I opened my eyes, groggily checking the time. 3:00 AM glared back at me.

My mind racing from the nightmare, I reached for my phone to distract myself.

Luna: What are you doing? I'm not sleepy. What about you?

Me (Leo): Oh, you're awake too. I thought you were asleep.

Luna: Ok, but tomorrow bring my game.

Me (Leo): What?! You're asking for it back already? I just borrowed it yesterday!

Luna: My cousin wants to try it. I told him I gave it to you, but he didn't believe me.

Me (Leo): Fine... (yawn) I'll bring it tomorrow.

Luna: Okay then, good night.

Me (Leo): You should say morning~

Luna: Whatever, bye

I chuckled, shaking my head. Only Luna would text me at 3 AM.

The next morning, I rushed to school, remembering the game at the last minute.

"Oh no, I'm going to be late!" I muttered, hastening my pace.

Mr. Donald's punishment loomed over me. I had to avoid it.

As I entered the classroom, I scanned the room for Luna, but she was nowhere to be found.

"Where is she?" I wondered.

Mr. Donald's stern voice interrupted my thoughts. "Ah, Leo, you're late again. Five minutes of standing punishment!"

I stood, whispering apologies, as my mind began to wander. Then, one of our classmate, Pedro came near me and started telling some kinds of- blah blah blah, like "hey bro, you're late again did you play games late at night or something else? (˵ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°˵)"

Me(Leo) : What? Something else, what do you mean?

Pedro: Something like, Late night chatting?

Me: ........, don't speak rubbish.

Just then, the door swung open, and Luna walked in, her hair messy, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. Traffic," she said with a weird face but cute.

I made a weird face back, feeling a mix of relief and... something else.

"Luna, where were you?" our classmate, Joseph, asked.

Luna launched into a story about last night, chilling and fighting with her cousin.

As she spoke, I found myself stealing glances at her.

The class continued, with Luna occasionally catching my eye and raising eyebrows.

During lunch, Luna plopped down beside me.

"Hey, where's my game?" she asked, eyes sparkling.

I grinned. "Forgot. Sorry."Σ(゜゜)

Luna playfully rolled her eyes. "You're going to pay for this."( ͡° ʖ̯ ͡°)

As we bantered, our classmates began to stare.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

"I'll bring your game tomorrow," I promised.

Luna: "Better."

With that, she walked off to her next class, leaving me wondering what the day had in store.

Luna is not like ordinary girls, wearing makeups, pretty fancy dresses and especially shy. She's a bold girl with a boyish type personality. That's why we twos are best friend, I can share everything with her,

Even for that we don't hesitate.

This is the introduction of our friendship.

I walked into class, game in hand, ready to return it to Luna. She made silly faces at Emma, who giggled uncontrollably. "Here's your game," I said, handing it over. Luna snatched it, grinning mischievously. "Finally! My cousin's been bugging me nonstop."

Our fingers touched, and I felt a sudden jolt. "Thanks, Leo," Luna said. I smiled, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. "No problem," I replied.

Throughout lunch, we bantered. Luna poked fun at my hair. "Leo, when's the last time you combed that mess?" I retaliated, stealing her fries. "Hey, those are mine!" Luna shouted. Emma joined in, and we spent lunch laughing.

After lunch, we parted ways. As I walked to my next class, I couldn't shake off the feeling. What was happening to me? Was it just friendship? Or something more? I pushed the thoughts aside, focusing on my classes.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the day. "Luna, wait!" I called out. She turned, her eyes sparkling. "Want to walk home together?" I asked. Luna nodded.

We walked in comfortable silence. As we approached our neighborhood, Luna spoke up. "Thanks for walking me home, Leo." We stood outside her house. "See you tomorrow," Luna said. "See you," I echoed.

Luna poked her head out. "Don't forget to comb your hair tomorrow, messy hair." I chuckled. "Night, Luna." "Night." She winked and shut the door.

I grinned, shaking my head. This was Luna. My quirky, lovable friend. Or was she? As I walked home, the sun began to set. I pondered our friendship. Luna's antics. My responses. Our banter. Our laughter. It all felt natural.

But this new feeling? Uncharted territory. I reached home, lost in thought. My mom greeted me. "Hey, Leo! How was your day?" "Good, Mom." But my mind was elsewhere. Luna. Friendship. Something more? The questions swirled.

As I drifted off to sleep, one thing was certain: tomorrow would bring more. More laughter. More banter. More. The next day arrived, and I saw Luna in class. Our eyes met. My heart skipped a beat. Just friendship? Or something more? I smiled. Luna smiled back.

As we walked to our lockers, Luna teased me about my hair. "You really should comb it, Leo." "Later," I replied. Emma joined us. "Hey, guys! What's up?" "Just discussing Leo's hair," Luna joked. Emma giggled.

The banter continued, but beneath the surface, I sensed something new. A spark. A connection. Unexplored territory. But I was willing to explore. With Luna. My quirky, lovable friend. Or something more? Only time would tell.

We exchanged playful jabs throughout the day. But during math class, Luna passed me a note. "Meet me at the park after school." I raised an eyebrow. What was she planning?

The bell rang, and I gathered my belongings. Luna waited for me outside. "What's up?" I asked.

"Want to grab ice cream?" she replied.

I nodded, and we walked to the park. The sun shone brightly, casting a warm glow over everything. We sat on a bench, licking our ice cream cones.

Luna turned to me. "Thanks for hanging out, Leo."

"No problem," I said.

Our eyes met, and for a moment, time stood still.

Luna and I sat on a park bench, enjoying our ice cream cones. She suddenly punched me playfully. "Hey, what's up?" I asked, rubbing my arm. "Just keeping you in check," Luna said, grinning. I chuckled. "You're going to pay for that." Luna laughed. "Bring it on!" We engaged in a friendly wrestling match, laughing and teasing each other.

Afterward, we sat back down, panting. "You're getting slower," Luna teased. "I'll show you slow," I said, pretending to lunge at her. Luna squealed, dodging me. As the sun dipped below the horizon, Luna stood up. "Walk me home?" she asked. "Only if you promise not to beat me up," I replied. Luna grinned. "No promises."

We walked together, joking and laughing. As we approached my house, Luna said, "See you tomorrow." "See you," I replied. Luna turned to leave, but I caught her arm. "Hey, thanks for today," I said. Luna smiled. "Anytime, Leo." She ruffled my hair, and I pretended to be annoyed.

"Stop that!" Luna laughed and took off running. I chased after her, laughing. The next day, Luna met me at my locker. "Hey, kid," she said. "Hey, bully," I replied. Luna grinned. "Lunch?" "Always," I said.

We walked together, bantering back and forth. Our easy camaraderie felt natural. But sometimes, I caught Luna looking at me differently. Or was I just imagining it? In class, Luna passed me a note. "Meet me at the library after school." I raised an eyebrow but nodded.

At the library, Luna was already seated, studying. "What's up?" I asked. "Need help with math," she said. I sat beside her, and we worked on problems together. As we studied, our shoulders touched. I felt a spark but ignored it. Luna was just being friendly, right?

After finishing our homework, Luna closed her book. "Thanks, Leo." "No problem," I replied. We walked out of the library together, enjoying the evening breeze. Our friendship was effortless. But that spark lingered.

As we strolled through the park, Luna asked, "Want to grab dinner?" "Sure," I said. We walked to a nearby diner, laughing and joking. Inside, we slid into a booth. Luna teased me about my hair. "You need a haircut." I pretended to be offended.

The diner's jukebox played our favorite songs. We sang along, laughing. After dinner, Luna walked me home. "Thanks for tonight," I said. "No problem," Luna replied. "You're my favorite buddy." I grinned. "You're mine too."

As we stood outside my house, Luna smiled. "See you tomorrow." "See you," I echoed. Luna turned to leave, but I called out, "Hey." "Yeah?" she replied. "Thanks for being you," I said.

Luna's expression softened. "Thanks for being you too, Leo." Our eyes locked, and for a moment, time froze. Then Luna smiled and walked away. Leaving me wondering. Was our friendship evolving? Or was I just overthinking?

The next day would bring more. More laughter. More banter. More. I looked forward to it.

As I drifted off to sleep, I couldn't shake the feeling that Luna and I shared something special. Something beyond friendship.