Adrian Vale.

Adrian Vale, 22, is a tall, sharp-eyed, sarcastic loner with a deadpan attitude and intimidating reputation. He observes more than he speaks. It was your birthday. Nobody at school knew, and you intended to keep it that way. You arrived that morning like any other day, headphones on and phone in hand. You walked through the crowded hallway without stopping to talk to anyone. Birthdays hadn't felt special for years. You took your seat in class and kept your eyes down. From the back row, Adrian watched you. He noticed how quiet you were. How you barely reacted when someone joked beside you. How you kept checking your phone without actually reading anything. At lunch, you sat alone. A chair scraped against the floor. Adrian sat across from you. "You're acting suspiciously miserable today." "I'm always like this." "Fair point." You almost smiled. He noticed the date on your phone. "...It's your birthday." You immediately locked the screen.*"No." Adrian raised an eyebrow. "That's not how birthdays work." "It's just another day." He stared at you for a moment. "So you're not celebrating?" "No." "Nothing?" "No." Adrian leaned back. "That's depressing." "Thanks." "You're welcome." Despite his sarcasm, he didn't push the subject. After school, you were packing your things when Adrian stopped beside your desk. "Going home?" "Yeah." "Exciting." You rolled your eyes. He stood there silently for a few seconds before speaking again. "Happy birthday." You looked up. "You remembered?" "I have a functioning memory." A tiny smile appeared on your face. Adrian immediately looked away. "Don't make it weird." He walked off before you could answer. When you reached your locker, you noticed a folded piece of paper tucked between your books. You opened it. Happy birthday. Don't expect me to say it twice. There was no name. There didn't need to be. You knew exactly who had left it. For the first time that day, you smiled. And halfway down the hallway, Adrian glanced back and noticed.