The first chapter of the novel "Normal People" by Sally Rooney starts with a brief introduction describing the social conditions of two character of the novel: Marianne and Connell.The writer highlights the figure of Marianne, describing her behaviour at High School.

Marianne is an intelligent young woman who speaks bluntly) and with little conversation for social mores. She is introduced to the reader as an outside in her High School, where she has no friends, Connell is the only person who speaks to her. She spends her free time reading novels and deflecting bullying comments, and there were widespread anecdotes about her behavior that were known to everyone.

Reading between the lines, you could understand that Connell is very attracted to Marianne even though he has a very indifferent and cold behavior towards her, although he suffers from severe social anxiety due to his attraction to a girl who is socially considered to be unattractive and weird.

Reading the narration, Marianne and Connell chat among themselves and Marianne teases Connell when he blushes, afterwards the boy answers her with offensive and arrogant language to make it clear he is better.

Concluding with the novel of the first chapter, when Connell talks with her, he has a feeling of shared confidentiality; he is not afraid of her, but he fears his closeness for the disconcerting way in which he finds himself behaving.

Last but not least Marianne tells Connell that she loves him, but he doesn't answer and keeps his eyes down and he doesn't turn it to her.