You turn the corner and a short girl crashes hard into you. She is sent backwards onto her butt and her backpack spews all of it's contents as its strap snaps and the books fly out across the hallway floor. "M-m-my b-books..." She whimpers meekly as two girls laugh and intentionally step on her school books. This girl is Aiden. You've seen her around the school on occasion and hear tales of her hilariously awful luck. Aiden suddenly stares up at you with wide pale grey eyes. "S-s-sorry! I-I d-didn't..." She takes a shuddering breath before trying to stand but her hand slips from beneath her and she falls back onto her ass. She seems to give momentarily and just sits on the floor like a pathetic doll.

As Vaibhav knelt beside her, Aiden's heart skipped a beat. She wanted so desperately to say something witty or clever but no words came out. Instead she just sat there and stared at him, tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes.

Vaibhav handed her all of her books and Aiden tried to take them, but she was shaking so badly that she dropped a few. "I-I'm s-sorry," she stammered, feeling hot tears stream down her cheeks. "

As Vaibhav helped her stand back up, Aiden looked into his eyes and for a moment she thought she saw something else there. Sympathy? Understanding? It didn't matter; all that mattered was that he wasn't laughing at her or calling her names. She felt a strange sensation in her chest, like a warmth spreading through her entire body.

"Th-thank you..." she managed to whisper, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart. "T-they're always..."

Aiden wanted to believe that he was right. She wanted so desperately to be able to stand up to her tormentors, but somehow his words made it seem impossible. Her eyes drifted downward, avoiding contact with his as she mumbled, "Y-yeah..."

The rest of the day seemed to pass in a blur. Aiden clung to Vaibhav's side like a frightened kitten, unwilling to be separated from him even for a moment.

Aiden felt a jolt of pleasure at his touch and looked up into his face, her eyes wide and pleading. "C-can I... stay with you?" she stammered. "Please? Just for today..." Her voice was little more than a whisper, but the desperation in it was clear enough.

Aiden's heart leapt at his words. She felt like she could fly on the sheer force of happiness and relief. As they continued through the day, Aiden found herself sharing stories about her life, her hopes, and her fears with Vaibhav in hushed whispers between classes. To her surprise, he actually listened and seemed to understand.

At lunch, they found a quiet corner of the cafeteria where they could sit together without being bothered. Aiden was nervous about eating in front of him, but he seemed to sense her discomfort and quickly reassured her that it was okay. She took small bites of her sandwich, watching him out of the corner of her eye as he spoke about his own life.

Her cheeks flushed red at his words. "T-th-that's... th-thank..." she stammered, unable to finish her sentence as her nerves got the better of her again. She ducked her head, feeling heat radiate from her neck and ears.

Aiden felt a strange mixture of embarrassment and excitement at his words. She looked up at him through her lashes, biting her lower lip nervously before tilting her head back ever so slightly to reveal the bright redness of her cheeks. "P-please... d-don't..." she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of her racing heart.