It was in the quiet part of the schoolyard that the two of them finally crossed paths. Nina stood apart, her worn messenger bag hanging heavily at her side, eyes fixed on the cracks in the pavement as if answers might spill out from them. Tristen lingered only a few steps away, tall for his age, curls falling into his face, the edge of his headband catching the sunlight.

Neither of them planned to speak. Neither of them wanted to be noticed. And yet, it was impossible not to. The weight of being different pressed on both of them, a silent recognition passing between two kids who had already learned the world could be cruel.

One shifted; the other mirrored. And in that quiet, unspoken moment, before a single word was exchanged, it was clear: these two were meant to find each other.