Everybody in the class seemed to recognize the boy the moment he stepped inside. A few students whispered his name under their breath, and some shifted their seats slightly as if giving him room was a rule they had learned the hard way. Ken walked with confidence that came from being feared, not respected, and the annoyance on his face only sharpened when he saw Hailey sitting comfortably beside Graham.
Hailey's smile dimmed the second she noticed him. "Great," she muttered quietly, straightening in her chair as if preparing for a conversation she had no interest in having.
"Who's that?" Graham asked under his breath.
"Ken," Hailey replied without looking away. "Just… someone who doesn't understand basic boundaries."
From across the room, Ken's stare locked onto Graham with a pressure that could've made a less confident person look away. Graham didn't bother pretending he didn't notice...he simply met Ken's glare with the same steady, unreadable expression he always wore.
Ken clearly wasn't used to that. His brows tightened, and he paused mid-step as if surprised Graham wasn't shrinking or turning away like most students did when he was displeased.
A girl sitting two rows behind whispered to her friend, "Oh no… this is bad. Ken hates when someone talks to Hailey."
"Especially a new guy," her friend replied. "He's going to make trouble."
Hailey shot the girls a look that made them instantly shut up. She then leaned slightly toward Graham and said, "Don't mind him. He acts like we're a couple just because he keeps chasing me."
"That doesn't sound like your problem," Graham answered quietly.
"It isn't," Hailey said, "but he tries to make it everyone else's."
Graham shrugged once, completely unfazed. "Let him try."
Hailey blinked at him, surprised by how casually he said it. "You're awfully calm for someone he's already decided he dislikes."
"He doesn't know me," Graham replied. "And I don't know him. There's nothing to worry about."
Ken finally moved again, his footsteps loud as he approached their corner of the room, clearly intending to make his presence impossible to ignore. Several students turned their attention toward them, eager to see what would happen next.
Graham, however, simply leaned back in his seat, resting one arm on the back of the chair as if nothing about the situation deserved even half his attention.
He wasn't intimidated.
Not even a little.
Ken finally closed the distance and stopped right in front of Graham's desk, his shadow falling over both of them. He didn't look at Hailey at all...his glare was fixed solely on Graham, like he had already decided who his problem was.
"Hey," Ken said, voice low and sharp, "why don't you fuck off? Find somewhere else to sit."
A few students nearby flinched. Hailey groaned quietly, already annoyed.
Graham lifted his eyes from Hailey to Ken, his expression unchanged, boredom written all over his face. "I'm not going anywhere."
Ken leaned forward a little, clearly expecting Graham to back down. "You deaf or stupid?"
Graham narrowed his eyes just slightly, still calm. "I don't give a shit what you want," he said, voice steady. "I'm not moving."
Ken's jaw tightened. "You don't know who you're talking to."
"And you don't know who you're talking to," Graham shot back. "But here's something I do know...Hailey doesn't like you. At all. That should be obvious even to someone as slow as you."
The words landed hard. Several students gasped quietly. Hailey slapped her hand over her forehead, not because she disagreed, but because she wasn't ready for someone to say it out loud.
Graham didn't stop there.
"So here's a suggestion," he continued, leaning forward a little, his voice still low but edged with steel, "get the fuck away from me and stop hovering around her like a sore loser who can't take a hint."
Ken's face flushed with anger, his ego bruised in public. His fists clenched at his sides.
But Graham didn't blink, didn't shift in his seat, didn't even look impressed by the threat standing in front of him.
For the first time, someone had spoken to Ken without fear.
And the entire class felt the shift.