Peter knew the names of the stars better than the names of his classmates. While they talked about football, music, video games, or he-said-she-said during breaks, Peter tried to figure out how the light from Sirius managed to reach the Earth. In the left pocket of his jacket, he always carried a small bone he had found in front of Vindija Cave, which he believed was thousands of years old. Sometimes he would squeeze it in his hand and pretend it was a small gadget that made him speak an alien language others could not understand.
Each day, as soon as he woke up, Peter grabbed his binoculars and looked out of the window at the forest near his house, hoping to spot something new; another wild creature, perhaps. He imagined the forest to be the most beautiful place in the world, unlike school. School made him feel uneasy. He was not happy there. Very early, he had learnt that it was better to stay quiet than to say something others found ''weird''.
Once, in chemistry class, he tried to explain that diamonds were not indestructible, as someone had claimed earlier. He was not trying to act smart, but merely to add an interesting and important fact. Peter thought others would appreciate it, and wasn't expecting to be mocked, when one of his classmates said, ''Peter thinks he is the professor.'' ''Peter can tell when rocks breathe, '' another added. Unpleasantly surprised, Peter froze and buried his face in his notebook. There was something about him that others did not understand. And to be honest, he did not understand them either. He did not quite know when to join in conversations or when to joke. At school, he liked the schoolyard the most. He spent most of his breaks resting on the bench next to the chestnut tree, watching ants carrying crumbs and getting lost in their miniature paths. This way, he felt less misunderstood. These little creatures did not care about his popularity. Nature did not laugh at his thoughts. The universe did not interrupt him from sharing his interesting ideas. Still, he felt isolated. Loneliness followed him from the classroom to the hallway, and from the hallway all the way home, where things felt a little easier. He enjoyed spending his free time in his room the most. The walls in his room were covered in colourful posters of planets. The shelves were filled with books about animals, molecules and galaxies. He was in his element there.
Yet, came another Monday. At the start of the day, the teacher entered the classroom, and introduced a new boy. ''This is our new pupil, Tomo,'' she said. ''He moved all the way from Vinkovci, and he will be in our class.'' It was expected of everyone to warmly welcome the new student. Peter took a look at Tomo. He was thin, and his hair kept falling forward, covering his eyes. The teacher escorted Tomo to his seat, right next to Peter's. Peter greeted him. Tomo's attention was immediately drawn to Peter's notebook, decorated with the illustrations of different animals. During the break, Peter stayed seated as usual, and started going through the pages of his nature notebook. Children around him played and laughed loudly. Tomo also stayed in his seat, taking out a small book from his bag and opening it. Peter noticed the title: ''Meteorites''. His heart jumped the same way it did when he spotted a new bird species in the woods. Peter could not believe his eyes. He asked Tomo, ''Do you like stars?'' Pleasently surprised by his straightforward question, Tomo smiled. ''Yes,'' he said. ''Actually, I love everything that has to do with the universe.'' Peter felt like a weight lifted off his shoulders. ''Me, too,'' added Peter. ''Did you know that Saturn's density is so low that, in theory, it could float in water if there were a big enough pool?'' Peter asked excitedly. Tomo laughed, but not to make fun of him. It was a warm, sincere laugh. ''That's the best fact I have ever heard,'' Tomo said. Peter was relieved. That friendly comment meant that he could be understood by somebody. Peter and Tomo became friends instantly and talked about every little detail about the universe. They enjoyed each other's jokes, which their classmates still found unusual.
A few weeks later, during geography class, while the teacher was explaining Earth's atmosphere, Peter had an urge to add an interesting fact about it, but remembering the bitter experience of his last attempt, he gave up. Just then, Tomo whispered to him, ''Go on, say it,'' encouraging him. And Peter did. The teacher was impressed with his knowledge and praised him. Tomo added, '' What an interesting fact!'' The rest of the class was surprised but eventually started nodding. Peter thanked Tomo quietly. Modestly, Tomo winked and smiled at him.
The two of them began spending more and more time together, outside the classroom, too. They would often go to the park just near their school and pretend they were nature detectives. Peter would bring his binoculars and a magnifying glass, and Tomo would always have a nature encyclopedia with him. They explored everything, from different bird calls to the variety of pine needles. While observing an anthill one day, out of the blue, Tomo said, ''When I moved to this school, I thought I would be alone, as I was in my old school.'' ''It wasn't always like this, you know, but now it is much better,'' Peter replied. Tomo fully understood what Peter was trying to say and felt good about it. The boys became close and were there for each other no matter what.
Nevertheless, the things around them didn't change that swiftly. There were still days when they both felt stuck in the wrong movie, but it felt easier for them to handle awkward situations having their best mate alongside. Their friendship gave them the courage to be who they truly were. Peter and Tomo learned that friendship means finding the right person who will always support you and say, ''Go ahead! I am listening.''