We sat together during lunch. Talking. She was in the year above me. She lived on the outskirts of the city and I listened to the stories of the family's commutes to work and school.

"Is it fun?" I asked.

"Is what?!" she asked through a mouthful of pasta.

"Having a step-mum?"

She frowned a bit.

"My older brothers love her, but that's mainly because they think she's pretty."

"What about you?" I said pushing the remaining bits of food around my plate.

"She's really young, only a couple years older that my oldest brother. I don't hate her or anything. I just don't particularity like her. My brother told me when she left her husband she also left behind her child," she shook her head.

She didn't ask about my mum. Like I said she'd heard about me and knew not to.

I went the rest of the school day without seeing Luffy but when I came out of school he was waiting for me.

"Hey," I mumbled walking up to him.

"Hi," he said not meeting my eyes as we begin to walk home.

We walked in silence for some time, his hands in his pockets, shoulders pinched together.

"I'm sorry," he began, "For earlier."

"It doesn't matter," I muttered.

He sighed but said nothing more on the matter.

"Where did you go off to?" he asked slowly relaxing as we neared my house.

"The library."

"On your own?!"

"Well yeah. But when I was there I met this girl," I smiled. "She was really nice."

"She your friend now?"

I nodded my head.

"Can you introduce us tomorrow?" he asked taking a hand out of his pocket and pushing back his hair.

I turned towards him and beamed.

"Of course. Now hurry up," I said grabbing hold of his arm and dragging him after me.

I probably shouldn't of done it. I probably shouldn't have done a lot of the things I did whilst we were only friends. I probably gave him hope; even when there was never really any to begin with.

"Is Zoro not home yet," Luffy asked as we removed our shoes and coats at the door.

"No but he left something in the microwave. He said he may not be back until nine tonight," I answered taking Luffy's coat and hanging it up.

"I'll have to go by then. Sorry," he said scratching the back of his head.

"No worries," I answered smiling. "I'm used to being alone in the house."

"Tomorrow would you like to eat dinner at mine?" he asked.

"I'd love to."

"Catch!" I shouted flinging a piece of toast towards him.

He caught it but quickly dropped it back onto the table.

"Ouch," he cried putting his finger into his mouth and lightly sucking on it. "So hot."

I shook my head laughing slightly as I broke of a piece of my slightly cooler toast and handed it to him.

"Thank you," he said popping it into his mouth.

"Can I ask you something?" Luffy asked.

"Sure," I said as I poured myself and him a glass of water.

"I heard something weird at school today..."

"Really, what was it?"

"I heard that you wanted to kill yourself."