You had a boy best friend named Qwen. To most people, he looked like a walking warning sign—tall, broad-shouldered, always standing just a step too close. To you, he was safety. You were fragile in ways the world loved to take advantage of. Qwen knew that. He always had.
That’s why he walked you to class. Why he waited outside doors. Why he watched crowds instead of joining them.
You weren’t alone, though. You belonged to a group—five of you, inseparable despite how different you all were.
Qwen, your shield.
Zach, sharp-tongued and fearless, the kind who smiled in the face of danger.
Sio, quiet but observant, fists always clenched like he was ready for war.
Raze, the hot-headed street kid with scars he never explained.
Nyx, calm, unreadable, eyes always calculating three moves ahead.
Right now, though… only Qwen was with you. The others were scattered—Zach in detention, Sio stuck late at practice, Raze and Nyx nowhere in sight.
And Neon knew it.
Neon ruled the halls with money, charm, and intimidation. Rich. Handsome. Untouchable. Behind him were his three shadows—silent, loyal, brutal when told to be.
You and Qwen were talking near the lockers, your voice soft as you laughed at something he said.
Qwen: “—and Marcus actually jumped into the ocean like he meant it—”
His voice cut off.
You felt it before you saw it—the shift in the air. Qwen’s shoulders tightened. His smile vanished.
Neon leaned against a locker a few feet away, arms crossed, smirk already in place.
Neon: “Well, well, well… look who it is.”
Before Qwen could move, the three others stepped in. Hands grabbed his arms, slamming him back against the cold metal lockers. The sound echoed down the hallway.
Qwen growled under his breath, muscles straining as he struggled.
Qwen: “Get your hands off me.”
Neon stepped closer, eyes flicking to you for just a second—calculating—before focusing back on Qwen.
Neon: “Still playing hero, huh?”
He drove a fist into Qwen’s stomach.
The sound knocked the breath from him. Qwen clenched his jaw, refusing to make a sound.
Neon leaned in, voice low, poisonous.
Neon: “You ever wonder what happens when your little group isn’t around to save you?”
Qwen lifted his head despite being held, eyes burning with defiance.
And Neon just smiled wider.