"Hey!" A girl's voice called out, startling Rowan.

    He looked up, but wasn't expecting that she would be looking in his direction. He brushed it off, assuming the girl was looking past him at someone else.

    "Hey, I'm talking to you. Don't ignore me!" she ran over to Rowan and knelt right next to him. "You like this tree, huh?"

    He hesitated before nodding, but avoided eye contact. Why is she speaking to me? He thought.

    "I see you under this tree every day. You're always by yourself." She paused and cleared her throat. "This tree is always so pretty this time of day, the light shining through its leaves, the slight breeze that makes the tree sway. It's calming."

   Before he realized it, Rowan was smiling. His smile quickly faded before shifting over to put more distance between them.  

    "Can I ask you a question?" The girl scooted closer under the tree.

    Giving a sideways glance at the girl, he nodded.

    "Are you always alone at school?" 

    Rowan brought out his notepad and wrote in it:

    They don't like me.

    "Why?" The girl asked.

    Because I don't talk.

    "Why don't you talk?" She tilted her head, but kept the same kind expression on her face.

    Rowan paused for a long moment. No one had ever asked him that question before. 

    I can't. He wrote.

    "I see," She said slowly.

   There was a minute of silence as they both sat there under the tree. Rowan's stomach was flipping. He was nervous- nervous about what she thought. Was she here to make fun of him? Or... was there a chance she was here to be friends with him? A gust of breeze blew by, cooling them down in the warm sun. They watched as a few leaves fell from the tree and danced in the air before reaching the ground. Rowan let out a calming sigh. He didn't know what she was thinking, but for the first time, he didn't feel so alone. He felt happy to have company. Someone who was willing to sit next to him. Someone who didn't run away.