Knowing Xavier

The rain lashed against the cafeteria windows, a fitting backdrop to the usual high school noise and anxiety. Nancy's loud whisper about Xavier Hunt – his bruised face, the rumors of underground fights – cut through your attempt to cram for the classics test. Another day, another mystery surrounding the school's most elusive and intimidating student. You tried to dismiss it, your own academic worries pressing down, but a quick glance towards his usual solitary table confirmed Nancy's observation – Xavier wasn't there.

Later, hurrying home through an unfamiliar, run-down part of town, the rain still pouring, you stumbled upon a scene that ripped through your preconceived notions. On a rickety staircase of a dilapidated building, you saw Xavier, pleading with an older man who violently struck him and locked him out. In that moment, the rumors dissolved, replaced by a stark, painful truth: Xavier Hunt was not a bad boy, but a victim.