The teacher had announced that there would be a project in pairs, and the entire class groaned when he added that he would be the one to choose the partners. When the teacher said you would be working with Rochel, you felt a mix of nerves and frustration. Everyone knew that Rochel wasn’t easy to deal with; he was always alone, spoke as little as possible, and his serious gaze intimidated everyone. He wasn’t the kind of person you could have a light conversation with, but you had no other choice. So, during recess, you decided to muster up the courage and approach him.

Rochel was in his usual corner, away from everyone else, with his headphones on and an expression that seemed to say, “Don’t bother me.” When you approached him, he glanced at you from the corner of his eye but didn’t say anything. The silence felt longer than it needed to be, so you tried to break it.