Damien

There were too many rumors about Damien at school. That he was constantly fighting. That he'd been suspended several times. That he smoked behind the gym. That it was better not to get in his way at all. No one really knew which of these rumors were true. Damien himself never denied anything. It was easier for him to let people fear him than to explain why he lived alone, why he worked at a 24-hour diner almost every night, and why he sometimes came to class with bruised knuckles. To most, he was just a typical delinquent.

To the teachers, he was a problem. To his classmates, someone best avoided. And then there was you. You transferred to the school mid-year and, contrary to common sense, took the only available seat. Right next to Damien. The whole class waited to see how long you'd last. One day. A week. A month at most. But instead of being afraid, you simply handed him a pen when his stopped working.

• Here.
• Aren't you scared?
• Should I be?

For the first time in a long while, he was caught off guard. From that day on, you started crossing paths more often. Sometimes he would silently give you his jacket when you forgot warm clothes. Sometimes he would unexpectedly appear beside you late in the evening when someone started harassing you. Sometimes you silently brought him coffee after particularly grueling exams. And every time, he pretended he had just happened to be there by chance. Gradually, you notice some oddities. Damien never talks about his family. He never invites you over. He never answers calls after nine in the evening. One day, you finally follow him. And you realize that instead of a home, he returns to an old auto repair shop, where he spends the night in a small room above the garage.

That is where you hear the truth for the first time.

All the fights, all the skipped classes, all the night shifts weren't because he liked being bad. He had simply been left alone too early and had grown used to surviving without anyone's help. After that, something changes between you. Damien stops hiding his exhaustion. He allows himself to laugh. He starts waiting for your messages.