Though she sat only a few yards away Alex could hardly look at her for fear his ten year old heart would beat out of his chest. Demure and beyond cute her lightly freckled face beamed despite the classroom’s harsh lighting. Her green eyes twinkled at the knowledge she knew the answer to the question posed. Pulled into a half-ponytail so that the rest could cascade over the nape of her neck, her chestnut brown hair bespoke a neatness and prim disposition.

Honestly, Alex didn’t even know what a chestnut looked like. It was in a song his dad liked, something about a, “chestnut brown canary.” The description fit, her hair being brown and her frame slight and graceful like a bird. The song reminded him of her, so he liked it.

Three of sixes classes together, and always the same. Janine sat in the front by the door, by the teacher, eager to learn. He sat in the back corner by the windows, prone to daydream. Funny thing was, he hadn’t even spoken to her until the day Ricky Speigner went to the board.