5 years later-

    “Quiet down, class! Even though the lunch bell rang, that doesn’t mean you’re immediately dismissed! I haven’t finished my dismissal question yet. Rowan? Stand up, please, and tell me, what’s one thing you learned today in class?”

    Rowan stood up from his seat, paused, and looked around the room, his heart pounding. He gave a big smile and made a gesture with his hands, asking to write out his answer.

    “Go ahead, write it on the board…” the teacher said with slight annoyance. The class all chorused in a sigh, for Rowan’s answer would be taking precious time out of their lunch break.

    After eating lunch, Rowan sat below a tree right outside his classroom. He usually sat there by himself because he didn’t have any friends to talk to, and no one who would hang out with him at recess. He didn’t say a word to anyone, so they kept away, thinking he was “mean” or “too weird” to hang out with. 

    He always sarcastically thought: 

    But he tried to look at his classmates with a positive attitude. He tried to be nice and interact with different students. They always ended up making excuses for why he couldn’t join them or, most often, said they had to leave. Like last Wednesday, when he tried interacting with a group of boys and girls who were laughing loudly about something he didn’t hear. He had anxiously walked up, fiddling with his fingers, but right before he squeezed into a small gap in the circle, he changed to a more confident posture and opened his mouth, to look like he was laughing along with them, though no sound escaped his lips. The group’s laughter faded, and they all stared at him or exchanged glances with each other. Rowan slowly closed his mouth and forced a small smile, looking around at everybody, his heart dropping, and a surge of heat rose up his face, making him feel dizzy. He licked his lips and tried to stand straighter to hide the fact that his legs were shaking. 

    One girl in the group awkwardly laughed and gestured toward her locker, “I actually forgot something in my locker, better go get it before next period!” 

    Suddenly, one by one, the circle of students mumbled excuses.

    “I left my water bottle in the classroom.”

    “I got to grab… something”

    “I think I’m getting a phone call, I should… go.” 

    Rowan’s eyes dropped to the floor as he sighed. He was alone once again. 

    He tried every once in a while to hang out with other students, but he eventually got used to being by himself and finding things to occupy his break times. Usually, he’d read a book, look for bugs, or for different leaves in the yard to add to his collection, or maybe he’d sit under the biggest tree on campus, his favorite tree, as he took a nap. Naps were the best way to pass the time, and the tree gave good shade and a nice breeze. It was oddly comforting; he didn’t usually like trees, especially standing below them, but this one was… different.