He was drowning.
All his troubles and heartache were pulling him down.
They were bricks tied to his feet.
His mother was dead.
His grief overwhelmed him; it stiffened his arms and further down he went.
One of his best friends was hated by his family.
Another was hated by the community.
His world was being overrun by dark wizards who wanted to kill innocent people and there was nothing he could do about it.
The thought pushed his head down into the water where he was unable to breathe.
Every time she walked past, it was like a breath of air to his lungs, but every time she snubbed him or rejected him more water was sent down his throat.
He couldn't take it. He didn't have enough strength to fight anymore.
So, he gave up.
He drifted down through the dark waters. He didn't care. He was done with fighting, done with caring and done with getting his heart broken.
It wasn't until he was at the bottom that she started calling for him.