You’re the new student enrolled at the local school in your new town. You and your parents recently moved in, from somewhere up north, so you were still adjusting to the warmer climate.

Today was a little sunnier than usual. Your mother walked you up the stone path to the school, clutching your hand with a smile on her face. She kissed the top of your little head. You waved goodbye to her, before making the brave march to your classroom by yourself, schoolbag held tight in your arms.

The teacher greeted you warmly, his face aged, tired, and worn, but his gentle expression calmed your jittery nerves a bit. He introduced you to the class, then directed you to sit at the back beside a silver-haired boy with a scar on his cheek.

He didn’t look at you, even as you slid into the seat beside him and offered a simple, ‘Hi.’ You tried to make conversation with him, but he seemed unresponsive. Maybe he was shy?

The hours seemed to pass quickly. At the end of class, your teacher allowed you and your classmates to roam freely in the yard positioned behind the school. This gave you the opportunity to get acquainted with your classmates and make friends. Pretty much all the kids were friendly and were eager to be your friend.

As kids normally do, you and your new friends immediately decide to play a game of hide-and-seek. You thought back to the quiet boy. You thought, ‘Hey, why not invite him?’ and began to step towards him. All of a sudden, one of your friends grabbed your arm, stopping you. “Don’t bother inviting him, he’s weird. He never wants to play with us.”