Friends don't lie to each other, right?

My dark brown hair flowed over my shoulders, becoming tangled in the slight breeze. My blue-green eyes aimed downward, but saw nothing. My sandy-blonde friend walked up to me, his hands in his pockets.

A fake smile wormed it's way across my face, as a greeting to Marik.

"It's a bit cold out, isn't it?" He asked, purple eyes flashing.

I shrugged. "You get used to it." Our fifth period teacher made his way across the clearing and up three stairs to the portable's door. He smiled and opened it. I thanked him absentmindedly, the false happiness still on my face.

I didn't want anyone to know. They would only worry.

Marik sat at the desk directly to my left, and shrugged his fluffy coat off, exposing his tanned arms. "Are you ready for the quiz?" He asked, even though he knew fully well I always was, but I knew he was leading up to asking for my notes. I pulled them out of a random page in my sketchbook, and placed them on his desk. ". . .Oh. Thanks."

I nodded and leaned over my folded arms on the desk, closing my eyes.

Colton, at the desk on my right, decides to poke my sides, which made me flinch.

I ignore him the best I can, but look up when the teacher hands out the test. I unzip my coat and pull it off, revealing my black transformers shirt, and bandages covering both my arms, from my wrists to shoulders.

Marik and Colton immediately notice and start to ask, but are silenced by our Japanese teacher. I don't look at either of them as I breeze through the simple quiz. I finish in the first ten minutes and turn my paper over. I put my head back on my arms and start to nod off.

Five minutes later, the tests are collected, and everyone begins talking. Colton and Marik aim their questions at me. I smile and tell them I fell off my bike the day before and landed in sharp gravel.

"Are you alright?" Colton asks.

I nod. "Yeah."

Marik stares at me in disbelief. He knows I don't have a bike.

The clock shows us we only have three minutes. I throw my coat in my backpack and stand up. Marik stands too, but grabs my wrists with one hand and pushes my over my desk, where I lay on my back. He stands at my side and starts to peel the bandages away from my right arm. I struggle, squirm, and beg him to stop. He drops the wrappings to the floor and stares at my arm. Everyone does. The words love and alone are written in scars up and down my arm. Marik doesn't even move to the other arm. Tears threaten to spill down my face, and he looks at me with pleading eyes.

"Why?"

I don't answer. The bell rings, but no one hears it. "I-I just feel so . . .alone. . ."

"This isn't the answer! Why didn't you just tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry!" I shout at him. "I hate it when people worry! Or when they pretend to care! No one really does, so why should I trust them?"

He's quiet for a minute, and he releases my arm. I throw on my coat and half run out of class.

I take a few steps out of my last class of the day, and Marik stands in my way. He takes my wrist and pulls me down the hallway, around the corner and stops at the solid double doors. Tears are slipping down my face again.

"I-I'm sorry." I choke out. He simply looks at me for a second, then hugs me.

"You don't need to hurt yourself like this." He whispers. His voice is wavering. "You have a whole family who loves you. What happened?"

I shake my head. "I- I just can't feel their love anymore. . ."

We stand there in silence for a minute, silent tears escaping from under my eyelids.

"Do you know that I love you?" He whispers.

" . . .No. . . I don't . . ."

I feel him shifting in the embrace, and he leans down and his lips softly meet mine. I stand there, unsure of what to do. So I lean in a bit farther and deepen the kiss. He pushes back with more force and his tongue slips out, asking for entrance, which is received. My face turns red, but I pull on his shirt, trying to be closer.

He takes a step back. My eyes snap open.

He shakes his head. "Sorry."

I blink. "Sorry for what?"

"I shouldn't be acting like this. . ."

"Why?"

"Because I feel like I'm taking advantage of you. . ."

"But you're not. . ." I whisper as he disappears through the blue doors, leaving me feeling worse than earlier.