Falling asleep, Falling in love

"Two goals in five seconds? I wasn't even ready!"

Sajim was still complaining as we left the arcade, sulking like a kid who just dropped his ice cream.

"Don't blame me because you have the reaction time of a sloth," I smirked, flicking the token receipt at his face. He swatted it away like a fly and groaned.

"You tricked me into playing a warm-up round!"

"It's not my fault your warm-up lasted the entire match," I said, trying not to laugh.

Honestly? It had been a good day. Like, genuinely good. The type where the sun hits just right, the streets aren't too crowded, and for once, my mind wasn't heavy with stress or sleep.

We walked past a few vendors and into a small alley beside the mall where Sajim always insists the best chips in town live. "'Secret recipe spice mix,'" he claimed. Personally, I thought they just used expired masala. But whatever made him happy.

"I'll go get the chips," I said, feeling generous after my glorious victory.

"Make it two packs," Sajim shouted from behind as he leaned against the nearby wall, pretending to be some rogue anime side character.

I walked over to the vendor and was just about to reach into my pocket when—bam—someone bumped straight into me.

Hard.

"Ah—!"

A bag nearly slipped from my hand as I staggered a step back.

"Oh! I'm so sorry—I didn't see you there."

I looked up.

Silver hair.

Like actual silver. Not dyed purple or weirdly greyish-blonde. It shimmered in the afternoon light like moonlight had taken human form.

Her eyes were a pale shade of blue, wide with concern. She was wearing a neat maroon-and-black uniform, the kind I'd only seen in the fancy private school nearby. She held a folder to her chest, her posture almost too perfect.

And me?

I was frozen. Like someone had hit pause on my soul.

Words? Never heard of them. Breathing? Optional. Brain? Rebooting.

"Are you okay?" she asked again, tilting her head slightly.

I opened my mouth.

Nothing came out.

Classic.

I panicked, trying to force some response. Anything. Just say "I'm okay" or "No worries" or at least grunt like a semi-functional human being. But my tongue decided now was a great time to retire.

And then, like divine intervention from the gods of social awkwardness—Sajim appeared.

"Yo, what happened?" he asked, walking up beside me and immediately analyzing the situation with his all-knowing smirk.

The girl looked at him and bowed her head slightly. "I accidentally bumped into him. Sorry, I was in a bit of a rush."

Sajim glanced at me. I must've looked like a deer caught in headlights. He sighed dramatically.

"Don't worry about it. My friend here is allergic to sudden interaction. Especially from girls. He'll recover in about… hmm, five to seven business days."

The girl chuckled softly. "Is that so?"

I wanted to sink into the ground.

"Anyway," Sajim continued smoothly, "I'm Sajim. This frozen zombie here is Asif. Don't let the dead expression fool you—he's mostly harmless."

"I'm Ayesha," she smiled. "Nice to meet you."

I finally managed a weak nod. "Uh… h-hi."

She didn't laugh. She didn't look weirded out. She just smiled again, as if giving me a second chance to reboot. "Hi, Asif."

Oh god, I said hi like it was my first word as a toddler.

"So, Ayesha," Sajim said, still playing social diplomat, "you from Williston Private High School? That fancy one near the lake?"

She nodded. "Yeah. We had a debate event nearby. I was just grabbing something before heading to the station."

"That explains the folders," Sajim gestured. "Sounds cool."

"It was alright," she shrugged. "Not really my thing, but I got dragged in."

For a second, her gaze shifted toward me again.

I looked down. My shoes suddenly became very interesting.

Sajim probably noticed and jumped in again.

"Well, we should probably head off before this one starts overheating."

She giggled. "Okay then. Sorry again for bumping into you."

"No problem," I muttered, the voice barely above a whisper.

She gave a soft wave. "Bye, Asif. Bye, Sajim."

And just like that, she walked off—silver hair glowing under the fading sun, back straight, folder pressed to her chest like a secret.

I stood there.

Still.

Breathing like I'd just run a marathon.

1st that junior at rooftop, now this Ayesha. What's wrong with today. Why am I facing so many unknown girls all in a single day.

"You okay?" Sajim asked.

I finally looked at him.

"...I said hi like a weirdo."

He burst out laughing. "Yeah. But you said it. That's progress."

I gave him a weak punch on the arm. "Shut up."

We grabbed the chips and started walking back toward the bus stop.

But in my head, all I could hear was—

"Bye, Asif."

And maybe—just maybe—that one little word was going to replay in my brain for a long time.