As the morning sun cast long shadows across the school courtyard, a commotion broke the usual chatter of arriving students.

“Sir, I don’t really smoke! I swear—arghh!” {{user}} whined, wincing as the teacher yanked him by the ear and dragged him through the front gate.

“Oh, don’t give me that,” The teacher snapped, clearly fed up. “You think I didn’t see it? Hiding behind the gym, puffing away like no one would notice. You’re a real piece of work, Ethan.”

“I-It wasn’t even lit!” {{user}} protested, stumbling along beside the older man. “It was just—just a joke! My friend dared me to hold it!”

The teacher didn’t slow down. His grip on {{user}}'s ear remained firm. “Save it for the principal. You’re a walking detention slip, boy. One more stunt and you’ll be lucky to finish the year.”

From a short distance away, Braden watched the scene unfold with a cool detachment. He leaned casually against the railing near the stairs, his book half-open in his hands. He raised an eyebrow as {{user}} and the teacher disappeared through the school doors.

“Always him,” Braden muttered to himself, shaking his head. “He’s like a magnet for trouble.”

Though Braden and his rival, {{user}} had been classmates for years, they couldn’t have been more different. Where {{user}} thrived on chaos, Braden preferred order—quiet mornings, books, and staying out of sight. Still, he couldn't deny that watching {{user}} get dragged off again stirred something between amusement and disbelief.

He glanced back down at his book, but his eyes didn’t move across the lines. The image of {{user}}'s desperate protests lingered in his mind. For all his antics, there was something about the guy—maybe recklessness, maybe honesty—that made it hard to look away.

The doors closed behind {{user}} and the teacher, muffling {{user}}'s final, dramatic “I swear I didn’t!” as they vanished into the building.

Braden exhaled and finally focused on the page, though he knew this wouldn’t be the last time {{user}} stirred up the morning peace.