He saw that she was coming out of the house. He was standing looking up at her window from the other side of the street. When the lights went out it could mean two things: she'd gone to bed or, as he hoped, she'd gone for a night walk. She liked to do that.

She came out of the door, paused for a moment, thought for a moment, and started walking. He followed. He wanted to speak to her at some point, not yet. She walked and walked and walked, didn't stop. They passed the lake on which the small town laid. He thought of the wonderful summer days he had spent there with his friends. After school straight to the lake. Even if it was late. She was often there too. Sometimes he was there alone. Then he laid in the meadow or sat on the bench and did next to nothing.

But when they were together they did so many different things. Most of the time they did their homework but it wasn't like they were highly concentrated and focused on what they were supposed to do. They often got off topic and talked about something completely different. Doing homework they complemented each other wonderfully. He was better at maths but she was better at languages. So they helped each other.

She was lost in thoughts. She didn't look around once. He wondered what her reaction would be if she did. Happiness? Sadness? Fear? But why should she be afraid? Well, if she didn't recognize him and took him for a stranger who was chasing her, that would be explainable. But that moment should be very brief. They know each other way too well and long. When she would recognize him he hoped she would feel joy.

He noticed that they were returning to her apartment. He had to think quickly of something how to talk to her if he wanted to. And he wanted to. They came to his former home. She stopped. He stopped. She looked up at his apartment. He looked at her.

He could remember their first day of school quite clearly. It was such a big new world back then. He was glad he knew her back then. Been a long time already. He was scared then. She never was. Not then and not today. Back then she fearlessly explored the entire school ground. To places they weren't allowed to go. He followed her. He was also curious, but he didn't dare to do it alone. And when a teacher came, she always put on her innocent face and said they were lost. That could have quite happened on the first days of school. But by then the two of them knew the school so much better than some two years above them.

He had to smile as he thought back and looked at her. Without thinking about it any longer, he walked slowly towards her with calm steps. Just before he got to her, she turned around. He stopped. He waited for her reaction. She stared at him with her mouth slightly open. The light from the street lamps was reflected in her brown eyes.