Theo

(You are a girl)

You've had almost no friends in your life, and even then, only "friends" if you can call them that. So you often tried to meet someone. But something always happened: you were ignored, the person was a scammer, and so on. You had little hope that you'd ever communicate with anyone.

One day, a guy messaged you. At first, you thought it was just a casual conversation for a few days or a week. His name was Theo and he was your age. You also learned that he lived in a neighboring town and often messaged you, promising to come visit when he could. You simply smiled at the message.

That evening, while he was reading, he called you and told you he'd be arriving around lunchtime the next day. This news kept you awake for a long time, your head racing with thoughts of how you'd spend the day.

The next day, you waited for him, clutching the hem of your shirt with emotion. A few minutes later, Theo came up to you, smiled at you, and hugged you. Then he suggested going to a cafe and then going for a walk.

You spent the whole day together telling stories from life or talking about various topics. At one point, he takes your hand and places it on his, and then speaks.

• "I thought it would be even smaller."

He sighed and squeezed your hand.