Chapitre Deux

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The next afternoon, when the class just ended, I had to go to the Youth Union office to do some tasks. When I left, the schoolyard was very empty, and my hungry stomach urged me to take my bike quickly to go home. As I was riding my bicycle through the school gate, I suddenly saw Mer: the boy I had known yesterday was standing there and wandering like waiting for someone. An ineffable wave of emotions suddenly rose inside my mind, which confused me. Having managed to look away, I hastily rode my bicycle past Mer. All of a sudden, I heard a girl calling me: "Hey dear!"

"Which girl's voice is that gentle? Why is it so sweet?" I thought.


I squeezed the brakes of my bike right away and was surprised to realize that it was Mer's voice. His eyes were no longer dark and cold like yesterday, there were drops of afternoon sunlight dancing playfully instead. The strange feeling from a few seconds ago returned and bewildered me again.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Actually..." Mer hesitated, "I just want to thank you for helping me yesterday morning..."
"Thanks for what?" I was surprised, then understood and giggled, "Ah! That was... nothing!"
"It may be just a little thing that is not worth mentioning to you, but it's very important to me!" Mer nodded, then softly said: "Because since my childhood, you have been the only one not to let others make fun of me by calling me 'pédé'!"


I had a feeling that it was very difficult for him to utter the word "pédé". Pain and sadness suddenly appeared in my heart when I heard that sentence. I wasn't who to be thanked. I was the one who needed to apologize because I also had laughed at him with my friends yesterday. The two of us just stood there for a long time without talking to each other. Finally, I hesitantly suggested: "I'll take you home!"

"Don't... You don't need to do it! It will bother you..."
"It's nothing! Get on the bike, kid! It's getting dark."

His voice seemed to be lower and more hesitant. Mer's eyes showed that he had something to say, but they were held back. The unspoken words disappeared with a somewhat unstable breath.



 "Is he having a problem that he wants to tell me but doesn't dare to say?" I wanted to ask him. However, when I looked at that face, after thinking thoroughly, I quit that thought and moved on to another topic.


On that day, I took him home - a home that gave me incredible warmth.


Since that day, we had been much closer. My life so far seemed to be perfect as I had my family, friends, basketball, and a part-time job, but it always seemed to be missing something indefinable. Mer came and fulfilled that void in me. We rarely met at school but texted each other every night. We discussed everything between heaven and earth! Mer usually had traumatic experiences and often confided in me. I gradually realized that he was a very sensitive person. Being physically weak from a young age, Mer did not like to take part in sports. Moreover, as he specialized in Literature, his only passion was reading books. He hid in the pages of the books to escape from a life full of melancholy and fled to the land of imagination and dreams.

 He hid in the pages of the books to escape from a life full of melancholy and fled to the land of imagination and dreams

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