Kyle P.O.V

When I woke up, nothing was out of the ordinary. Me and Luke woke up. We made out, we got dressed. Nothing usual. Well other than Alister who had begun to act weirder than usual.

Happier. Would be the way to describe Alister's mood now. I didn't know why but I wasn't about to ask the mafia leader. I knew Luke would ask soon because it was really bothering him.

I pulled my extra hoodie over my head, it was a gift from True. He got it for me as a gift on my last birthday, it was really sweet. The hoodie said, "I ain't leaving anytime soon." It was a secret promise from True that he wouldn't kill himself, at least not anytime soon.

I grinned at the hoodie. I expected True to keep that promise. Not to kill himself.

I dragged myself out of our room. I saw Luke doing push-ups on the floor. I would have watched but it would have made me hard, I didn't need that this earlier in the morning.

In the kitchen was Alister with that cheeky grin on his face. That was a first. No it wasn't his I got laid smile but it was something close, something rare. Something I've never seen before. It made me smile on the inside for him. For something to make him smile... it's unheard of.

When he noticed me standing in the doorway his grin dropped ever so slightly, but he managed to pick it back up.

"Good morning Kyle," Alister said to me. I was kinda shocked but I went with it. I liked the happy Alister, I wished he was this happy all the time. If he was then I'd never see a sad Luke who was almost always worrying about his older brother.

"And to you Alister, now if you'll excuse me I have to get your lazy ass brother to school, wouldn't want to be late...again," I added after a second to verify it had happened before. And it had. It was all Luke's fault. I knew morning sex would be a bad idea but noooo. He had to have his morning sex.

I walked back towards our bedroom, something I liked to say out loud as much as possible and found him sitting on his bed. He was staring quietly at the screen like it had just offended him. I walked over trying to read the screen but he noticed me and turned his cell off.

"Who just texted you?" I asked curiously. I seriously hope he isn't cheating on me. That would suck since we had sex yesterday. And man it was hot.

"Oh, just Kendric." Ok, and... I looked at him to continue but he shut me down every time. I seriously want to know but I'm not going to push it, not yet anyway. I'll just read through his texts later, yes that's what I'll do. I drag him out and to school, walking out of the house I noticed Luke giving me sad looks that had me worried. Did someone die or something? I doubt it. I mean who would die?

We walked over to Luke's motorcycle and climbed on, I sit in front of Luke in between his legs, this was the usual position I look it we were going to have sex. The thought had my cheeks warming up ever-so-slightly but because our relationship has been going on for a few years I learned how to hide my blushes. I learned how to hide my true feelings. I had learned that feelings only hurt you. Never show your true feelings, give people false emotions. It will protect you. It has always protected me.

It protected both me and True for so long. My other sister Nika still lives with Karin. Nika was our grandmother's name, and our drug-addicted mother made one of her better choices. Our mother, Violet, got into drugs right after Karin was born. Me and Karin have the same father but Nika, who is 15, two years younger than me, doesn't. Our mom doesn't even know who Nika's dad is. Me and Karin's father used our mother as a one-night stand sort of situation.

Once he found out she had gotten pregnant twice, he packed up and vanished. He didn't think mom would get pregnant, she said he always used condoms, but I they either slipped up and forgot twice or the condom cracked and broke. It happened at least twice because me and Karin are alive. It doesn't bother me or Karin but it bothered mom. She had 'loved' him. Bullshit. Especially since she had Nica three years later, she went on a whore rage after dad left. She got worse with her drugs after Nica was born, Karin practically raised us. I called Karin mom for a while, well until she corrected me and told me that drunk lady on the couch was.

I leaned back into Luke's warmth. I may have had a rough childhood but True had one just as bad, or worse. True may still have both of his parents, mom was sent to drug rehab, they practically ignore him and treat him like shit.

I barely noticed us pulling into the school. I heard the loud chatter of students. I saw the preps talking to the soccer jocks. I saw the football players talking to the basketball players and cheerleaders. All the nerds were hiding somewhere in the school already, probably the library or empty classroom or in one of the empty bathroom stall.

I hopped off of the motorcycle looking around for the mean jocks, the ones that bully True and me, without Luke's knowledge of course. I didn't see him.

I looked around for his bullies and they seemed to be waiting for him, getting more aggravated per second. I looked for Chris, not seeing him either. That concerned me. Why would Chris and True not be here? Maybe there was a death in the family. Yeah, that must be it. I hope that's all it is. I subconsciously rub my hoodie, that promise I expect to be kept.

Luke looked over to me gazing absently around looking for my best friend. A sick feeling entered my stomach. I had a bad feeling. I didn't remember Luke walking me into the school only realizing we were at my locker. I blinked myself back into my body.

I opened my locker, looking to the side. There were pictures taped to the locker. Me and True outside of Luckies, a small burger joint that me and True found a year ago, it was quiet and it was 38 blocks away from the school so the bullies never found it. Luckies used to be an old dairy but it got closed. Recently it reopened but as a small little burger joint. Me and True loved to go there, and we do, every time we can.

I kissed Luke's cheek before walking off to class, and I swear he wants to tell me something but he didn't. He's really starting to make me think he's cheating.

I walk into my classroom, not expecting to see True, we don't have the same first, he takes advanced and well I don't. I may be in 10th grade like True and Claire but both of my friends take an assortment of Junior and Senior classes, they only take two classes that are in our grade. That's why we hardly see each other since out of those two classes I only have one with True and the other with Claire.

The teacher walks in with sweat on his forehead. Mr. Nickel who looked directly at me before taking a very deep take of breath.

"Class open your textbooks and read chapter 14." Mr. Nickel said making all over us look at each other, confused. We weren't reading chapter 14 yet, we were still in chapter 10.

One of our smartest students, one of the nerds that haven't taken advanced classes raised her hand. When Mr. Nickel didn't look up and didn't answer her she spoke without permission.

"Mr. Nickel we aren't on chapter 14, we're on chapter 10." She said getting a lot of years and suddenly everyone was speaking at once.

"Everyone be quiet!" Mr. Nickel said making everyone freeze. He had never raised his voice at us before. Something must have happened before Mr. Nickel's face was covered in sweat.

We all sort of stared at him. He never yelled at us, even when we yelled and screamed.

We stared at him until the announcements came on.

"Please excuse this interruption, All students head towards the gym for an assembly. All students towards the gym for a mandatory assembly, thank you." We all looked at each other before picking up our stuff and heading towards the gym. Other classes did the same and soon all the students headed towards the gym. I bumped into Claire and we walked together. As we walked by we saw a policeman talking to two teachers, one who was crying ever so slightly and the other nodding before walking off towards the first floor where most of the lockers were.

I, like many other students, was very confused, wondering what had happened. It had to be major If the police were involved. A student probably died or something. That thought nearly made me freeze. Chris and True weren't here. No, it was just a coincidence.

We all shuffled into the gym, sitting in groups by grade. with 9th in the corner to right and 12th graders to the very left. Every student seemed to be asking why we were here. Every last one.

The principal stood next to another police officer, the vice principal was talking to three teachers. There was a projector standing the middle of the gym, covering up our school logo, a phoniex.

The principal walked up towards the microphone that stood on the stand. The principal tapped the microphone getting all of our attention. Everyone got silent in an instant, probably because everyone wanted to know why we were in here.

"Student's you must be wondering why you have been called in here today." She said looking over to the police officer who nodded at the principal. "Today we are having a serious talk about suicide." The principal said making me freeze and many other students start to whisper. I was sitting in the front row of the bleachers, but I could still hear some whispers.

"I wonder who killed themselves."

"Why are talking about suicide?"

"I bet it was True, he deserved to kill himself."

"Yesterday night one of your fellow students attempted suicide." The principal said. I knew I wasn't breathing. I was frozen in place. Don't say it was True. Please. I gripped my hoodie, clenching it tightly between my fingers. he couldn't have killed himself. He promised he wouldn't. He promised.

"Many of you Sophomore's know this student and many Freshmen, Juniors, and even Seniors know this student, and some of you could have called him your friend." The principal said. Him? It's a guy??

"Many of you know True Night as a friend, a peer, or someone you saw in the halls, for some of you this must be ha-" I couldn't hear her after that. I knew tears were streaming down my face. That wasn't what bothered me the most, it was the comments that bothered me the most.

"So he finally had guts to kill himself?"

"The world will be a much better place now."

"I always hated him."

"He was such a fag."

"I'm glad he's gone."

"Maybe his two friends will follow suit."

Claire had tears streaming down her face as well. I shut my eyes tight, pulled my stuff to my chest and darted out of the gym, teachers calling after me.

I ran through the hallways. I ran down the empty staircase. On the first floor, I ran towards my hiding place, the library. The librarian was our friend. She was only 29 so she understood. She knew it was me when I ran in, and she too had tears in her eyes. I ran into her open arms, the tears pouring out of my eyes uncontrolled.

I cried my heart out, holding onto the librarian, Sofia, and clenched onto the hoodie, a broken and unkept promise.

I didn't hear the library doors open. No, I was trapped in the sound of my tears.

We were running through the woods towards our place, a place only we knew about. It was snowing out, the flakes landing on our clothes and hair. Since his hair was blonde it sort of fit in. My hair is a lightish brown color and you could clearly see the snow covering my hair.

I look up to see True giggling at me. I reach down to make a snowball, rolling it into a ball and throwing it at my best friend.

He ducked the ball before making one and throwing it at me. After about an hour of snow throwing, we sat under the safety of a large oak tree.

Our breath drifting into the air. We were both breathing deeply from running after each other because both of our throws were off we barely hit each other.

"Do you think my family would miss me?" True said all of a sudden. My head shot towards him shocked about what he just asked me.

I couldn't answer for a second. I knew True's family didn't really care, it was proof because it was Christmas Eve and his family was visiting other relatives. They didn't bring True and I don't think they ever would. They would rather leave True out of there family if they could. What family would leave there 13-year-old son home alone? The Nights. That's who.

"I-" I tried to answer but True held up his hand.

"I'm sorry that question made you uncomfortable, here I got you something." He changed the subject stood up and reached into the hole of the tree. He pulled out a paper covered box.

He sat back down on the snow-covered ground wearing his jacket, one that had holes in it, an obvious hand me down. He handed me the box like it was his pride and joy.

I carefully unwraped the box and inside was a well-made hoodie. I pulled it completely out of the box. It was a lilac purple hoodie with black words.

I ain't leaving anytime soon

I hadn't realized tears had begun to form. True had told me he was depressed about 3 months ago and I had begun to stick around him more.

"Promise me something." True said looking up at the falling snow. When I didn't say anything he continued. "Promise me that you won't live your life trying to stop me from attempting. If I do, you know attempt, I want you to live your life. What's happens is going to happen, don't let what I do affect how you live your life." He said looking over to me, looking me in the eyes.

I couldn't speak, I was wordless.

I simply nodded my head. He grinned ever so slightly at me before looking back at the falling snow.

He sighed. "And besides it's not like I'm going to kill myself anytime soon, especially after I made this promise." He said standing up from the ground. I looked up at him. He held his hand out for me to grab. I pulled me up to my feet, one of my hands in his and the other clenching the hoodie in the other.

"Come on, I wouldn't want us to get sick on Christmas." He said releasing my hand as we walked back towards our houses, mine full of love, and my loved ones, his full of silence. No one was going to be there when True got home. He'd be all alone.

I shook my head once I realized I was sitting on Luke's bike, Luke driving us away from the school. I guess I blacked out. Tears still streamed down my face in a steady path.

We drove in silence, me in my sorrow and Luke in his worry.

I don't know when we made it home or when I walked in I only remember being sat down by Luke. He threw his stuff on the bed and said he'd be right back. I simply nodded my head.

I snapped out of my world the second the door closed. I looked at the pile of stuff Luke had thrown on the bed and his phone was sticking out of his pocket.

I reached over and yanked the phone out of the pocket and unlocked it. I went into Luke's messages, a small part of me telling me not to but I wanted to know.

It was indeed from Kendric who texted him, Kendric was Chris's best friend if I'm right I click his name open and read the last text sent from Kendric.

"Chris's brother True attempted suicide. Chris said he was in the hospital and steady, he wanted you to tell Kyle since Kyle is True's best friend."

My hands shook in blind anger. He knew. He knew this morning my friend attempted to kill himself. I felt a little relief, he didn't succeed. But Luke knew. I heard the door open and I knew who it was. I stood up quickly making Luke jump. My hands took fist forms and I knew I was crying again.

"How could you?" I said in a shaky voice. "You knew! And you didn't tell me?! How couldn't you tell me?" I said in a grief-filled voice. Luke tried to talk but I stormed past him, not really caring. I wasn't in the mood to talk to someone who keeps's secrets. I only wanted to talk to True.

I somehow managed to get to my sisters, I took the bus. She'd let me stay, and we'd visit the hospital later, with True's medical reports that my sister had kept on him. It was a thick file.

I fell asleep with Nika rubbing my hair as I laid on her lap, crying.