Friends to the End

The Beginning

It was a snowy winter night when Ross found himself walking through the forest. He walked trying to find his way home, but he was freezing from only having a light sweater and some leggings. He hadn't planned to be stuck out in the snow, but his parents had told him they couldn't pick him up from school and told him to walk home. That's what he tried to do, but he got lost and neither of his parents would answer their phones. He kept walking and eventually saw light up ahead. He walked towards the light realizing it was a house. Not far from it was another, and another. He had found a neighborhood. He didn't recognize it but he was glad to have found some sort of civilization. He went up to one of the houses and knocked on the door. A woman opened the door and saw Ross cold and shivering and asked what he wanted. He said he was lost and needed somewhere to stay for the night. The woman seemed to not want Ross to come in, that was until a kid in a striped shirt and overalls came over to the door telling his mom to let him in. The mom invited Ross inside and showed him where to put his sneakers before walking him over to the couch near the fireplace. Ross seemed to be relieved feeling the warmth of the fire. The woman walked upstairs and that's when the boy in the striped shirt introduced himself.

"Hi! My name is Roy. It's nice to meet you!" He exclaimed happily. Ross was kinda nervous. He didn't talk much and was really introverted. The boy looked at him eagerly awaiting for Ross to say something though, so Ross replied.

"Uh.. hello. It's nice to meet you too. My name is Ross." He said softly in response. He suddenly shivered a bit as he felt the snow begin to melt through his clothes.

"Are you cold?" Roy asked. Ross nodded a bit in response. Roy then got up and walked into another room. He came back carrying a blue t-shirt with planets on it and some blue jeans. He handed them to Ross.

"What are these for?" Ross asked.

"You can change into them. It's some clothes that are too big for me." Roy replied. Ross went into another room and changed into the dry clothes before coming back into the living room and sitting next to Roy.

"Thanks." He said to Roy as he smiled a bit.

"You're welcome." Roy replied smiling back. There was a bit of awkward silence before Ross spoke again.

"So... what do you like to do for fun?" He asked softly. Roy's eyes lit up.

"Well I like to do a lot of things! I play video games, I make arts and crafts, and I build pillow forts just to name a few things!" Roy replied excitedly. Ross smiled softly.

"How old are you?" He asked.

"I'm six!" Roy replied.

"I'm seven." Ross said as Roy suddenly looked at him in wonder.

"Woah.. really? That's so cool! What's it like to be seven? Is it cool? Is it better than being six? Does a lot change? Are people nicer to you? Do you get free candy from the candy store?" Roy asked all at once. Ross laughed a little at Roy's excitement.

"Okay. Yes really, I am seven. It's not really that much cooler or better than being six. Not much really changed for me. No, I don't get free candy from the candy store." That one other question struck Ross as strange though. 'Are people nicer to you?' That's something that people their age shouldn't be asking. "Uhm... what do you mean 'are people nicer to you?'" Ross asked Roy.

"I mean do your parents not lock you in the basement anymore? Or hurt you? Push you? Shove you to the ground and hold you there with their foot? Punch and kick you? Y'know, are they nicer since you're older?" Roy asked looking at Ross. Ross' expression suddenly changed.

"Has someone been hurting you?" He asked. Roy nodded in response. Ross suddenly felt very worried for Roy. He hugged him out of instinct as he felt Roy tense up a bit before hugging him back shaking a little. Ross heard him take a shaky breath before sniffling a little. He hugged Ross for a little while longer before pulling away. Ross looked sorry for him. Roy looked as if he wanted to cry, but he didn't.

"You know its okay to cry, right?" Ross questioned. Roy shook his head.

"My family locks me in the basement if I cry." Roy replied softly. Ross looked mad.

"You shouldn't be treated like that. You're family is mean." He stated. Suddenly Roy's mom came down the stairs and glared right at Ross.

"I heard what you said about our family." She stated walking towards Ross. Roy suddenly hugged Ross tightly and Ross hugged back afraid. Roy's mom tried to grab Ross and successfully did so, pulling him away from Roy and dragging him towards the basement. Ross tried yelling for help and was desperately trying to grasp onto anything to stop himself from getting thrown into the basement. He was terrified of being alone and the dark, especially those two put together. Just as he was about to get thrown he saw Roy grabbing onto him, and they got thrown down the basement stairs together before the basement door got closed and locked.

(First part with 922 words! I'm really proud of this and I hope you liked it. I'm already working on the next part so keep an eye out for that. See ya in the next chapter!)