The floor was very cold against Neil's bruised skin.
Every breath made his ribs ache to the point he questioned if breathing was even worth it anymore.

He shuddered as pain shot through him as he curled into a more fetal position, bringing his legs to his chest as far as they would let him. He wanted to cry, but he couldn't; no tears were left to cry anymore. This had been going on for so long that he had begin to wonder why he hadn't have been cornered the way he was weeks earlier. He wasn't sure how long he had been laying there on the filthy, hard, cold floor of the boy's bathroom.

It was apparently long enough for Max to come looking for him.
It sucked because he knew he'd be in the bathroom; because that's where Neil has been hiding in while skipping classes out of fear.

He hated that Max would have to see him like this. He had no strength to get up as he had given up so long ago.

"Neil? Are you in here dude?"

He heard him open the door, his voice bouncing off the walls of the empty bathroom.

"C'mon, you can't be doing this everyday. I told you, everything's going to end up being fine you just have to-"
A horrified gasp filled the room as Max found Neil in the last stall at the end of the room.

God, what a sight he must have been, laying on a filthy bathroom floor with a busted bloody nose and covered in bruises. He wasn't sure how he was going to end up explaining to Max that a group of boys had cornered Neil the moment Max left to go to class, finally knowing where Neil had been hiding from them... Explain that he was beaten and left on the floor to hurt and feel ashamed... All because of thatfucking rumor one of them started.

Their taunts and teasing will echo in Neil's aching head for a long, long time.

"Nobody likes fags like you walking around the school, Neil."

It wasn't until Neil got to junior high that he realized his classmates were fucking ruthless. It didn't matter who you were, you or somebody else was always going to be a fucking target. Since Neil was awkward and always had his nose in a book and was classified as a nerd, he was definitely one of those targets. If nobody could find a reason to make you a target, then they'd make one up for you. One of them passed around a rumor that Neil was gay, and as a bunch of sick homophobic junior high boys, they didn't like the sound of that at all.

It'd probably be called a "harmless joke" later on today in the principle's office after Max beats the shit out of whoever did this to him.

"You're fucking sick. I bet you have the hots for your own best friend."

That specific sentence will haunt Neil for so many nights to come, because every word they threw at him was absolutely true.
He's never told Max how he felt. He was so scared that he'd end up alone one day, and everyone else would leave him too.

He loved Max. He loved him so much.

And that's why tears finally flowed down his scratched up cheeks as he felt the boy's gentle hands pull him halfway off the floor, hands clasping his bruised face so he'd look at him, begging for an explanation on why Neil was crumpled up on the floor like trash. Max's eyes looked heart broken. It hurt Neil more than the ache he's been feeling all over his body from the beating.

His head pitifully fell against Max's chest, clinging to him for dear life as his tears soaked his hoodie. Max brought a hand to Neil's messy curly brown hair, bringing him closer as he rubbed soothing circles on his friends back.

"It's okay Neil..." Max said softly, resting his head against Neil's in attempt to comfort his friend. He promised to himself he'd fuck up whoever did this to him.

"I'm here."