‘I’m sorry everyone’ Haru said to the others when they had returned to the hall after classes had finished. ‘I didn’t mean to worry you all.’
‘If Aubrey said anything to upset you’ Sasha told Haru, ‘just tell me and I’ll beat him to a bloody pulp.’
‘Don’t do that’ Amelia fumbled, ‘that’s too violent.’
‘It’s ok’ Haru waved at them, showing both his hands in a submissive gesture. ‘Aubrey helped me, a feel a lot better now.’
‘Ha! You see that Sasha? I did a good thing’ Aubrey said smugly.
‘Why were you upset?’ Ben asked Haru uncertainly.
‘Aubrey didn’t do anything wrong’ Haru told them, ‘it’s just…’ he took a deep and steady breath, blinking slowly. ‘Aubrey was just reciting the same lines from the play my mother used to tell me about’ Haru explained. ‘I loved that story…even thought it had its painful moments….it was a beautiful story…and it still is.’
The others watched him with interest, listening silently. Haru had finished speaking, and a moment’s silence passed.
‘Why don’t we do that play?’ Sasha suggested, speaking quietly.
‘Not if it’s too painful for you’ Ben added quickly.
‘It’s ok’ Haru smiled, ‘I don’t mind. Only if you guys are ok with it though. I don’t want to cause any trouble for anyone.’
‘Don’t be silly!’ Aubrey said loudly beside him, leaning on his shoulder, causing Haru to stumble. ‘That’s what friends do!’
Haru turned to face Aubrey then, blushing slightly as he stared transfixed at him.
‘You don’t need to be sad’ Aubrey told him, ‘you don’t need to be afraid, because you have us.’
Haru felt his stomach tighten, his heart began to skip in his chest.
‘Well you have us anyway’ Sasha finished flatly. ‘Amelia, Ben and I. If you have any problems just come to us ok?’
‘Hey that’s not fair’ Aubrey protested loudly. ‘I was the one who made his feel better!’
‘You’re just a jerk-face’ Sasha said to him glowering.
‘And you’re just a whiny little-’
She smacked Aubrey over the head before he could finish his sentence, causing Amelia to cry out loudly in shock as Aubrey began to dramatically howl in agony as Ben tried to break them up.
Haru began to laugh then, clutching at his sides. The others all stopped what they were doing, turning to him with confused expressions.
‘I’m sorry’ Haru gasped as he doubled over, crying tears of laughter. ‘You guys are just so funny!’
They watched him for a moment, blinking uncertainly as he continued to laugh. And then Aubrey grinned.
‘See Sasha’ he said to her, causing her to instantly shoot him a dark glare, ‘…I’m doing a good thing….’
The next day they met up in the drama hall again, and when lunch was over, Aubrey insisted on walking with Haru to his next class.
‘I told you, you don’t have to escort me’ Haru laughed.
‘But I want to’ Aubrey gleamed.
‘Won’t you be late to your own class?’
‘Probably’ Aubrey replied, ‘but I have to keep up my reputation as a delinquent.’
Haru turned away with a frown of amusement. ‘You’re not making any sense.’
Aubrey just smiled silently in return.
‘Well here it is’ Haru said slowing to a stop a short while later.
‘Great!’ Aubrey gleamed, spinning on the spot and strolling away. ‘See ya!’
Haru watched him go, letting out a sigh.
‘Strange boy’ Haru mumbled to himself, before turning and heading into class.
Haru attended his classes for the rest of that day, breathing a sigh of relief when it was over.
He filed slowly out of his last class with the others, trailing after the others into the corridor. He slowed to a stop, glancing up in surprise to see Aubrey waiting for him.
‘Hey’ Aubrey waved.
‘What are you doing here?’
‘I came to walk you back to your dormitory.’
Haru hesitated, giving an uncertain and nervous laugh.
‘I don’t need someone to walk me back.’
‘You mean you don’t want me around?’
‘No no’ Haru fumbled. ‘I didn’t mean anything like that… it’s just…’ he let out a sigh then, smiling warmly to Aubrey. ‘You remind me of a puppy’ he finished.
Aubrey stared back at him in surprise, his expression frozen for a moment, before he adopted a comical expression of exaggerated sadness.
Haru began to laugh into his hand.
‘You’re so strange’ he said to Aubrey.
‘Come on’ Aubrey said stepping back. ‘I want to see which room you’re staying.’
‘Oh is that the real reason you want to walk with me?’
‘No?’ Aubrey replied innocently.
They walked side by side through the school, heading out of the building across the grounds and towards the dormitory blocks, where the students slept. The dormitories were split into two sides, one side for the girls, and the other for the boys. There were several small dormitory buildings.
As they made their way closer towards the dormitories, Haru’s attention drifted away, looking towards the edge of the grounds, where there was steel fencing, grey bars that ran around the entire school and its grounds. Too high to easily climb, the bars too narrow to fit through. They trapped the students here, they were like bars of a prison.
‘Are you alright?’ Aubrey asked.
‘Yeah’ Haru spoke hastily, turning back to him. ‘I’m fine.’
‘You don’t like it here do you? Aubrey spoke quickly.
Haru groaned then, dipping his head to the ground.
‘Is it that obvious?’ he mumbled.
Aubrey looked away again, towards the dormitories. ‘Come on’ he said, ‘let’s keep going.’
They parted ways after that, but not before Aubrey had walked Haru all the way to his door.
Aubrey glanced up, looking at the number above the door, remembering it.
‘I’ll see you around then kid’ Aubrey smirked turning away.
He left without another word or backwards glance, walking with his hands in his pockets, whistling a tune.
Haru watched him go nervously, feeling butterflies in his stomach. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to look away, and opened the door to his dormitory.
Each room was shared by two people, with two beds on opposite sides and matching furniture as well, all of which was identical, two of everything.
Haru put his bag down, moving over to one side of the room to sit on the bed.
He was alone here, his roommate was away, taking some time off due to family reasons, or so he had been told, and it was lonely here. Haru wished to meet his roommate, just for the company, and at the same time was nervous for it. He knew he would meet his roommate soon, the matron who monitored the dormitories and kept an eye out for bad behaviour as well as organising the students that stayed here, had told Haru so.
He looked towards the window then, seeing the grounds beyond, seeing the steel fencing, beyond which was a small area of woodland, beyond that the town.
He felt so trapped here, it was only a short time he had been at this place, and like almost everyone one who stayed here, he did not come here by his own choice.
This was a boarding school, and their rules were strict. Most people were sent here by their parents for one reason or another, and they stayed here for months without being allowed to leave. They were not even allowed to see their friends outside the school, or their families, not without special circumstances. Not that that mattered much to Haru. He had not made any friends outside this place, and his family….
He rose to a stand, leaning forwards on the windowsill and staring outside.
‘Still…’ he mumbled to himself, ‘it’s not all that bad here…’
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