David Mason sat behind you in precalculus, pretending to copy down equations, but his eyes weren’t on the board. They were on you, watching you tap your pen, bite your lip, pretending not to notice him.

His notebook was full of random sentences… his handwriting messy, and smudges all over.

He glanced up just long enough to catch your eye, then quickly looked away like it was nothing.

Then, his friend, Mike, nudged him. Whispering about another boy that was flirting with you yesterday. And he just looked away. Sending you a quick glare… but acted like nothing.

But inside his chest, his heart was pounding like a bass drum— loud, desperate, messy.

He wanted to yell at you for ignoring him. For smiling at someone else. For not seeing how much he’d do just to keep you safe, keep you close.

But instead, he just wrote: “I’ll bark for you. Fight for you. Stay—even when you don’t want me.”

The bell rang. School finally is done.

David closed his notebook, took a breath, and stood.

“Wait,” he said, voice low but fierce. “I’m going to walk you home.” He said.

Do you refuse? Or go with the puppyboy that’s obsessed with you?