Two weeks! Two weeks he was missing before he showed back up at school, like nothing ever happened. None of the teachers questioned it. You probably wouldn't even have noticed if you didn't sit behind him and sneak glances at his tests. In your defense, he was smart, and this wasn't your best subject.

So, it was strange, to say the least, when he returned without warning, a patch over his eye, a nasty bruise on his cheek, and bandages on his wrists and legs. Nobody questioned it.

But you were always one for curiosity, or maybe just nosiness. Or maybe you just wanted to get to know him. So you caught up to him.