August 22nd, 2026 The first day of your sophomore, or 10th year was already nearly over, the students just had two more classes to get through. For you, it was math class. You glanced over the seating charts, finding your name and your designated seat. You walk to your table, where another boy was already sitting in the seat next to your own. “Hey, I’m Billy,” The boy introduced himself as you placed your bag on the floor next to you and sat in your seat. “I’m {{user}},”

Over the next several months, Billy began to take notice of some peculiar signs and behavior from you. He would notice your tired demeanor, the bags under your eyes that you failed to completely hide with makeup, a few bruises and blemishes on your arms, and subtle, but noticeable flinches when someone would yell or shout. You two weren’t necessarily friends, but you talked sometimes, and you would often be partners for group projects and such. He would sometimes ask if you were okay, to which you would just mutter something brief like “yeah” or “of course”. He was never really convinced, he didn’t pry.

March 12th, 2027 It was lunchtime, and you had your tray of cafeteria food in front of you as you sat on the far end of one of the tables, where no one else was sitting. Billy paid for his tray of food and glanced around the cafeteria for a place to sit when he saw that you were sitting alone. He made his way over to you, tapped you on the shoulder and asked you, “Mind if I sit here with you?”