A Friend

It's already been 3 years since the incident happened. That day, the cops interrogated me about what happened. And grandma took me afterwards. My life has never been normal. After that day, I have been gloomy for the rest of my middle school year. My classmates were avoiding me, even my friends. Yes, I became a loner. Grandma's been comforting me, but I just pretend that I'm ok.

Now I'm already in my 2nd year of high school. My life is still the same, or rather it has become worse. Why do you ask? That's because…

"Take that, you piece of shit."

I'm being bullied at school.

"Kick him more."

I'm pathetic, really pathetic.

"Hahaha!"

I'm being beat up by the three of them in the bathroom right now. My situation was, it's break time right now, and I'm laying on the ground as they kick me. They're kicking my head, back, and stomach. The kicking only stops when the bell rings.

"TSK, break time is over. Let's go!"

I only stand when they have already left. I feel the pain in my body as I walk in the hallway. Furthermore, I want to go to the clinic, but It's hard to walk. This is my high school life. The bullies not only beat me up, they steal my pocket money too. I can't tell it to the teacher because they don't care or rather I'm just scared. I want to cry, but I can't. If I cry, I will become weaker.

I'm hopeless...

I already thought of killing myself…

But I can't…

I keep thinking and thinking. Why would I kill myself? Humans only have one life, and I'm thinking of killing myself. That's crazy… So I stopped the idea of suiciding.

But… I don't think I can take it any longer.

"Hey!"

In the middle of a walk in the hallway, someone called me.

"Are you alright?"

I'm going to take back what I said earlier about how nothing's changed in my life. There's a small change. Because I got a friend now.

"Did they beat you up again?"

She's wearing glasses. She likes reading books. And she is a loner too.

"Here, I will help you go to the clinic."

"Thanks, Evelyn."

She always helped me out.

"You should report them to the teacher."

"Nah."

She is a thoughtful person.

"Or should I, the one to report them?

"No, it's ok."

I don't want her to be in danger.

"Doc!"

We've already reached the clinic.

"Oh, Ms. Cain. Did you need something?"

"Doc, James, here is."

As we went inside and Evelyn puts me down on the bed.

"Again? Mr. Agnew."

"..."

I responded to him with silence.

Evelyn sighed. "Anyway, I should be going now."

And she left afterwards.

After Doc treated my bruise and rested for an hour, I stand up to go back to class.

"Thanks, Dr. Fenner."

I left the clinic and returned to my classroom. When I return, they're in the middle of class.

"Excuse me… um…"

The teacher sighed. "Get in."

Then I went inside and sat in my chair.

{Time Passes}

As the bell rang.

"Ok, class, that's all for today."

And the teacher dismissed the class.

I hurried to pack my things and leave. But when I'm about to leave the room, Evelyn calls me.

"Hey, wait up. Let's go home together."

"Huh?"

"I said, let's go home together!"

"Ah, ok."

Out of shock, I panicked and accepted it. Now, we're walking in the hallway. As we walk, I keep looking to my front, back, and sides.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Ah, seems like Evelyn noticed.

"Uhm… nothing."

"Hhmm..."

"Really, It's nothing?"

Rather than nothing, let's say I'm just avoiding the bullies. I am already lucky enough that they're in a different class. The first time I met them was when I was in 1st year high school. They tormented me back then. My time in 1st year is like hell for me.

"Fine."

What? She gave up? Or she already realized it?

"Hey, let's go already."

"Ah."

We continued to walk after that.

I safely got past the gate. And now we're hanging out at the riverside.

"And so--"

We are sitting on the grass and having a conversation for a while now.

"It was like--"

I keep listening to what she says.

I remember the day I met her. It was 3 months ago, our first day in 2nd year. She was my neighbor in the seat. Back then, she's a quiet girl. She wears glasses and always reads books. I didn't care about her back then. But when I'm being bullied again, that's where we always interact with each other. It was a coincidence when we first interacted. When I was trying to hide in the Library. I bump into her. At first, it was annoying when we kept bumping into each other. But as time passes, we slowly start to talk to each other.

"Hey."

And here we are right now, we become close.

"Hey!"

"Wha?"

"That's dangerous!"

"Ah…'

Without realizing, to my right hand, I was holding a cutter. Maybe I have taken it out from my pocket when I'm spacing out.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Maybe I took it out from my pocket without realizing it."

"Why do you have a cutter in your pocket?! And why are you spinning it in your hands?"

"Sorry. Lately, it has become my habit of holding a cutter."

"That's dangerous, you know?! What if you hurt someone or yourself from that?"

"I already said sorry. And it can't be helped."

She sighed. "Just be careful using that."

Well, to tell you the truth. I don't know how it became my habit. That time when I used the cutter and accidentally sliced my finger. Since then, when I hold a cutter. I got this weird feeling that I can't explain it.

"Hey, what's your thoughts about that?"

"Ha? Thought about what? The cutter?"

"Not that! You're really not listening!"

"Sorry-sorry, I was spacing out again."

"Jeez!"

"What is it again?"

She sighed. "It's about the killing incident."

"That again?"

"Yea. So you should be careful."

"..."

"..."

"But you're the girl. So you should be the one who has to be careful."

"Huh? Gender doesn't matter here. And you can't even fight back against those bullies."

"Haha… Yea-yeah I know…"

"..."

When I answered her with a low tone of voice, I think she quickly realized what she said and became quiet.

"Ah, it's already sunset."

We're being immersed in our conversation without realizing it's already sunset. Grandma might be mad at me right now.

"We should go now."

"Yea."

We stand up and starts to walk.

>>>

{SOME ALLEY AT NIGHT}

There are five people.

"H-help…"

SPLASH!

"P-please no…"

SPLASH!

"I don't want to d--"

SPLASH!

The area became a bloodbath. That someone wearing a coat smashing three people in the head by using a sledgehammer.

"Eek!"

The last person was trying to run, but he wasn't able to. 'Cause when he's about to run, the person in a coat swings the sledgehammer to hit his leg.

"Ah, my leg!"

And his foot got smashed afterwards.

"AAA!"

He starts crying out of pain.

"Why? Why am I in this situation?"

While he's grieving, the person in a coat lifts his sledgehammer. After he saw that, he started crawling."

"Nooo--"

SPLASH!