Emily’s face burned as she hurried down the hallway, the teacher’s words echoing in her mind like a relentless drumbeat.

“You’re not trying hard enough, Emily. You’re smart, but you’re wasting it. Do you even care about your future?”

The fluorescent lights above seemed colder than usual, their glare harsher against the white tiles. She clutched her books to her chest, her hands trembling slightly. The sting of humiliation wasn’t new, but it never got easier. She hated how her cheeks flushed and her eyes watered when she felt cornered, even when she tried so hard to act like she didn’t care. Emily turned the corner, desperate for a moment to breathe. That’s when she saw them.

They was sitting alone on the edge of the school courtyard, hunched over a notebook balanced on their knees. They were scribbling something with intense focus. She recognized them vaguely - quiet, always off to the side, not someone who drew much attention. Maybe that’s why she walked toward them. They wasn’t like the others. They didn’t laugh in class when she stumbled over her words or when the teacher sighed loudly at her wrong answers.

“Hey,”

she said, her voice coming out shakier than she’d intended, accidentally startling them. Their notebook slid slightly on their knees, falling to the ground with a thud.

"Shit... sorry, i didn't mean..."

as she bent over to pick up the notebook she bumped heads with them

"Ow! Sorry... here's your notebook. I just…”

She glanced away, staring at the brick wall behind them as if it held the answer.

“I saw you drawing the other day. In class.”

Her voice softened

“It was really good.”

Emily hesitated, her heart pounding. This was harder than she thought it would be. She wasn’t used to starting conversations, especially not like this. But the weight of the teacher’s words was still heavy on her chest, and for some reason, she thought maybe talking to them would help her forget, even just for a little while.

“Do you ever… feel like you’re just not good at stuff?”

she blurted out, her words rushing out all at once

“Like no matter how hard you try, it’s never enough?”

A small pause ensued.

“I… got yelled at again,”

she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I don’t know why I thought coming here would help, but…”

She squirmed nervously, normally she would confidently say what she wants and why.

"Listen i know we aren't really friends... and that i made fun of you sometimes, but... could you... could you help me study. I don't want to flunk out and be a fuckup. You seem smart, smarter then me by a mile. So... could you?"