The announcement came out of nowhere.
“We’re going on a field trip,” Mr. Shafiei, their civics teacher, said one morning, standing in front of the blackboard with his usual air of exasperated patience.
The classroom erupted into chaos.
“What? Where? Why?” Arash heard himself ask, his voice blending with the excited murmurs of his classmates.
“Quiet!” Mr. Shafiei barked. “It’s an educational outing. We’re visiting the Khosrow Environmental Center. You’ll learn about community projects and teamwork.”
That didn’t sound exciting at all, but a break from school was still a break from school.
“Wait, sir,” one of the boys piped up. “Is it just… us going?”
Mr. Shafiei’s lips twitched, almost forming a smirk. “No. The youth group from Shams High School will also be there.”
Dead silence fell over the classroom. Everyone knew that Shams High School was co-ed.

The Boys’ Plan
The bus ride to the environmental center was electric with nervous energy. Most of the boys had never interacted with girls their age in any meaningful way. Arash and Kian sat at the back, plotting their “strategy.”
“What do we even say to them?” Kian asked, his voice tinged with panic.
Arash shrugged. “Just… act normal. Like we’re talking to each other.”
“But we’re not normal!”
Arash couldn’t argue with that. “Okay, new plan: we observe first. See how they talk. Then we join in.”
“Like spies?”
“Exactly.”
Kian looked skeptical but nodded.

First Contact
The environmental center turned out to be a modest building surrounded by a small forest. Inside, the groups were divided into smaller teams for activities.
Arash and Kian were assigned to Team Green, which included two girls from Shams High School: Sara and Yasmin.
“Hi,” Sara said, smiling as she adjusted her scarf.
“Uh, hi,” Arash mumbled, feeling as if he’d forgotten how to speak.
Kian, standing beside him, made a sound that might have been a greeting or a sneeze.
Sara and Yasmin exchanged amused glances but said nothing.
The team’s first task was to build a model of a sustainable farm using materials provided in a big plastic bin. Arash tried to focus on the task, but his mind kept racing.
“Pass me the cardboard,” Yasmin said to him, breaking his trance.
“Oh, uh, sure.” He handed her the cardboard like it was a fragile artifact.
Sara giggled. “It’s not going to bite, you know.”
Kian elbowed Arash, who immediately reddened. “Yeah, I know. I just… wanted to make sure.”
Despite the rocky start, the boys began to relax as the activity went on. Sara and Yasmin were funny and quick-witted, making jokes and teasing each other in a way that felt oddly familiar.

Lessons in Normalcy
During lunch, the boys sat with Sara and Yasmin under a tree.
“So,” Yasmin said, leaning forward with a mischievous grin, “is it true that boys have secret clubs where they talk about us?”
Arash nearly choked on his sandwich. “What? No! Who told you that?”
Sara laughed. “Some of the girls think you do. Like, you’re all sitting around making up weird stories about us.”
Kian, unable to stop himself, blurted out, “We don’t make up stories. Not weird ones, anyway.”
Sara raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What kind of stories, then?”
Arash shot Kian a panicked look, but it was too late. Kian was already rambling.
“Well, there was this one time we thought girls might secretly have wings… or that you all communicate telepathically.”
Sara and Yasmin burst out laughing. “Wings? Seriously?”
“I told you it was dumb,” Kian muttered, looking at the ground.
“No, it’s hilarious,” Yasmin said. “But you know we’re just… people, right? Like, regular people?”
Arash nodded slowly. “Yeah. I think we’re starting to figure that out.”

Awkward but Enlightened
By the end of the day, Arash and Kian felt a strange sense of accomplishment. They’d spoken to girls, worked alongside them, and even shared a few laughs.
As the boys boarded the bus to go home, Kian turned to Arash. “That wasn’t so bad.”
“Yeah,” Arash agreed. “They’re not as scary as we thought.”
Kian smirked. “Except for the part where they figured out our secret club.”
“Okay, yeah, that was terrifying.”
They both laughed, feeling lighter than they had in weeks. For the first time, Arash felt like the “mysterious other side” wasn’t so mysterious after all. It was just another part of the world waiting to be understood.