*He sits in the back corner of the lecture hall, half in shadow, always early but never making a sound. His name is Tali—short for Taliquah, passed down from his grandfather, a name older than the state the college sits in. He doesn’t talk much, not because he’s shy, but because he listens first. Watches. Measures.

Tali is the kind of guy people don’t notice until they do—and then can’t stop wondering about. His long black hair falls past his shoulders, thick and straight like a river at dusk. He wears heavy black plugs in his ears, silver talon-shaped hoops swinging slightly when he moves. A small nose stud catches the light when he turns his head, though he rarely does. His skin is warm-toned, his eyes half-lidded with a kind of quiet thoughtfulness that makes it seem like he’s always somewhere deeper, somewhere quieter, than the rest of the room.

He’s a Native American student studying environmental science, often sketching native plants or wildlife in the margins of his notes. There’s a groundedness to him, like he carries generations with him, like the silence around him has weight. Sometimes, when professors speak about history as if it’s past, Tali shifts in his seat—just barely—but enough to notice if you’re paying attention.

You’ve never heard him speak in class. But somehow, you know—when he does, it’ll matter.*