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Y/N sat at her desk, the soft hum of her desk lamp the only sound in the otherwise quiet room. She was trying to focus on her homework, but her mind kept wandering. The history book in front of her blurred into the background as she absentmindedly tapped her pen against the table.

Her phone buzzed, pulling her attention away from the homework. She reached over and grabbed it, glancing at the group chat with her friends. The conversation was moving fast, filled with hearts, emojis, and messages about their latest crushes, dates, and gossip about the boys in school.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Ugh, they're always talking about the same things," Y/N thought, as she scrolled through the messages. Her friends were gushing over how cute some of the guys were, planning dates, and joking about which boy was their favorite.

Y/N, however, had never been interested in all that. Sure, some of the guys were cute, but she couldn't find herself truly caring about them. She had always focused on other things—her studies, her friendships, and most recently, the strange connection she had begun to form with Toby.

Wait... Toby?

The thought of him came suddenly, uninvited, like a shadow falling over her mind.

Y/N had always seen Toby as different—an outcast, yes, but someone who had a certain intensity about him. At first, she hadn't thought much of it when she'd started talking to him. She just saw him as another person in the cafeteria who needed someone to sit with, someone to be kind to. But over time, their interactions had grown... well, they had started to feel different.

Every time they talked, she couldn't help but notice the way he looked at her. There was something in his eyes—something that made her think maybe he saw her in a way no one else did. He seemed shy, withdrawn, but whenever he spoke to her, there was a certain sincerity she hadn't seen from other boys.

She bit her lip, glancing back down at her phone, where another message from the group chat appeared. It was from Mia:

"So, have you guys talked to anyone special recently? I swear, I'm just waiting for the right guy to ask me out."

Y/N stared at the message for a moment, then quickly typed her reply, her fingers moving almost mechanically:

"Not really. I'm just focusing on school, you know?"

She hit send, then looked out her window, the evening sky painted in deep shades of purple. It wasn't that she didn't like boys—it was just that the whole dating scene never seemed to hold much appeal for her. She had her friends, her hobbies, and her life outside of the constant drama surrounding relationships.

But Toby...

She paused. She hadn't really thought of him that way before, at least not seriously. There was something about him that felt different. He didn't flirt or make jokes about her like the other boys did. He didn't act like he was trying to win her over, but his presence... it felt like he cared.

Y/N sighed and pulled her homework toward her again, trying to ignore the thoughts creeping into her mind. She focused on the textbook, but it was no use—her thoughts kept drifting back to Toby. His quiet nature, his strange confidence, and those intense eyes that always seemed to be watching her.

Why does he make me feel like this? she thought, chewing on the edge of her pencil. I barely know him...

But as she sat there, lost in thought, another message popped up in the group chat, this one from Sarah:

"You know who I think is cute? Toby. He's such a weirdo, but he's cute in his own way."

Y/N froze, her heart skipping a beat.

Did Sarah just... say Toby?

She quickly scrolled up to find the conversation thread. Sure enough, there it was:

"Toby, right? I'm telling you, that kid's kind of cute if he didn't act so weird all the time."

What... what does this mean?

Y/N sat up straighter in her chair, a knot of confusion twisting in her stomach. Her mind raced. Why had Sarah brought him up? She hadn't heard anyone talk about Toby like this before, at least not in a way that was anything more than teasing. But hearing Sarah's comment made something stir within her, something that sent a flicker of heat to her cheeks.

She quickly typed a response, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in her chest.

"I don't know... I think he's fine, just different, you know?"

She hit send, then quickly set the phone down, turning back to her homework. But her mind was a mess.

Toby had always been someone who stood out in a strange way, but now, Y/N couldn't help but wonder if maybe... maybe there was more to him than just the "weird kid."

As the minutes passed, her thoughts drifted back to the group chat. Sarah's comment had opened something in her mind, and now she couldn't stop thinking about Toby—his quiet demeanor, the strange little smiles he'd give her, the way he'd always seem so shy around her.

A soft knock at her door broke her thoughts.

"Y/N?" her mom's voice called from the other side.

"Yeah, Mom?" Y/N replied, trying to shake off the sudden unease she was feeling.

"You're not done with your homework yet, are you?"

Y/N sighed and stood up from her desk. "No, just a second. I'm almost finished."

She grabbed her phone again, glancing at the group chat one more time before shoving it into her pocket.

But even as she went back to her homework, Toby lingered in her thoughts—just as he always did.