Five years earlier...

The boy couldn't have been more than thirteen or fourteen years old, but the depths of his piercing aqua blue eyes and the worried crease lines between them shown he's aged beyond his years. He stood in front of the class with his shoulders hunched and his hands in his pockets.

The girl sitting near the back row with her long brown hair done into a single french braid thought to herself, he reminds me of...me. Scared and broken, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Class, we have a new student. This is Becker Reeves. He's been homeschooled and this is his first time attending public school, so please kindly welcome him," Mrs. O'Rourke, the 7th grade teacher addressed to the class.

No one greeted him out loud, so the boy lifted his head, stood up straighter, and put on a brave face. As soon as his lips etched a pretend smile, all the other girls in the room began whispering to each other, and the boy knew right away that he'd made a good impression.

The girl with the french braid didn't partake in the gossiping whispers, instead she carefully watched the boy with her curious bright green eyes. She understood why all the other girls were whispering; he was very attractive. The girl was immediately taken by his appearance because he was different from the other pubescent teenagers in the room. His tall, lean stature made him appealing. His flawlessly clear complexion separated him from the rest of the acne skinned males in the class. But what made him stand out the most were his unique blue, yet tortured eyes paired with his perfect dimpled smile that completed his exterior.

The boy was new and beautiful and he embraced that aspect of himself while he confidently walked to the empty seat beside the green eyed girl.

She was the only one not whispering about him and that made the boy uncomfortable as he sat into his seat. Both of them trying hard and failing to avoid eye contact with each other. He wondered what kind of impression he made on this girl. The fact was, he couldn't tell. She gave him no indication of whether or not his performance worked on her like it did for the rest of the class.

Becker accidentally brushed his dark brown hair away from his face and he realized immediately the mistake he made and he tried covering it up with another smile. Did she notice the bruise over his right eye? No she couldn't have, he'd covered it with his mother's old make up before he left for school. Still, he sensed that the girl could somehow see past his fake smile and he felt exposed. Though her eyes revealed no indication of judgement, he couldn't figure out what they showed him. She knew nothing about him and was probably curious, like she was trying to complete a puzzle without having all the pieces. This eased his mind a little because he now found himself doing the same with her.

She was the most beautiful girl he'd ever encountered, with the softest and kindest emerald green eyes he'd ever seen. They told a story like his and he wasn't sure what to think about it. Maybe she's shy, or doesn't have friends and that's why she's minding her own business. Unlikely a girl who looks like her doesn't have any friends he thought, must be another reason, though he shouldn't try to judge. He didn't know this girl either and he thought, maybe it would be better if he didn't. If she was suffering like him, he didn't need to add more to it.

His pen accidently slid off his desk and onto the floor between them. They both bent down to retrieve the pen at the same time and it ended up in the girls hand first. As they straighten back in their seats, the boy drew himself further away from her as she reached out to hand him his pen.

His reaction confused the girl and Becker knew right then that she found a small piece to the missing puzzle. He cleared his throat and pretended nothing happened.

Whatever she saw him do, she didn't voice her thoughts about it, she only held the pen out towards him and patiently waited for him to take it from her. The surge they felt when his fingers brushed hers, surprised them both, yet the girl remained calm, giving him a kind smile before returning back to her desk. Becker realized then that she could've easily called him out on his odd behavior and ruin his chances of having a normal school life, but she didn't. Her kindness mended a small piece of his broken heart and because of the affect she caused, he then vowed to himself that he'd always stay far enough away so he couldn't ruin her but keep close enough to watch her blossom into a life he was no longer destined to have.

The remainder of class, the girl continued glancing in his direction. She was drawn to him. What she felt when Becker took the pen from her wasn't something she could describe. They had a connection she thought. One she wasn't sure of. Her eyes glistened from holding back tears, and despite her own sorrow, she felt concern for Becker Reeves. Suddenly, the grief of having to burry her father the next day was over shadowed by this lost boy. A lost soldier who doesn't know what he's fighting for or why, but he endures the battle anyhow. Just like she does, every day. She doesn't have a choice and maybe he doesn't either.

"Greya Matthews, please come to the office, you're being dismissed," the office secretary announces through the overhead speaker.

The green eyed girl rises from her seat and collects her belongings. The room is quiet because they all know she's just lost her father. Everyone except the new boy feels sorry for her.

She takes full advantage of the boy's unawareness of her family's situation, swings her backpack over her shoulder and gives the broken boy one last smile before leaving.

As Greya Matthews exits the classroom, she vows to herself to someday help the lost soldier find himself again.