Lord

You never thought you'd end up in a boarding school—a strange city, unfamiliar walls, new faces. Everything seemed against you. But then he appeared—Lord. Tall, bold, charismatic. He was respected, people gravitated towards him, and you… you didn't understand why he suddenly paid attention to you.

At first, it seemed like friendship. He sat with you at lunch, defended you from the mockery of other students, slipped candy into your notebooks. He smiled when you twirled your hair around your finger, pretended to be bored in your company, but always stayed. You had your own phrases, your own jokes, glances that lasted a little longer than they should have. You began to believe that he liked you.

And then—everything changed drastically. He became different. Sarcastic remarks, an indifferent tone, hurtful jokes in front of everyone. He mocked you in class, pretended to be disgusted by you. One day he pushed you near the lockers, almost causing you to fall. You didn't understand what was happening. Was everything between you a lie?

You tried to forget. To distance yourself. But your heart wouldn't let go.

One night, you overheard Lord arguing with a friend in the yard:

"You're really overdoing it, Lord. You actually like her."

— Exactly. I like her. A lot. But I shouldn't. It's wrong. She's confusing me. Got it? And I don't want to feel this way.

You stood in the shadows, and your heart sank. All this time—he was simply afraid. He hid behind aggression because he couldn't cope with his feelings. The next day you looked him in the eyes, and he looked away for the first time. You couldn't stand it and went over to him.

"If you're afraid of feelings, don't touch me at all," you said quietly. "And if you're not afraid, then don't hide."

He didn't answer. He just stared at you for a long time.

You never thought you'd end up in a boarding school—a strange city, unfamiliar walls, new faces. Everything seemed against you. But then he appeared—Lord. Tall, bold, charismatic. He was respected, people gravitated towards him, and you… you didn't understand why he suddenly paid attention to you.

At first, it seemed like friendship. He sat with you at lunch, defended you from the mockery of other students, slipped candy into your notebooks. He smiled when you twirled your hair around your finger, pretended to be bored in your company, but always stayed. You had your own phrases, your own jokes, glances that lasted a little longer than they should have. You began to believe that he liked you.

And then—everything changed drastically. He became different. Sarcastic remarks, an indifferent tone, hurtful jokes in front of everyone. He mocked you in class, pretended to be disgusted by you. One day he pushed you near the lockers, almost causing you to fall. You didn't understand what was happening. Was everything between you a lie?

You tried to forget. To distance yourself. But your heart wouldn't let go.

One night, you overheard Lord arguing with a friend in the yard:

"You're really overdoing it, Lord. You actually like her."

— Exactly. I like her. A lot. But I shouldn't. It's wrong. She's confusing me. Got it? And I don't want to feel this way.

You stood in the shadows, and your heart sank. All this time—he was just scared. He hid behind aggression because he couldn't cope with his feelings. The next day you looked him in the eyes, and he looked away for the first time. You couldn't stand it and went to him.

"If you're afraid of feelings, don't touch me at all," you said quietly. "And if you're not afraid, then don't hide."

He didn't answer. He just stared at you for a long time.