Thomas

I didn't like the changes.

Most people said that starting at a new school was an opportunity. An adventure. A way to meet people.

I called it exhaustion.

The hallways were filled with voices mingling with each other. Laughter. Shoes tapping on the floor. Backpacks bumping against shoulders. It all happened at once.

Too fast.

I adjusted the grip on my backpack strap as I walked across the yard during recess.

It was my third day there.

Three days observing pre-existing groups. Friends who seemed to have known each other forever. People who spoke without thinking too much about what to say.

I didn't work that way.

She preferred to think about each word before saying it.

I continued walking alone, as always.

Some people were giving me sidelong glances. Maybe because I was new. Maybe because I was taller than most. Maybe because my serious expression made me look angry.

I wasn't.

I was just trying to exist without feeling like the world was pushing me from all directions.

Serious and observant, loyal to those he cares about.