The Plant

Healing more than wounds

One day I was packing my stuff to go home and I was too depressed to hurry. It all went slow. Like my mind was close to shutdown. No energy or motivation.
I turned to get up from my chair but all I could see was fabric until I looked up and saw him standing there looking worried at me. "Are you okay?"
"...who... cares..." I muttered out trying to remain calm while looking away.
"Well... I care... if you're okay or not I mean"
"So... you haven't forgotten me? You were so busy with your new life I thought..."
"Hey. I will never forget you."
"Oh." I looked up at him carefully. I felt unstable. So many conflicting emotions came to me at once. And I tried to hold it down. Remain calm. Remain calm. He was as good as always. Saying things that made sense at the right timing. Well. Almost.
"Why didn't you just join in?"
"I don't think that I belong in that group."
"But you don't belong sitting here alone either..."
"No. But..."
"You helped me get to them and all that. But you say you can't join in. I don't understand."
"... I just don't fit in like you do. You just blended in right away."
He seemed to think a bit about it.
"Maybe you don't... but it's still better than sitting here alone. Come on, let's go home." He dragged me up from the chair, helped me gather my things and got me on the way. I couldn't say anything. It all just happened and my mind was exhausted by all the depressive thoughts I found myself thinking.
It was like he had cured some of my fighting spirit when I woke up the next morning.
It was weekend and I didn't know what to do. Where did my usual routine go? Did I even have one? I thought about what he had said. Everything. Like reviewing my life to make sense of it. From the day I saw him cry in the school yard. To when I, some years after, saw him again completely different and calmer. The day he chased away the bullies and showed me the plant. How did he even become partly a plant in the first place? From when we played around in the woods. From when he visited me for the first time and both our parents suddenly was gathered together. How he defeated that arrogant monster in the gym and exposed his plants to the rest of the classes that also had gym at the same time. And now because of me he finally got it explained to our class.
The photo... I'm still wondering what he took pictures of that day. How can a photo in beautiful nature be a secret? Maybe I would have understood if I saw it. Just a little peek at that photo would probably be enough... hmm...
Maybe I really should join in even if I only liked talking to one at the time. Being popular never seemed tempting at all. How do you even deal with so many people at once. But being completely alone wasn't good either.
I hadn't been in contact with my old friends for a while. They didn't contact me either. Probably busy like I have been. Busy with life.
So I felt like I needed something closer to go to. Like him. And maybe that group around the popular guy. How can anyone have so many followers. I'm sure they all have their reasons for it but I just don't get it.

At that moment I got a message:
"Hey! Do you want to come over?"
"Yes. I'm bored. Heal my boredom."
"Haha! You're funny. Just come over when you feel like it."
"Uhm... I don't know where you live"
"Oh. Sorry." Then he sent me the address.

Had he really not realised this until now? Had he expected me to just come and knock on his door like he had done sometimes? Believing that I knew where he lives?