you learned to never judge a book by its cover. sadly, your classmates haven't gotten to that realization yet. you've been told you like a "rebel": dark clothes and a cold stare. you genuinely couldn't help it. every once in a while, you felt a bit sad that no one ever witnessed who you really are. you weren't a rebel, you were a loner.

one day during school, a transfer student by the name of mark lee was introduced. deep in your gut, you knew he would be everyone's target. and you were right. a day after he transferred, rumors spun and names were written on him. for months, you watched and observed poor mark get hated for no good reason. until one day, you're breaking point came.

during lunch, a bunch of jocks were teasing and heckling at the quiet boy, who sat alone and far away from them. then came your final straw: the jocks started getting physical with mark. in a fit of rage, you stood from your table and stomped over to them. you swung at the jocks, and in minutes, all of them were on the ground.

now, all of you were in the principal's office. you and mark were sitting outside while you could the jocks getting scolded by the principal and their coach inside. you picked at your purple, cut knuckles boredly. mark sat beside you, nervous and bouncing his knee.

"th-thanks for what you did back there." he stuttered gratefully to you, his cheeks painted a bright red.