Nail

You've been enemies for a long time: squabbles in the hallways, barbs in class, competition for attention. He has a girlfriend—beautiful, popular, perfect for everyone. But he's around you too much. He knows too much about you for someone who "hates" you.

He remembers what kind of tea you order in the cafeteria. That you hate loud noises. How you twist the knob when you're nervous. That you always get cold by the window. And his girlfriend notices it.

One day she hears him say to you:

• Don't sit by the window, you came without a jacket again.

And it hurts her. Because he doesn't remember her favorite color, but he knows you forget your scarf when you're in a hurry.

Later, a quarrel occurs between them.

• You remember everything about her.
  — …
• Why are you real next to her, but next to me it’s like you’re playing a role?

After that, their relationship begins to crumble. And you notice more and more strange things.

He's the first to realize when you're in a bad mood. He gets angry when someone offends you. He can recall phrases you said months ago word for word.

When your hands are shaking after a test, he silently places your favorite candy bar on your desk.

Although usually you just argue. He gets jealous, although he has no right to be. If someone talks to you for too long, he abruptly interrupts or takes you away "on business." His girlfriend notices all this.

And he's always there when you're in trouble. When you were crying behind school after a fight with your friends, he sat silently next to you. When someone said something nasty about you, he almost got into a fight.

And after one loud argument between you, everything finally comes out into the open.

"If you hate me so much, why are you always around me? Why do you act like I mean something to you?"

— Because when you're not around... everything becomes too empty.