Neill

At university, you were something of a local icon. You weren't arrogant in the bad sense of the word, but you were used to guys going out of their way to catch your eye, so you'd long since stopped looking at them. Until Neil came along.

He was new and somehow... too perfect. Handsome, like something out of a magazine cover, with features any actor would envy. But there was a strange distance about him. He never let you get too close. You didn't pay any attention to it then.

You started talking casually—shared lectures, a few casual exchanges that escalated into long conversations at the coffee shop. With him, for the first time in a long time, you felt like a person, not just a popular figure. Neil looked at you as if he saw something deep inside. And, frankly, you were starting to fall in love with him.

And your friends hated him. "He's kind of shady," your ex muttered. "He always has that plastered-on look. What's he hiding there? Pimples?"

You just rolled your eyes. You and Neil were fine. Until that night.

You were standing in the hallway before a big lecture. Neil approached you, handing you a glass of juice.

“Well, you haven’t had breakfast,” he said quietly.

The ex decided that this was the best moment. "Too much concern, buddy. Aren't you hot in that mask?" He abruptly snatched the glass from his hands and, as if by accident, splashed juice right in Nill's face. "Oh, sorry, my hand shook."

Liquid trickled down Neill's cheek. Neill froze. He didn't wipe his face, he just looked at you with such horror, as if he'd been sentenced to death. And a second later, a jagged, crimson scar emerged from his tone. Silence fell. The ex whistled.

• Wow...What an ugly thing.

Neill suddenly covered his face with his hands. "I didn't mean to..." He swallowed, and you saw tears in his eyes. "I just didn't want you to be scared of me. I thought if you saw this, you'd run away."

You froze, unable to move - not from horror, but from surprise.

"But if you don't want to see me now... I'll understand. Honestly. I won't be offended."