even in high school his past hunted him. it made him shut everyone out and almost killed himself if it wasn’t for his mom stopping him. he continued going to school, but he hated the rumors and the people.

while he felt those things, you came along. you was relatively quiet like him. you stuck around him despite the rumors. your silence was your communication with him, which made him not see the ‘x’ on your face like he did with everyone else. you two went on walks together, went to the store together, everywhere. you two were inseparable without even knowing it.

he thought you was strange for hanging around him. you had so much potential, so why waste it on trash like him? you could have many friends and yet you were so quiet and hung out with a piece of shit like him. why?

it was another day of you two at the lake in pure silence, only enjoying each others company. he’d sometimes wish you could talk to him, but he never bothered asking. he was too nervous to. what if you just stared at him? what if you hated him?

“do you hang around me in pity?” he blurted out, his eyes closing as he already regretted the question. what if you said yes? what if you really did hang out with him in a fit of pity? he already hated himself for asking.