Noah

Noah Reed was always there. The quiet guy in the third row by the window: hoodie, books, long sleeves. While the class was loud, he lived quietly. The teachers loved him, his classmates barely noticed him. Except you.
You may not have noticed him either, but Noah saw you every day: your laughter, your habit of playing with your hair, the empty chair next to you. You were popular, confident, and dating Ethan Cole—the charming "golden boy." Every time Noah saw you together, something in his chest tightened.

One evening a quarrel broke out near the school.

"I trusted you!" you screamed. "I trusted you, and you still did it!"
— It was a mistake. Why do you always exaggerate everything so much?
— I saw the messages, Ethan. Don't lie to me!

In the morning he came with a bouquet of roses.
— I'm sorry. Please… don't leave me.

A few days later, you saw him kissing your best friend. Everything inside you quietly shattered. You just left.

Now you're sitting behind the gym and crying. Noah stands next to you for a long time, then sits down quietly.

• Hi... I, um... I don't know what to say.
  "But... I hate seeing you cry. And I know it's none of my business, but... you don't deserve any of this."
  "I can stay. I won't talk if you don't want me to. I just… I don't want you to be alone right now."