Dan was walking back to class when a ball suddenly came flying straight at his face. It hit him hard. He winced and turned, eyes already narrowed in irritation.
A guy came running toward him, looking worried.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
Dan shot him a deadly glare.
"Do I look okay to you?" he snapped.
The guy reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief.
"You're... you're bleeding," he said softly.
Dan's eyes widened as he quickly took out his phone and checked. His nose was bleeding. He looked back at the guy, his anger rising.
"I'm really sorry," the guy said quickly. "It was a mistake. I didn't mean to— I didn't think the ball would fly this way."
"Yeah, no kidding," Dan said sharply. "Now my nose is broken. And whose fault is that?"
The guy stayed calm even though Dan's tone was harsh.
"You should see the nurse. I can take you if you—"
"I don't need your help." Dan cut him off and stormed away.
The guy ran after him and tapped his shoulder. Dan stopped and turned, not hiding his irritation. The guy held out a small piece of paper.
"Here's my number," he said. "In case you need anything... I want to make it up to you."
Dan stared at him for a second, snatched the paper, and walked off without saying a word.
"Liam!" someone called, and the guy turned and jogged back to the field.
Liam. The football captain. Everyone liked him, he was friendly, smart, good-looking. Everyone... except Dan. Of all people, it had to be Liam. And now, thanks to him, Dan had a bandaged nose and a foul mood.
Dan made his way to the nurse's office. She patched him up and sent him off. As he walked through the halls, people stared. some with concern, some with curiosity. Dan ignored them and went back to class.
Meanwhile, practice had ended, and Liam was in the boys' changing room with his teammates. They teased him about the accident, but he just laughed it off. Still, he couldn't stop thinking about Dan's angry face.
For some reason, Dan's glare stuck in his head. He didn't know why, but he felt weird about it. Maybe guilty. Maybe something else. But whatever it was, Liam was determined to make things right.
Later in class, Liam couldn't focus. His mind kept going back to Dan. The way he reacted... it felt like there was more to it. Like he wasn't just mad about the ball. Liam wanted to know why.
As soon as class ended, Liam packed up quickly and slipped out before his friends could say anything. He went straight to the nurse's office to ask about Dan.
She told him his name and said he'd left not long ago.
Liam thanked her and set off, asking around for anyone who had seen a boy with a bandaged nose. Eventually, someone pointed him toward the biology class.
When he got there, he spotted Dan sitting next to Skylar. Dan hadn't noticed him yet, but Skylar did. He gave Liam a curious look, but Liam ignored it and walked up to Dan, gently tapping his shoulder.
"Hey," he said.
Dan turned, clearly annoyed. When he saw Liam, his face twisted even more.
"What do you want?" he asked, looking away.
"I just wanted to talk about earlier—"
"I don't want to," Dan cut in and stood up.
Skylar, who had been quiet, spoke up.
"Why don't you listen to what he has to say?"
Dan turned to him, raising a brow.
"Why would I? He literally broke my nose."
"And that's exactly why," Skylar said, getting up and patting Dan's shoulder. "Just hear him out. I'll be waiting for you at the gym."
With that, Skylar walked away, leaving Dan alone with Liam.
The moment felt awkward. Liam didn't know what to say.
Dan sighed. "What do you want to say?"
Liam scratched the back of his neck, clearly nervous.
"I... I wanted to apologize. It was an accident, I swear. And I was wondering if maybe... you'd like to hang out sometime. Just so I can properly make up for it."
Dan stared at him, unimpressed.
"No thanks. I'm not interested."
He walked off without looking back.
Liam stood there, stunned. The rejection stung more than he expected. But still... he wasn't ready to give up.
***
Liam eventually left the classroom, shoulders low and thoughts spinning. He tried to shake off the sting of rejection, but it clung to him more than he wanted to admit. He didn't even know why he cared this much—it was just a conversation. Still, the way Dan looked at him... like he was nothing. That part kind of... hurt.
But Liam wasn't the type to give up. If Dan didn't want to talk, fine—but he'd find a way. He had to.
'There's gotta be something I can do,' he thought, mentally screaming in frustration. He even sent a silent prayer up, hoping for some kind of miracle answer.
On his way back, he ran into his friends. One of them raised an eyebrow. "Yo, where'd you disappear to?"
"Ah, just had to take care of something," Liam replied casually, leaving out all the details.
They kept walking, but the thought wouldn't leave him alone. After a moment of silence, he decided to test the waters.
"So," he began, voice casual, "what would you do if, like... someone didn't like you? For no reason. Just asking for a friend."
His friend gave him a weird look. "I dunno... maybe that person has a reason. Or maybe they're just weird. Either way, not your fault."
Liam nodded slowly, letting the words sink in. Maybe Dan had a reason. Maybe it wasn't just some random hate. Still, the doubt gnawed at him.
"You good?" his friend asked.
Liam forced a smile. "Yeah. I'll be fine. Eventually."
***
Meanwhile, Dan walked into the gym, still in a sour mood. His nose throbbed, the bandage itching against his skin, and his thoughts kept going in circles.
As soon as he stepped in, he spotted Skylar on one of the benches, grinning like a fool.
Dan rolled his eyes and walked over. "What are you smiling about?"
"Nothing," Skylar said, nudging him. "You look like someone stole your lunch. Stop being grumpy—it's weird. It's like we've switched roles or something."
Dan gave a short chuckle and sighed, sitting beside him. "I just... I can't stand that guy. Liam. And now I've gotta walk around looking like this," he pointed to his nose, "until it heals."
Skylar shook his head. "You're overreacting. It's just a nose. It'll go back to normal soon."
Dan scoffed. "If I see that guy again, I swear I'll break his leg."
Skylar stared at him. "Dude. What? Are you having a seizure or something?"
Dan glared at him, but then cracked a laugh. "Shut up."
The two of them burst into laughter, shaking their heads at the absurdity of it all.
They sat for a while, letting the tension melt away, before finally getting up and leaving the gym together—back to whatever the rest of the day had in store.