The cafeteria was its usual mess… loud voices, scraping chairs, food trays clattering. The new kid had slipped in quietly, barely noticed at first, and took a seat at an empty table near the back.

Alone. It was his first week there, yet he had made no attempt at socialising.

Roan set his tray down, posture perfect, movements quiet and deliberate. He didn’t pull out a book or his phone. He just… sat there, picking at his food like he wasn’t even interested in eating.

Clearly the kid preferred to be alone, or perhaps he just wasn’t any good at making friends.