School… Work… A life. Everything had some how come spiraling down as if it were designed to fall and crack all around me. There was no more drive, no more inspiration. The fact I had no one on my side began rearing its ugly head once again, the dumb jokes beginning again at school, despite the teachers trying stop it. The cuts in my arms only got deeper, appeared thicker, larger in number. Wearing long sleeves everywhere had become a trend for me… Simply because it hid all those marks I was trying to conceal.

At work, everything was a haze, and nothing made sense anymore. I simply walked the aisles with the broom in my hand, pushing it about as I picked up dust and whatever else got in the way. It wasn't until a week after out blowout that I saw him again, that red hair trailing an aisle alone, no one about him.

I approached him, brought my shaky hand up to take that wrist… I stopped him, without thinking about the consequences, the idea that maybe he'd look at me. And those green eyes found mine, happy to see me again…

Is what I'd like to say. I had seen him, had watched him walk along, cell pressed to his ear as he walked. I would have stopped him… I would have, but as I approached I could hear his phone call, and it snapped me in half.

"Yeah, yeah. I love you too. See you later, baby." I love you was something people said on the phone to their mother's, to anyone, but baby? Had he already replaced me…? Wait! He wasn't replacing me, because I had never been in that spot on the first place. I had walked away quickly in hopes that he hadn't noticed me, hadn't sensed my presence at all. There was no way that I could keep this up.

Even the bullies at school were starting to pity me, and I didn't want that. I swore to myself that I would work harder, that I would try more. But I couldn't. Anytime I saw Axel, I cracked and broke down.

Sitting in class, I felt the young girl beside me poke my arm. I turned to it and raised my eyebrow. She pressed a note into my palm and giggled before turning back to the front of the classroom. I felt myself furrow my brows before unfolding the paper in my fingers. It was ripped out of a notebook. In pen, it said "U R A QT". Staring at it, I felt my eyes drift back to the girl, and she looked back at me, shaking her head. Who was it from then? I felt my brows lift as she pointed to the corner of the room, way in the back. I looked too… Why was this person passing me notes?

In the seat she was pointing to sat a boy about my age, crazy brown hair atop his head. Though I knew what seat she was pointing to, I felt myself lean in to ask about it. There was no way that that was true. Another guy? Well… it wasn't that weird. What was his name again…?

I saw those eyes turn up at me, and I held that gaze until the teacher yelled my name moments later. I faced the front, followed by a bit of laughter. This was terrible! No, no, no. I didn't want people to like me… not like that.

Despite that, the same boy stopped me in the hall, gently patting my shoulder. "Hey, Roxas. How are you?" he asked, a small smile on his face. I felt a little shocked, a bit taken back at the fact someone was talking to me. I felt myself staring at him a bit, his eyes darting to the side before meeting mind once again. I heard him laugh nervously as he urged again. "Hello?"

"Oh! Uhm… Sorry, I- uh… I'm okay." I didn't say anything else, sort of looking around before meeting his eyes again. He had leaned in close, making me take a small step back. He seemed to have taken the hint because he stopped in his tracks.

"I was wondering if maybe you wanted to do something together- maybe a study group or something?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Swallowing, I let my curiosity boil up.

"I'm sorry- what's your name?" I asked, biting my lip. That sounded bad.

He looked a little surprised, but if he was, he covered it up quickly, a smile coming to his face almost instantly. "Hayner." I felt myself gasp a bit, though it was only inside my head. Hayner…?

"I knew that!" I shouted suddenly, pointing up at him. He kind of laughed before shrugging one shoulder.

"That's great, thanks. Now, about that study group…?" he said softly, rubbing the back of his head as he tried not to laugh at me. That had been pretty stupid. I felt my face flare, my cheeks hot.

How did someone say no? How did people say no? "Um… I don't know… I have work and stuff…" Was I nervous? I felt myself starting to sweat, and I couldn't figure out why. What did I care? I needed to calm down.

"Well, we were all going to meet up tomorrow after school, if uh… if you're interested." Tomorrow? That would work! I looked up a little. Did that mean I could… make some friends? Even just one? I nodded a little without words, Hayner's face lighting up with a small smile. "That's great! Here, um… my e-mail and cell number, okay?" he said softly. I saw him take out a little paper from his pocket.

Had he planned on giving me that paper anyway? Really…? I unfolded it and saw the letters and numbers. He simply smiled and excused himself, running off. Oh, crap! I was going to be late to class! I folded the paper carefully and secured it in my pocket before rushing to class, just making it by the bell.