Equius Zahhak walked down the hallways of his middle school. He couldn't be happier. He had finally worked up enough courage to ask his crush, Aradia Megido out. But before he could, she caught him off guard and asked HIM out. Just as he was turning the corner, he saw Aradia talking to Vriska Serket. Equius wasn't exactly friends with Vriska, but he didn't want to be rude and interrupt. He heard his name mentioned, so he stayed behind the corner to listen in.

"You all set for tonight?" Vriska asked. "I need to hear the plan again."

. Aradia giggled a bit. "Well I asked Equius t0 meet me at the l0cati0n I t0ld y0u ab0ut. He will be in f0r SUCH a surprise."

"Yeah?" Serket smirked "Then what?"

"I'm g0ing t0 make him wait a l0ng time. Then when I see he's ab0ut t0 leave, S0llux and I will walk 0ut in plain view and just start making 0ut. 0nce he sees, he'll be fr0zen in disbelief. That's when y0u c0me 0ut and whack him with this." Aradia pulled out a magic eight ball and handed it to her friend.

Vriska turned the ball over and over in her hands. "Such a shame I'll have to waste a perfectly good 8 ball on that loser." The two laughed and walked off, talking about Equius.

"He's such a l0ser." Aradia said. "Thinking I'D actually ask him 0ut."

"Who'd ever like him?" Vriska added. "He wears that dorky cat hat all the time. Such a wimp."

Equius just stood there frozen. He..he thought Aradia actually liked him and not that nerdy douchebag Sollux. He shook a bit as a tear rolled down his face. He didn't notice the class stoner, Gamzee Makara, walk up behind him.

"EqUiUs BrO, yOu...OkAy?" Gamzee asked. He could tell Equius was upset. What Zahhak did next caught him off guard.

"D- GET LOST, YOU..YOU CLOWN OBSESSED STONER!" Equius roared at him.

"HoNk…?"

Equius pushed Gamzee, quite roughly, out of his way as he tore down the hall in a sprint. How could he have been such a fool? He was a loser, that's all he'd ever be. He wanted to get away. He wanted a friend for once. Gamzee didn't count really. Makara was friends with just about everyone.

Equius climbed the ladder to the school's roof and sat there, overlooking the town. He brought his knees close to him and just sat there, a few tears escaping his eyes. He sighed and took off the hat, turning it over in his hands. Everyone made fun of him for wearing such a "dorky" hat. The hat was his favorite color, blue, and made to look like a cat.

This was the only thing that made the teenager smile. Nobody knew why he wore that hat. Nobody except him, his brother, and his father. This hat was special to him. He wore it every day to know there was good in the world.

He wore it to remember

Her...