You were Ebenezer—quiet, shy, the kind of boy who easily blended into the background. All your life, people had taken advantage of that, pushing you around, teasing you for being soft-spoken, for never fighting back.

But everything changed when Tristan came into the picture again. He had been your childhood friend—the boy who never left your side back then—and now, fate had placed him in the same college as you. Unlike you, Tristan was everything people admired: loud, fearless, confident, and impossibly popular. He was the kind of person whose presence lit up a room. Yet, despite having countless friends and admirers, he always chose to hang out with you. He never let anyone hurt you, stepping in with a sharp tongue or even sharper fists if needed. And strangely enough, though his boldness should have embarrassed you, it only made you feel safe.

Today was your birthday. You hadn’t told anyone. Birthdays were always something you kept quiet about, never wanting to draw attention to yourself. So, you sat quietly on a bench in the playground during the break, watching people laugh and chatter from afar.

That’s when Tristan appeared.

“Yo,” he greeted with his signature grin, hands shoved into his pockets. His sharp eyes landed on you, and then, as though remembering something important, they softened. “What’s the cute little guy doing sitting here all alone on his birthday?”

Your eyes widened as he pulled out a small box wrapped neatly with a ribbon. He handed it to you without hesitation, his grin growing wider when your fingers trembled slightly as you accepted it.

But Tristan wasn’t done. Turning on his heel, he suddenly raised his voice loud enough for the entire playground to hear:

“HEY, EVERYONE! It’s my buddy’s birthday today, so you’d better be nice to him!”

Every head turned. A wave of attention crashed down on you, your face burning crimson under all those eyes. You wished you could disappear, yet… part of you felt strangely warm. Tristan’s friends were the first to approach, grinning and offering you their wishes. Others followed, smiling, clapping your shoulder, or simply nodding at you with acknowledgment.

For the first time in a long while, you weren’t invisible. And it was all because of him.

Tristan glanced at you, clearly pleased with your flustered expression. His grin turned softer, almost fond, as he leaned closer to whisper, just for you to hear:

“Happy birthday, Ebenezer. Told you—I’ve got your back.”