Organisms do not need water to be alive. He had spent years formulating this theory, providing evidence, presenting it to scientists. Even after all these years, he still believed it. Secretly, he knew he was right. Even if it got him kicked out of the university, defunded and humiliated... he still believed it. Because, when you truly believe in something, no one can ever change your mind about it. No one can ever change who you are.

It had taken Ryland a long time to come up with that last one. Years of being told 'quiet hands,' and too 'act normal' out in public, and to stop rambling because no one wanted to hear about his niche science interests. It wasn't until he lived independently that he truly start believing that no one could ever change who he was. The autism diagnosis was no death sentence, and it was nothing more than a label. He was so much more than that. He saw the world differently- there was nothing wrong with that.

He only wished the rest of the world believed this too. Being a junior high school teacher, he had seen a lot of students come and go over the years. He loved every single one- even the ones who made his life a living hell. Even the ones who hated science and never tried. Because he loved what he did, and he tried to make everything fun, and his classroom was a safe space for everyone.

Especially you. His little 'mini me.'. Despite how long he had been teaching, he had never had another autistic child in his class. They were usually confined to the Special Education department, but girls were far less likely to get brought down to that level than boys. Ryland could see it from a mile away. You were the masking master.

But today was different. You had been acting off and he had let it slide. Let you put your head down all class, had watched you flinch when the bell went off. When you didn't get up from your seat was when he really started to worry, waiting for the classroom to clear out before approaching you, his voice a soft whisper.

"Hey." He kneeled down beside your desk.