Since I'm a good student, I was let off without many consequences after skipping last period. After I went home, I had a lot of thinking to do.

Was Billy being honest with me? Why would he be so nice all of a sudden? Let's go back to our conversation after I left the bathroom stall.

"W-why are you d-doing this?" Don't get me wrong, I'm still scared as shit. While he might be silly and all nice, trying to cheer me up right now, I still don't trust him.

"I dunno. I guess I feel... responsible... I've... changed..."

"O-kay..."

"But that doesn't mean we're friends, is that clear?"

"..."

Of course, he wouldn't want to be my friend. Why would anyone want to be my friend? I'm just a lonely nerd.

After reflecting on the events today, I got tired. This was too much. Too much was happening in a short amount of time. Maybe Billy is not as bad as I thought. At least not anymore. I can only assume his change in behavior is after what happened that night in the park. What he... confessed to me.

He said it himself – he's never had anyone to talk to about this stuff. I mean the guy didn't even know what a hug was. Technically, that wasn't even a hug; it was cuddling. It felt nice nonetheless. I guess I wouldn't mind teaching him what a hug is either.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

I'm glad that night happened because maybe if it wasn't for it, he'd still be picking on me. I'd rather have him lie on my stomach than punch it. The bruises that he gave me days prior are still there and hurt a bit to the touch. He actually brushed one of them while we were cuddling that day, and it brought back everything he'd done to me, but I just ignored it. I couldn't think about that. Not while he needed me. Not while he was in that state.

Maybe as time goes on, we'll get closer to each other too. I mean, I don't want to get my hopes up for nothing, but then again, never say never. It'd be cool to have someone as strong as Billy around, constantly being protective of me like earlier today. It felt... nice.

Maybe we can help each other out. He could be my bodyguard, while I'll be his emotional support. Sounds like a nice plan, doesn't it?

I've been thinking about what's going on for quite a while now, and when I saw the clock, I knew I'd stayed up a tad later than I should. I'm heading to bed, hoping for a better day tomorrow.