"I'm sorry. So very sorry." Len began, letting words flow from his lips before he could stop to think what he was saying.
Oliver turned his head to face Len, who was sat staring down at the floor. After a moment's hesitation, he decided to ask.
"W-what do you mean?" He began; his speech was slow and cautious, filled with fear and apprehension.
Len continued, ignoring Oliver for now. "The way they treat you. I sit there and watch something I know is wrong, but do nothing to help. I'm just a coward." He tried to not sound so bitter, but could not help himself.
He slowly turned to face Oliver, who could not believe that Len was actually talking to him and not treating him like dirt beneath his shoe. He could not believe that someone was treating him like a real human being. Where things really that bad? How sad.
Oliver decided Len was not here to hurt him, but was still suspicious, and managed to stutter back to Len with downcast eyes. "Well… You… You shouldn't worry y-yourself about m-me… It happens all the t-time."
Oliver was mentally punching himself. He hated the way he spoke and was never very good at speaking to people, even at a very young age. He preferred to observe them. Perhaps that was why no-one liked him, he thought to himself. Now Len was here and someone was treating him with respect for once. Oliver hoped that he wouldn't mess this one up. If Len really did want to be his friend, then this might be his only chance.
"No, Oliver" Len retorted, interrupting Oliver's chain of thought. His tone was kind, and caring. It reminded him of how you might talk to a sad child to cheer them up. "I've seen what they do, it's horrible, something I cannot stand to ignore like that any longer. I have no idea how you do it, but you must be very brave to keep coming to school every day."
Oliver was utterly shocked by this. No-one had ever looked up to him before. Hell, he would usually be lucky if someone even noticed he was there! Part of him refused to believe this was real, and that Len would soon probably punch him in the face and laugh for even considering being his friend. Friend… that was still an unfamiliar word to the quiet boy.
Another part of Oliver told him it was real. The way Len spoke, the way he looked at him. It all seemed so real. If it was, what could Len do? Everyone would probably attack him too if he was seen with Oliver, and Oliver could not do that to someone… maybe it would better for him to be alone in all this. Len had his own friends, he should not give them up for someone as worthless as him…
The tiniest part of Oliver, somewhere at the back of his mind, told him something different;
'What if he wants to be more than friends?'
{◕ ◡ ◕}
Here we go gain...