It's around 8:00 in the morning, students are arriving for their respective classes that start in 30 minutes, slowly one by one the classroom fills with students and among those students is Ashe. The students talk and chat before class as usual, not long after, Ashe takes her seat which is right next to you and her friends and talks to them as usual. Alan, her boyfriend and your bully, walks by the classroom and gives her a kiss before going to his own classroom.

And as usual, no one notices you at the back of the class. People are very engaged and talkative, which is unusual since it's still 8:00 in the morning. Finally, the teacher arrives as usual and begins the lesson. Time passes and the teacher finally leaves the classroom and the students are finally allowed to have their lunch break.

Ashe: "Hey, you. Eating lunch alone again, huh? You want to eat lunch with me?" She asks you nicely and without waiting for your answer, she takes a seat across from you.

Smiling softly at your reply, Ashe nods her head in understanding. "Alright then, I won't make it awkward." She pauses as she reaches into her backpack and pulls out a pre-made sandwich. "You can have half if you want," she offers with a genuine smile. "I brought enough for two people anyway."

"Thanks!" She says gratefully as she takes the sandwich you offered and continues eating her lunch. Looking at you with genuine curiosity, she asks, "So how's life been treating you? You seem happy enough." Her voice is calm and smooth like silk, but there's a stern undertone that suggests she expects honesty from your reply.

Her heart aches for a moment when she sees the sadness in your eyes. She understands what you mean and nods solemnly. "That's good advice," she says with genuine sincerity before taking another bite of her lunch. "I try to spend as much time with Alan as possible, but he has his own stuff going on." Her voice trails off for a moment before she adds, "He's not an easy person to be around sometimes though..."

Her expression softens and she looks back at you. "But I suppose we all have our flaws, right?" She pauses, considering her words carefully. "How about you? Do you have any family nearby?"

Her heart aches for you when she hears that your family is gone. She reaches out gently, laying her hand on yours in a comforting gesture. "I'm sorry to hear that," she says softly. "That must have been so hard for you." Taking another bite of her lunch, she continues, "At least you have friends here at school who care about you, right?"

There's a small smile on her lips as she glances back at you again. Despite the awkwardness between them sometimes, Veta has always been kind to her when they've spoken one-on-one. It's a quality she appreciates and respects deeply within another person. "So what do you plan on doing after college? Any particular dreams or goals?"

Ashe nods thoughtfully, her gaze fixed on yours as she listens intently to your reply. "That's interesting," she says sincerely. "I always admired people who were passionate about the stars and planets. It must be incredible to study something you love so much." She pauses for a moment, considering her own dreams before continuing. "As for me, I want to become an engineer. But more importantly, I just want to find someone who accepts me for who I am... Someone who'll stand by my side through thick and thin."

Her voice trails off as she finishes speaking, a small blush creeping onto her cheeks at the confession she's just made. The truth is, she never expected to say those words out loud to anyone besides herself, let alone someone like you who she barely knows. But there it is; her heart laid bare for all to see.

Ashe blushes deeper at your kind words, her throat feeling tight as she tries not to choke up. "Thank you," she whispers, her voice trembling slightly. "I think that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." She pauses for a moment before adding, "You know, I hope we can get along better from now on... Even if it is just as friends." The sincerity in her eyes is unmistakable as she meets your gaze.

Taking another bite of her lunch, she glances around the empty courtyard before continuing, "So what do you usually do during lunch? Hang out here or go somewhere else?"

Her eyes widen at your sudden admission, and she's unsure how to respond. Part of her is scared, worried that you might be violent or dangerous in some way. But another part of her appreciates the fact that someone is finally standing up for you against Alan. "I-I see," she says carefully, looking at you with a mix of fear and admiration.

Shaking off the unease in her gut, she forces a small smile. "Well, thank you for thinking about me," she whispers softly before reaching out to touch your hand reassuringly again. "I hope everything goes okay between you two." She pauses, taking another bite of her lunch before adding, "And if you ever need someone to talk to or just hang out with, you know where I am."

Her heart skips a beat at your words and the way you say them. She glances around nervously before taking one last bite of her lunch and carefully placing it aside on her tray. Standing up slowly, she brushes off her pants and approaches you with cautious steps. "V-Veta... I don't want to get in the way or anything," she stutters, her voice shaking slightly. "But if there's something I can do to help..."

Her gaze drops to the ground as she continues, "I mean, you seem strong and capable enough on your own... but still." She pauses, searching for the right words to say before meeting your eyes again. "I just want to make sure that everything turns out okay for you... and for me too, since he's my boyfriend..."

Her heart races as you reassure her that everything will be alright, and she nods slightly in understanding. "Alright," she whispers, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. "I'll just wait here then... Let me know if you need any help or anything." She paces nervously back and forth nearby, biting her bottom lip as she listens intently for any signs of trouble.

Her eyes widen at the intensity in your voice as she watches you pin Alan to the wall. Panic wells up inside her chest, her breath coming out in short, sharp gasps. "Veta!" She cries, rushing forward and grabbing your arm. "You have to stop! This isn't helping anything!" Tears stream down her cheeks as she pulls on your arm, trying to pry you away from Alan.

"Let him go," she pleads, her voice shaking with fear. "Please, just let him go and we can all get out of here before someone sees us." Her grip tightens on your arm, desperation etched into every line of her body.

Her heart pounds as she watches you let go of Alan. He pulls away from the wall, wiping off his jacket and glaring at both of you. "You're lucky he didn't call security," Ashe whispers to you once she's sure Alan isn't about to attack again.

Taking a step back, she turns to Alan and places a hand on his chest gently. "Honey?" she says softly. "Please don't tell anyone about this, okay? We can handle it between us." Her voice is pleading, her gaze beseeching him to understand.

Turning back to you, she reaches out and clasps your hand in hers gratefully. "Thank you," she whispers, squeezing it tightly. "I really appreciate it." Her eyes meet yours, full of sincerity and gratitude.

Her lips curl into a small smile at your words and she squeezes your hand again in understanding. "I'm glad you had my back," she murmurs quietly before leaning forward to kiss your cheek gently, her soft hair tickling your face as she does so. "Thank you for looking out for me." She pulls away with a warm blush on her cheeks, glancing around one more time before leading Alan away from the scene discreetly.

"I don't know why he bothers with me sometimes," she murmurs under her breath as they walk off together, hands clasped tightly. "But I suppose there's something about you that draws people to you, even those who don't deserve it." She glances sideways at Veta, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Anyway," she says brightly, turning her attention back forward. "We should probably get back inside before anyone notices we were gone for too long."

Her face brightens as you agree and she leads the way back into the school building, her gait steady and confident despite the brief turmoil earlier. Once they're safely inside their classroom again, Ashe takes a moment to compose herself before turning to you with an apologetic look on her face.

"I'm sorry about that whole thing," she says quietly. "Alan can be a real jerk sometimes, and I hate that he drags me into his messes." She hesitates for a moment before asking curiously, "So... why do you think Veta decided to step in?"

I... I don't know, really. Maybe he just got tired of Alan's behavior, or maybe he was worried about me. It could have been a number of reasons. Either way, I appreciate what he did, and I hope that things will be different now between us all. And hopefully, Alan won't hold any grudges against you for getting involved. But if he does... well, let's just hope he doesn't take it out on either one of us. Her eyes meet yours pleadingly, her concern obvious despite the reassuring tone in her voice.

Her heart skips a beat at your words, and she feels a warmth spread through her chest. "Thank you," she whispers sincerely, looking into your eyes with a mix of gratitude and admiration. "I really appreciate it." She takes a step closer to you, unable to resist the urge to reach out and touch your hand reassuringly again.

The rest of the day passes relatively smoothly after that. Ashe continues to talk about her classes and assignments with you, occasionally glancing your way with a small smile or shared joke. Despite Alan's best efforts from afar, it feels as if there's a sense of camaraderie growing between the two of you - a bond born out of shared adversity and mutual respect. And for now, that's enough to make Ashe feel safe... and happy.

It's the next day, and Ashe can feel the tension in the air as soon as she arrives at school. She's not sure what to expect from Alan after yesterday's confrontation with Veta, but she's determined to be strong and stay by your side no matter what.

As classes begin, she finds herself constantly glancing at you out of the corner of her eye, silently reassuring herself that you're okay and unharmed. During lunch break, she sits with you again, this time keeping a bit more distance between the two of them in case Alan decides to retaliate against either one of you.

Despite the unease, Ashe makes sure to keep the conversation light and friendly, eager to know more about your interests and life outside of school. It's clear that there's a newfound respect between the two of you now, and she hopes that this new bond will help them both weather whatever storm may come their way - together.