Naruto will catch me staring, and it wouldn't matter.
Because he is staring too.
I hold his eyes for a second, a minute, an hour.
As far as I know, he doesn't look at anyone else.
He stands up to sharpen his already sharp pencil.
As he passes, he breathes one single word.
"Hello."
-
I nod back, slightly dazed.
"Hello."
He says hello every class from now on.
-
"Hello."
In class the next day,
he turns around to smile at me.
I smile back politely.
-
"Hello."
Right now, he is suddenly one of us, one of the people in the circle.
I force myself to approach him.
"Why did you start saying hello to me?"
He shrugs, not meeting my eyes.
"I don't know."
And then he does look at me,
but I think there's more.
-
"Hello."
In class again,
I beat him when we lock eyes.
Even across the room, he smiles,
and greets me back.
When I have the chance,
I brush past him.
"Am I ever gonna find out how this started?"
I mutter.
"If I ever find an answer,"
he replies seriously.
"Find one,"
I say.
-
"Hello."
He is by my desk,
eyes glued on the paper I'm creasing.
"What's this?"
"Airplane."
I finish the plane and examine it.
"You gonna fly it?"
I shake my head, and a tiny smile forms.
I know it.
"I'd get caught,"
I say.
He cocks his head to the side childishly.
"Or maybe you just don't want it messed up."
-
"Hello, how did this start?"
I interrupt as he talks to his friends.
"Hello," he beams.
"Well, it started when I said hello to you."
I love each syllable he pronounces.
Like there's history behind each word.
Like each word is better than the first.
And it is.
"Yes, but why did you do that?
Have you found your answer yet?"
I like how he thinks before saying.
He takes his time.
"Yeah, I have."
I wait for his answer.
"You intrigue me."
He says.
"Then we're even,"
I am satisfied.