[Hazu]

"Hey! Wait up!"

Panting, and legs aching from pedaling his bike on the rough road, the Boy ran up beside the Girl, who remained unturning. He dismounted the bike and walked next to her.

"You're new at school, right?"

Simply nodding, the girl remained straightfaced, with a look of distaste in her eyes. Trying to ignore it, the boy looked up at the sky.

"That's nice... my house is pretty far out of the way, so no one else ever really there to talk to..." Sighing, he continued "Not that they would anyway. It's nice out here, though. The city's too loud... too crowded. You cant think. But out here..." he gazed out at the field of flowers, and there was no need to finish the sentence.

"I think i'd prefer to walk alone," The girl replied coldly.

Dejectedly, the boy sighed. "Oh... i see... Well, can i just walk up to the lake with you?"

Apparently annoyed, the girl glared at the ground and begrudgingly agreed.

The boy looked the other way. "You know... this is like a sanctuary for me, in a way." Glancing at the large, painful bruise on his arm, he tried to recall if it was from home or school. "A place where no one can hurt me. Where the world is--" he cut his sentence short, suprised to see the girl looking at him in a curious, interested manner. "Keep going... im listening."

He winced, slightly embarassed. "Where the world is right. Where i dont have to worry about anything. Sometimes i just wish the walk down this road never ended."

The girl had some strange mix of pain and understanding in her eyes. "I see..."

They reached the lake. He sat down by the clear, translucent water, and dipped his feet in. She followed, and stared downwards, past its soft, sandy banks.

"You know... you could walk the rest of the way with me today, if you'd like." The boy looked over at her, shocked. "A-Are you sure?" She gave him a smile and took his hand in hers. "Yes. And... maybe tomorrow too... and perhaps we could hang out in school? I think you have a few classes with me..." They stared into each others eyes, and the boy nodded, smiling for the first time he could remember.

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