‘Hey look I found a stray!’

They were back in the revision class, everyone around them was busy at work. Ben, Sasha and Amelia all stared silently up at Haru from their seats as he stood there nervously beside Aubrey.

Sasha drew a deep breath, opening her mouth to speak.

‘You shut up’ Aubrey butted in before she had a chance to use her voice.

‘I think he’s really cute’ Amelia beamed, as beside her Sasha gasped indignantly, glaring up at Aubrey.

Haru blushed furiously, balling his fists nervously at Amelia’s comment.

‘His name is Haru’ Aubrey continued. ‘His dad’s an astronaut and he’s spent the last eight months with his dad in space trying to build a facility so that the human race can populate the moon because earth is getting too crowded.’

‘Really?’ Amelia gasped in awe.

‘No you idiot’ Aubrey answered flatly.

Amelia began to protest loudly, and Aubrey began to argue back defensively at her.

‘So, you’re a transfer?’ Sasha spoke to Haru asking him a very normal question.

‘Um…yes’ Haru replied awkwardly, hugging his books to his chest.

‘What's wrong?’ Sasha asked, ‘are you shy?’

‘Um…yeah…a little…sorry.’ Haru hunched his shoulders, feeling his cheeks were hot.

‘There’s no need to be sorry’ Sasha grinned at him, ignoring Aubrey and Amelia who continued to argue beside them. ‘I bet you don’t have any friends hu?’

‘Don’t be rude Sasha’ Ben snapped suddenly. ‘Sorry’ he shrugged apologetically to Haru, ‘I know how hard it is changing schools. My dad is in the army and we move house a lot. It’s tough I know.’

‘You’ve…changed schools like that?’ Haru mumbled.

Ben smiled warmly at him. ‘We can be friends if you like.’

‘Thank you’ Haru flushed. ‘I um…’

He groaned, bowing his head.

‘Uh-oh’ Aubrey gasped, turning away from Amelia then and clapping his hand over Haru’s eyes. ‘It’s ok’ Aubrey laughed awkwardly. ‘If you don’t see the tears it means he’s not crying.’

‘What are you doing?’ Sasha protested. ‘Get off him you jerk! He’s not crying!’

She pulled Aubrey’s arm away sharply then, gasping and drawing back at she saw that Haru really was crying.

‘I'm sorry…’ Haru whispered, brushing his tears away. ‘I…’

Aubrey’s arm shot out then, grabbing Haru by the sleeve.

‘Don’t run away again’ Aubrey ordered, and Haru stared back at him wide eyed. ‘If you run away…’ Aubrey hisses dramatically, ‘if you give into fear…………...then the terrorist win.’

‘Jerk!’ Sasha snapped, leaping up and smacking him over the head with her book as Amelia moved over to Haru to comfort him, shielding him from the mayhem as Sasha began to verbally assault Aubrey.

‘Girls…’ Aubrey uttered in exaggerated pain when all of it was over, ‘are so violent these days….’

They settled down quickly, having drawn attention from the rest of the revision class for their mayhem.

‘I know it looks like we’re all crazy’ Ben waved at Haru smiling awkwardly, ‘but we’re actually really nice.’

‘I know it’s hard’ Amelia was saying to him. ‘Ben was really shy when he first came here.’

‘He was?’ Haru asked tentatively.

‘Yeah’ Ben replied sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

‘He’s really come out of his shell’ Amelia said to Haru. ‘Ben and I have been friends the longest. I was going through a hard time and…Ben didn’t know anyone back then…we sort of connected…you know?’

‘Um…yeah…’ Haru laughed awkwardly at her, smiling then. ‘Thank you, you’re very kind.’

‘Why don’t you sit with us?’ Amelia suggested. ‘Do you want a drink from the vending machines or something? I’ll get you something. What would you like?’

‘Oh no I couldn’t’ Haru began to protest.

‘Don’t be silly’ Amelia giggled, smacking his shoulder lightly. ‘I want to get you something. Don’t upset me. That’s what friends do for each other, they help each other, now…’

Amelia pulled back a chair, dragged Haru over to it and forced him down into the seat.

‘What would you like from the vending machine?’

Haru blinked up at Amelia in wide-eyed confusion.

‘Um…’ he struggled to find his voice, ‘just…juice…orange…. please…’

‘Great!’ Amelia cried happily. ‘Back in a jiffy!’

Ben leant on the table, resting his chin on his palm as he watched Amelia go.

‘You can relax you know’ he said to Haru. ‘You’re so tense.’

‘Sorry’ Haru mumbled.

‘And stop apologising for everything.’

‘So…’ Haru stopped himself.

Ben smiled at him happily. ‘It will get easier, trust me. You’ve got us now. Will you two shut up?!’ he snapped at Sasha and Aubrey who had been arguing. ‘I can barely hear myself think!’

Haru hunched his shoulders then, giggling into his hand.

‘What's so funny?’ Aubrey grumbled at him, the front of his shirt balled up in Sasha’s fists as she held him there.

‘It’s nothing…you guys are just…so weird…’

‘Well at least you're smiling now’ Aubrey said, prising Sasha’s hands off his shirt. ‘It means you're beginning to relax.’

Amelia returned a short time later with a carton of orange juice, handing it to Haru who took it from her tentatively.

‘Thank you very much’ Haru mumbled shyly.

‘It’s ok’ Amelia waved merrily at him. ‘If you ever want a favour, don’t hesitate to ask, that’s what friends do for each other, right?’

‘R-right’ Haru answered quickly, clutching the carton to his chest.

Amelia immediately struck up a conversation with Sasha, as Ben and Aubrey began to speak together.

Haru bowed his head smiling then, feeling a little more at ease.

‘What do you think Haru?’

‘Hu?’ he tensed slightly, glancing back wide-eyed at Aubrey.

‘Jeez you're not spacing out are you? Stay with the program will ya?’

‘Oh yes’ Haru fumbled, smiling awkwardly. ‘I will.’

‘You don’t know what I was talking about do you?’ Aubrey said to him, giving him a tired expression.

‘I’m sorry’ Haru laughed nervously, ‘could you repeat that again please?’