PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS STORY CONTAINS SOME STRONGER THEMES, SOME STRONG SCENES AND REFERENCES TO SELF-HARM/DEPRESSION/DEATH AND REAL-LIFE SITUATIONS.

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PART ONE....

‘What's wrong?’ the boy asked him, ‘are you alright?’

Haru swallowed the lump in his throat, gritting his teeth as he stared at the boy who stood before him. The boy looked to be about seventeen or eighteen, the same age as Haru.

He stared back at Haru, waiting expectantly, calmly standing there with his hands in his pockets.

‘Well?’ the boy asked in a playful manner. ‘What's wrong, cats got your tongue?’

Haru gave a small gasp, eyes widening slightly.

A memory flashed in his mind then of his mother, many years ago when he was very young.

He remembered the words she had spoken to him when Haru was afraid, or when times were difficult for him, she would help him.

It just takes one act of bravery, a single breath, a heartbeat……just say the words……

Haru drew himself up, forcing the words from his mouth.

‘I'm all alone here’ he began awkwardly. ‘I’ve just transferred here, my.... f-father wanted me to go to this school.’

Haru waited for a moment, but the boy just stared back at him, blinking. After a few seconds passed, it was clear that he was waiting for Haru to continue.

‘Um…I….’ Haru’s heart beat harder in his chest, and he fought back his nervous tears. ‘I don’t…know anyone in this school…I was wondering if you could…would…’

The boy continued to stare mutely, his expression passive, if not a little curious.

‘I was wondering if you wanted... to be my friend…I mean…if that’s ok’ Haru finished, trailing off. ‘I get lonely...’

A second past, and Haru’s nerves failed him.

‘I'm sorry’ he whispered, turning to run away.

‘Hey!’

Haru was jerked back suddenly as the boy grabbed his sleeve. Haru glanced around tearfully, seeing that the boy was smiling.

‘I would love to be your friend’ he said.

‘Hu?’

‘What is your name?’

Haru blinked back at him.

The boy let go of his sleeve, and Haru turned back to face him.

‘Do you mean it?’ Haru mumbled.

‘Well sure.’ He paused. ‘Why are you crying?’

‘I get so nervous’ Haru said wiping at his eyes. ‘I'm sorry…’

‘There’s no need to be sorry’ he replied jovially. ‘My name is Aubrey, what's your name?’

Haru groaned to himself.

‘Well?’ Aubrey asked with a teasing smile, tilting his head at him. ‘What is it?’

‘Um…it’s…Haru.’

‘You're awfully nervous, aren’t you?’ Aubrey smiled.

‘I don’t mean to be…’

‘Oh no don’t cry’ Aubrey hastened.

‘I’m not crying, I've just…got something in my eye…’

‘Sure.’

Haru glanced up, watching a pair of girls walk past them in the hallway, caught up in their conversation they didn’t seem to notice anything else. But Haru waited until they were gone before speaking again.

‘This is all so new to me’ Haru said to Aubrey glumly. ‘I get scared.’

‘What's there to be scared of?’ Aubrey asked him casually.

Haru groaned again, looking away towards the ground. ‘I get picked on a lot’ Haru said shyly. ‘I'm weak, I get sick a lot, and I'm shy and awkward around people.’

‘Awww?’

Haru gasped then, feeling a little panicked.

‘Oh no! Please don’t feel bad for me!’

‘You're like a little puppy that’s been left out in the rain’ Aubrey gleamed.

Haru hesitated, blushing slightly.

‘Are... are you making fun of me?’

‘Oh, not at all’ Aubrey said sounding surprised.

Haru buried his face in his hands.

‘I have to go’ he mumbled, before turning and running away.

‘Hey wait, hold on a second!’ Aubrey called after him.

But Haru was already gone.

Aubrey returned to his friends shortly after that, walking at a leisurely pace down the corridor as he headed to class. It was supposed to be a revision class, but most people who went there just messed around.

‘Aubrey! Finaly you jerk! Where the hell were you?’

‘Sasha, keep your voice down’ Aubrey tutted at his friend.

‘How do you expect to pass these exams if you keep missing these revision classes?’ Sasha glowered.

‘Get off my back’ Aubrey snapped, ‘I missed one class.’

Beside Sasha, their friend Amelia began to giggle at their antics.

‘You guys are always so funny’ she smiled.

‘So where were you?’ Ben asked, approaching them, they talked outside the classroom now. ‘You wanna borrow my notes Aubrey?’

Aubrey stared transfixed at the papers Ben held in his hand, but it was clear that his mind was not focused on the notes.

‘What's wrong?’ Ben asked.

Aubrey closed his mouth, hesitating.

‘I…I talked to someone.’

‘Could you be any more vague?’ Sasha asked gloomily, rolling her eyes.

‘There was this kid…’ Aubrey mumbled, turning away and ignoring Sasha’s comment, ‘…he looked so sad….’

It was about ten minutes or so later, and Haru was still crying. Hidden just outside the building where he had been speaking to Aubrey, he was concealed by bushes now, out of sight of anyone just passing by. He was leaning back against a tree, hugging his books to him and sobbing quietly.

He gasped then, hearing movement to his side.

‘Hey I found you’ Aubrey smiled down at him, ‘at last. I should have known you’d be crying’ he added quietly as an afterthought.

‘N-no I wasn’t I…!’

‘I really wasn’t making fun of you’ Aubrey told him seriously, moving around the bush and coming to stand before him.

‘Hu?’

‘Come with me’ Aubrey offered, holding out his hand, ‘I want to introduce you to my friends.’

Haru hesitated, clutching at his chest as if his heart pained him.

‘You say that you were lonely and scared’ Aubrey said, ‘I’ll introduce you to my friends, then they will be your friends too, then you won’t have to be lonely anymore, or scared. I promise most of them are not scary.’

‘But…’ Haru breathed, still teary eyed, ‘what if they…don’t like me…?’

‘If they are mean to you then I will fight them’ Aubrey gleamed happily.

Haru stared up at Aubrey, he couldn’t help but smile a little.

‘That’s a funny thing to say.’

‘Are you going to take my hand or what?’ Aubrey asked, still holding it out, ‘come on, it’s getting tired.’

‘Sorry…’ Haru mumbled, reaching out towards him.

Aubrey grasped his hand tightly, pulling Haru to his feet.

‘There, that’s better’ Aubrey said with a smile, ‘and don’t look so frightened…I'm not going to do anything bad.’

‘I'm sorry’ Haru murmured, quickly looking away.

He let go of Aubrey’s hand.

‘You really are timid aren’t you?’ Aubrey sighed wearily.

‘I just…lack confidence…’ Haru mumbled, head bowing lower. ‘I…don’t have any self-esteem…’

He flinched suddenly as Aubrey touched him beneath the chin, lifting his head gently.

‘Look people in the eye when you talk to them’ he said.

Haru blinked, the edges of his lips tweaked in a smile.

‘Or else people will sense your weakness and go in for the kill’ Aubrey finished happily.

Haru’s smile faltered.

‘Come on’ Aubrey smirked, letting go of him and moving away, sticking his hands in his pockets calmly and casually as he walked away. ‘I want to show off my find.’