Shortfic for NyxMidnight. <3
Just a lil something I decided to write to help nyxmidnight feel better. <3 Because she rocks.
"Whatcha writing?"
Roland looked up, his grip on the pencil slowly tightening. It was Adil. What was he doing talking to him? Standing over him and...and looking like some kind of monster as he blocked out the sunlight. "N-nothing."
Adil...didn't look mad. He didn't grin or start teasing him, or try to take his pencil or his glasses. "I'm not one of those kids. I hate them. I'm not gonna hurt you." He sat down next to Roland, dangling his legs off the wooden bridge, gazing at the slow-moving stream below them. "I may be big, but I'm not dumb like they are."
He hesitated. Adil was big. One of the tallest in their class. The other one was Greg, but he always had stuff to do after school like soccer practice. "Um...h-how come you're...?"
The other boy looked at him. "...I dunno. It's not right how they pick on you all the time. And they're scared of me. So maybe, if we're friends, they'll leave you alone. Besides..." He frowned, still not angry, just confused maybe? "I feel like I've known you even before I saw you at school."
"Really?" Roland paused. Looking back, it was kind of the same thing for him. Just a feeling of familiarity. Just enough that he hadn't started running when he had heard footsteps on the bridge next to him. Then again...he never really had run from Adil, when everyone else did. His grip on his pencil relaxed.
A long uncomfortable silence passed. Roland finally looked over at Adil, quietly handing his open notebook over. "Here. Don't laugh, okay?"
Adil glanced at the notebook, then at Roland...took it, and began to read.
It was the first time Roland had seen anyone read one of his stories all the way to the end. And he didn't laugh, either.
"Whatcha writing?"
Roland looked up, his grip on the pencil slowly tightening. It was Adil. What was he doing talking to him? Standing over him and...and looking like some kind of monster as he blocked out the sunlight. "N-nothing."
Adil...didn't look mad. He didn't grin or start teasing him, or try to take his pencil or his glasses. "I'm not one of those kids. I hate them. I'm not gonna hurt you." He sat down next to Roland, dangling his legs off the wooden bridge, gazing at the slow-moving stream below them. "I may be big, but I'm not dumb like they are."
He hesitated. Adil was big. One of the tallest in their class. The other one was Greg, but he always had stuff to do after school like soccer practice. "Um...h-how come you're...?"
The other boy looked at him. "...I dunno. It's not right how they pick on you all the time. And they're scared of me. So maybe, if we're friends, they'll leave you alone. Besides..." He frowned, still not angry, just confused maybe? "I feel like I've known you even before I saw you at school."
"Really?" Roland paused. Looking back, it was kind of the same thing for him. Just a feeling of familiarity. Just enough that he hadn't started running when he had heard footsteps on the bridge next to him. Then again...he never really had run from Adil, when everyone else did. His grip on his pencil relaxed.
A long uncomfortable silence passed. Roland finally looked over at Adil, quietly handing his open notebook over. "Here. Don't laugh, okay?"
Adil glanced at the notebook, then at Roland...took it, and began to read.
It was the first time Roland had seen anyone read one of his stories all the way to the end. And he didn't laugh, either.