Big mood boys
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"Leave me alone..." I murmured, the circle of people around me tightening. Everyone laughed at my nervousness, laughing and calling me different names.
"Freak show!"
"Whore!"
"Bitch!"
The words that once hurt so bad merely buzzed around me, barely even affecting me. After hearing them so many times, I grew to be numb to them. I felt someone grab onto the back of my shirt, yanking me towards them. I didn't even flinch as I was pushed into the locker, as it had become a daily occurrence.
Though I wasn't sure why, everyone decided to take out their anger on me. I suppose that made me the Ultimate punching bag. I merely endured the daily name calling and physical attacks with hopes that it'll all eventually blow over. Frankly, it had only gotten worse. Every night, I couldn't help but feel like it was all entirely my fault.
"What is the meaning of this?!" A loud voice shouted, causing the group of students surrounding me to flee in terror. Eventually, I was alone in the hallway, and I slumped to sit down on the floor. After a few moments, I was startled by someone extending a hand out in front of me.
"Huh?" I gasped, looking up in front of me. A pale, silver haired boy loomed over me, a tiny frown on his face. I gingerly took his hand, him pulling me up to my feet with immense strength.
"Are you hurt?" He asked me calmly, sizing me up. I nodded wordlessly, though the boy didn't seem to buy it. He began to pull me down the hallway, his hand cold and tightly wrapped around mine.
"woah! Wait a minute! Where are you taking me?!" I yelled, stumbling behind him. "I barely even know who you are!"
He looked back at me with a tiny smile. "I'm Kiibo. I'm taking you out of here."
"What kind of a name is that?!" I exclaimed.
"The name of a high tech robot such as myself," he replied calmly. We were suddenly in the courtyard, making our way out of the school. Despite it being the middle of the day, I was perfectly content with leaving right in that moment. We continued down the street, him only letting go of me when we reached the nearby park. I shook my hand out as he stared at me with a triumphant grin.
"We just up and left school," I muttered, staring at my bruised hand. "Though, I can't complain about it. I'm glad to get out of there."
"I am a new student, though I did not like seeing you upset like that," the robot sighed sadly. "I want to talk to you. To make sure you are alright."
"I'm fine, really," I assured him. "It's nothing that I'm not used to."
"Really? Is this a normal occurrence?" He asked in disbelief. I nodded solemnly, unsure of how exactly to respond to him.
"I... I suppose I'm used to it now," I explained. "Though I was really surprised when you came to my rescue. Thank you. Pretty soon, you're going to join them, though."
"Hm? What do you mean? I don't understand."
"Everyone who is nice to me eventually turns on me," I stated sadly, plopping down on the nearby bench. "It's just the way it is. I can't do anything to change it..."
"I do not want to turn on you," Kiibo replied sadly.
"Well, that's what they all say," I remarked darkly. "You can say that all you want, I don't think I'll ever believe it again."
"Well... how can I change your mind?" He asked, the smallest smile on his pale face. I stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief, desperately trying to string together some sort of response.
"...You can't."
"Don't be so stubborn," he pleaded. "I think we will get along just fine, you know."
"Well... just talk to me," I sighed. "Like I'm a human. That's all I really want, truth be told."
"I can do that," the robot nodded. "Just start talking. I'm here to listen."
I began to talk to the robot, explaining all of my troubles and how the bullying started. He listened intently, asking me questions when he was confused. Despite the difficulty I usually had discussing these situations, I felt like I could go on about them forever.
"(Y/n)..." kiibo murmured, his eyes blankly staring into mine. Suddenly, I felt his hand grip onto mine, a much gentler and warmer grip than that of before. I felt my face tingle at his action, though I tried to act as calm as possible. "I'm here for you, alright? I want you to get better."
"Th-thank y-you..." I stammered, though I had begun to quiver slightly. It was a nervous habit of mine, as it happened whenever anyone came close to me. Most people found it weird, but kiibo remained unfazed.
"You don't need to talk me," he reassured me.
I suddenly felt tears form at the corners of my eyes, falling and stinging my cheeks. I realized that I had just told him everything, not sparing a single detail, and he didn't judge me. Most people found a way to place the blame on me, but he didn't.
"Do you want me to hug you?" He asked soothingly, tilting his head to the side. I hiccuped and nodded, wrapping my arms around the robot. He gingerly hugged me back, his grip warm despite being a robot.
"You don't have to cry anymore," kiibo reassured me. "I'm here. I'll never leave you alone again."
