The sound of furious pounding reverberated through the vast house, interrupting the piercing Metallica tunes that filled William's ears through his earphones. He furrowed his brows in confusion at the late hour and the unexpected visitor. Visitors were a rarity in his household, and even William's parents barely graced their home more than once a year. Pushing himself up, he felt the relentless knocking intensify.
 
"I'm coming, I'm coming, quit it with the knocking!" William shouted, his frustration growing as he strode toward the front door.
 
As he flung the door open, he was met with the furious countenance of Jayden, the last thing he saw before a punch collided with his face.
 
"What the hell!" William exclaimed, staring up at Jayden with wild eyes, years of brawls teaching him to resist the urge to retaliate with a punch of his own.
 
"Yeah, what the hell?" Jayden echoed, storming into William's house.
 
William cradled his throbbing eye while shooting a puzzled look at Jayden, who was seething with anger. It was a side of Jayden he had never seen before. Generally easygoing and always ready with a joke, Jayden rarely got this worked up. William couldn't help but wonder what had riled him to this extent.
 
"What the hell, Will? Daisy confesses to you, my best friend, and you outright reject her. Not to mention, you were a complete jerk about it. You couldn't even let her down easy? What the hell, William!" Jayden's face was flushed from both anger and exertion, and William couldn't help but notice the way the red hue clung to his cheeks.
 
As the words sank in, William felt an irrational surge of anger rise within him. "Why should I care about her feelings? Who is she to me?" William retorted, standing his ground and locking eyes with Jayden, his furrowed brows revealing his fury.
 
Jayden's expression contorted, settling on a mix of disappointment and anger. He advanced toward William, jabbing his chest with a pointed finger, gradually backing them against the wall.
 
"I can't believe you, William. I thought you were different from what people said; I thought they were wrong about you. But you're just the same. You don't care about anyone else but yourself," Jayden declared, his round glasses magnifying his fiery gaze.
 
The hole in William's chest deepened, but he refused to acknowledge it. Instead, he glared back at Jayden. How could Jayden make such accusations without even hearing his side of the story? He had always believed that Jayden didn't buy into the rumors and judgments others cast upon him. From the beginning, Jayden had treated him like a genuine friend, as though he truly wanted to be in his life. Now it seemed like it was all a lie. Just as he had suspected, no one ever stayed. What a fool he had been to think that Jayden actually cared, that he had finally found someone who genuinely wanted to be a part of his life.
 
William's eyes hardened. "You don't know a thing about me," he muttered, the tipping point of his emotions fast approaching.
 
Jayden's eyes dimmed, and he took a step back, retreating from the heated confrontation. "I guess I never did," he said, his voice quieter but no less hurt, before turning to quickly exit the house. The door hung ajar, a silent testament to the abrupt rift that had formed between them.
 
Sliding down the wall, William felt the widening chasm in his chest become impossible to ignore. The house seemed even lonelier than it had ever felt in his entire life. It was a stark reminder that the connections he had once believed were real had all been built on shaky foundations, destined to crumble at the first sign of trouble.
 
***
 
Damian reclined on the couch, his head resting comfortably in the couch while a mindless drama played on the television. The show was nothing more than background static to Damian, his attention drawn elsewhere.
 
His gaze wandered over to Aleena, who seemed lost in her own thoughts, her distant expression softened by the soft glow of the television. Damian couldn't help but be struck by Aleena's beauty, something he had taken for granted until now. Aleena's long lashes framed hers doe-like eyes, and the faint crinkles that appeared when she smiled, her grin big and gummy, made Damian's breath catch and his heart race for no apparent reason.
 
It wasn't that Damian had never noticed Aleena's attractiveness before, but he had never truly contemplated it. Just a few months earlier, he would have scoffed at the idea of being close enough to Aleena to appreciate these details. Damian had been labeled as the odd, silent kid, while Aleena had always been associated with Shane. Yet, Damian couldn't remember the last time he had seen them together. He scolded himself for feeling even the slightest sense of relief that they seemed to be drifting apart.
 
Seeing Aleena break down the other day because of Shane had been heart-wrenching and had ignited an inexplicable anger within Damian. He never wanted to witness Aleena in such a shattered state ever again.
 
As Damian's mind wandered to the uncertain future, his determination to leave Aleena's care began to waver. He had grown too comfortable in this household. Aleena's parents had been incredibly kind to him, their warmth a painful reminder of his own mother. He knew he was overstaying his welcome, but he couldn't bring himself to leave.
 
Especially when Aleena was only a few feet away every day, providing him with a sense of stability and security he couldn't find anywhere else. The thought of returning to the house with his father (it could no longer be called his home) sent shivers down his spine, threatening to trigger an anxiety attack. Damian had a stash of money hidden back at his old house, money he had been saving since his mother's death, but he couldn't bear the thought of going back there while his father still resided there.
 
Yet, Damian was aware that he couldn't continue leeching off Aleena's kindness indefinitely, and the longer he stayed, the more tangled his emotions became. He had a hunch about why he was feeling this way toward Aleena, but he feared that expressing his feelings might scare Aleena away, especially when he knew Aleena was devoted to Shane.
 
It was painfully obvious from the way Aleena consistently prioritized Shane and the sorrow that clouded her eyes whenever Shane mentioned Daisy.
 
Damian's reverie was abruptly interrupted when Aleena looked at him, locking eyes with Damian, who hadn't torn his gaze away from Aleena during his contemplation. Damian's cheeks flushed with embarrassment at being caught staring, but Aleena merely offered a gentle smile.
 
"What are you pondering so deeply?" Aleena inquired.
 
Damian obediently settled back, studying Aleena with concern. Lately, Aleena had appeared increasingly resigned and melancholic. She hadn't spoken to Damian about it, but Damian knew something was amiss, and he suspected it had something to do with Shane, given Aleena's evident distress.
 
Damian gently tapped Aleena's shoulder, attempting to convey his worry through his gaze.
 
Aleena smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm fine, Damian. Just tired."
 
Damian nodded, though she didn't appear entirely convinced. He couldn't help but wondered when Aleena would stop hurting, and why he really wanted to be the reason Aleena happy again later.