Amused, Abused

Chapter 1: Establishment

I don't want to go to school today. I don't need to go to school today. I'll stay here, in bed. Blankets, pillows and sleep. That'd be nice, wouldn't it?

"Lani! Lani you have to get up! Let me in or I'll start dancing in the corridor again! Lani?"

That's Felix. My best friend, and only friend. He's helped me. He still helps me now. I love him to pieces. Did I mention he's gay? No? Well, he's gay, okay? If you don't like that, deal with it. Our relationship works in two ways. He helps me with my problems and I help him with his.
Did I mention I am severely depressed? No? Well, I am. Whether you care or not, deal with it. When I'm having a bad day, Felix is always there to help me, to comfort me. Whenever he's having a bad day because of someone discriminating against his sexuality, I stand up for him.
I swore to him that if anyone does that to him, if anyone tried to hurt him, I'll beat the crap out of them, whether I'm tired or not. I protect his life at all costs like he does mine. We're two peas in a pod, and completely inseparable.

"Lani, I'll start dancing and you know I will!"

"Ugh fine! Give me a minute, okay?"

"Yay! Lani's awake before 12 pm!"

"Shut up! I'm resting my soul."

"Yeah, yeah. Let me in will you?"

I roll out of bed, wearing shorts and a vest top, showing a lot of skin. The heating in my room is broken so whenever I turn it on, it always gets way too hot. I unlock the door to see my best friend standing there with two boba beverages, a box of chocolate and the box set of 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S' episodes.

"What's all this then?" I say, folding my arms over my abdomen.

"Happy valentines day, Lani! I love you so much!"

He says, bursting into my room. He sets the drinks down with the chocolate and the box set and turns to face me.

"Are you surprised?"

"A little, yes. Remind me why you're doing all this?"

"It's because you're my best friend and I like making you happy! Do I need any other reason?"

"No, no. That's perfectly fine by me, but you do know we have school today, right?"

"What? It's Saturday, what are you on about?"

"Is it? How long did I sleep?"

"You'd sleep for the rest of eternity if you could."

"That is the truest thing you've ever said."

We both sit down on the sofa in the corner of the room, facing each other with beaming smiles on our faces. I see him get a thought of remembrance, as he reaches into his pocket to reveal a box. That box contained a small chain, very dainty, that possessed a charm. That charm was a semicolon.

"The semicolon represents you, choosing to be here today, and many more days to come."

"I hate you, I'm going to cry!"

I begin to produce tears that soon trail down my face, like a salty river of happiness. Felix pulls me into his embrace, holding me close to him, as I cry into him. I love this little bean so much, I don't know what I'd do without him. Let me tell you this. You will NEVER find another best friend who will be the best friend Felix is to me. You can hold me to that, but I speak the truth.

"Are you okay? Do you need more hugs from your favourite person?"

"I think I'm okay now. Felix, you're adorable, you know that? So sweet and caring, and so damn hot all men are out of your league, all swooning around you and your aura of sexy and I'm lucky one to have you as my best friend."

"Babe, I know that already. If you've got it, flaunt it, and honey, I got it." He projects his voice as if to allow all of the guys in my corridor to hear his self confidence, by in all fairness, he has got it.

We laugh in sync with one another, which makes us laugh even more at how hilarious our laughs sound. We're like Bonnie and Clyde, minus all that happened in that film.

"So, shall we commence watching this box set?"

"I believe we shall."

We watched season one and by the time we finished the first season, about 4 hours had passed. Time flies by when you're having fun. Felix had to leave to go to work for his shift at the petrol station. His older brother was his only other family but they didn't speak much. His brother didn't like it that Felix was part of the LGBTQ+ community and didn't support his choice in coming out, so he sort of disowned him, leaving him by himself.
We look after each other the best we can, we really do, but I worry if something might happen to him when I'm not there, how will he cope? He has barely any street smarts plus he has never attended a self defence class, and always skips gym class.
I don't want to see him hurt but what if a terribly disrespectful individual or a group of disrespecting homophobes gang up on him and he can't survive the beating? If they pick on me, I have three options, stand there and take it, run away or fight back with my knowledge of the martial art, Hapkido, but for Felix he has two options only, which are to take the beating, or to run as far as he can.
I don't think I could let myself live on if something was to happen to him. He is my happiness, my only happiness. I wouldn't forgive myself if I failed to protect him like I promised.
I love him, so much. He is my lighthouse when I enter dark times in my life, he's there to guide be back home to him and his embrace so we can figure out why I was cast out to the dangerous ocean of depression, alone in the dark, to only realise I am not alone, I have Felix, and he has me. We're as solid as a rock.