When I got to school the next day Jack was standing there waiting in the same spot he always did, leaning against a wall smiling at me like nothing ever happened.

"Hey Harley", he said, "how ya doin today?"

At first I was mad at him. I thought he was trying to act like what happened wasn't a big deal, like it didn't even matter to him. So I tried to ignore him, just walk by without saying anything, but when he started walking with me like normal and asking how the day was going so far I flipped out and yelled at him again. I blamed him for everything of course, even thought it was completely my fault but when I yelled at him again and I really payed attention to his face I suddenly felt really really bad.

"Harley I'm so sorry I wasn't trying to make it seem like I don't care about your feelings. Of course I do! You see I was just trying to let you know that even though you yelled at me I'm your friend and I'll always be here for you no matter what."

At that point I was still pretty mad but he looked so sad and he sounded so sincere when he apologized, I wanted to believe him more than anything in the world because what he said wasn't just an apology. It was a promise. An offer. A friend that would always be there no matter what.

That was more than anyone else had ever offered me. Jonathan stopped talking to me for no reason and Red well Red was dead and even she had started to become elusive and started ignoring me before her death. And really hadn't Jack already been proving his loyalty by always being there waiting for me without me ever having to ask? But like I said I was still pretty mad so instead of accepting his apology I said,

"Well that's a pretty dumb way of showing it."

"I'm sorry I'm not very good with social cues. I didn't have a lot of friends growing up, all the other kids always teased me."

"Did you ever think it might have been your green hair? I don't know if you noticed or not but that's pretty uncommon around here."

"Oh this", he said touching it and looking up like he forgot his hair was dyed, "this is somewhat new, my dad never would have let me do something like this."

"Strict parents?"

"Oh you have no idea he used to... woops don't want to start bombarding you with all my crazy family stories."

And that's when it hit me. Jack had let me talk about myself so much that he never really told me anything about him. I didn't know anything about his past but I wanted to especially now, now I was curious.

"No no that's okay I want to hear your stories, all of your stories."

"Oh I don't know... they're not pleasant. Besides I wouldn't want to talk your ear off again."

"No really it's fine. That's what friends are for right."