That summer was nothing special, and perhaps that was why he remembered it so clearly.
Iván spent most of his days locked in his room, surrounded by books he hadn't finished, video games he'd left half-played, and playlists he no longer listened to. His friends had gone on trips, his sister had grown a little further away from him, and the heat enveloped everything with an almost unbearable slowness. He only went out at night, when the asphalt was still burning but at least the streets were empty.
He did nothing memorable, fell in love, or had any adventures. But deep down, he knew that something was about to change.
Perhaps that's why, when he walked into class on that first day of September, with the sun reluctantly peeking through the crooked blinds, he felt that familiar uneasiness that something—or someone—was going to be different this year.
He stared out the window, distracted, imagining he didn't know what. And then, the voice suddenly pulled him out of his faint thread of thoughts:
"Iván... can you repeat what I just said?"
He didn't flinch.
Iván continued staring out the window, oblivious to the murmur of the class, as if the world had been reduced to that strip of sky and sea in the distance. For a moment, he seemed to have forgotten that he was there, in the middle of a lesson, with classmates around him and a teacher watching him.
The teacher approached slowly, hoping that his shadow or presence would be enough to bring him back to his senses. But Ivan didn't blink or move.
The school was just a few meters from the beach. From the third floor, the view was almost cinematic: the sea stretching as far as the eye could see, with gentle waves breaking against the shore, and a clear sky that looked brand new.
Throughout the summer, Ivan had not set foot on that beach once. Now, with the breeze coming in through the window and the distant sound of the sea creeping in between the teacher's words, he felt the weight of that absence. It was as if the summer he had let slip away was silently judging him from the shore.
Suddenly, the teacher's hand slammed down hard on Ivan's desk, snapping him out of his inner world.
"Ivan, summer ended two weeks ago," he snapped in a stern and clearly irritated tone.
Startled, Ivan ran a hand through his hair, trying to compose himself, and clumsily opened his book, as if he could erase the evidence of his distraction in a second.
"I-I'm sorry, professor..."
Laughter quickly filled the classroom. Suppressed giggles, whispered comments, the occasional mockery disguised as a whisper.
Iván lowered his head, not daring to look at anyone. The sea was still there, shining behind the glass... but now, he was no longer looking at it.
"In a week's time, you have your first exam of the course, and I don't see you putting in the slightest effort," scolded the professor, arms crossed, looking at him over his glasses. You have to wake up, Ivan. If this continues, I'll have to call your parents to discuss your performance.
The last words fell like a bucket of cold water. Ivan felt the heat rise to his face, mixed with the shame and anger of knowing he was being exposed in front of everyone. He nodded silently, biting back the words he wasn't going to say.
The teacher walked away muttering something under his breath, while the class resumed its usual rhythm, as if nothing had happened.
He clumsily opened the book in front of him. He had forgotten his pen. Great. One disaster after another.
He turned slightly, just enough so as not to attract too much attention, and spoke in a low voice, not daring to look at her directly.
"Do you have a pen I can borrow?"
There was a brief silence. Then, a calm, measured voice replied:
"Don't lose it."
The pen appeared next to his hand. Not a single extra gesture, not a single unnecessary word. Just that. Precise.
"Thanks..." Ivan murmured as he took it.
She didn't answer. She had already refocused on her book, as if the interruption had never happened.
Iván glanced at her sideways. Her face was serious, serene. She didn't seem upset, but she didn't seem interested either. There was something about the way she sat, the way she calmly turned the pages, that commanded respect.
Ellen Joe, that was her name.
She wasn't new, but he didn't remember ever talking to her before.
***
The class finally ended. The teacher quickly gathered his things, dropping a few crumpled sheets of paper on the desk, and the students began to get up, rushing through their last conversations of the day.
Iván carefully put away his book and turned to Ellen, who was already closing hers. There was still something in the air, a kind of shared silence that made movements seem slower.
He approached her timidly, holding the pen between his fingers.
"Here's your pen," he said in a low voice, not quite sure what else to say.
She didn't look up, but took the pen without hesitation, with the same sharp, precise gesture as before.
"Thanks," he replied, without further ado.
For a moment, their eyes met. There were no smiles or words, just that brief, direct contact that seemed surprisingly intense to Ivan.
Without saying another word, Ellen got up and walked steadily toward the door.
Two boys of the same height approached Iván. One of them gave him a hard blow to the back.
Iván didn't scream, but he took revenge quickly: he kicked the one who had hit him straight in the shin.
"What are you doing, man?" he exclaimed, annoyed.
The boy writhed, clutching his leg as he rubbed the sore area.
"Take it easy, Ivan," said the other, smiling smugly. "I'm Nico, the smartest one in the group. And this is Dani, who sometimes needs a little attention."
Dani, the "kicker," rolled his eyes and rubbed his shin.
"Well, thanks for the attention, buddy," he snorted. "Now I'm going to have a bruise for the whole week."
Iván raised an eyebrow.
"And who are you guys? Because I don't remember you hitting me in class."
Nico put on a smug look.
"The same ones as always, you idiot! Childhood friends, to be precise. Although sometimes we wonder if we're friends or a gang of torturers."
Dani nodded with a mischievous smile.
"The truth is, Iván is right. But someone had to wake him up, he seemed to be floating on clouds all day."
Iván sighed and smiled.
"Well, if you're torturers, at least be entertaining."
The three of them laughed, and for a moment, class and problems were forgotten.
It was recess time, and the playground was filling up with students taking advantage of the break to unwind for a while. Iván, Nico, and Dani started playing a game of basketball, dribbling and shooting the ball amid laughter and jokes.
While Iván tried to shoot hoops, the other two watched out of the corner of their eyes a group of girls who had gathered nearby, sitting on a bench, looking at them.
"Have you seen how they're looking at us?" whispered Dani, his voice full of insecurity. "I'm sure they think we're losers."
Nico frowned, trying to look serious, but his voice trembled.
"Nah, man, I think they like us a little... although I don't know if they know what we're doing with the ball."
Iván burst out laughing.
"I'm sure they think this is like in the movies, when guys play to pick up girls."
"Really?" said Dani, looking nervous. "I've never talked to a girl... I don't even know what to say to them."
"Me neither," added Nico, scratching the back of his neck. "Sometimes I freeze up and forget to breathe."
Iván gave them an amused look as he shot the ball and it bounced off the rim.
"Relax, if you want to impress them, it's not with the ball. Better to start by not looking like starving beggars when they look at you."
The three of them laughed, and although none of them dared to approach the girls, the simple fact of playing together and joking around made recess a little less boring.
After a couple more minutes of playing, Dani nudged Iván and gave him a knowing look.
"Come on, Iván, why don't you say something to them? They won't bite."
Iván grimaced and scratched his head.
"I don't even know what to say to them... Besides, I'm sure you'll laugh at me."
Nico let out a dry laugh.
"Don't worry, if you laugh first, it gets better."
With a sigh, Iván bounced the ball a couple of times and hesitantly approached the bench where the girls were sitting. Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak, he tripped over a rock and the ball flew towards a group of boys on the other side of the playground.
"No!" Ivan shouted as he tried to regain his balance. "What a way to start..."
The girls laughed, and Dani and Nico ran over to help him, but none of them dared to make any further comments.
"Good start," Dani joked. "If this is your 'flirting mode,' I'd better stay away."
Iván, red as a tomato, shrugged.
"Well, maybe it's better if I stick with you guys and your humor."
The girls continued to watch and smile, but no one said anything else.
While Ivan recovered from his stumble, adjusting his shirt and looking at the ground with a little embarrassment, one of the girls in the group got up from the bench and walked over to him at a leisurely pace.
"Are you okay?" she asked, without any sweet or romantic tone, but rather with the naturalness of someone who is concerned that another person has not hurt themselves.
Iván looked up, surprised by the simple and sincere question.
"Yes, yes, everything's fine," he replied with a shy smile. "Just a little clumsy, that's all."
The girl nodded and returned to the group, without giving it another thought, as if she were simply making sure everything was in order and going about her day.
Nico and Dani looked at her sideways, as if they didn't quite understand what had just happened.
"Who was that?" Dani asked curiously.
"No idea," Nico replied, "but she didn't seem like the type to go looking for trouble."
Iván paused for a moment, realizing that sometimes the simplest gestures can be the most meaningful. He didn't need anyone to make a big deal out of his stumble, just someone to ask casually if he was okay.
"Well, come on, that's it," he said, picking up the ball. "Let's get back to the game."
And with that, recess continued, a little less awkward than before.
The bell rang, announcing the end of recess and the return to the classrooms. Iván, Nico, and Dani picked up the ball and headed for the building as the voices and bustle of the playground gradually faded away.
The next few hours passed between classes and notes, with Iván trying to concentrate while images of recess continued to linger in his head. When the last bell finally rang to signal the end of the school day, the three friends gathered by the door.
"Do you guys want to come over to my house and play some games?" Dani asked with a cheerful smile.
Iván hesitated for a moment and then shook his head.
"I can't today, I have to work on a project they asked me to do. Another time."
Nico snorted jokingly.
"What a boring plan, Iván. But hey, to each his own."
They said goodbye with a wave and went their separate ways, as the sun began to set behind the buildings, leaving behind a day full of little moments that still held great promise.
Iván had just left school and was walking to the bus stop when his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He took out his phone and saw that it was his boss.
"Yes?" he answered somewhat reluctantly.
"Iván, I need you to come in early today. We have some extra orders that need to be delivered as soon as possible," said the voice on the other end, somewhat hurriedly. "I know you were already done, but there's no alternative."
Iván sighed, looking up at the sky, which was beginning to turn orange with the sunset.
"Okay, boss. I'll be there as soon as I can."
He hung up and quickened his pace, thinking that his afternoon was going to be longer than expected.