School has finally ended and a huge smile was on my face as I close the door of my locker. Unlike yesterday where I had trouble in every corner I turned to, today was pleasantly nice. I did not get into trouble with any of the teachers, but there were a few glares time to time from a few specific ones. Mr Hendricks has changed slightly from how he treated me as he would give me glances time to time and not bother me. Though I liked the silence he allows me to have, I didn't feel great with the hints of pity.

Students have been giving me more looks as they would whisper with each other, obviously about me. Securing my belongings, I begin heading over to the front door of the school to return back home. A frown appears on my face as I hear loud noises nearby getting me to think about ignoring it, but then a familiar voice replies. My eyes widen before I dash over to the direction of where the voices are. Appearing at the freshmen hallway, I search every classroom before finding the boy I was looking for. Slamming the door open, I lean the door frame looking at the group of boys who turn to look at me.

"Well, looks like there's also bullies here, huh?" I whistle seeing the boys look like children caught stealing a jar of cookies, "It's quite disappointing."

The one who I believe is the leader of the group snaps out of his daze and chuckles, "So what are you going to do about it? You're just as a trouble maker than us."

"That may be true," I walk forward, "but the way I make trouble does not relate to violence, yet. And I would gladly do so right now."

"Oh? You want to fight? You've to be joking with me." He laughs getting his fellow friends to do the same.

"True that, I don't feel like fighting." I pout before smiling devilishly, "Instead, I'll use the way that does not cause violence, but shame.

"Wha - "

"Benjamin Howard, Stanley Peterson, Mike Cooper, Jim Ford, and David Dunn." I call all their names before scrambling in my backpack to take out a folder which was a textbook thick, opening it to specific pages, I take out small sheets from each one before revealing it to them, "I don't think any of you guys would want this to be posted out on the school's website, would you?"

Their eyes widen seeing the content of the photo before backing away, "How - "

"I always contain information of my fellow schoolmates just so if they do any stunts like this, I can easily blackmail them. Of course it's rude to search into other people's information, but it's not like I'm digging too deep into it. Only the ones that are embarrassing enough." I shrug before placing them all back into the folder and closing it, "It also means I still have a lot more blackmails for you five. So, if you won't mind. Scurry along now, boys."

Fear was written all over their faces as they all run out of the doorway like scared little mice only receiving a smirk from me as I place the folder back into my bag.

"You okay there buddy?" I ask the boy sitting on the ground in shock of the sudden event.

"How - "

"I'll explain that in more detail another time." I push the subject aside before helping him stand up, "First, I must know why you're like this, Aeron."

He flinches from hearing the question which I don't back up on as he fidgets on his spot. A bruise was forming on his revealed arm which also has many other bruises and scars. Cutting scars. My eyes narrow in anger which he flinches at before covering his injuries with the uniform.

"It's nothing." he replies back trying to keep a strong act.

"Aeron, it can't just be nothing." I sigh, "Just talk to me okay? Don't worry about the others and just talk to me. Explain everything to me."

"But - " he tries to resist but I pull him into a hug.

"Please. I want to help you."

~~~~~

My eyes look around the place wary since I was in the boy's dorm house, which many girls are not allowed to. But for some reason, the dorm manager allowed me which Aeron and I were graceful for since we needed privacy. We couldn't go to my dorm yet cause it's still in the middle of the progress with my mother wanting to make it the perfect room for me, and we couldn't go to my house since my family is there.

Following him up the stairs and to his room, I look around with interest as there were two bunk beds so four beds in total.

"I share the room with Cris and Julius." he reports closing the door behind us.

"How are you surviving with those two, especially with Cris?" I frown in shock from how he can withstand Cris's annoyance.

"Well, Julius doesn't bother much as he would always just listen to music or read magazines. Cris, he only becomes annoying when playing games cause he'll be shouting but during the other times he's withstand-able."

"I must applaude you." I comment quite impressed.

"You can just sit down anywhere." he places his belongings down while sitting on the light blue mattress at the bottom bunk on my left.

Taking a seat on the floor beside his bed, I can slightly touch his legs as we both keep our silence. I know he didn't want to talk, or he did not know how so I begin.

"When did you start?"

"Just this year, when I came here to learn."

"So no one else knows, except me."

"No."

Silence fills the room for a few seconds as I have mixed feelings about this.

"Don't you think Seron would worry? If he saw you like this and all."

"You can't tell my brother!" he nearly shouts surprising me as I turn my head to look back at him.

He was looking down on his lap as his hands intertwined with each other, gripping very tightly.

"And why is that?" I ask wanting him to release it all out.

"Because! If he knows then... then..."

"Then he would worry and everyone would continue looking down on you like you're his shadow." I finish getting him to swing his head up instantly with wide eyes.

"How - "

I sigh before standing up from the floor to stand across him and smile gently, "Aeron, do you know what empathy is? Majority of people know how to show empathy because we humans all feel different yet nearly the same emotions and situations. I, for one, know how it feels to be in someone's shadows. It's stressing and breaks one's mental thoughts as they would continue to think they're useless and want to do better. So in conclusion, they won't show their weakness and won't tell anyone only themselves. In honesty, I now think that's stupid as wouldn't it be great that everyone can just tell how hurt they feel? If we all did, and that everyone had empathy, would it make the world better? I've been asking questions like so during my time of depression, and I still haven't found the answers. But, in order to get out of there, you must grasp onto the light and think about all the positive thoughts of yourself. Everyone has positivity, they themselves just don't see it on them, but others can see it. Aeron, I may have known you for only two days, but I can tell you're a strong person and telling others about your thoughts and weakness will make you stronger. Your brother, Seron, he always talks so much about you telling me he's jealous of your talents. It's quite ironic how both brothers are jealous of each other, but it also means that you both are your own unique selves and that you strive to want to be better. That's a good thing, striving to be better is something most people would want to do, but it's not a competition. Just be yourself, okay?"

His eyes were on me the whole speech as seconds pass and tears swell up in his eyes as they run down his face. Without warning, he jumps on me crying out loud which I return with a hug and a small smile.

~~~~~

"Remind me never to make you cry, okay? Cause you look horrible afterwards." I scowl wiping his face with a tissue, "I don't want to see such a cute face like yours to be like this."

He sniffles before nodding and blowing his nose once again, only to add more of the pile in the trashcan beside us.

"Hey Aeron, don't you think you should message Seron?" I ask all of a sudden getting him to flinch and look at me, "I'll be here with you. In honesty, I want you to Skype him but I'm afraid that's too much."

He shakes his head, "No, let's Skype him."

"You sure?"

He nods in confidence which I smile at and plant a kiss on his forehead, "See, you are strong."

He smiles back with a small blush on his cheeks, which only made him more adorable. Taking out his laptop, we sit on his bed with me leaning back on the wall, my eyes look at the screen having a bad feeling in my stomach.

Calling Seron, I continue feeling uneasy before figuring out why, "Wai - "

"Aeron?" Seron's face appears on the screen as I jump and try to hide out of the screen, "Octave?"

Cursing inside my head, I wish I figured out that the uneasy feeling was facing Seron with a crying Aeron beside me.

"Wait, Aeron? What happened? You look like you were crying?" Seron's face fills with worry as he looks closer to the screen.

"Seron, I have something to say." Aeron mumbles loud enough for me to hear but not loud enough for Seron.

"OCTAVE! WHAT HAPPENED WITH MY BROTHER?! IF YOU - " he shouts in anger getting me to get back into the screen quite offended.

"Wait, pardon you! Why do you think I did something?" I gasp in disbelief at my friend.

"Because you're unpredictable!"

"And you think I'm going to harm your brother? Dude! I've been your friend ever since junior high! Do you know what? That's it, I'm out." I place my hands in surrender and officially get out of the computer screen.

"OCTAVE!"

"She didn't do anything!" Aeron finally speaks loud enough catching his brother's attention, "I - I - Seron, I - I have been getting bullied at school and I've been cutting myself."

My eyes watch Aeron in concern but also with support as my fists grip tightly, hopefully Seron does not mess this up.

"Wha - What?"

"Ever since I came to this school, I've been getting bullied because of my weak presence and I never fought back because I thought it was going to be useless. For a year I've been cutting myself because - because I feel useless. I feel useless with always being with you and Keron cause you both are so talented! So that's why I never talked about my problems because that will be a a sign of weakness and I didn't - "

"You're an idiot."

"Huh?"

"You're an idiot, Aeron. Keron and I never thought you were useless, we both believe you're even more talented then us. So you're an idiot for thinking like that. Didn't we three promise each other that no matter what we'll never keep secrets from each other?" I hear Seron's strained voice slowly become husky.

"I - "

"Aeron, please, next time, don't hide something like this." Seron begins crying, "Keron and you are the only ones I have left."

"Seron..." Aeron's eyes become teary again as I bite the bottom of my lips feeling quite emotional.

"Promise me please."

"I promise."

They were both crying and I now wonder if causing this was worth it or not, but I don't think about it as I take a tissue and wipe Aeron's face. He looks up at me which I return with a smile and mouth 'I told you he would understand.'.

"Aeron? Is Octave still there?" Seron asks getting a nod from his younger brother, "Octave?"

I huff before turning away and throwing the tissue away in the garbage can.

"Octave? Please don't ignore me." he begs which I sulk at before sighing and sitting beside Aeron to reveal myself on the screen.

It was a rare moment to see Seron crying, the only times I did was back when he had family problems and during graduation.

"I'm sorry." he replies nearly begging which I look away from before sighing.

"I seriously should find another job than being your friend." I mumble but loud enough for him to hear which he chuckles in response.

"Sorry, but you're stuck with this job. And I hope you'll continue to do so, by taking care of Aeron."

"Even if I didn't have this job, I would still have."

"Octave, I've got to thank you once again don't I?"

I look at him, "There's nothing to thank for, idiot. So just forget about it."

He smiles, "I miss you."

I blush slightly, "Same."

"I can't wait to see you."

"Same."

"I can't wait to hug you in my arms."

"Same."

"I can't wait to kiss you."

"Sa - Wait. What?" I blush deeply hearing this to receive a chuckle from him as he smiles.

"Still as cute as ever with your blush." He smirks before looking back at Aeron, "Take care of her too for me, she's important."

"Of course." Aeron smiles, "You also take care of yourself."

"Will do."

"Bye."

"Bye. And thank you for telling me."

With that, they both hang up getting Aeron to close his laptop and look at me, "Do you have a relationship with my brother?"

"No! No! NO! I don't!" I blush trying to hide it behind my hands.

"But - "

"Please, Aeron. Don't ask."

"But - "

"Aeron." I peek at him behind my hands.

He pouts in response, "Please?"

Licking my lips, I sigh, "He may have confessed to me during graduation."

His eyes bulge out, "What?"

"Well," I sit up properly, "it's more like that I thought he was saying that he liked being my friend, but afterwards, he told me it was more of a... love relationship. I couldn't respond back to him since he explained it to me when we were hiking, so he said that he didn't need to know the answer yet cause he said he wants to lift me off my feet with his own efforts not by words."

I was stumbling with the words as I talked really fast while Aeron listens attentively in shock.

"So my brother lik - "

"Can we just not talk about it?" I blush once again hiding my face in my hands.

He just keeps silent for a few seconds before nodding, to only fill silence in the room.

"So do you like him back?"

"AERON!"

"What?" he replies innocently.

"Don't ask that please?"

"I'm just asking because I want to know." he whines.

"And why would you want to know?"

He blushes slightly, "Because I might have feelings for yo - "

"Hey Aeron! Want to go clubbing tonight?" Cris suddenly barges in the room with Julius behind him.

They both see me sitting on Aeron's bed still blushing as Aeron was also blushing causing Cris to begin freaking out while Julius is silent but shocked.

"What happened? What happened? Why is Octave here?" Cris begins freaking out which I respond by slapping his head.

"Be quiet would you?" I whisper harshly before closing the door, "We don't want the whole dorm to know I'm here!"

"But why are you here?" he responds asking the question again.

"Because I was talking with Aeron, we already got permission from the dorm manager anyways. Now there, your questions have been answered." I sigh already quite frustrated.

"But - But - " Cris tries to continue but he's struggling.

Julius just throws his bag aside before sitting down the other bunk bed, at the bottom level.

"So what about a club?" Aeron asks breaking Cris's daze as he turns to the smaller boy.

"Oh right! So, one of my friends invited me to go clubbing at his place and it's really famous and really hard to get in! It's going to start soon and he wants me to hang out there, he also said that I can invite a few friends! I already got Julius, Yuse and Lance to join! Want to come?" Cris asks with an excited face.

"Sorry, but I have an exam tomorrow so I can't." Aeron apologizes causing Cris to pout.

"Aw. But it'll be like a one in a lifetime chance! And hanging out with those three won't be so much fun!" Cris whines getting me to giggle at his child-like personality.

"Sorry for being boring." Julius speaks before looking over to me, "Why not bring her?"

Cris head snaps my way which surprises me at how fast it turned, twinkles were in his eyes, "Octave?"

"No way, buddy. First, I should probably head back home or else my parents will worry. Second, I don't like clubbing that much as people sometimes get too drunk. And third, I only have my uniform to wear if we go right now. All my clothes are back at home still." I cross my arms while leaning on the door.

A devilish smile comes onto his face, "Oh, don't worry about that."