sat by the window in her classroom, her sleeve brushing lightly against the cool glass. Outside, raindrops slid down slowly, tracing invisible paths that disappeared as quickly as they formed.

She watched them like they meant something.

Like they were trying to say something.

“You’re staring again.”

Maria blinked, turning slightly.

Her friend leaned back in her chair, arms crossed.

“At the rain,” she added.

Maria gave a small smile.

“I know.”

“You’ve been doing that all morning.”

“It looks different today.”

Her friend frowned.

“It’s literally the same rain as yesterday.”

Maria shook her head gently.

“No… it’s not.”

She didn’t explain.

She never really could.

To her, the world wasn’t just… there.

It felt.

Changed.

Shifted.

Depending on things no one else seemed to notice.

The classroom door opened.

At first, no one paid attention.

It was just another interruption in an ordinary day.

But Maria did.

She didn’t know why.

Maybe it was the timing.

Maybe it was the silence that followed.

Or maybe—

It was him.

A boy stood near the door.

Not soaked from the rain.

Not rushed or awkward.

Just… still.

“New student,” the teacher said casually, barely looking up from her register. “Take a seat anywhere.”

No introduction.

No attention.

Nothing special.

But Maria couldn’t look away.

There was something about him.

Not obvious.

Not dramatic.

Just—

Different.

He glanced around the room once, his eyes moving slowly, like he wasn’t searching for anything in particular.

Then he walked.

Unhurried.

Quiet.

And stopped.

Right behind Maria.

The chair scraped lightly against the floor as he pulled it back and sat down.

Maria felt it immediately.

Not a sound.

Not a movement.

Just—

Presence.

She tried to ignore it.

Tried to focus on the lesson.

The teacher was explaining something about literature, words filling the room in a steady rhythm.

But Maria couldn’t concentrate.

She could feel him there.

Not close.

Not distant.

Just… exactly where he was supposed to be.

After a few minutes, she spoke.

Without turning around.

“…You’re new.”

There was a pause.

Short.

Then—

“Yeah.”

His voice was calm.

Soft, but not hesitant.

Like he wasn’t unsure of anything he said.

“You came in the middle of term,” Maria added quietly.

“Had to.”

That was all.

No explanation.

No elaboration.

Maria frowned slightly.

Then, slowly, she turned just enough to glance behind her.

He wasn’t looking at her.

He was looking at the window.

At the rain.

That made her pause.

“You like it?” she asked before she could stop herself.

“The rain?”

“Yeah.”

He tilted his head slightly, as if considering the question properly.

“…It’s quiet.”

Maria’s lips curved into a small smile.

“…Exactly.”

For a moment—

It felt like she wasn’t the only one who saw it that way.

The rest of the lesson passed like that.

Small words.

Long silences.

But it didn’t feel awkward.

It felt easy.

Like talking wasn’t necessary.

At lunch, Maria found herself thinking about him again.

Not obsessively.

Not dramatically.

Just—

Curious.

She stepped out into the covered walkway, the rain falling steadily just beyond the roof’s edge.

The courtyard was empty, water pooling on the concrete.

And there he was.

Standing by the railing.

Watching the rain.

Maria hesitated for a moment.

Then walked over.

“You’re always looking at it,” she said.

He didn’t turn.

“You too.”

She leaned lightly against the railing beside him.

They stood close enough to speak, but not close enough to feel uncomfortable.

For a while, neither of them said anything.

The rain filled the silence.

“…Do you think,” Maria began slowly,

“people change depending on the weather?”

He didn’t answer immediately.

“…I think,” he said finally,

“people just notice it more when they’re already feeling something.”

Maria blinked.

That answer—

It felt too accurate.

“You think a lot,” she said quietly.

“So do you.”

She let out a small laugh.

“Not really. I just notice things.”

“Same thing.”

Another silence.

But this one felt…

Warmer.

After a moment, he spoke again.

“David.”

Maria turned slightly.

“What?”

“My name.”

She smiled faintly.

“Maria.”

“I know.”

That made her pause.

“…How?”

He finally looked at her.

Not intensely.

Not softly.

Just—

Directly.

“You seem like a Maria.”

She frowned slightly.

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“It doesn’t have to.”

For some reason—

She didn’t argue.

The bell rang.

Students began to move again, filling the space with noise.

David stepped back first.

Maria followed.

As they walked inside, she felt something she hadn’t felt in a while.

Not excitement.

Not nervousness.

Just—

A quiet awareness.

Like something had shifted.

At the end of the day, Maria packed her bag slowly.

Her movements felt slower than usual.

She glanced back.

David was still there.

Leaning back in his chair.

Watching her.

“…See you tomorrow?” she asked, before she could think about it.

There was a pause.

Then—

A small smile.

“…Yeah.”

That was enough.

Maria walked home in the rain that evening.

Without opening her umbrella.

Without rushing.

The drops soaked into her sleeves, her hair, her skin.

But she didn’t mind.

Because something felt different.

The rain didn’t feel empty today.

It felt…

Shared.

That night, lying in bed, Maria stared at the ceiling.

The sound of rain tapping lightly against her window.

“…David,” she whispered softly.

The name felt real.

Too real.

And for the first time in a long time—

Maria didn’t feel alone in her thoughts.

Outside—

The rain continued to fall.

Quiet.

Endless.

As if it knew something she didn’t.

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