POV: Agatha Patterson

“What’s your next class?”

“Oh um, math.” I hesitated.

“Sooo boring right?”

Why is Sophie here? Probably just couldn’t find Apollo and is hoping he comes over to me.

“Isn’t Apollo in that-” She was cut short when a guy walked past in between the two of us.

“Hey asshole!” Sophie yelled. He obviously couldn’t hear here, he had headphones on.

“Who’s that?” I asked.

“I guess he is kinda forgettable. I forget his name, but he is always gloomy and SUPER rude. I had 3 classes with him last year! It was the worst! I tried being nice, and so did Apollo but the loser always brushed us off.”

“I’ve gotta start heading to class.” I cut her off, not wanting to hear any more of her rant. Heading towards my class, even though it was a little early, I started thinking.

Someone who ignores even Apollo? I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone do that at this school before, everyone likes him. Plus to ignore Sophie as well! As much as I hate to admit it, she is one of the hottest girls in our grade, but I guess I can see why Sophie would say he is rude, he did walk in between us. On the other hand we were blocking the sidewalk, maybe he just doesn’t like talking to people. Those eyes though, they looked completely dead, like he was trying to block out the world. I don’t think I’ve had him in my class before, but if Sophie did he must be in our grade, sophomores (10th grade).. Dealing with all of Apollo’s friends is difficult enough, so I haven’t really had any chances to meet many new people, besides the people in the classes I have.

“Very interesting.” I remarked, sitting down at my desk, a couple minutes early to class.

I’m not entirely sure why, maybe just curiosity, but for the next week at school I was on the constant lookout for that guy. When I started to look around for him, as inconspicuous as possible of course, I started to notice him more in the background. He is the type of guy if you're not actively looking you will never see him, which is strange considering how tall he is. I barely reach his shoulder! Dude’s gotta be around 6 feet tall.

I learned a few things in that week. For one he seems to always eat in the cafeteria alone, always in the same spot, a small table in the very back. He eats fairly quickly then either sets his head down or leaves the cafeteria and sits on a rock wall near the football field. The more I think about this, the more this seems like stalking. Oh well!

I don’t have any classes with him, but our paths cross everyday moving between classes. It is so strange how I never noticed this giant before walking by him, or maybe he really is just that forgettable to the average person. One thing is for sure, I’m definitely not going to forget about him now.

From what I have seen, he has not talked to a single person. I’m almost convinced he doesn’t know how to talk. For now I still haven’t talked to him, but I have attempted to, but to be honest trying to talk to him is pretty intimidating. Even if I tried to talk to him I have the feeling I’m going to get ignored like Sophie and Apollo. As much as it makes me gag to say, I am technically pretty popular. I try to keep appearances up by being nice to everyone but once in a while I can’t help it and just blurt out what I actually think. It started to feel like I was never going to get the courage to try to talk to him, but that changed one evening.

I had to stay extra late to clean up for my club after school, thanks to everyone else dumping it onto me. School ended at 3 PM, and by the time I was starting to leave the school it was already 6. The only ones still at school were the janitors, with everyone else being gone. Every club could only run to 5, so no students were there either. Walking through the hallways to the entrance of the school, I noticed something I swore I would take to the grave.

Once I reached the stairs and started to walk down I heard a noise. Looking down the stairs I saw the same guy, with his same headphones on, skipping down the stairs, bopping his head.

Is that really the same guy?! He actually seems happy!

I followed behind him, making sure his back was always to me. When we reached the first floor I hid behind the wall of the final hallway, just staring at him. He was DANCING! Not very well, if I may add. However even though the dancing was rough, there was something to him I never saw before. He even did a spin around, I hid quickly when he did but the second time he did it I noticed his eyes were closed.

How does he know no one is looking? Maybe he doesn’t care if the janitors see him and why is he even here this late?

Even though I knew I shouldn't have, I continued to stare at him. His weird hand and arm movements, the occasional spin around, that huge smile on his face. Anyone else at this school probably would’ve found it weird but.

“So cute.” As much as I hate to admit it I was entranced by this strange guy, and his even stranger dancing. For the past week he was so intimidating that I couldn’t even try to talk to him, but now he just seemed like a cute little kitten.

Maybe this is his true self, and he is just trying to hide it? No, the way he acted before seemed very real as well, maybe he just has two sides to him. Whatever the case, I really want to talk to him now.

I couldn’t take my eyes off him, but that was my eventual downfall. On what felt like his millionth spin around, his eyes were open.

“Shit!” I whispered. Ducking for cover behind the wall, I stood still. I waited for at least 30 seconds, then peaked my head around the corner again. He was gone.

“Maybe he didn’t see my face clearly.” I tried to assure myself. “Hopefully he didn’t.”

At that moment I made up my mind.

“I’m going to talk to him.”

The following day at lunch I went to the back of the cafeteria and sure enough he was there at his same little table.

“I can do this.” I pumped myself up. It was already halfway through lunch, so he was already done eating, just sitting there with his head down. I slipped away from my friend group when I had the chance so they couldn’t see where I was headed and headed back into the cafeteria. “I don’t think he’s sleeping. In fact it doesn’t matter even if he is. This is my best chance to talk to him.”

I walked over to his table and sat down across from him, making sure to sit down dramatically so he could feel the rumble of the table. Sure enough he wasn’t asleep and peeked his head up to see what was going on. I smiled at him, waiting for him to take off his headphones and possibly hoodie, to talk to me. What actually happened is what I should’ve expected, he looked at me for a second then put his head back down in his arms.

My brain didn’t register what was happening for a few seconds, no more like it didn’t want to register what happened, so I just stared at him with that same smile like an idiot for a few more seconds. When my mind caught up to reality, I subconsciously pouted for a little while before tapping on the table in front of him.

I am going to talk to him.

He still didn’t look up. So I did it again, and again. And again. Right before I was about to hit double digits, he looked up again and glared at me. His eyes sent shivers down my spine.

“What?” He bluntly asked still with his headphones and hoodie on. His tone of voice surprised me but his voice itself sounded amazing. That may have just been because I had been waiting for this moment for over a week.

“Um.” I stuttered.

“You here to make fun of me too?” That question took me by surprise. Too? I was starting to lose my confidence. Taking a deep breath I reminded myself of how he acted yesterday, how cute that was and regained that lost momentum.

“I just wanted to ask you your name.” His normally blank face had a surprised expression for just a second, but a second I took in fully.

“What’s it to you?” He understood me with his headphones on?

“Well I-” I started before I heard.

“Aggie!” I turned around to see Apollo headed towards me. I heard a click and turned around to see the guy standing with his backpack on.

“Phobius.” He said, before walking away and out of the cafeteria.

“Phobius.” I echoed. “Wait, did he just click his tongue?!”

“Aggie.” Apollo repeated, now right next to me.

“Huh. What do you want?” I blurted out, harsher then I intended. Apollo had a bit of a shocked expression but still went on talking.

“You disappeared so we were looking for you.”

“We?” I replied. Behind Apollo was the rest of the friend group, guys and gals alike.

“Was that the rude little asshole?” Sophie asked out loud.

“I don't know.” I replied before getting up and headed out of the cafeteria. “That wasn’t enough time.” I whispered to myself. “But.” Blush the most I have ever had in my life. “I got his name.”

Every chance I had from that point on I would go on up and talk to him, trying to make sure that I lost my friend group first. The more I talked to him the more I realized how much people liked to make fun about him, especially the more popular kids. He seemed annoyed every time I came up to talk to him. I knew I should’ve respected his wish of wanting to be left alone, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. My day was always instantly better the moment I got to see and talk to him.

Once in a while behind that cold demeaner I would see a nicer version of him, especially as time went on. A glimpse of a smile here, a cute expression there. It would be a very rare occurrence, basically a blue moon but that didn’t stop me talking to him even when he was in an upset mood.

Days went by, then weeks, then months. Somewhere along the way I found myself not being able to stop thinking about him. It didn’t bother me though, I welcomed it, and those few short minutes I would get to talk and see him the majority of the days were a haven for me. Before I knew it a year had passed, and even though I barely made any progress, I wasn’t bothered. Soon enough I would get him to acknowledge me. Now every time I talked to him he would respond back, and that was good enough for me. Soon, I told myself. I will make my move soon.

But that soon never came, because of this dumb summoning. I had thoughts that I would never see him again, and that ended up making me tear up a couple times, but a few days in my wish got granted. I saw him. I saw him but he was different. That look on his face wasn’t the same blank expression I was used to. I saw pure hatred in those eyes, when he was on top of that tower. His face screamed anger.

Just as quickly as I got to see him, he disappeared again. Before I even got to call out to him. At that moment I made up my mind.

“Screw this place. I’m going to find him.”