Different

I enter the school gate walking with my best friend, Aspen, whilst texting one of my other friends, Ryouta as I normally would on a Monday

from: April
subject: Hey where r u?

thought we were meeting at the gate

from: Ryouta
subject: re: Hey where r u?

sorry, I'm sick again

I sigh deeply. He always says he's sick when someone's beat him up really bad. As I walk towards the classroom doors I turn to Aspen. 'Hey, I forgot I had to look after my sister while she was sick, can you tell the teacher I'm sick today?' I lie. 'Again? That's like the fourth time in the last two weeks, is your sister okay?' She asks, her green eyes clouded with worry. 'Yeah, her immune system's just been giving up a lot recently. After all, it is winter.' I lie again. 'Sure, just hurry up before the teacher gets here.' Now it's Aspen's turn to sigh. I quickly apologize and dash over to Ryouta's house. I knock on the door and Ryouta's mum quickly answers. 'I've been expecting you.' She says as we exchange sad smiles. This happens every single time. Whenever Ryouta is 'sick' I always go to his house to talk about what happens and try to make him feel better, so his mum is used to it by now. I make my way up to his room and cautiously open the door to find him crying. I quickly rush to his side, he's never cry when I arrive, only when we talk about it. I take a better look at his crying form and gasp. This is bad, worse than normal. Instead of just a few bruises on his face, his left arm was broken and a few of his fingers were injured. He had a black eye- worse than usual I noticed- a patch of hair was missing on the right side of his head, replaced with blood. To finish it off, he also had a swollen lip. 'W-who d-did this?' I stutter, my voice filled with sorrow and anger. Why wasn't I there? 'I-I can't say, I-I'll get in trouble when they find out...' he said, scared, tears still pouring. 'I can't help you if you don't tell me, besides this time, whoever did this has gone way too far!' I said raising my voice lately. I get he's scared and all, but he has to tell someone, or they'll just do it again! 'I-it's fine, they didn't injure my drawing arm, and I only needed to be in hospital to get a cast on my ar-' IT'S NOT ABOUT HOW BAD IT COULD HAVE BEEN! IT'S ABOUT HOW BAD IT IS!' I cut him off. This can't be one of the normal bullies- they don't go this far and definitely aren't strong enough to do this. I thought to myself. 'I-I'll tell you some other time...' he says in a quieter tone. 'I'm sorry for raising my voice at you, I'm just angry at the person who hurt you. You need to try be more assertive and stand up for yourself you know?' I sigh. He only nods in response. 'Why don't we draw? I brought my MP3 player, so you can listen to some VOCALOID if you want.' The moment I mentioned drawing and VOCALOID, his face lit up like a Christmas tree.


'I'm getting worried about Ryouta. I get that no-one else likes him, but they shouldn't hurt him because he's different.' I say to Aspen. 'Don't worry about him, if it's really that bad, he should move schools, right? He obviously just doesn't belong here. I honestly couldn't care less if Ryouta's hurt or not.' She bluntly stated. This isn't like Aspen, she usually keeps mean statements to herself. I'm so angry at her for saying something like that, I'm not even going to speak back to her. I briskly walk back to class, waiting for break to end.

As I enter the classroom I hear snickering butthink nothing of it, someone must have cracked a funny joke. I walk to my deskat the back row, right next to Ryouta's desk, right next to the window. I turnmy head to Ryouta's desk and my eyes widen with shock. There are messagesscratched into it and all of his textbooks a ripped to shreds. I read some ofthe messages;

Loser, no-one likes you

Kill yourself
Why are you still here, freak?


As I read a few more, I quickly remember that He's coming back tomorrow. I needto think, if he sees this, he might actually kill himself! I know, I'll switchdesks! I won't until super early tomorrow morning though, so no-one has thechance to swap them back.


I run to the school. I have to be quick so I can swap the desks before he cansee! Although, he'll have deal with no books, I'll just lend him mine. I runinto class, not caring if I get into trouble. Luckily, the teacher left for thestaffroom and no-one else is in the class. I quickly swap the desks and sitdown at my now wrecked one. Now I'll text him so he doesn't wait at the gatefor me the whole time.
from:April
subject: class instead

Hi, just want you to know, I'll meet you in class instead of at the gate fromnow on


from: Ryouta
subject: re: class instead

ok, why?


from: April
subject: re: re: class instead

never mind that, just meet me at class instead



I sigh, today's going to be a long day...


Ryouta walks in and I give him a sad smile. 'Hey, that cast of yours lookspretty boring. Can I sign it?' I ask, trying to avoid a sad conversation aboutdesks. 'Sure!' He says happily. I finish signing it when I notice his eyestrailing towards my desk. His eyes widened, just like mine had when I first sawit. 'What happened? Why did someone wright that on your desk... hold on, did youswitch them?' He said, his happy tone long gone and replaced once again by hisusual, sad tone. I can't tell him the truth, I would have switched desks for noreason! 'No, it's definitely my desk. I guess people just don't like meeither.' I laugh nervously. Both fortunately and unfortunately, he bought it.'People don't like you...' he trails off. Uh oh, I think I know where this isgoing. '...because of me...' He starts to run off but I grab his wrist just intime. 'I don't care if it's because of you, I'll still be your friend. I'll alwaysbe your friend.' I give him a genuine smile which he reluctantly returned.'I'll be back, I just need to call my mum. I'm going to tell her who beat me upso you don't get in trouble!' He said cheerfully. 'That's a great idea!' Mysmile grows even wider.

Aspen furiously opens the door. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Ithought. 'WHY IS RYOUTA HAPPY?!' She shouts. Oh. She immediately looks at me.'IT WAS YOU, WASN'T IT?!' she walked- almost ran- over to me. 'YOU SWITCHED THEDESKS, YOU BRAT! HE SHOULD BE CRYING RIGHT NOW, ABOUT TO LEAVE THIS SCHOOL FORGOOD!' She shouted to my face. Realisation hit me. 'You're the one who beat himup and did this to his desk, aren't you?' I almost whispered, my tone full ofshock. My best friend- a girl who I thought was sweet and kind to almosteveryone, who wouldn't hurt a fly, who knows Ryouta is one of my good friends-did this? 'Yes, I was the one who did this. Took you long enough to realise.'She spat. 'But... I don't get it. Why would youof all people do this?' I said. 'Because like every normal person, I don't like him. He's so different.' I can'tbelieve this. 'At first, I didn't want everyone else but me to shun you becauseyou hang out with that filth.' Isthis the same Aspen I know? 'However, If you're going to go to such an extentjust to protect him from everyone, I guess that doesn't matter anymore.' Howcould she do this? Suddenly, I felt a burning pain in my stomach. Did she just...kick me? There it is again... and again... and again.
'So, how does it feel to be different?' As she said that Ryouta showed up atthe doorway, a smile still gracing his lips. That is, until he saw Aspen and I.She turned around to see Ryouta then back at me. She then kicks me repeatedlywhile smirking, right in front of Ryouta. No, not in front of him. Aspen turnsback around to Ryouta. 'See what you've done, Ryouta? This is...' No. 'All...'Stop. 'Your...' Please. 'Fault.' After she said that, it wasas if everything was playing in slow motion. Ryouta hung his head low as he andAspen walked towards each other. When they were about a meter apart, Aspenchuckled and said. 'What are you going todo abou- *cough*' She was cut off as Ryouta punched her in the gut. 'I get you picking on me, but turning on yourown friend. That's pitiful. If this is what normal people are like, then I'mglad I'm different.' He said in a low tone. He swiftly took my wrist anddragged me to the office, grabbed two copies of something and dragged me to hishouse.

'What are these?' I ask, feeling a little better, especially after the fact theRyouta stood up to Aspen- even if he should've just called a teacher and notpunched her... 'Oh, right. They're sheets to transfer schools. I should've askedif you wanted to though, sorry.' He said, scratching the back of his neck.'After all of this drama, I'd be more than happy to move schools!' I smile andstart to laugh nervously. 'You know what?' Ryouta started. I smiled even more,knowing what he was going to say.



'I'm glad I'm different.' We say in unison.