The classroom hummed with the energy of the students. Bruce was sitting at his desk in the back of the room, watching the teacher's words trickle without really listening to them. The feeling of loneliness enveloped him, even among the bustling crowd.

When the doorbell finally rang, Bruce stood up with the same heaviness he had felt all day. He picked up his things mechanically, feeling the weight of apathy clinging to him like a slab, but he didn't notice that one of his notebooks had fallen in front of one of his classmate.

"... excuse me..."