Jack was the kid who was always quiet, the one who sat in the back of the class, aced every test, and never really talked to anyone. Everyone knew him as the "quiet kid," and even though he was the topper, nobody wanted to be his friend. It wasn't really his fault; everyone was just too jealous of him, thinking he was too perfect to hang out with.

One day, something changed. A new kid, Michael, joined our class. Michael wasn’t like the others. He didn’t care that Jack was the smartest; he just thought Jack seemed like a cool person. So, Michael decided to be friends with Jack. For the first time ever, Jack had someone who actually wanted to be around him. Michael was different. He was protective of Jack, always looking out for him like a big brother. If Jack got hurt, even just a little, Michael would freak out and go all protective-mode on him. Jack had never felt that way before—it was like he finally had someone who cared.

But then something strange started happening. Jack realized he loved the way Michael would drop everything to help him. He started to crave that attention more and more. At first, it was small things. He’d pretend to trip over his own feet or accidentally bump into things just to see Michael rush over. But soon, that wasn’t enough.

Jack began hurting himself on purpose, little cuts and bruises that he could pass off as accidents. Every time, Michael would be there, more worried than ever. Jack was addicted to that feeling, that sense of being cared for, protected. He kept pushing the limits,