Chapter 125 - Peter's Truth Part-5

[This will be in 3rd Pov. It's my first try so it might not be good, so if you would just please try bearing it for a couple of chapters.] 

{Present Time}

"So you found Ryan…?" I asked him. 

"Yeah…" Peter said, as I noticed multiple curls above his eyes. 

"Aren't you supposed to be making the opposite face right now…?" I asked him. 

"... I would have if I wasn't late that time…" his voice felt heavier than all this time in here. I guess we are coming to the climax here. 

"Late? What happened…?" I asked him. 

"I was too late in protecting him… I was too late making the decision… I couldn't do a thing to change the outcome… no matter how much you sob now it won't turn back time…" a drop of water tried to pave its way but Peter caught it and wiped it off from the side of his shoulder. 

"How come? How come you were late in protecting him? How come you couldn't make a decision? How come you couldn't change the outcome?" I asked him. 

Although I can't possibly know what's going on in his brain, the only thing I am sure of is that my voice is resonating in there. 

"..." trying not to reveal it to me, he completely immersed his face under both palms and if that wasn't enough he pushed down his face along with both of his palms onto the table beside him. 

"Peter continues talking… we won't be leaving this room until you reach the very end," I said. 

"..." after wiping off his face he looked up, determined yet the shaking of his hands didn't support his eyes, "I saw him at the corner of the basketball court-" 

…

{Back to the Third Person, Peter's Truth} 

As the light showed, the dark side also became darker. 

In the corner of the court, Peter noticed the figure he was trying to find all this time. 

"Ryan…!" Peter called out to Ryan. 

Although Ryan's name was called, everyone present in the court seemed surprised along with Ryan. 

Ryan is almost an outcast so seeing the most sociable person calling out to-to someone like him astounded everyone. 

"W-What do you want now….?" Ryan asked as he tried to move away. 

"I need to tell you something- no actually more than one thing- it's multiple things-" 

Till the point of meeting Ryan was the plan Peter thought of, he didn't think what he would do after meeting him. All the thoughts came rushing out that he just released it all at once. 

"... What are you saying? Just say it…" Ryan said. 

"First of all I need to apologize to you," Peter was just about to bow down to apologize but the instant Ryan noticed Peter's back bent a little he took a quick scan of his surroundings. 

And with only one glance he understood, if Peter were to bow down now, Ryan wouldn't be able to get out of here without being questioned. 

"L-Let's go somewhere else!" Ryan held onto Peter's piece of cloth and dragged him out. 

Even though everyone tried to know what was happening they couldn't. Ryan took a couple of turns in order to lose any kind of tailing. 

"What are you doing?! Are you trying to kill me, huh! Don't you realize your place and mine…?!" Ryan was enraged by the fact that Peter was just about to do something that could have changed Ryan's whole school life… not in a good way. 

"... I am sorry," Peter said. 

"For what exactly are you apologizing for…!" Ryan's mood still hasn't changed. 

"For everything," Peter said, "For what happened in the court that day and for what happened today."

"Wh-Ar-Ho-" With the sudden apology and the bowed down figure of Peter agitated Ryan to an extent that he couldn't say the words properly. 

He was too conflicted on his own feelings- 'Should I be happy?', 'Why is he saying this now?', 'How come he didn't do it earlier?', 'Are you an idiot? Think about my situation!'. 

After all the questions couldn't be spoken at once, they took time to process and the atmosphere got uncomfortable for Peter. He was expecting something, any kind of reaction and the least expected was of him being delighted about the apology but 'No Response' wasn't one of them. 

"Ryan…" Peter said. 

"... I don't know what made you realize it but I d-don't really care about your a-apology so you can just leave now," Ryan said after taking a whole one minute to sort out his feelings.

"W-What? You don't care…? Aren't you just being rude here?" Peter said as his voice seemed higher-pitched than usual. 

"H-Huh! You are getting mad at me now…?" Ryan didn't step back. 

Without either of them realizing it soon turned into a conversation with no meaning. 

…

That afternoon was the point from where the two completely opposite souls became closer. 

Slowly but gradually, their relationship took weird turns. Took turns together and sometimes stumbled upon something but still continued.

But nothing lasts forever. That incidental day came when the thing Peter or anyone else didn't expect. 

...

"Peter, can I talk to you for a minute," Andrew said as he snatched Peter into the corner of the room. 

"What happened…? Peter asked, confused.

"You tell me what is happening? You have been getting close to that weird kid. Everyone has been talking about it," Andrew said as he pressed his rough hands against Peter's shoulder, "Keep your distance from him. He just doesn't fit with people like us."

"What do you mean by that? He is just like us so what's so weird about me talking to him…?" Peter said sternly. 

"Huh? Don't you get it? He is basically an outcast. No one talks to him and when you talk to him it's basically creating rumors… bad rumors. Maybe you might as well become like him before you know it," Andrew didn't back down. 

From Andrew's point of view, what Peter was doing is just going to welcome troubles for Peter sooner or later and as a friend who has been with him since middle school, he felt like he should help his friend. 

"You are talking nonsense now," Peter said as he understood Andrew didn't mean any ill means, "I don't know what exactly are you worried about but just let it go." 

"You will! Before you know it everyone will begin ignoring you," Andrews said. 

"Come on, just tell me one thing. Me talking to our classmate, is it weird to do that?" Peter asked. 

"But that kid isn't someone you talk to. Talk to me! Talk to 38 other students! But why him…?" Andrew exclaimed. 

"Why are you so fixated on Ryan? He is also our classmate, you know…" Peter said as his face was turning a bit wrinkly from one side. 

"That's it! I am done with the explanation! You either become close to him or you are going to have to part ways with me," Andrew said.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Peter was bewildered by the development that was taking place. 

"That's how it is," Andrew said. 

…

After that they both part ways, not raising any word against each other. Even passing by the hallway they wouldn't even glance at each other. 

Though at the beginning Peter wasn't worried about it since he always had the feeling that it would all come along later on. But Peter's belief was broken when no development took place. 

The distance between them was becoming larger and larger. 

Fearing he will lose his friend, his only childhood friend, he chose the option that didn't include Ryan in it. 

Peter held onto Ryan's hand, took it to new heights, and when Peter felt it wasn't going to end well… he let go. 

Alone, Ryan still stood his ground but… one man alone isn't enough to win a battle with an army. 

Allen, on the other hand, stood by the sidelines. He was just a spectator. Not going to touch the other side of the road. He knew if he were to step in between them it would collapse. He couldn't support Ryan mentally or emotionally. 

He wasn't part when it all started and he wasn't going to be a part when it was all going to end. 

With no one to hold onto, Ryan began to crumble. He wasn't someone with a mindset like Allen or a strong will like Peter. 

Peter showed him the light but didn't invite Ryan to it… Ryan stumbled into darkness. Deeper and deeper. No one to talk to, he shut himself up. 

And that's when on an unfateful day IT happened. 

[On the 10th of March, at around 12 noon a 16 Years old boy jumped off the school building. It is believed that he was bullied and didn't have anyone to talk to about his worries with. Leading him to suicide. It only raises one question, Is this how our school system developed?] 

That was the headline, that phrase was stuck and fixed inside Peter's head for forever. 

{Didn't have anyone to talk about his worries with.} 

…

TO BE CONTINUED…