Operation: Threads of Connection

Hope

"Damian? What do you think about this plan?" Alina asked breaking me out of my thought.

"Huh? Oh yeah that's fine," I reply not really paying attention. She smiled and took a quick glance around the class, she then stood up and came towards me.

"Are you okay? You seem a bit distracted?" She asks, grabbing onto my arm in a caring manner. I didn't really want her touching me so I gently pulled my arm away, trying to be polite. "I'm fine, just got a lot on my mind," I said, attempting a smile. Alina nodded, though she didn't seem entirely convinced.

"Alright, but if you need anything, just let me know," she said before returning to her seat.

As the day wore on, I found it increasingly difficult to focus. My thoughts kept drifting back to Anya and our evening together. It was strange how much I missed her, even though we saw each other every day in class.

During lunch, I sat with Emile and Ewen, trying to engage in their conversation, but my mind was elsewhere. I glanced across the cafeteria, spotting Anya laughing with Becky. Just seeing her smile made me feel a little better, but it also made me realize how much I wanted to be part of that happiness.

"Hey, Damian, you okay?" Emile asked, noticing my distraction.

"Yeah, just thinking about the camping trip," I lied.

"Don't worry about it, man. We've got everything under control," Ewen said confidently. "It's gonna be great."

I nodded, trying to share in their enthusiasm. But all I could think about was finding a way to talk to Anya, to spend more time with her outside of our groups.

Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. As we made our way back to class, I decided I needed to find a moment to talk to Anya. Maybe after school, I could catch her before she headed home. I couldn't let another day go by without at least trying When the final bell of the day rang, I quickly gathered my things and made my way to the front gate, hoping to catch Anya before she left. I stood there for a few minutes, watching students pour out of the building. Finally, I spotted her, chatting with Becky and Sebastian. I realized maybe this wasn't the right time, I began making my way towards the library. Tutoring didn't start for another hour, but it wouldn't hurt to be there a bit earlier. I begin pulling my earbuds out, shuffling through my playlist. As I was was looking through my options, I felt a slight pull on my back. It was Anya.

"Sy-on boy! It's been a while," she said smiling. I couldn't help but give her a smile back, she was always so energetic and positive, she was like a magnetic. Always attracting good towards her.

"So it has stubby legs, where are you off to?" I ask as I noticed she was now alone.

"I have work today, Bash was just telling me that his grandma was feeling under the weather, so I had to run the shop on my own today." She said enthusiastically . I couldn't help but feel pride in knowing how hard she was working for this.

"Aren't you a bit scared to be running a shop all by yourself?" I ask her, she can be a real scatterbrain sometimes. She shook her head and began a more sophisticated posture,

" it's a good way to learn responsibility and all that adult stuff." She said, moving her index finger up to her chin.

"Hearing you say that "adult stuff" isn't all that convincing shrimp," I said grinning. She gave me her shocked face, and proceeded to laugh afterwards.

"I am a bit nervous, but I think this will be a great opportunity for me," she says. "I don't have to be there til 5, do you want to walk around for a bit ?" She asks.

I checked the time on my watch, tutoring doesn't start til 5 as well, it seems I had some extra time to spare. I give her a quick nod as I proceed to remove my earbuds, putting them in my backpack. Anya began leading the way telling me all about her job, I listened carefully as she described the various new techniques she learned from Mrs. Blackwell. Anya animatedly recounted her experiences at the bakery, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "Yesterday, I learned how to make croissants! It's so much harder than it looks, but Mrs. Blackwell said I did a great job for my first time."