Friends That Last Embrace Your Differences

Mark Beloved and Ranboo

  "Hey chat! How's everybody doing? We doing good?" Mark said to the people watching them. No one knew who they were, they were considered a faceless streamer, even going by the name 'Ranboo' to hide their identity. Their actual name was Mark Beloved, not that the internet needed to know that. They happily chatted with their fans and played minecraft. They were in survival, trying to build their house while also fending off mobs. They'd crack jokes, make silly noises when they fell or got hurt, and even named some of the animals they collected after some of their fans. After about an hour or two, Mark said their goodbyes to their fans and ended stream.

  They say back in their chair and sadly sighed. I start my second year of college tomorrow... Hopefully it's not as bad as last year... I really don't want to be bullied all year again just because I'm different... They got up and began getting ready for bed. They went to the bathroom and started the shower, letting it get hot before they got in. They stepped in the shower carefully, letting the hot water run over them.

  They were honestly terrified of going back to college tomorrow. It wasn't the college itself that they were terrified of, they loved the classes and projects. It was the bullying and loneliness they were terrified of. People loved to pick on them because they was sensitive and cried easily. They also liked picking on Mark because they were gay, non-binary, and tended to be very quiet no matter the situation.

  Mark started to remember the hell that the other students put them through the year prior. They remembered being called slurs, being taunted, being hit, being shoved, being locked in closets, and countless other things. And the worst thing wasn't even the bullying, it was the fact that they had no friends to help them, or to even just be there for them. They hated the loneliness even more then the bullying, but they couldn't trust anyone. Last time they did, they ended up getting betrayed during their 19th birthday.

  Mark began to tear up and breathing fast. They hated having panic attacks over those people, they hated being sensitive, they hated being alone. But they knew they couldn't do anything. At least not as Mark. If they were Ranboo then they wouldn't have to worry about all this. But they didn't want to reveal who they were online just for people to stop bullying them and be their friend. They sat down on the ground, knees up to their chest. They sat there, sobbing and panicking, worried about the next day.

  After about 15 minutes, they calmed down enough to finish their shower. Once they got out, they brushed their teeth, put on pajamas, and laid down in the bed. They snuggled into the sheets, trying not to think about the next day. They soon started to drift off to sleep.

  Tomorrow is the start of a new year...

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