The next day, the teasing for Haru got worse, as the boys turned physical with him.

Kyle shoved him forwards onto the ground, Haru coughing as the dust was kicked up in his face.

‘How does the floor taste?’ Kyle laughed standing over him. ‘Pretty good for you I think.’

Haru immediately began to panic, sitting back on his heels and clutching as his chest painfully, gasping and wheezing as he began to hyperventilate, struggling to breath as his face turned red and flushed.

He heard sudden movement approaching fast and turned just in time to see Aubrey running up to one of the boys, swinging a punch at the one nearest him and barrelling into him.

Haru bowed his head again, closing his eyes and hugging himself, teeth gritted as he fought to control himself, tears streaming down his cheeks as the scuffle continued behind him.

Aubrey managed to fight the boys off, but not without getting hurt himself. It was not that he was stronger than the others, just more aggressive.

‘Haru!’

Aubrey knelt before him, grasping him by the shoulders as Haru continued to wheeze, his breathing panicked, he was unable to speak.

Aubrey put his hand over Haru’s nose and mouth then, forcing him to stop breathing, Haru opened his eyes in alarm, grabbing onto Aubrey’s hand, trying to pull it away.

‘No’ Aubrey spoke sharply, holding Haru tighter. ‘Control your breathing. Just calm!’

Haru stared back at Aubrey, eyes wide and teary, he closed them tight, fighting to control his breath until Aubrey finally took his hand away.

Haru began to cough violently, head bowed and shoulders hunched, but his breathing was regular now.

‘I’m sorry’ Haru gasping, maintaining control again. ‘I…get so scared I…have panic attacks easily….I just get so uneasy and nervous.’

‘I know’ Aubrey replied calmly.

Haru raised his head, looking at Aubrey properly now.

‘Your face!’

‘I know’ Aubrey smiled, showing no pain for the cuts and bruises he wore now. ‘They look pretty don’t they? I can already feel them. I’m gonna look so badass.’

‘You got hurt because of me’ Haru sobbed, becoming upset again.

‘I had to protect you’ Aubrey replied seriously. He looked past Haru at that moment, seeing one of the teachers approaching. All around them people were staring. ‘Its what friends do’ Aubrey finished. ‘I have to go’ he added hastily, rising to his feet. ‘Meet you later in the drama hall.’

He ran away then before the teacher could catch him, disappearing within the trees at the edges of the school grounds and out of sight.

The teacher arrived seconds later, and Haru explained what had happened. He visited the nurse briefly, before going away again, heading to the drama hall when it was lunchtime.

‘Haru!’ Amelia cried upon seeing him. ‘You’re here!’

They were all here in the drama hall, they had been waiting for him.

‘Are you alright Haru?’ Ben worried.

‘Aubrey told us what happened’ Sasha said, concern written over her face.

Haru glanced past them all now as they gathered around him, seeing Aubrey a short distance away, the bruises on his face more pronounced now.

‘Aubrey….’

Haru felt an ache in his heart at that moment.

He looked back at the others, blinking tearfully back at them.

‘Why are you all so nice to me?’ he began then. ‘All I asked was to be friends with you, I feel you’re doing too much and that I cannot pay back your kindness.’

‘It’s not about debt or paying back’ Aubrey told him as he approached.

‘Why would you let yourself get hurt for me?’ Haru sobbed, ‘to see you get hurt….’ He wiped away his tears angrily.

‘I’m helping you because I know what it’s like’ Aubrey spoke, reaching for his pocket and bringing out a packet of tissues, offering them to Haru. ‘It may be hard to believe but I was really shy once upon a time, and I was picked on a lot. But I forced myself to become stronger, to grow, and I did it on my own.’

‘You did?’ Haru mumbled, lifting his head again, voice breaking. ‘Really?’

‘Sure’ Aubrey nodded.

‘That’s amazing’ Haru whimpered still dabbing at his eyes. ‘I wish I could be like that.’

‘You can’ Aubrey said. ‘Maybe someday’ he added in a teasing voice, ruffling Haru’s hair. ‘Now come on’ he said moving away. ‘Let’s start practicing.’

‘Are you sure you’re ok?’ Sasha asked him as the other moved away towards the stage.

‘Yeah I’ll be fine’ Haru said, straightening then as he gathered himself. ‘I’m good…really!’

‘If you say so’ Sasha frowned, unconvinced.

She turned and walked away, Haru following after them.

They practiced for a short time before sitting to each their lunch.

‘Are you alright’ Aubrey asked Haru as they ate. ‘You look a little flustered.’

‘No I’m fine’ Haru gasped. ‘It’s just a little hot in here.’

He bowed his head quickly, returning his attention to his food, avoiding the stares of the others as they watched him closely, suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

‘So how did you end up at this school?’ Ben asked him, changing the subject. ‘Did your parents want you to come here?’

‘S-something like that’ Haru mumbled. ‘I came here a few years after my mother passed away.’

‘Well I’ll tell you why I’m here’ Aubrey began. ‘Neither of my parents have any interest in me. They just sent me here to get rid of me.’

‘Surely you don’t mean that’ Haru said, straightening then.

‘When I was about eight’ Aubrey replied, ‘my mother pushed me from a moving car. I still have the metal plate in my head.’ He tapped his head then with a nail, Haru heard the distinct metallic noise as he did. ‘I was returned to my parents afterwards’ Aubrey continued.

‘That’s awful’ Haru whined.

‘Its fine’ Aubrey waved away with a smile. ‘I don’t care about them anyway. My life is my own, I’m not going to let them bring me down. They sent me here to get me away from them, and I’m happy with that. I live across the waters. I took ferry to get here.’

‘Well I for one wanted to come here’ Amelia said. ‘I think this is a wonderful school.’

‘Meh’ Aubrey said, leaning back against his palm. ‘It’s ok. It feels kinda like a prison some days.’

‘I came here because of Amelia’ Sasha beamed happily, looking over at her. Amelia returned the gaze with a shy smile, before looking down at her lap.

‘My family moved here so I got stuck here’ Ben grumbled.

‘You don’t like it here?’ Haru asked him.

Ben shrugged. ‘I miss my old friends’ Ben replied, ‘but in life you move on and meet new people. Now I have wonderful new friends, but I will never forget the people I left behind.’

‘That’s really sweet’ Haru replied.

Ben turned to Haru then with a smile.

‘What do you want to do when you leave this school?’

‘I don’t really know what I want to do’ Haru admitted. ‘I just…I guess I will just get any job so I can pay the bills. I would love to just get a small place to live…find a partner and…you know…have some children?’

Sasha squealed in delight then, clapping her hands excitedly.

‘That’s so amazing’ she cried. ‘Little Haru-children running around. What fun!’

‘Well what about you?’ Haru asked Sasha. ‘Do you like children?’

‘I do’ Sasha gleamed. ‘I would love to be a nursery school teacher.’

‘I’d like to be a nurse’ Amelia spoke up.

‘What about you?’ Haru asked Ben. ‘What do you want to do when you graduate?’

‘I’m not sure really’ Ben replied, ‘I guess I would like to travel the world and get any work I can to pay for it.’

‘That’s so cool’ Amelia smiled. ‘But I’m going to be sad to see you go’ she said.

‘Yeah, me too’ Sasha sighed. ‘That sounds like an incredible thing, you’ll remember us won’t you? Please don’t forget.’

‘Of course, I won’t forget’ Ben laughed.

‘What about you?’ Haru asked Aubrey then. ‘What do you want to do?’

‘Me?’ Aubrey echoed. ‘I…I don’t really know. I don’t really want to do anything.’

‘Oh come on’ Haru smiled, ‘you have to want to do something?’

‘Nah’ Aubrey smiled. ‘I’m a delinquent. I don’t really plan for the future, I just like to mess around and have fun.’

‘Do you like children?’ Haru asked him.

‘Sure’ Aubrey shrugged non-committedly. ‘Why not?’

They continued to practice a little longer after that, Haru in the centre stage performing one of the scenes as the lead role. He had remembered his lines for this scene and did not need to read from the paper. He acted now as the others watched him, sitting on chairs facing the stage.

Haru raised his arms, speaking loudly and clearly.

‘It just takes one act of bravery’ he said, ‘a single breath, a heartbeat……’ he glanced down at the others before him as they watched him silently. His heart beat heavy in his chest, and a wave of dizziness washed over him. ‘Ah…’ he gasped, ‘a single breath, a heartbeat. Just…just say the words……’ he lowered his arms, bowing his head then.

The others tensed slightly, brows furrowed.

‘Haru are you alright?’ Sasha voice nervously.

‘I uh…’ he brought his hand to his head then, wavering on the spot, ‘mmmmm.’

He fell to his knees suddenly, the others cried out in shock, rushing up to him.

‘Haru! Whats wrong?’

‘Go get a nurse!’ Sasha ordered Aubrey, who turned on the spot and ran out of the hall without pause.

‘Haru…’ Amelia whined, pressing a hand to his forehead. ‘He’s burning up.’

Ben kneeling beside him caught him in his arms as he fell into him, holding him firmly. ‘Haru?’

Haru did not answer, breathing slowly, eyes closed as his chest rose and fell gently, his cheeks flushed brightly.