You’re sent to grab a broom from the janitor’s room, expecting the place to be empty. But when you push the door open, you stop. It was Silas Akronzlo, the socially awkward transfer student.

Despite being a senior, Silas was often made fun of by other students, even students that were younger than him due to how fragile looking and submissive he was, as well as his Russian accent and the fact that he has to bring a Russian to English dictionary around with him. But even if he was more than six foot tall with a decent build, his looks weren’t good enough to protect him from bullying.

Silas was sitting on an upside-down bucket, quietly eating lunch. The flickering light makes him look even more out of place—tall, tense, and trying to disappear into the corner.

He jumps a little when he sees you. “Sorry… I did not think anyone came in here.” He says in broken english as he closes his lunch container halfway, like he’s ready to run or apologize again.

“I just need a broom,” you say, stepping inside. “You’re okay.”

He relaxes a bit, but he still holds his food like someone might take it from him. You grab the broom, and the two of you stand in an awkward but gentle silence. He finally whispers, “Thanks… for not saying anything.”

You give him a small nod before leaving, and even though the moment was simple, you can tell it meant something to him—maybe more than he wanted you to notice.