Alfred had always liked the thought of flying, or even exploring space, travelling outside of this little galaxy he seemed so stuck in. He dreamt of flying so far, so high, that he could find where the sky ended and where the universe began, stretching out farther than he could imagine. He dreamt of touching the stars, flying along next to countless meteors and asteroids, zipping and weaving his way between millions and billions of planets. He dreamt of exploring new and uncharted worlds, of discovering unique life forms— life forms that couldn't be found anywhere other than the one planet they inhabited.
When he discovered that Ivan dreamt of the same things, Alfred felt absolutely ecstatic. While his friends disregarded such dreams as silly, childish, and unrealistic, this Ivan felt the same way Alfred did. Ivan wanted to explore new worlds, discover new things. Alfred never would have thought that he would have something in common with the quiet, strange Russian boy, but he did. He had his biggest dream in common with this boy, this boy he probably would have never muttered a word to if it hadn't been for second period Science.
Ivan's family had immigrated to the United States from Russia. He did not speak English very well, so he mostly spoke to himself in a quiet, but sometimes harsh voice. He sat two seats to the right of Alfred in Science.
Science was his favourite class. Science was full of surprises, endless possibilities. It was a subject Ivan could really, truly be himself in. He could explore new fields of research that were constantly popping up. He could get lost in the complex, detailed writings of researchers. He didn't have to worry about putting up his defences to protect himself from the world and the world from his dark, twisted mind.
Science was also Alfred's favourite class, for many of the same reasons. While he projected an energetic, happy and confident personality, Alfred was a complete and utter mess on the inside. He was quite an anxious person, although he did his best to hide it. He didn't need, nor did he want, people to worry about him. He wanted to worry about other people so that they could live their lives happily, without any major concerns. He wanted to protect everyone from the horrors of the world. The world was painted with such displeasing colours, yet they could be painted over. He wanted to be the hero for everyone.
Ivan, on the other hand, didn't try to be a hero. He tried to melt into his surroundings, wanting to remain unnoticed, a fly on the wall. He was wary of social interaction, fearing his sick mind.
What would he do if someone made him angry?
He decided he didn't want to think about it. He would much rather get lost in a book, trap himself in his own little world where he could do no harm. He too tried to protect others, albeit in a different way than Alfred. But he didn't want to be the hero.