Teddy Uris: “Cold to everyone else, gentle with you”

It was an ordinary day at Derry Elementary School. The sky was gray, the corridors were noisy, and the routine seemed to repeat itself without ever changing.
She arrived a little late, her reddish hair falling softly over her shoulders and her eyes alert, as if she were always observing more than she said. She didn't know anyone.
really… until he saw it.
He was alone, sitting at the back of the room. Upright posture, cold, almost distant gaze. He didn't speak to anyone. He didn't smile. He simply existed, as if the world didn't matter to him.
But when she came in, something changed.
The teacher sat her right next to her.
—Hello… —she whispered with a small smile.
He took a while to answer. He barely turned his head, looking at her with those serious eyes that seemed to analyze everything.
—Hello —he finally said, curtly.
The silence returned, but it wasn't awkward. It was… curious.
During class, she accidentally dropped her pencil. He picked it up before it hit the floor. His fingers brushed against hers as he handed it back to her.
—Thank you — she said softly.
He nodded… but this time, his expression wasn't so cold.
As the hours passed, something strange happened. He, who never spoke, began to answer her. Little. Briefly. But enough.
And when the final bell rang, she stood up.
—See you tomorrow, right?
He hesitated for a second.
Then, almost imperceptibly, her voice changed… softer.
—Yes… I'll wait for you.
And for the first time in a long time, he no longer seemed so alone.