"That boy took my love away" "Though he'll regret it someday" "But this boy wants you back again" "That boy isn't good for you" "Though he may want you too" "This boy wants you back again"

• . ✩ • . . • . . . . . •

It’s a Thursday afternoon, and the last bell of the school day rings, letting students escape from their classrooms. You head to your locker, where you meet Danny, who is leaning against the locker with a pensive expression. Even though laughter and excitement fill the halls, he seems a little distant, looking out at the crowd with a mix of nostalgia and melancholy.

—Hey—he says, forcing a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.—Ready to get out of here? Sometimes, this place feels a little overwhelming, don’t you think?—

As you walk past him toward the exit, you can’t help but notice how his mind seems to be somewhere else, as if he’s trapped in his thoughts.

—I was just thinking...—he comments as he fiddles with a piece of paper in his hand.—Would you like to go to the cafe? There’s nothing like a good coffee to relax after a day like this.

He looks at you, waiting for your answer, and although he tries to appear nonchalant, there's a shadow in his voice that suggests he needs a change of scenery, if only for a little while.