"I love you

for all that you are,

all that you have been,

and all you're yet to be."
-unknown

abrasion(n)- an area damaged by scraping or wearing away.

Javier shuffled his feet across the schoolyard with his books held loosely at his side. He didn't like this new school. he didn't want to move here in the first place, but once his father slipped out on them his mother wanted to start a new life somewhere else.

His mother told him to do his best and make friends, but there weren't many friendly third graders in his class. There was only one boy with the bluest eyes Javier had ever seen that wasn't overly obnoxious at all during the day, but that was because he sat in the front of the class alone with no one to instigate trouble.

It really didn't help that he transferred to this school halfway through the second semester, everyone else had their clique and wasn't looking for any new members. Javier didn't really mind at all, he let the rest of the school do what they wanted and he did what he wanted; it was simple.

That is until he caught a certain group of sixth grade boys pushing around the quiet boy with the bright blue eyes in his class around.

"You're such a dork, Kevin." One of the bullies laughed in a haughty manner before shoving the younger boy's shoulder roughly into the stone wall. Javier didn't like the fact that these bullies knew Kevin's name; that meant that they did this often. Those bastards.

"I'm sorry," Kevin mumbled softly pulling at a loose thread of his sweater with his head down; his chin pressed against his chest.

"I don't care. You gave my little brother all the wrong answers to his homework and he failed it. I know you knew the correct ones. I bet you got a 100." Well, the kid wasn't stupid, if Javier were him he'd do the same thing.

One of the other boys that was rummaging through his backpack shoved a piece of paper into his friend's hands. "You bet."

The bully scowled and shoved Kevin to the ground. Kevin looked up just in time to see his bag of books dumped over his head; the book he was currently reading painfully bounced off his forehead before falling to the ground amongst his papers and books.

Javier strutted over to the commotion and caught the bullies by surprise after connecting his solid fist into his back, "Leave him alone, jerks."

The three bullies turned around and puffed out their chests, but Javier wasn't intimidated at all. "What'd you say, midget?"

"Leave him alone, asshole." Javier pushed him out of the way so he could kneel besides Kevin and help him up. Javier wasn't a weak boy, his older cousins were always wrestling around, so he was able to make the bully stumble back into one of his friends. They were too bust mumbling about how a little kid, barely 9 years old had cursed on the school grounds. Javier rolled his eyes at their immaturity.

He growled and pushed himself up straight to regain some of his dignity before kicking a mix of pebbles and dirt onto the two boys on the ground. Kevin brought up his hands to cover his face, but Javier barely flinched and said, "Get outta here."

The bully scoffed and said to Kevin before leaving, "Just wait until you don't have your little bodyguard to protect you, I'll teach you your lesson."

Javier threw back one more promising threat as he watched them stalk away. He then turned to the boy next to him with a much softer expression, "You have a little cut on your forehead."

Kevin raised his fingers to the small gash that was barely bleeding; mostly a bruise, "I'll clean it up when I get home."

"Will your parents get worried? I know my Momma would." Javier's eyebrows furrowed.

Kevin shrugged his shoulders as he began to pick up his books, "I have a big family, they probably won't notice, y'know?"

Javier felt sorry for this little boy; his mother had explained to him back when his father left that not all families are perfect and they come in all shapes and sizes. Javier couldn't help the sympathy that tinged his heart when he remembered how he felt when his mother told him they were one of those "broken families" and didn't want Kevin to be alone and feel the same. Javier helped him pick up the rest of his papers and said, "You wanna come over to my house...my Momma wouldn't mind. In fact, I think she'd love to see me bring home a friend and especially one that she can give a band aid to." Javier laughed, "I don't let her baby me anymore."

Kevin hugged his backpack close to his chest and nodded with a small smile, "I'd like that."

Javier jumped to his feet pulling Kevin to his feet beside him, "Then come on then, momma has some cookies waiting for us."

Javier and Kevin walked to the former's house, shoulder to shoulder, trading their past lives of abandonment and isolation to eternal friendship and love.

Leave some words for letters I haven't written yet!:)