✾

"Hey Princess," I greet Iris, who looks a little tired as she walks into the house. "What happened?"

"Nothing," she assures me, sitting on the couch beside me. She pulls out the Calculus textbook and one of her binders. "I think we should get straight into the math after this, but I have something important to tell you. About Ruby."

I remember Monday's conversation and have a bad feeling that that's what she's about to tell me about. "Go on," I urge, giving her my full attention.

"She doesn't like school because she's being bullied and the teachers won't listen. And... She's been hurting herself. Giving herself bruises." She doesn't look at me, she just bites her bottom lip and turns to her shoes. "I figured you should know."

I nod, not knowing exactly how to respond. "I'll call her right now and see what she says." I do just that.

"Hey Ruby," I greet her on the phone. "How was school today? Any better? Has that kid backed off?"

"No," she huffs. "Not unless I threaten him. And I don't like threatening people."

"Ruby, did you give yourself a bruise?" I ask, getting the topic off of my shoulders.

"What?" There's a short pause. "No, they gave them to me. How do you know?"

"I heard what you said to Iris. You don't have to lie, Ruby, it's okay. There's a name for that, it's called self-harm. What Iris did is also self-harm, just a different kind."

"But bruises go away."

"That's still what it is. And you're really young, for someone to do it. Normally it's when they're older. That's serious stuff, Ruby."

"I know."

"Hold off on it, okay? If you're mad, I think it's more healthy for you to... I don't know, punch a pillow or a wall or something. We gotta take it out other ways."

"Can we talk about it later? When I come over next?"

"Alright, Ruby."

"I already knew," I blurt out after remembering the conversation with Ruby the day before. I realize it's probably better for me to tell her before she has the chance to ask. So when Iris's eyebrows draw together, I explain. "I heard the conversation. I heard that she bruises herself and I heard that... you cut yourself."

Her face goes pink and she hides her face in her hands. "Okay, well... I've stopped," she says, although it's through her sleeves so it's muffled.

"When was the last time you did that?"

She thinks for a moment. "Why?"

"Because."

"That's not an answer."

"Because it's important."

She sighs. "Last night. But don't get me wrong, it's not actually often, I just got into a fight with Sophie and I felt guilty and I... I dunno, I cut because I'm a terrible friend."

"Where is it?"

"Where is what?"

"The thing you use. Is it a razor?"

"It's... a pencil sharpener blade."

That raises a few questions but they're not important. I stand up and tell her, "C'mon, we're gonna go somewhere."

"What? Where?" She takes her face out of her hands to look at me.

"You'll see."

✾

"An ice-skating rink?" Iris raises her eyebrows, tilting her head a little bit towards the building.

"Yeah, I figured it might help take your mind off things," I answer.

Now I know what most people would probably think — why am I encouraging her to keep this secret instead of contacting some medical professionals? You don't know the place they'll take you to though. I've never been inside it but most teens have and they'll tell you all these horror stories about it. They go once and they do everything they can to never go back. And most of the time — this is the worst part — it makes everything worse. You still go back to your family who thinks you're just whining, you still go back to the same old routine, you even want to hurt yourself more (so I've heard) because everyone knows your big secret and thinks of you as some dramatic teenager.

And if I was responsible for doing that to Iris? I don't know, it just wouldn't be right. And once she's out of the house she should get medical help of course, just not when she has to go back home. No one should. Not here, at least.

"I've never gone ice-skating before," she says, awkwardly clearing her throat. She plays with the sleeves of her jacket and bites her lip nervously before she starts to ramble. "Or roller skating, or rollerblading. Or skateboarding, even. I'm clumsy. So I'm going to fall on my face."

"Everyone falls on their face when they first learn," I assure her. "Even if you aren't clumsy."

"That's easy to say when you're not the one learning it," she mumbles bitterly.

"There's a first time for everything, Princess. You'll do fine, I'm sure."

After we go inside and get our skates on, we go towards the rink. It's dark enough for bright spots to be reflected through light across the arena for decoration, but the bleachers are shining and the refreshment stands on the side of the rink add an extra glow. The colors are reflecting onto each figure as they glide across the ice. There's a chill air to the atmosphere which makes Iris's cheeks go a little pink as she takes a good look at the scene.

"This is terrifying," she says quietly. "All of these people know exactly what they're doing."

"You have to look closer. See over there? That kid just fell because his mom is still trying to teach him. And even then, it doesn't matter how good you are. Try to have fun, alright?"

She purses her lips, nodding uneasily. "Right."

"We're just gonna try and glide, alright? We'll march forward a few steps or so, and then you'll start to move a little bit and you'll pick up one of your feet."

"Uh... Let's just get on the ice."

After getting on the ice she latches onto my arm and her feet start to shuffle and she quickly loses her grip. She falls backwards and mutters, "Ow." Her voice slowly gets volume as she goes on. "Why ice skating? Why not the park again or something?"

A strand of hair from her bun falls onto her face between her eyes and her eyes cross as she looks at it with anger, blowing it out of her face a few times before it finally rests on the side of her eyes. I hold out a hand for her to take so she can get up but she stubbornly shakes her head.

"I can get up by myself," she tells me, putting her hands on the ice to push herself up before she slips again. I chuckle and she eventually sighs, saying, "This wasn't my idea, stop laughing!"

"Does the princess need help getting up?" I ask, my hand still there for her to take.

She glares at me, her lips pulling into a tight line as her eyebrows draw together. Her hand, cold from being on the ice, lands firmly in mine before I pull her off the ice. I smell strawberries all of a sudden, realizing it's Iris because we're so close.

She doesn't pay any mind to the fact, she just tries practicing what it was I was telling her about.

We end up losing track of time, mainly me just trying to teach her how to glide and move, and after lots of stumbling and tripping she starts to get the hang of it. She gets over her frustration and later on just laughs through the falling. After skating for a long time, we decide to go to the refreshment stand and sit down at one of their retro seats in front of a bar.

Iris sips on her soda through a red straw and looks at the people sliding, doing strokes and swizzles. Her eyes are dark but the lights still reflect on her irises. Wisps of hair frame her face and she uses her hand in her sleeve to get it out of her face.

"It's not as bad as you thought it'd be, huh?" I say, raising an eyebrow.

"Nobody likes a know-it-all," she jokes, setting the plastic cup down and turning to look at me. "But yeah, I guess it doesn't suck as much as I thought it would. But it still sucks."

"Sure, Princess. You can say it all you want but I know you like me."

Her eyes widen and she shakes her head vigorously. Her face goes so red it might as well be brighter than the neon lights above our heads. "W-What? No! Who told you s-such a thing?!"

"I meant as a friend," I slowly say.

"Oh, okay!" She lets out a huge breath of relief. "Good. Because I don't know — I mean I don't like you at all. Well I do, as you know you know, but not like that. I mean, you're a good friend, I — don't get me wrong, but I don't like you romantically or anything. That would just be weird... right?" She scoffs and after a few moments she adds, "Yeah, I'll just shut up now." She takes her soda and continues to drink from it as if to confirm her statement. Her eyes fall to her lap but the blush doesn't go away, in fact it only grows worse.

"I didn't know you felt that way, Princess," I snicker. I smirk before telling her, "Just call me up whenever and I won't be opposed to a night of—"

"Shut up!" she shrieks. "I don't like you and I think I've established that."

"I'm joking, Princess. I'd never take advantage of someone liking me just to f*ck them."

"Thanks for the reassurance, gentleman," she sarcastically remarks.

✾

"Pierce, you can't go in the house!" she irritably latches onto my arm, trying to hold me back from walking onto the porch. It's not real worth it though, because she's light enough that I can just go in anyway.

"Why not, Princess?" I ask her, opening the screen door. "The door locked?"

"Yep!" she decides. "It's all locked so you can't get in anyway. There, okay? You... You got me! The door is locked, so you shouldn't even try to open it. Also, if you do, I'll sue you for trespassing."

"You're terrible at lying," I mumble, opening the door. "So where's the razor, Princess?"

"A place you'll never find."

The house is pretty small, so it's not hard for me to get into her room. I spot her backpack and zip it open, taking the pencil bag out. Iris runs up to me, trying to snatch the pencil bag. In return, I hold it over my head and watch her try to jump up and get it. She can't, though.

"Give it, Pierce!" Iris pleads. "Please just give it to me, I promise I'll never use it ever again! Just give it back! What are you going to do with it anyway?"

"For sure you're never using it again, but there's no way in h*ll I'm giving it back to you. Stop clawing at me like that, Princess." I take her hands and take them off of me, and she puts her arms down and her shoulders slouch.

"I'm taking it out," I tell her, and I do as I say, "and then I'm getting rid of it."

"I can still self-harm," she defends. "I don't just need that to do it."

"I'm well aware." I pull it out and we walk to the bathroom just a little ways away. I wrap the razor up in toilet paper and hold it over the toilet with the lid flipped up. "This is you agreeing that you won't do it. This is to say you won't self-harm at all, with this or anything else."

"Just give it back, and I can still make that promise to you."

I drop it in, letting it fall with a small splash. I flush the toilet and Iris gasps, rushing it over and watching it spin away out of sight.

"I never physically hurt myself like that," I start. "I used to abuse alcohol and drugs, and I used to ignore school because it meant nothing to me. I got into fights and believed I wouldn't even live to see the end of high school because I'd somehow die before then. I know what it's like to feel self-destructive, but if I can move past it, I know you can too."

Iris lets out a deep breath, agreeing uneasily. "Okay."

✾