Alan

After a long, hard day at school, you were walking home, completely exhausted. It was raining, and, as luck would have it, you hadn't brought an umbrella. Soaking wet, you walked to the bus stop and waited for your bus. Water was running down your forehead when suddenly an umbrella appeared over your head. A boy was standing next to you. He glanced at you briefly, then looked away. He just stood there silently, holding the umbrella so the rain wouldn't fall on you. You didn't even know what to say.

The bus arrived, and he got on with you. When it was your stop, you got off, and he followed you. Again. "Well, he probably lives here too," you thought.

He approached you, still holding the umbrella over you. Maybe he was just on his way? But you walked in silence, and eventually he walked you straight to your house. Without saying anything goodbye, he simply turned and walked away... back the way you came. So he wasn't on your way at all? Was he just walking you home? You thought only of him for the rest of the day.

The next day, you were standing in the hallway chatting with a friend. Suddenly, you spotted that same guy in the crowd. He was walking straight toward you, his eyes never leaving yours. Coming closer, he started talking as if you'd known each other for a long time. You glanced at your friend, but she acted calm, as if everything was fine, so you assumed he was her friend.

Alan—that was his name—was completely different. Not the quiet guy from yesterday at all. He talked a lot, laughed, and openly flirted with you. When he left, you immediately turned to your friend.

“Do you know him?” you whispered.

Your friend blinked in surprise, shook her head and looked you over from head to toe in confusion.

— What do you mean?.. I thought he was your friend!