Just for a while, the world was different.
Just for a day, he had been accepted.
John sat high up on the top row, staring down across the now empty football ground. It was cold, the wind gusting past his hunched form, causing him to flip his collar up against the chill.
What should he have expected? That his world could instantly change? That a series of random events could lead to his finding happiness? He should have known better.
Hands still on his collar, his finger moves slowly to touch the empty hole, where an hour before had sat a single diamond stud. She had been embarassed to ask for it back, muttering apologies, and blaming her parents for demanding that she did so. It didn't change the truth.
No happiness for John Bender. Not now. But for a moment - almost.