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Description
It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. If you can't defend yourself, you're guaranteed to get eaten. I always 'fend for myself. I don't get too close to people, that way no one can hurt me. Se, in that sense, I have no friends and don't want any. I would never jump in front of a bullet for someone.
My name's Brandon. I'm sixteen and go to Stanford High School. I'm no special and my school's no special. It has your typical cliques: jocks, nerds, the cheerleading squad and your popular kids. There are these two bullies that act like they own the place. One is Garret. He has purple, spiky hair in a Mohawk, ears pierced, and always wears ripped jeans. The other one, Reggie, is always in his signature leather jacket, pants, and sunglasses with enough gel in his hair to fill a wading pool. They're friends with all the popular kids and jocks and have dated everyone in the cheerleading squad. They bully everyone else simply because they can and it gives them a few laughs. There is one kid in particular that hey especially like to pick on. His name is James. They tease him by doing the extreme versions of what they do to other people. They leave banana peels in the halls for him to trip on, stuff him into lockers for whole periods, and find any other opportunity they can to make fun of him. They call him a vampire because he always wears red and black clothes that make him look a little like Dracula. Of course, they always choose to compare him to Twilight vampires rather than the cool ones.
James is the most unpopular kid in school. He has no friends and, because of the reputation given to him, no one goes near him. He sits alone in class with the only person talking to him being the teacher. When he gets an answer right, though, which he usually does, everyone gossips about him, calling him a nerd, so he just shies away when the teacher asks a question.
Today the bullies were being exceptionally mean to James. It was just before school. Garret took James's backpack while Reggie stuffed him in a random locker. I just looked and kept walking. Like I said, I gotta look after number one. I turned my head to where I was going and bumped into someone. I didn't even care to look at the person I just bumped into and rudely said "Excuse me" to her. She stood her ground and looked me straight in the eye. It had a weird spell to it. It kept me from moving and forced me to look at her. She looked kind of foreign. Her eyes look smaller than normal and she wore thick eye shadow. Her hair looked like she came out of a wind tunnel, bit it looked deliberate and controlled. She wore a white undershirt with a green jacket that looked like it fitted her. She also had a white skirt on that had a single pink stripe around the waist and white shoes to match. She stood there and glared at me with arms crossed.
"Aren't you going to help him?" she asked.
"Why would I do that?" I countered, "It's not my problem."
"You feel sorry for him."
"No way. How could you think that? I don't even know you."
"You could say it's a sixth sense of mine when it comes to emotions."
"I'm still not going to help him."
"Fine. But I would pay a little more attention to that boy from now on."
She walked past me with the same glare she'd been wearing. The bell rang for class and the halls were almost immediately empty. I walked over to the locker James was in and listened for the tumblers in the lock to click as I turned the knob. When it unlocked I walked up the stairs next to me and headed for class.

I have one class with James, so when fourth period rolled around I looked for him. He wasn't there. I shook my head. "Why am I worrying about him?" I thought to myself. I don't care whether or not he's in class. But as I sat down and looked out the window, my mind wouldn't let me focus on anything but him.

The school bell rang and I bumped into that girl again in front of my classroom door. She wore that glare again, but this time it looked like she was saying "I told you so."
"I don't really feel like talking to you." I said to her before she said anything to me.
"I know." She said with a smirk. "You want to stop by that boy's house."
"Leave me alone you creeper. How do you know where to find me anyway?"
"Call that my seventh sense."
"Your becoming increasingly annoying. I'm not going to visit him. Besides, I don't know where he lives."
"If you say so."
I walked away from her before she really drove me insane. That was a lie, though. I do know where James lives. In fact, we live on the same street. So instead of turning left to go home, I turned right and went a few houses down. I stopped and turned to his house across the street. I looked through the second story window and saw someone with a gun in his hand. When I realized the person was James I grew terrified. I grabbed a rock and threw it at his window as he put the barrel to his head. The rock cracked the glass and caught his attention before he pulled the trigger. He turned around quickly to see me waving my arms. I ran to his door and knocked. I waited a couple minutes before he opened the door. He opened it just a crack, enough for me to see one eye, red with dry tear tracks under it. His voice quivered as he asked "Yes?"
"Hey." I said with a slightly awkward smile, "Mind if I come in and talk with you?"
He starred at me, his eye giving away his surprise. He thought over what to do and after about another minute opened the door fully and said "Come in."
I walked in and he led me to the living room and sat me down on the couch next to the coffee table. He walked over to the fridge. "D-do you want anything to drink? Or eat?" He asked between sniffles.
"I'll have water."
He got me a glass of water and sat across from me on a chair.
I thought about how to start. Should I start with the weather? How he's doing? No, that wouldn't be good. Before I could say anything, James said sort of depressingly, "You may as well ask."
I looked at him and asked, "What the hell were you thinking?"
"No one loves me in this world." James said.
"Aww, come on." I said with disbelief. "There's got to be someone."
"Nope. No one."
"Parents?"
"They're always working or away. I basically live alone."
"Siblings?"
"I'm an only child."
"Friends?"
"You already know the answer to that one."
He began to get teary-eyed again. "What's the point of living if there's no one to live for?!" He started crying, moistening his nearly-dry tear tracks. I stared at him with awkward silence. I drew in a breath and opened my mouth before I could stop myself.
"Then I'll be someone for you to live for. I'll be your friend."
James looked at me with shock once again. If surprise could take years away, I swear he would have grey hairs just from today. We starred at each other for a while, never changing faces. "Well, I guess I should be going." I said as I stood up. "See ya later." I walked out and headed home.

The next day was Friday. Reggie and Garret were at Reggie's locker again, picking on James. I walked a little closer to listen to what Reggie was saying to James.
"Ya know, Edward, I'm a little hungry. How's about you give me money for lunch? I'm kinda broke."
"I don't have money." said James.
"No money?" asked Reggie confused, "Then get some!"
I got behind them so they couldn't see me. They had James cornered.
"How can I?" If I don't have money I don't have money!"
"Listen you!" Reggie stepped forward towards James. I stuck my foot out and tripped him. Reggie fell face-first on the floor and Garret jumped back instinctively. He turned to me and was getting ready to punch me. I grabbed James and ran for the cafeteria. We got mixed up in the crowd and found an empty table in the corner. We sat down and caught our breath. We starred at each other and burst out laughing.
"That was amazing!" said James happily. "Thanks."
"No problem." I said back. "I'll get you some food."
I got up and got us chicken nuggets and fries. We sat and talked the whole lunch period. We learned a lot about each other. I learned that he was a B student, that his favorite soda was Sprite, and that his favorite sport was baseball and that he played a little. I told him to try out for the school team and that today was the last day. After a little bit, he agreed to do it, but I had to come and watch. I told him I'd be there.
We walked home after try outs.

Monday, on my way to school, I didn't see James. I didn't think too much about it. I started to remember my weekend. James and I went to the mall, saw a movie, and, on Sunday, practiced some baseball. "This kid ain't so bad." I said a loud. When I got to school, my smile quickly changed to horror. There was a crowd in front of the school. I pushed my way in and say James tied to the top of the flagpole. I turned to the crowd in astonishment. "Aren't you going to help him?!" I rolled my eyes at them and got James down and cut the rope binding him with my pocket knife. I felt for a pulse and checked for breathing. His breathing was very faint and his pulse weak. "Someone call an ambulance. NOW!!!" Some got out their cell phones and dialed 911. I tried to bring James to consciousness, but to no avail. The ambulance came and picked up James. That whole day I couldn't stop thinking about James. I had a good idea who might have done it. At lunch I looked for Reggie and Garret at their usual table. I walked straight to Reggie and grabbed him by the collar.
"Are you responsible for what happened to James?!" I spat in his face.
"What's it to you?" he smirked back, "It's not like you care."
"Boss," Garret started, "he's the one that tripped you!"
"So you've been his little protector." smiled Reggie. "Then I suppose I could tell you. Yes, me and Garret tied him to that pole, but only 'cause he deserved it."
"What could he have possible done to deserve that?!" I demanded to know.
"Don't you see this lump on my jaw? He also gave me a black eye and broke my shades! Good thing I had a spare."
"He was barely breathing when I got him down! You could have killed him!"
"So? I'd heard he already tried committing suicide, so I'm just helping him, giving him what he wants."
I couldn't take it anymore. I pulled back and punched Reggie so hard I thought I felt a bone break. Reggie fell to the floor hard and before I could get Garret the teachers were on all of us.
We were taken to the principal's office and, of course, Reggie and Garret were found the picture of innocence. I, however, was expelled not only for starting a fight, but for breaking Reggie's jaw. It was still early in the day, so I decided to visit James in the hospital.
The clerk there told me that James was awake and was allowed visitors. She told me the room number and I walked in as he was finishing a bowl of green Jell-o. He waved at me and I sat down in a chair next to his bed.
"How you feeling?" I asked concerned.
"Tons better." He replied with a relieved smile. "They said I can leave in another hour or so. They just have to do one last check-up."
"That's great." I hesitated a bit before asking, "So, how did it happen?"
"Well, when we walked home yesterday, those two grabbed me and took me to the school. I fought back a bit but they eventually knocked me out. The next time I woke up I'm in here, head pounding and starving."
"I heard you fought back. Even gave Reggie a black eye. That takes guts. You have my respect." I laughed.
"Thanks. What happened today in school?"
"Well, I….talked with Garret and Reggie and gave them my own thoughts on the matter. Got sent to the principal's office and I got expelled while those two got off free for being victims of the fight."
"That's not right." James said with a blank face. "They're the cause of all of this in the first place." He paused for a couple of seconds and said, "Come to school tomorrow. We'll walk there together and we'll sort this out." We talked for a while longer and then I had to head home. I walked out the hospital door and saw that girl again. This time, her face was kind and she had her hands in her pockets. She smiled at me for a while and turned around. That smile said everything she was about to say. Before she walked away, she said, "You'll probably never see me again, so I guess I should tell you my name. It's Shizu." She walked off around the corner.
I never did see her again.