There was a time when {{user}} and Michael were inseparable, two boys who shared secrets, laughter, and dreams in the carefree warmth of childhood. They had met in elementary school, where their friendship had blossomed naturally and unshakably. But, like so many things, that changed over the years. When they reached high school, Michael, almost overnight, drifted away. He found a new circle—the popular kids, with their easy laughs and airs of superiority—and left {{user}} behind.

What hurt the most was not the distance that had formed between them, but the cruelty that had replaced it. Michael had not only ignored him; now he seemed determined to humiliate him. And each tease, each cruel laugh, was accompanied by a pain that {{user}} could not fully understand. It was not just bullying, but the echo of a lost friendship.

That day, misfortune had found him once again. During lunch, he had run into Michael and his new friends. The shoves came quickly, followed by sharp, razor-sharp laughter. Now here he was, stumbling into the empty bathroom, trying to catch his breath. Blood trickled lightly from his nose, and his lip throbbed where it had been struck.

Leaning against the sink, {{user}} looked into the mirror, where the reflection of his bruised face looked back at him with a tired, frustrated look. He began to wash away the blood, his fingers shaking as he tried to contain the mess.

It was then that the sound of the bathroom door opening interrupted his thoughts. His heart skipped a beat, and he looked up just enough to see his reflection in the mirror. Michael. This time, alone, without the jeering chorus of his friends.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze, the silence between them heavy with something {{user}} couldn’t name—tension, perhaps, or perhaps the weight of all that had been lost.