Chris Backstory:
My childhood was a never-ending nightmare. In my old town, I was constantly bullied by a group of kids who seemed to take pleasure in my misery.
They'd push me around, call me names, and exclude me from games. I felt like I was walking on eggshells every day, never knowing when the next attack would come.
When my family announced we were moving to a new town, I felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, I'd finally escape the bullying and find some real friends.
But my hopes were crushed on the very first day of school in our new town.
As I walked into my new classroom, nervous and excited, I was met with unfamiliar faces and skeptical stares.
And then, I saw them - a group of kids who looked eerily similar to my old tormentors.
They started with small teasing comments, but soon escalated to full-blown bullying:
* They'd trip me in the hallways
* Call me "weakling" and "loser" during recess
* Steal my lunch money and laugh as I went hungry
My heart sank. I had escaped nothing. The bullying had followed me.
That's when I saw him - Mark - watching from across the playground, his eyes fixed on the scene with a mixture of anger and concern.
My heart still swells with gratitude thinking about that day...
Mark intervened, his voice firm and commanding:
"Leave him alone."
He strode towards my bullies, his eyes blazing with anger, and stood between them and me.
The bullies backed down slowly, clearly intimidated by Mark's confidence and strength.
One of them muttered under his breath, "This isn't over..." but Mark just glared at him until they all walked away.
Then, Mark turned to me and asked:
"Hey, are you okay?"
His kindness and concern were like a warm embrace after years of cold fear.
I nodded slowly, still in shock, and whispered:
"T-thank you..."
Mark smiled and said:
"My name's Mark. What's yours?"
Mark invited me to sit with him at lunch, and I finally felt like I belonged somewhere.
His simple gesture erased years of loneliness and fear.
I nodded eagerly, and Mark led me to his table, introducing me to his friends – but they didn't seem very close, mostly acquaintances.
We sat down, and Mark asked again:
"So, what's your name?"
I took a deep breath, feeling grateful, and replied:
"My name is Chris," I said, my voice still a bit shaky from the morning's bullying.
Mark smiled warmly and said:
"Nice to meet you, Chris. I'm glad I could help earlier."
We started talking, and I discovered we had a lot in common - favorite video games, hobbies, and even similar senses of humor.
The lunch period flew by like magic, with Mark making me feel seen and heard for the first time in years.
As we walked out of the cafeteria, Mark turned to me and said:
"Hey Chris, want to sit together in class tomorrow too?" Mark asked with a friendly smile.
I nodded enthusiastically, feeling like I'd finally found a true friend.
"Definitely, Mark! That would be awesome!" I replied, trying to contain my excitement.
Mark clapped me on the back and said:
"Cool, I'll save you a seat tomorrow. And hey, want to walk together after school today? We can take the Oakwood Road route."
I thought for a moment - Oakwood Road was the main street that connected our school to the rest of town. My house was actually closest to school, but Mark's was farther down Oakwood Road.
"That works," I said, "My house is actually near school, but I can walk with you for a bit before turning off."
Mark grinned and said:
"Awesome, I'd like the company. We can talk more about video games and stuff," Mark said with a smile.
I laughed and agreed, already feeling like we were going to be great friends.
The final bell rang, signaling the end of school, and Mark met me at the entrance as promised.
We walked out together, enjoying the warm afternoon sun on Oakwood Road, chatting effortlessly about:
* Our favorite video game characters
* Weekend plans (or lack thereof – usually just me alone at home)
* School classes – Mark hated math, while I struggled with gym
As we strolled, I realized I hadn't felt this happy and included in... ever.
Mark turned to me after a while and asked:
"Hey Chris, do you hang out with anyone else at school besides me now?"
I thought for a moment before answering:
"Not really, you're my only friend here so far."
Mark smiled warmly and said:
"Glad I could change that! I've got a group of friends in our class too - Kai, Ryan, Hana, Akira, and Nao.
Kai and Ryan are like my brothers - always looking out for me.
Hana's really smart and nice,
Akira's hilarious,
and Nao's... really sweet, she's always clinging to Hana though, seems like she looks up to her a lot."
He continued with total confidence:
"I'm lucky to have them as friends - we always have each other's backs."
I sensed a hint of longing in his voice, like he was convincing himself they were true friends...
Just then, I saw them walking towards us on Oakwood Road - Kai and Ryan leading the group, with Hana, Akira, and Nao trailing behind.
Mark enthusiastically waved them over, excited to introduce me to his group of friends:
"Hey guys, come meet Chris! He's my new friend from class."
They walked towards us, smiling:
Hana smiled warmly and said, "Hi Chris, nice to meet you!"
Akira chimed in with a joke, "Yeah, finally Mark has a friend besides us, we were getting tired of him!"
Nao hid behind Hana, peeking out at me with shy curiosity.
Ryan clapped Mark on the back and said, "About time you brought someone new into our crew, Mark."
Kai nodded at me with a casual smile, his eyes lingering briefly on Mark before returning to me:
"Chris, welcome to our group."
The rest of the afternoon was filled with laughter and conversation. Mark and I walked with them until I had to turn off towards my home.
As we said our goodbyes, Mark clapped me on the back:
"See you tomorrow, Chris! Glad you met everyone."
I watched as they continued down Oakwood Road together, noticing a subtle change in Kai's demeanor once I was out of sight.
His smile faded, replaced by a hint of tension around his eyes and jawline.
Ryan fell back slightly beside him and whispered:
"Still obsessed with proving himself against Mark, huh?"
Kai's voice was low and even, but laced with underlying tension:
"He thinks he's so perfect with Hana smiling at him all the time."
Ryan raised an eyebrow and whispered back:
"Dude, you're not even in her league when Mark's around. She only sees him."
Kai's jaw clenched visibly at Ryan's blunt words:
"That doesn't mean I won't try to change her mind. Mark's weakness is his trust in people... especially us."
Ryan's expression turned serious, hinting he knew Kai's intentions weren't entirely pure:
"You're playing with fire, Kai. Mark trusts us for a reason – he considers us friends."
Kai's sinister smile returned:
"For now."