Desolate halls, not a sound to be heard between the plain walls and the tile floor that slowly passed underneath your slowly shuffling feet. The fabric of the cuffs around your wrists slowly brushed across the backs of your hands while strands of your hair gradually fell in front of your shoulders. Spacing out slowly, your body wondered the all-too-familiar halls, the weight of your backpack causing you to lean slightly forward as you moved through the halls.

Not thinking of anything in particular, your mind began to float from one thought to another, picking up past memories as the emotions slowly consumed you once again of each event. Happy or sad, the memories kept coming, one memory linking to another as the events in the past week slowly rose through the sea of memories swirling in your head.

Moving down the stairs slowly, your feet slipped down to the next stair that was slightly lower than the one that you were currently standing on. Reaching a landing, the pure sunlight cast its light through the glass, illuminating the space just enough to catch your attention.

Slowing your feet to a stop, your eyes lifted and peered through the glass into the outside world. You watched people move across the sidewalk with their friends, smiles plastered on their lips before they covered their mouth quickly as laughter spilled from their lips.

Sadness swept over you as pain slowly spread into your chest, a tightening clutched your heart as your jaw gaped open slightly. The hand at your side raised up and grasped the fabric over the flat part of your chest. Your chin quivered slightly at first while your head lowered with each passing second.

A pair of footsteps passed through the double doors on the floor above, the sound of the footsteps stopped once a hand was placed on the handrail. A pair of eyes caught your form, watching you for a moment, the person turned their head and looked around. Not seeing a soul in sight, the person turned their attention back to you as you slowly placed one foot in front of the other.

Moving forward, you traveled onward but with every step you took the stranger took the same amount of steps as you, at the same pace. The stairs descended to your left, however you took another step and saw a wall in front of you.

Lifting one of your hands up, you pressed your hand lightly against the paint on the wall. The matte finish giving off an interesting texture that somehow felt comforting under your fingertips. A soft breath left your lips, your head lowered until relaxed. Your suppressed feelings slowly rose to the surface, a comforting but strange sting was surrounding your eyes. Running the edge of your tongue over your lips, you leaned forwards, your hand taking some of the weight of your body.

Sliding your eyes closed, your hand moved as your forearm pressed against the wall, lulling your head over to your arm, you fought to keep your emotions hidden once more, yet this time they seemed to have control over you.

The stranger stood their ground, watching you silently. Tilting their head to one side while they watched the scene before them. Slowly, you turned around and pressed your back against the wall, your hand lifted over your mouth as the stranger could tell that something was off. Scanning the area once more, the stranger contemplated about turning around and leaving, thinking it was the best. The stranger turned around and tried to climb the stairs back up going to find another way down to the main level.

A staggered breath shivered your lower lip, your knees becoming weaker with every passing moment. Pressing your back harder against the wall, you lowered yourself as your arms wrapped around your legs and pulled your knees to your chest. Tears relentlessly flowed down your cheeks, your lungs gasping for a full breath.

The stranger climbed a stair step or two before turning around, hearing the soft sobs that shook the body seated on the floor. Torn, the stranger looked around once more, mulling it over, slipping their hands into the pockets of their pants, their feet slowly moved from one step to the next.

Approaching your body slowly, the toes of the strangers sneakers were close to yours. The stranger cleared their throat as you slowly lifted your head from your knees.

Your eyes widened, seeing who was standing over you. The bad boy of the school, the class bully, the person everyone avoided. Ken. Staggering to your feet, you stood in front of him, your thoughts turning from your thoughts to him and what all he could to you to make your life miserable at school.

Hallowing your shoulders, your head lowered wondering what he is going to say, or do to you.

“What are you doing here, _______?” He called you by name, his voice quieter than normal.

“I was just c-c-coming back from the l-library” You attempted to keep your voice steady so you wouldn’t tip him off that you had been crying.

Pulling a hand from his pocket, he slid his hand along the inside lining of his blazer. Revealing a silken handkerchief, he lifted his hand up and slid the fabric along your cheek. Flinching, you stepped back, your eyes locking with his as his actions froze. Stepping towards you, he closed the space between the two of you, his hand lifting and brushing the silk across your reddening cheeks.

“It must have been a sad book” He broke the silence, those brown orbs of his moving over your complexion.

“W-What?” You questioned, unsure of what he was getting at.

“The reason why you were crying” Ken tilted his head slightly to one side, making him seem cuter than a threat at this point.

Thinking it over, you ran several possible scenarios in your head, words failing to fall from your lips as he slipped his handkerchief back into his pocket.

“So it wasn’t from a book?” He moved to the bare ball beside you, his back pressed against the paint. You slowly shook your head and kept your eyes down, trying to prepare yourself what was to come.

“I wonder what it is from then…” Ken whispered under his breath, stepping away from him, his eyes followed you as you walked towards the stairs. “You can stay, I’m not asking you to leave.”

“Is that an order?” You probed, your eyes seeing the tips of your toes hanging over the edge of the stairs.

“More like… a suggestion” Ken scoffed quietly, a smile pulling on his lips as he watched you, wondering what you would do.

“You aren’t going to hold me hostage or have students pelt me with eggs, moving my desk off campus, spread rumors and other acts of your evil mind?” You named off a few examples that you have seen him and his two friends do to fellow classmates. turned your shoulders in his direction slightly.

“Do you see an army behind me right now?” He outstretched his arms to show off his wingspan.

“You never know…” You sighed, before your eyes lifted up to his slowly, a question churning in your mind.

“What?” He blurted to you

“Why are you so nice all of a sudden? Aren’t you supposed to be the bad boy that every girl dreams of being her boyfriend, but can never hold down? The muscle of our class, Mr. Bone Breaker, if we are technically speaking” You turned your body towards him sass hinting in your words, his eyes tearing away from yours while he chuckled, a toothy smile showing between his lips.

Ken thought for a moment or two, no words came to mind to reply with, his smile fading from his pink lips. Bowing lightly to him, you took your leave to head home before it got too dark.