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Plat left his room early the next day, eager to get to school and talk with his friends about his progress.  Leaving the stairs, he entered the garden and almost ran smack dab into Sarah.  Startled, he froze and moved back out of her personal space.

"Um, uh, her Sarah. What are you doing here this early?"

Sarah smiled at him ("Was that a hint of a blush?" He thought) and said, "Good morning Platinum, sorry I didn't expect you to shoot out of there so quickly."

He cocked his head a little, "Were you waiting for me?"

"No, I always make it a habit to come out and appreciate the garden before going to school, its kind of my morning routine."  She confessed to him, looking at her feet in embarrassment.

"Oh, uh, neat." He stumbled with his words, "I guess flowers are nice to look at."

She raised a delicate eyebrow at him, "Do you not like flowers?" She asked evenly.

He shook his head, "No, I love walking through them when I head down to my room.  Their so pretty, rising from a little seed to grow into beauties that stretch toward the sun."  He gazed at some tulips, "They even listen to my thoughts and don't comment on them."

Sarah's nodded her head quickly, "I totally agree, flowers are great listeners.  I don't know how many times I've just come out here to let my heart out, and they just listen.  It's nice to have someone to talk to that doesn't try to judge you for your thoughts and actions."

Plat nodded, "Yeah, flowers don't judge."

They gazed at the flowers for a while, taking in the sights and smells..  A wind suddenly blew through the garden, sending a flower up into the air.  Plat ran up to it and caught it before it hit the ground.  He looked down at it.

It was a beautiful golden red marigold, glowing softly in the morning sun.  He gazed down at it, and then returned to Sarah to show it to her.

She gasped, "Oh how pretty!  I feel sorry for it though, for now it'll wilt and die."  Her sad face gazed down at it.

"Perhaps." Plat said slowly, "But it should be appreciated for what it is and remembered for what it was."

Sarah grinned at him, "Huh, words of wisdom from the maintenance boy, who'd ever thought." She said with a teasing edge to her voice.  She grabbed the flower out of his hand, and ran to the garden exit.  Turning around, she shouted, "That was fun, see you at school."  She disappeared, leaving behind a confused boy and a hint of her smell, wisping on the wind.

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The walk to school was the same as yesterday, albeit without seeing Hank or his teasing ways.  The school day had also gone well, and Plat sat himself down at the table with his meal as he waited for his friends.  Strangely enough, he didn't see them the entire lunch period, which was odd as Hank had been in the classroom with him, but he had seemed distracted by something.  Still, Plat didn't think anything of it as he packed his bag and left the academy.  

The sun was starting to set when school finished, and Plat was eager to return to Everlife and continue playing.  As he headed out the main gate, he saw Hank standing at the entrance, Dia standing next to him.  They seemed to be in an argument, and as Plat approached, Dia left in a huff.  Hank turned toward him with a smile.

"Yo Plat, what's hanging?"

Plat raised an eyebrow at him, "I don't know, where have you been all day, and why were you arguing with Dia?"

Hank sighed and waved hi hand back and forth, "We had a disagreement about some faction stuff, you know the usual."  Plat nodded, that did make sense.  Hank continues, "Anyways, how about you and me swing by the game-torium for some late night snacks."

"Are you crazy?  It's a school night and I want to play Everlife some more."  Plat said incredulously

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"It's fine, it's fine man.  I heard a rumor that a new android was working the food area.  I really need a wing-man, come on please."  Hank pleaded with his hands crossed.

"(Sigh) Okay okay, but just a glimpse and back to the dorms for fun."  Plat glared at Hank for agreement.

He put his hands up, "I promise man, you will not regret this, lets go."

The two of them walked together in the direction of the game-torium.  It was a good ten minute walk from the academy, but when they arrived the lights were out and no one was around.  Plat looked around.

"Sorry Hank, I don't think we'll get to see your girl tonight.  Chin up, maybe she'll be here on the weekend."  Plat turned to leave, but Hank grabbed his arm.  He looked over at his friend, but Hank had a stone face and was staring straight ahead.

"Hank, buddy, whats wrong?"

Hank sighed, still not turning to look at Plat, "I warned you didn't I?  I really tried Plat, but you just didn't listen."

Worry starting to grow in his chest, Plat tugged at his arm, but Hank had a tight hold on it.  "Bro, what's going on, your starting to freak me out."

Hank's head snapped over to look at him and he glared at Plat.  "Don't call me that, I'm not your bro."  He pushed Plat onto the ground.  Plat handed on his side, a dull ache coming into his arm.  Around the two, shapes started coming out of the shadows, wearing black masks and holding clubs.

"Hank, what's going on?" Plat cried out, real fear growing at all the masked men growing close to him.

"Plat, bro" Hank said sarcastically, "You seem to have forgot you place in this word.  You are not strong, smart, or humble.  You have no reason to look at any girl above your station, and you have crossed the line for the last time."

Plat looked up at his former friend with pleading eyes, "But why Hank, why?"

Hank chuckled, his form starting to disappear into the growing shadows, "I was never your friend, Splat."  He sneered down at him, "This was my test to raise my Mind ranking, getting close to you and keeping my eye on your activities.  Not only did you send Sarah Brighteyes an inappropriate message, you even hung out with her this morning.  That's a big no-no."  Hank shook his finger at Plat, "We have eyewitness statements from her friends who saw the message and your "incursion", so don't try to talk your way out of it."

"So I'm just suppose to let you guys tell me what to do!" Plat's fear being smothered by growing rage, "I can fight for anything I want, you can't stop me!"

Hank shrugged, "Your right, you can do whatever you want, that's your prerogative, but you see," He stomped his foot onto Plat's head, "You can't fight back when you're broken."

He signaled, and the black masks closed in with their clubs and knives.

They beat every inch of his body that they could reach, mostly with their clubs. The knives they used to carve words into his skin, "loser" and"worthless" and the like. They laughed at him, spit on him, told him how weak he was and would always be. Hank whispered into his ear that Reva had been to friend of Sarah's who told him, that she betrayed him for a boost in her ranking as well. He whispered how Dia had been to stubborn to join in, how he had to be "silenced" so the adults wouldn't know. He laughed at Plat making fun of all the dreams he had shared with him.

When they left, Plat lay broken on the sidewalk, the dying sun reflected in his eyes. Tear poured from him, the sense of loss and betrayal so great. The thought that Dia had tried to protect him, and had paid for it. The thought that he had never had the friends he thought he had. The fairness of the situation, and he cursed himself. He cursed the world, he cursed Hank and Reva, and he cursed himself. His weakness had done this, he was nothing, he was weak.

His last thoughts were of the curses he thought to himself, darkness finally claiming his vision, and his thoughts.