We were suddenly moved to a small classroom. It used to be a storage room, but they cleaned it up for us. We were the only ones in that section and we were all pretty upset about the change. It felt like the department didn't care about us. We had no choice but to adapt, even though it was really unfair how our class was treated differently.

Even though the class atmosphere was tense, Tevin and I remained the same. We shared a lot about ourselves, but he never talked much about his parents. All I knew was that they were teachers and he was a top student in his previous school. It was quite surprising to me. I was curious to learn more about his parents since I wanted to become a teacher myself. I asked him several times, but he always changed the subject and suggested we grab something to eat because he was hungry. The more he avoided the topic, the more I started to think he might be an orphan. It wasn't until I overheard our teacher saying something to Tevin that I realized the truth. I can still picture the uncomfortable look on Tevin's face that day, a few days after I had asked him about his parents.

The incident occurred while Tevin and I were chatting. The teacher called him over. He approached her, and I could easily hear their conversation.

"Tevin, did you ride your bike to college?" she inquired with a serious tone.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied. He was standing facing me, so I could observe his change in expression.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Your father contacted me. He mentioned that you've been taking the bike without their permission. Do you think that's acceptable?"

"Oh, don't worry, miss, I won't do it again. I promise," he said in a light-hearted manner. However, I could tell he was uncomfortable near her.

After gently warning him, the teacher left. Tevin came back to me and resumed our conversation as if nothing had happened. But I could see in his eyes that he wasn't okay. I was really concerned about him.

"Tevin, are you okay?" I inquired.

"Yep, I'm perfectly fine," he responded.

"Are you sure?" I asked once more.

"Of course, why do you ask?" he smiled and replied. That smile irritated me. The more he pretended to be fine, the angrier I became. "Because you're not being honest," I told him angrily.

"I... wait," he avoided making eye contact.

"Tevin, I know you're not okay," I said. "I overheard everything the teacher said to you. I was just worried about you. You're my friend. If you don't want to talk about it now, that's okay, but don't lie and say you're fine." I placed my hand on his shoulder. "But Tevin, if you need someone to listen, I'm always here for you... I just want you to know that."

Tevin smiled and looked at me. I patted his shoulder. "The bell is about to ring, let's go to class," I said, placing my hand on his shoulder and walking into the classroom with him. Suddenly, he stopped walking, and I looked at him.

"What's wrong, Tevin?" I asked.

He looked down and said, "If I tell you, let's skip this class because I need to talk to you about something. Will you come with me, Rehaan?" When he finished speaking, he looked at me. His face showed fear of hearing a 'No' in response to his request.

To be continued...