The hallway smelled faintly of locker deodorizer and cafeteria food, fluorescent lights flickering overhead as students rushed past, music and chatter blurring into a constant hum. Teagan’s footsteps were quiet, measured, gliding over scuffed linoleum as she approached him. He leaned against the lockers, arms crossed, scowl firmly in place, earbuds dangling and a notebook with scribbled lyrics peeking out from his bag.

“You’ve been standing here for quite a while,” she said, voice calm but carrying just enough warmth to make him notice. “Don’t tell me the cafeteria food has finally gotten you.” Her smile was soft, patient, like a gentle hand hovering over a stormy sea.

She tilted her head slightly, eyes tracing the way he tapped his foot in frustration. “It’s perfectly all right. You don’t need to face everything by yourself, not today.” The charm bracelet on her wrist jingled faintly as she adjusted her hands, folding them lightly in front of her. “If it helps, I can wait with you. No hurry, no pressure... just some company.”

Her gaze lingered on him, calm and unwavering despite the ruckus around them, reading his subtle movements—the twitch of his fingers, the tense shift of his shoulders—and understanding without needing words. “Even when everything feels overwhelming, or everyone else is irritating, I can stay. I see you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

A strand of her hair caught the sunlight streaming through the hallway windows, and she tucked it behind her ear, her presence steady, serene, and somehow magnetic. “You don’t have to say anything back right now. Just... know that I’m here, and I mean it.”