They were both similar in a way. Nobody loved them. Nobody wanted them. Both eight years old.
Harry was sitting somewhere in the middle, his cheeks flushed, panting a little from being chased through out the journey to school by a dog Dudley had set upon him. Thankfully he had somehow managed to throw the snarling thing off track.
The back benches were occupied by students who played pranks all day and barely noticed what went on in class and the first few benches were for the model students. Since he was neither, the place he was sitting was perfect. And thanks to Dudley, he always sat alone.
Dudley and his gang were notoriously famous throughout the school and everyone knew that Harry was their favourite victim. Mix with him and you won't know what hit you.
He sat quietly and resignedly as all around him children giggled, chattered, threw paper planes, etc. All that stopped as the teacher came in. Miss Walkyana nodded cheerfully at her young pupils, ushering in a boy.
"Class, we have a new child. This is Nick McKlen. He is going to be your new friend. Make him feel at home, everyone."
Everyone chorused the required 'hi' unenthusiastically.
Nick was the same height as Harry with a small grubby face, frazzled clothes and a defiant expression.
"There's space there, I see. Go on, Nick, sit beside Harry."
Harry was suddenly glad that his cousin wasn't in the same section. Classes went on. Soon it was break. As soon as the teacher went out, a boy in the front turned and said loudly,
"You're the son of that Joby McKlen, ain't cha?"
There were numerous gasps and exclamations of horror all around. Everyone had heard of 'Joby Jo', the one who had gone to jail for killing a youth with a cudgel, released later for 'justified homicide'.
Nick just glared at the boy.
"So what if he fucking is?" he snapped aggressively.
There was a sudden silence. Everyone was staring fearfully at Mr. Lawrence.
"Language, child." He said softly. "Please stay back after school for a week."
From that moment onwards, Nick too became an outcast.
After school got over, Harry waited a while like he usually did so that Dudley and his gang would be well on their way. Roaming aimlessly in the corridor, he heard a frustrated sigh.
Curiously, he opened the door. The new child was there scowling fiercely at his notebook. He looked up briefly as the door opened and then looked down again ignoring the newcomer. Harry went slowly over to him.
"The answer's wrong." He said after a few moments.
Nick glared at him looking as though he would like nothing better than to pull his eyeballs out.
"Oh yeah? And why's that?" he challenged in a hostile way.
"Well, the way you are doing it is all worng."
"And I suppose you'd bloody explain it to me?"
"Alright."
Nick looked taken aback.
"You would?" he asked uncertainly, all defiance and anger suddenly vanishing.
Harry nodded simply.
Soon-
"And then you add. The answer's-25?"
Harry nodded beaming.
Nick stared at him and suddenly grinned back revealing a missing tooth.
"Thanks." He said quite friendly. "Let's get out of here."
And that was how Harry made his first friend.
They were having a nice time chatting about how horrible school was, when Harry saw distant figures approaching him.
"You'd better go now." He muttered hurriedly to Nick who frowned at this sudden change in behaviour.
"You are late." Sneered Dudley waddling towards them.
"Let's teach him how to do puncshurity." Droned another boy shoving him.
Nick stepped forward.
"Leave him alone." His voice rang out.
The boys stopped. Harry scrambled quickly to his feet.
"Well, lookie. Clearly a newbie." Said another amusedly.
Then suddenly jostling him, hissed, "Stay out of our way if you know what's good for you."
Nick's face grew dark. Uttering a few swear words that made them all back away a little uncertainly, he snarled menacingly,
"Don't you dare touch me, you son of a bitch."
Before they could recover from this, he launched himself onto the boy bringing him down. Soon a fight ensued. It was Harry's first fight in which he had fought back with hope in his heart.
In the end, Dursley went home with a bloody nose, crying and accompanied by the rest.
Nick and Harry looked at each other breathing hard, hair messed up and faces even dirtier. Both had bruises, but neither minded. At last Nick stuck out his hand.
"Friends?"
Harry took it seriously.
"Friends."
They shook on it.
When Harry went home, he had to endure names, hair pulling, no supper and finally he was locked in his cupboard. But he regretted nothing. It was all worth it.
Months went by and though both of them landed each other in more and more trouble at home, their friendship grew and strengthened as each day passed.
Nick continued his insolent display with everyone except Harry. The green eyed boy always made him feel calm.
They confided in each other their life.
Nick's father was alcoholic. His mother had died. Due to what reason, no one knew but there were several rumours. Some said she died in childbirth, some said he murdered her; some said she could not bear seeing her husband degenerating day by day. No one, not even Nick knew what had really happened.
Nick loved and hated his father like most children tend to do. Loved him because he was his father. Hated him because his father hit him and neglected him.
"I try to be less of a burden." He murmured with a tinge of sadness staring at the clouds lying on the grass. "I do. But he never sees it."
Harry with closed eyes beside him said,
"I know what you mean. Everything that happens wrong is my fault. The teacher's wig turned blue and I had to go without supper. And I'm always so hungry at night."
"Dad always gives me enough to eat."
"Lucky."
There was the time when they had bunked school and instead gone to the lake side.
They had stripped there and ran whooping into the shallow water. Splashing of water soon brought about a war which made them collapse on the ground with red faces and aching stomachs.
It was the first time either of them had experienced uncontrollable fits of laughter.
Homework together, walking together, playing together. The eight year old hearts craved for and cherished every single moment they were together.
There was another time when Harry had sheltered Nick secretly in his cupboard thankful that his aunt, uncle and Dudley rarely entered it. There he had wiped away blood mixed with tears of pain form Nick's cheek.
"He didn't mean to. He just likes throwing stuff when he's like that." Explained Nick matter-of-factly, wincing a little.
Suddenly with out reason, both of them embraced each other with their small arms, choking back tears.
It was the last time they saw each other.
Two days went by. Nick never showed up.
His father had been arrested for abuse. Nick was put into an orphanage.
They both were alone now.
Their eight year old hearts broken. That time will heal them was not part of their knowledge. That nothing good lasts forever had been revealed harshly to them.
Several neighbours of McKlen would gossip,
"The poor boy. Wanted to meet someone so badly. Yet they dragged him away screaming and kicking. The poor dear…
Please excuse the grammatical and spelling errors of you can.