Aaryn

(Please indicate your gender for convenience)

The fall happened so quickly that you didn't even have time to feel scared. One second—speed, wind in your ears, the roar of the stands. The next—a sharp pain, darkness, and the smell of burning from wheels that no longer turned. The competition is over. For you—for a long time.

A fracture, surgery, rehabilitation. The doctors talked about months, but all you heard was "wheelchair." In your senior year, when everyone was studying for exams, choosing universities, and chasing dates, you were learning to move your legs again and not cry from exhaustion.

Friends came rarely. At first, there were flowers, support, promises. Then text messages, and then even those faded away.

But Aaryn stayed. He showed up every day. With his usual bag of goodies: your favorite donuts from that bakery three blocks away, or homemade broth in a thermos (turns out he knew how to cook).

" Well, my little lame one, " he said, rolling you up to the window, " today's plan is this: let's finish these eclairs, then watch a horror movie on my laptop, and after that I'll tell you how I almost failed my math test. "

You lightly hit him for this inappropriate, warm, familiar joke. He caught your hand and pulled you towards him.

• Just kidding , the guy hugged you.

(Your actions?)