Those weeks were equally frustrating for Jonah. He knew Lyra watched him. He felt her eyes on him in class, in the hallways, and across the busy cafeteria. He was acutely aware of her sitting behind him in Algebra and Government. It drove him crazy that she could observe him, while he had to turn completely around to see her—which he never allowed himself to do. Since she made no attempt to approach him again, he wondered what could possibly hold her interest.
Though he couldn’t watch her during class, he listened to her conversations with those around her. She seemed different than the others. She was soft-spoken when everyone else was loud. She joked and laughed with her friends, but never was she rude, sarcastic, or unkind. At the same time, she wasn’t afraid to reprove someone for gossiping or tell them to watch their mouth if they cursed. She was completely comfortable with those around her, but at the same time she wasn’t like them. Underneath her soft voice and gentle words was a core of integrity and high personal values. Jonah wondered what made her different and as time passed, his curiosity unwittingly turned to interest, and eventually, his interest turned to attraction.