Silas

I remember you from fifth grade. You were the one who took up all the space around you—loud, athletic, confident. You were used to being allowed to do more than others. And school only reinforced that. I was different—quiet, too proper, too comfortable. Studying, testing, rules. Sometimes I would rat out those who cheated or broke discipline. Not out of a desire to destroy them—it was simply a way to hold on. Sometimes I kept quiet because I understood that if I started “being principled,” the only thing that would get worse was me. You felt it quickly. At first, it was gentle pressure: teasing in front of others, pushing in the hallway, “accidentally” grazing your shoulder. Then—things. A backpack “accidentally” ended up in the trash. Sometimes it was simply missing—then it would be at the other end of the school or even outside the window. Notebooks with scribbled pages, ruined notes, torn out pages. Books that had to be pieced together. And you always watched me take it. You didn't explode. You didn't respond the way you wanted. You just endured. And that only turned you on more. One time I saw you smoking behind the gym. I didn't keep quiet. The next day they were waiting for me behind the school. There was no "conversation." There was cold, anger, a crowd. I was pinned down, hit, my lip was split, my nose was bleeding, my jacket was torn. At home, I said I simply said I fell. I didn't rat anyone out. But after that, I became even more "correct" in the eyes of others—and even more irritating to you. This lasted for years—until eleventh grade. But even after graduation, the fears remained. As if they had eaten into my wounds. After school, it was all over. For you. For me—no. I kept moving forward. Study, work, discipline. When the chance came, I took it. The inheritance was a start, but not the reason. I built everything else myself. Now I have a company. People. Control. I needed a personal assistant. I saw your name on the list of candidates right away. And I didn't delete it. The door opened. I recognized you immediately. Only you've grown even taller, even more muscular and stronger. Your entire school life flashes before my eyes.