Andrew Johnson walked into the lecture hall, letting out a wide yawn. His eyes were still heavy with sleep as he dragged himself toward his usual seat in the back.

The classroom was a cacophony of noise since the professor hadn't arrived yet. Some students were deep in conversation, while others were glued to their laptop screens.

Andrew paid them no mind. To him, college was nothing more than an escape from his mother’s constant nagging at home.

"Hey Andrew. Did you finish the Stats assignment?" asked Alex, his seatmate, who was already settled in.

Andrew reached into his jacket pocket and tossed a flash drive onto the desk.

"Man, you're a lifesaver," Alex praised, snatching up the drive. "I thought you skipped it."

Andrew shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "If my grades drop this semester, my dad's gonna cut my allowance."

Andrew was smart enough. Academically, he always ranked in the top ten of his major. However, most students on campus knew him better as a troublemaker—the kind of guy you avoided if you wanted a peaceful life.

"Look who's here," Alex said, nudging Andrew’s arm.

Andrew glanced toward the door. A faint smirk immediately crept onto his face, his boredom instantly evaporating.

Nathan had just stepped into the room. He looked painfully dorky and bland—wearing a plaid shirt buttoned all the way to the top collar, thick round glasses, and hair that was always combed into the exact same side-part every single day.

Nathan walked in clutching a stack of thick textbooks against his chest. His head was slightly bowed, intentionally avoiding any direct eye contact with Andrew.

"Well, look who finally graced us with his presence, Professor," Andrew jeered loudly.

Nathan pretended not to hear. He kept walking toward his seat in the front row—the spot he always chose so he could hear the professor clearly.

"Wonder what kind of book he's reading today," Alex chimed in, tossing fuel to the fire.

"Who knows? Probably a survival guide on how to be the most boring human being on the planet," Andrew fired back, bursting into a loud laugh.

A few other students joined in on the laughter. Nathan remained silent in his seat, neatly arranging his books on the desk.

It was that quiet compliance that always annoyed Andrew to no end. It felt as though all his mockery and laughter were completely insignificant, not even worth a reaction from Nathan.

"I think I'll have a little fun before the professor gets here," Andrew said, pushing himself up from his chair.

Alex and his friends grinned wide. Andrew strolled casually toward Nathan’s desk.

Standing over Nathan, Andrew reached down and yanked the book right out of Nathan's hands.

Startled, Nathan looked up. Andrew flipped the cover over to read the title.

"The History of Ancient Civilizations." Andrew raised an eyebrow. "Are you seriously still reading stuff like this?"

A few students began to turn their heads toward them.

"Hey, Professor. Why read this junk? Looking for ancient treasure?" Andrew mocked.

Nathan reached out, trying to grab his book back. "That's a library book, Andrew. Please give it back."

Andrew ignored him. He deliberately flipped through a few pages at random, then turned the book around to face the rest of the class.

"Look at this, guys. This kid has absolutely no life. Utterly pathetic." Andrew turned back, glaring down at Nathan with a sneer. "You need to get out and make some friends, instead of just burying your face in these books."

Another wave of laughter rippled through the room. Nathan lowered his head, his fists clenching tight beneath the desk.

"Andrew. Give it back. You're going to ruin it," Nathan's voice came out slightly unsteady.

Andrew smiled mockingly, leaning his face closer to Nathan's. "And if I don't... what are you gonna do about it?"

Nathan stayed quiet. His head remained bowed, not daring to look Andrew in the eye.

Andrew walked over to the back corner of the room and placed the book on top of a tall cabinet by the window.

"Go fetch it yourself," Andrew said, dusting off his hands before heading back to his seat.

Nathan quickly stood up and walked over to retrieve his book. He glared at Andrew for a brief moment before reaching for it.

"What are you looking at?" Andrew snapped loudly.

Nathan didn't answer. He snapped his gaze away, grabbed the book from the top of the cabinet, and returned to his seat without another word.

Shortly after, the professor walked in. The Statistics lecture began, and the classroom atmosphere shifted back to focusing on the lesson.

Once class was over, students began packing up their things and heading out.

"You hitting up the usual spot with us tonight?" Alex asked, sliding a notebook into his bag.

"Not sure yet. Go ahead without me," Andrew replied shortly.

Andrew stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder. His eyes locked onto Nathan again, who was busy packing textbooks into his backpack.

Andrew didn't know why, but he felt an innate irritation every time he saw Nathan. Looking at the kid always dragged up buried, bitter memories. 

Memories of a time when he was the one being ostracized, the one who was constantly the butt of everyone's jokes.

He tried to shake the thought. He hated remembering those days, and he hated remembering how weak he used to be.

Andrew stopped walking as he passed Nathan's desk. He snatched a notebook right out of Nathan's hands and flipped it open. Inside was an architectural sketch, incredibly detailed and stunning.

Andrew raised an eyebrow. He had no idea Nathan had this kind of talent.

"Give it back," Nathan hissed, snatching the notebook back from Andrew's grip.

"Relax, Professor. Just looking. Didn't know you actually had a talent for drawing," Andrew said with a short laugh.

Nathan glared intensely at Andrew. Andrew met his gaze with cold indifference.

The classroom was completely empty now. They were the only two left.

"What do you want from me, Andrew?" Nathan demanded.

"Just making sure you don't get too comfortable in this class."

Nathan remained silent, staring at Andrew with a look of suppressed rage.

Andrew reached out and clapped Nathan hard on the shoulder. "Don't be late tomorrow, Professor. I'd be bored out of my mind without you."

Andrew turned and walked toward the door.

"Andrew."

Andrew stopped and looked back over his shoulder. Nathan was still standing by his desk.

"What now?" Andrew asked sharply, irritation flaring.

"One day, you'll understand what it feels like to be in my shoes," Nathan said, his voice barely holding together.

Andrew laughed. "If that’s a threat, you really need to work on your delivery."

Nathan didn't reply. He just stared—a look that caused Andrew's smirk to slowly fade away.