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Mari's POV
My eyes were glued in place, even though my brain was screaming at me to just look away I still couldn't. I didn't hate him, rather I feared him. Even if we were just kids those casual mockings he would give me hurt, deeply. So when he stopped out of nowhere I couldn't feel happy. Was he
planning something? Did he get bored of me? Was he gonna go back to how he used to be? It was all unknown when it came to him, it wasn't like I could just go up to him and ask either so I was left with the questions on my own. Ria had tried to give me comfort by saying that she'd beat him up if he hurt me in any way, which while I appreciated, would only of made things worse for me so it was a definite no. Back to the point, the mystery he was made me fear what the future could be when it came to him and made me not want to go near him.
Even if we were in the same class I'd just avoid him any way I could. We had different social circles and never sat near each other, I made sure of that, so for me to have blundered this badly and accidentally sat next to him of all people nearly brought me to tears. Crying infront of him would get
me killed! Well emotionally. What if his interest would come back after seeing me cry and he'd go back to bullying me? There were no answers and only questions so to save myself I kept my face down the whole lesson.
Somehow the lesson ended without me dying from shock, he never once looked my way nor said anything. He didn't bother me in any way. He could've actually not realized that I was next to him, but I wasn't gonna complain about something like that.
Someone placed their hands on my shoulders and forcefully turned me around to face them. I immediately knew who it was just from their firm grip.
Ria, my best friend who always tried to support me in anyway she could and accepted my meek personality instead of scorning me for it. "Stop clutching on my shoulders like that, you're gonna kill me." I said with a light chuckle. She kept her grip firm and actually tightened it a bit. "You're staying with me after school today, okay?" Her smile was bright and nearly as blinding as the sun but I wasn't gonna get her light blind me into doing something stupid. My eyebrow raised as I eyed her closely, "why?" I didn't even bother to lift my arms to get her hands of my shoulders, my strength was nowhere near hers. "What's with that look? It's not like I'm gonna make you vandalize the school with me." "Then what is it?" My head cocked to the side. She let out a loud grunt that made the people around us turn their
heads with displeasured expressions. Their looks, while short, did get under my skin but Ria didn't even seem to have noticed.
"My math homework, help me out with it damn." "Just gonna demand me like that. huh?" "Yup." I couldn't help but let out a laugh, "Sure. I don't have anything to do after school anyways. But nevermind." The sweet smile left and a questioning expression appeared on her face instead. "What?" "It's nothing. I forgot, by the way can you let go of my shoulders already?" I said with a stern voice but there was a clear smile that crept up on my lips. Ria lifted her arms in defeat and scoffed, "Sure, sure. No need to nag." We laughed together as we walked up to the second floor together. I'd nearly made a mistake. I was gonna ask her why we couldn't study at her house but then realized that her home is a subject that shouldn't be mentioned. I didn't really know what was going on in that place but she'd always evade talking about it whenever I brought it up, so I just kinda realized to leave the
subject alone. But I would sometimes wonder what it was she was keeping
hidden.
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