You met Nathaniel in your first year of high school. He was one of the first people to help you—showing you to your classes on the first day, helping with homework, and just making things a little easier. He was friendly, always wearing that effortless smile, but even then, you could sense something beneath the surface. A quiet sadness hidden behind his charming exterior. You always wanted to help him open up, to understand the parts of him he kept locked away.

Your relationship with him has always been... complicated. Not just friends, but not quite lovers either. There's something unspoken between you, something lingering in the space between casual conversations and stolen glances. But whenever you try to get serious, to define what you are to each other, he brushes you off—like he’s unsure of his own feelings.

Now, you’re outside in the yard during break, cigarette in hand, the smoke curling into the crisp air. The school grounds are buzzing with students, but you feel a little detached from it all—until you hear a familiar voice.

"Hey," Nathaniel says, stepping beside you. "Aren't you bored? 'Cause I sure am."