Chapter 6

Please… Please for the love of god, don't let this be real… Red's consistent sobbing and short wails were the only sounds he could make while he hugged his knees and buried his face in his arms behind the park's toilets. Tears soaked themselves into the sleeves of his hoodie while he cried his broken heart out. His glass globe, one that had once contained a happy and innocent soul, had finally been dropped onto solid ground, shattering into a million pieces after being shaken so many times for the amusement of others. The cogs that kept him going no longer played music; only a monotone hum was left of what used to be a cheerful melody that put a smile on anyone's face.

Why was she here…? Why was she here…? Why was she here…?

This can't be happening… Just when he thought he'd finally escaped her, his family had to move to the one place that she, for some reason, had moved to as well. The one person who had ruined his life forever had just made it even worse. Why did he even bother trying anymore? Why did he even believe for a second that his life could possibly turn around? Why was his life so worthless?! No matter what he did or what little help he got, whenever something good happened to him, the bullet just had to ricochet and plow straight through the very core of his sanity. He truly didn't feel worth anything anymore. If there was anything that could make him feel like living another second, then he'd-

"Geeze, finally! I've been waiting for almost a fucking hour, and then where do I find you? Fucking hiding behind… Holy shit…"

Red's breath hitched upon hearing Blue's voice; he really didn't need to be seen like this.

The older blonde's feet pounded on the ground as he raced to Red's side. "Red, are you okay?! Who the fuck did this to you?! Fucking tell me, dammit!"

No amount of shaking Red's shoulder made him look up. He kept his tear-soaked face hidden from Blue's view. However, he couldn't hold back a helpless whimper. "Blue…"

"Red…?"

The young blonde no longer cared. His heart was scattered over a hundred places right now, and he really needed someone to pick up the pieces for him. Letting out a loud wail, he launched himself onto Blue, wrapped his arms around the older teenager's neck and buried his face against the broad chest. His fists grabbed clumps of cerulean clothing that clung to Blue's back, and said male complied by snaking his arms around the trembling boy and placing one hand amongst the golden locks of hair.

"Red… What happened to you?" Blue said again, his voice settling down to a much smoother tone that resonated amazingly in Red's ear. Just listening to the other blonde speak was all Red needed to help calm his breathing. Blue then started gently stroking Red's head as soon as his sobbing picked up again, and the sorrow that had swelled up inside began melting away in an instant. "It's okay, Red. I'm here."

There it was. There was the soft side that Blue kept hidden away. Red knew that the tough teenager had a caring personality to him, one that didn't want to see others hurt, but his wall of pride was constantly in the way and prevented him from letting others in. Now Red had knocked it down, and though it was inevitable that it would be rebuilt, it would have gained a gate that let only one person in: Red.

The younger blonde's sobbing and crying had ceased, leaving only sniffles behind. "Blue… Thank you…" he whispered.

"…For what?" Blue replied, confusion evident in his voice.

"For being here." Red snuggled even closer to Blue and inhaled deeply, breathing in the older boy's scent. His body felt like a living blanket – warm and safe, kind of like Red's nightlight, but with an added fondness that couldn't be found within the electrical appliance. The blanket had more to offer; it was soft, enveloping, and made him feel nice. He felt at ease in Blue's embrace for some unknown reason, but he didn't question it. He wanted to stay like this and never move.

"Uh, you're welcome…"

Using the palm of his hand, Red wiped away the remaining tear stains on his cheek and made himself comfortable.

"You good now?" Blue asked, gingerly rubbing Red's back.

Red nodded.

"Now tell me what happened."

"I…I was waiting for you by the playground when this kid came up to me, wanting to play pirates."

"…If you tell me that you got beat up by a kid-"

Red chuckled. "I'm not finished, Blue." He cleared his throat before continuing. "I played with him until he had to go home, and by then there was no one left in the park but me. I decided to go and sit on a bench and wait for you there, b-but before I could…" Red tried desperately to choke back the sobs that threatened to rise again.

"Shh, you're only telling me what happened. It's just words," Blue said, trying to reassure him.

The upset teenager swallowed the lump in his throat and breathed deeply again. "The guys that beat me up yesterday came back to me again. I was prepared to handle them this time, but…but…" Red's sensitivity levels just wouldn't settle down, and Blue pulled him into a hug as he began letting tears flow again. "C-Cynthia was with them…"

"Cynthia? You mean that bitch that moved here a month before the break? How do you know her?"

"…She's…m-my ex-girlfriend…" Red replied through his wavering voice.

"RED," Blue began. "WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. FUCK."

The younger blonde took a few deep breaths to clear his mind and calm his nerves. Once he felt he was capable of speaking, he opened his mouth and began his story. "It was at my first highschool. As a freshman, I guess that gave me the advantage of observation. I was shy and didn't want to talk to people at first, and I was lucky that I didn't. I saw within just a few days how different I was, and even though Green tried to help me get used to the school, I just kept to myself all the time, and people left me alone. But when I first saw Cynthia… Gosh, I thought she was the most beautiful person I'd ever seen. She looked like a really kind person, and I eventually found the courage to talk to her. She was nice to me and became my first friend, and I was over the moon when I asked her out and she said yes. I was mellow for a while so that she could get used to me on our dates, and when I got to the point where I wanted to be myself around her, I just let it out little by little. I gradually revealed my inner child, but I started noticing that she began acting weird around me. I guessed that she didn't like the real me, and it probably went a little too far on her standards. She dumped me the next day…"

"That fucking bitch…"

"And that's not the worst of it. What comes next is the reason why my family has had to move so many times…

"I remember at the end of school one day, I saw Cynthia around the back talking to a group of her friends, both guys and girls. I approached her and asked if I could talk to her in private about our breakup. I expected her to agree and just follow me around the corner, but she just…laughed at me… I didn't know why and I just stood there as she and her friends kept laughing. It was… It was then that her guy friends started insulting me until they knocked me to the ground. T-they kicked me, punched me; gave me bruises all over. I could do nothing but lay there and cry…" Red couldn't help himself and broke down into tears, soaking blue's clothes as he rested his head against the older teenager.

"Shh…" Blue cooed as he held Red tightly.

"Cynthia c-came up to me when they stopped. She knelt down and told me to me face that she was planning on beating me up from the very beginning. She faked everything…" he continued in between sobs and whimpers. "She then said that breaking up with me was one of the things she wanted to do when I asked her out, and when I showed her that I was different and a total child inside, it gave her the perfect reason to bully me even more. She then just took a picture on her phone right then and there of me laying helpless on the floor.

"When I got home and told Green and my parents everything, they did their best to consult the school's principle and do something about it, but even if Cynthia and her friends got expelled, it was too late. The picture she took had already spread around Facebook, and that's how my internet fame started… No matter what schools we moved to, there was always someone there who knew me, and we couldn't stay long because of it. This has been my life ever since then, and to be honest, I really want it all to just end…" Red decided he was finished and did nothing more than cry.

It'd been so long since he'd told someone what happened, and he was glad that that someone got to be Blue. He was able to just pour out all of his bottled-up sadness right then, and Blue was there to help dry it out.

"Holy shit…" Blue commented. "Red…I'm so sorry. I had no idea…"

The young blonde sniffed. "It's okay. I've been needing to tell someone for a while."

"Yeah… I know from experience that it's good to just let things out. Do you feel better now?"

Red nodded. "A little…"

Blue cleared this throat. "Well, uh… Wanna go get some ice cream or some shit?"

He didn't know why, but just that one sentence made Red burst into a fit of laughter. "Just a simple walk would be nice, thanks," he giggled, knowing that Blue's wall of pride was slowly returning.

"Alright. Here, let me help you up." Blue stood up and gently grabbed Red by the arms, pulling him to his feet. "So where exactly do you wanna walk?"

"Just…away from people."

Blue smirked. "Away from people, huh? I think I know a place."

"The school?" Red asked innocently.

"What? Fuck no! Do you really think that I wanna walk around the school? I go to the basketball court so sit and think, not go for a leisurely stroll."

Red laughed, his sadness already fading. "Okay, okay. Where is it you wanna take me then?"

Blue smiled, put his hands in the pockets of his jeans and flicked his head to the right in the direction of the forest. "A special place where no one goes."

Red's mind tried to process what Blue meant. Sure, the forest would be a place away from people, but surely they still went in there anyway…right? Unless…

"Ooh! Are you gonna show me the radio tower?" Red gasped.

Blue chuckled and started walking. "Come on, it's this way."

The young cerulean-eyed blonde kicked up freshly-fallen leaves as he walked alongside Blue, holding his arms out in the air happily. He hummed a cheerful tune from one of his favorite songs, not daring to actually sing the words when someone was around, especially Blue. He never sang in front of people even though he thought he was good, but then again, he wasn't sure if he was tone-deaf or not. He still liked to sing when he was alone though.

He was glad to be able to take a walk somewhere natural for once; all of the moving didn't allow much time for sight-seeing. The shining sunrays filtered in through the dense treetops, creating a gorgeously alluring atmosphere and lighting the forest floor in seas of gold. The same image just couldn't be replicated in urban areas.

He giggled when he began jumping up and down to crunch old leaves and twigs, enjoying the satisfying sound they–

Red stopped upon the uneasy feeling of eyes boring into his skull. Oh no… He wasn't annoying Blue, was he? To make sure, he cast a quick look at the older teenager, only to see him flick his eyes away and turn his head in the other direction as soon as the two made eye-contact.

Was he…staring at me? Why isn't he saying anything?! his panicked thoughts fretted. The last thing he wanted was for Blue to get angry with him and leave. "Um, Blue?" he began.

"Ye-ah?" Blue jolted as soon as the voice-crack left his mouth, so he cleared his throat and tried again. "Y-yeah?"

Red couldn't resist a small giggle. A voice-crack coming from big bad Blue was so unlike him, and Red found it totally cute. "Sorry. I know I'm probably getting on your nerves… That's why you were staring, right? So if anything I'm doing is annoying you-"

"That's not why I was staring!" Blue yelled suddenly. "Uh, I mean… Y-you're not annoying me, it's just… I-I'm just making sure that you don't do anything stupid. Alright?"

"Oh… Okay." Well, that was weird, he thought. He could have sworn he saw Blue's cheeks turn a little pink. "How much farther to the tower?"

"We've only been walking for a few minutes, Red. It's still quite a trek to get there. Don't forget that it's past the school, and we entered from the park."

"Ah, right."

Silence enveloped the two once again, suddenly making the leaves beneath their moving feet incredibly loud and irritating. Red's gaze fell to Blue's hand that hung not too far from the younger boy's own, and he suddenly felt the urge to hold it. Would Blue mind if he did…?

However, as he slowly reached out to do so, Blue's voice made him retract his hand like a cat's claws and hide it behind his back.

"Do you like it here so far? I mean, apart from the fact that your ex is here?" the older teenager asked.

"Uh, yeah, apart from that. Everyone else is so nice and the streets are clean and pretty to look at. My house is really cozy and my favorite by far. The school already looks great from the outside, so I can't wait to see it inside. So yeah… I guess I do like it here. I didn't at first, but now that I've been here for…four days now I think? I feel like I finally have a permanent place to stay," Red replied with a smile.

"That's good."

Red tucked both of his hands behind him. "Um, Blue?"

"Yeah?"

"Do…do you…like me?" Red asked quietly.

Blue didn't seem to hear him. "Come again?"

"Do you like me, Blue?" he replied a little louder this time.

Blue's cheeks flared up with dark pink almost immediately and he stopped in his tracks. "W-what? No! W-well, I-mean, sure you're…but…I don't-!"

Red couldn't believe his ears. Blue didn't like him? Salty tears stung at his eyes and he was tempted to just run home. "O-oh, so you don't like me at all… I-I'm sorry for being such a bother then… I was j-just hoping that I c-could…be your friend…" His voice began to waver and a few droplets of water escaped his eyes. "I guess not though. B-but that's okay. I still like you no matter what. I-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up. You meant that if I liked you as a friend?"

Red wiped his eyes and struggled to look at Blue. "Yeah, w-why else would I ask you that?"

Blue blinked several times. "…Well this is awkward."

"I don't get it. I'm really confused," Red stated, tilting his head and looking up at the older boy innocently.

"Uh, never mind. Forget what I just said, okay?"

The younger blonde's sparkling cerulean eyes lit up immediately. "Wait, so you do like me?" he asked with a hopeful grin, bringing his hands to his chin and clasping them together.

"Of course I do, Red. If I didn't, then we wouldn't be here, would we?"

"Yay!" Red, squealed, launching himself at Blue to give him a hug. "Blue likes me!" He was happy as long as Blue was his friend.

Blue pushed him away a little to look at him. "I'm sorry for making you cry. I didn't mean to. I thought you meant something else," he said, drying Red's eyes.

The young teenager giggled. "That's okay, Blue. It's not your fault."

"Heh. Let's go, we still have a radio tower to get to."

Red let out a gasp of awe once they arrived at the old structure. The trees looked like ants compared to it, stretching way up into the sky. However, he could see why people stayed away from it. It was almost completely covered in rust and there were a few metal bars scattered along the ground that had fallen from it.

"All that talk about the tower collapsing is bullshit. Yeah, it may be falling apart with age, but we could easily climb this with no problems at all," Blue said.

Red's previous thoughts about it had just been thrown out the window. The tower was actually climbable? "Really? So can we climb it now?"

"You really wanna climb that high only to climb back down almost immediately after?"

"Well, uh…no."

"Thought so."

Red tilted his head back to gaze at the top – or at least tried to. From there, it was impossible to see past halfway. "But then…why don't people still come if it won't be falling any time soon?"

"Well, aside from the fact that there's rumors that people believe and it is breaking which makes them paranoid, there's a – actually, no. I probably shouldn't tell you," he answered with a sly grin.

Red groaned. "Aww, why not? I wanna know!"

"It'll scare you…" Blue's tone of voice was low and mischievous.

"Scare me…?" Red asked, confused. He then gasped before continuing. "IS THERE A SERIAL KILLER AROUND HERE?!" He clutched his head with his hands and his eyes went wide with terror.

Blue broke into a series of hysterics. "Of course not! I wouldn't bring you here if that was the case. No way do I want to get you killed." His laughing stopped immediately, his face going straight, and he seemed to take a moment to think about what he said. He then shook his head and continued speaking. "But seriously though, if I tell you, you'll have nightmares."

Red folded his arms and looked at the ground. "I already have nightmares…"

"Really? You? What kind of morbid things would a person like you dream about?"

Red did nothing but look at Blue with sorrow in his eyes, and the older teen immediately got the message.
"Oh, right. Bullying."

"Yeah."

Blue stepped forward and willingly wrapped his arms around the younger male. "Hey, come on, we didn't come here to be sad. We still have a few hours left of daylight, so is there anything else you wanna do?"

"Actually, if you don't mind, I'd like to get home. I…need to tell Green about…you know…"

"Okay. I'll walk you there." Blue released Red and began to lead him away from the tower.

"Thanks," Red replied with a smile.

Blue and Red stood outside of the younger boy's house. Just as Red was about to walk down the driveway to the front door, Blue grabbed his arm and turned him back around.

"Hey… Call me in an hour or so, okay?" the older male asked.

Red nodded and said goodbye.

Upon opening the front door, Red caught sight of his dad at the table, his mom in the kitchen, and Green in the living room watching TV. He closed the door behind him which caught his brother's attention, so said teenager turned around on the sofa.

"Hey, Red! How was your day with Blue?" he asked happily. However, Red didn't return the smile.

He'd been able to tell Blue everything about his past and let out his bottled-up sadness, but that sadness had come from just that. The past. Now he needed to vent on the present, and Green was the only one who was able to help and understand him this time. Green was the only one who knew just as well as Red how bad things were. Green was the only one who could do something about it.

Red stood there with his head down and arms limp at his sides. Water began flooding in the corners of his eyes, and he knew that Green didn't like it one bit.

"Red, are you okay?"

Why was it always that holding back unhappiness was easy until someone asked what was wrong? Red couldn't stand it any longer and he let out a loud wail, covering his face with his hands and falling onto his knees. Green was at his side and had his arms wrapped around his brother in an instant. Their parents also came to Red's side to see what the fuss was about.

"Shh, Red. What's wrong? Did something happen?" Green cooed softly.

"It's okay, sweetie. You can tell us," his mom reassured, gently stroking her younger son's back.

Red clutched a fistful of Green's clothing while he wept. "I-I was…a-at the p-park…" he began, but his sobbing intervened.

"Just take a few deep breaths in and out," Green suggested.

Red did as asked and took a moment to calm down. He was actually surprised that he wished it was Blue comforting him and not Green. Why did someone who he only knew for a few days make him feel better than his brother who he'd known his whole life? "Green, there are people who know me here…"

"What?!" Green exclaimed. "Still?!"

Red nodded. "And…that's n-not the worst of it…" He felt Green tense up as he braced himself for the bad news. "C-Cynthia moved here…"

"Oh my god…"

Red's mom and dad leaned forward to embrace their sons in a big family hug. All of them knew how bad this was, and with Red being at the center of it, something had to be done.

"I don't wanna stay here anymore!" Red cried, giving Green a vice-like grip something fierce.

"It's okay, lil' bro. I promise nothing's going to happen to you anymore. I'll confront Cynthia myself and tell her to back off or there be trouble that'll involve the police. And don't tell me not to do it because it's fine, okay?"

"Thank you…" Red sobbed.

"Don't worry about a thing. I'll always be here for you, and so will Zelda, Vio and Shadow…and Blue."

Red smiled up at him through his tears. "I know…"

"Good."

"We'll get started on making your favorite dinner, okay, honey?" Red's mom said.

"Okay," Red replied.

The two brothers' parents got up and made their way into the kitchen while Green helped Red to his feet.

"I finally got the internet working today, so how about we head into your room and watch some funny cat videos?" Green proposed.

Red's sobs immediately transitioned to happy giggles in a heartbeat; Green always knew how to make him laugh. "I'd like that."

Green grinned and led his little brother upstairs.

Red's mouth and stomach were hurting from smiling and laughing so much. He'd lost count of how many videos he and Green watched for the past couple of hours – it was just cats at first, but then it moved on to all sorts of animals doing hilarious things. His favorite so far was of a small dog flopping its way down the stairs.

"Green! Would you mind lending a hand?!" their mom suddenly called from downstairs.

Green sighed and got off the bed. "I bet you five bucks I'm supposed to set the table. I'll see you in a bit. Keep watching videos if you want," Green said, ruffling Red's hair.

"Okay," Red replied, waiting for Green to close the door behind him. Once it was just the young teen, Red closed the laptop lid and fished around in his bed sheets for his phone. When he found it, he opened up his contacts and dialed Blue's number. He'd almost forgotten that Blue asked to call him.

Within a few seconds, the older teenager picked up. "Hello?" he said.

"Hey, Blue. You said to call, so…I'm calling," Red greeted.

"How're you holding up?"

"Alright, I guess. I told Green and my parents about Cynthia. I kinda broke down once I got in, but Green cheered me up with some funny videos."

"You have internet already? Damn."

Red chuckled. "Really? I mention that I broke down as soon as I went in and the first thing you're interested in is that I have internet?"

"What can I say? Wi-fi's the best. But yeah, I expected you to cry when you got home. It can't be easy."

Red sighed and fell back onto his pillow. "It isn't."

"Ah, well. At least I know you're oka-"

"Um, can we spend the day together tomorrow? I think a whole day rather than just an hour or so will be better for me."

"Of course. If it makes you feel better, I'm up for it."

Wow, Blue didn't even hesitate, Red thought. "Thanks. I could really use a stress-free day for once. Green said that he's gonna make sure Cynthia doesn't bother me anymore, so I just hope she won't try anything with him."

"The only reason Cynthia targets you is because you're weak and vulnerable. Uh, no offense."

"None taken."

"All I'm saying is don't worry about your brother. That bitch can't and won't do a thing to him."

"Thanks again Blue. Oh, and before I head down for dinner, what time and place tomorrow?"

"Uh… How about I just come by your place at around nine and wait outside until you're ready?"

"Sure thing. Heaps better than the park."

"Definitely. Well, see you then, Red."

"Bye, Blue!" Red tapped the 'end call' button and headed downstairs.

He could only hope that tomorrow would go smoothly.