Hiding behind a table, Alas hugged the stuffed animal he was carrying. Other children scampered around him, paying him no attention. The birthday party had all the fun a child could want, but Alas thought nothing of it. He peeked over the table and ducked down again, fast. His heart skipped a beat in his chest every time he looked at Irisut.
Alas had never understood girls. They were almost always in a group, and it was hard for him to overcome his shyness to get close to so many people. When he did, they laughed at his nervousness or made comments he didn't understand. And when they were alone, they didn't pay any attention to him either. He had seen them notice the boys who ran the fastest, drew well or made funny jokes. He was none of those things. He was too short and his only talent was reading and writing very well. And most of the time he didn't mind being alone. Until she came along.
Iriust was wonderful. She wasn't afraid to run around, get dirty and play rough. She was good at video games and painted very well, so well that other kids were always asking her to draw pictures. He had wanted to talk to her from day one, but to no avail. He was too scared. She was cool and everyone wanted to be friends with her. Why would she want to hang out with him? But he couldn't forget her. He wanted to try, wanted to see if he could get her to be his friend. He got up from the table and rubbed his nose, trying to gather some courage. With the stuffed animal tucked behind his back, he approached her. She was receiving gifts from other people, smiling and cheerful.
"Hi. This is for you..."
He had managed to keep his voice from trembling all the way through, quite an achievement. However, he didn't manage to hold her gaze and turned around, red, stretching out his hand to offer her the cuddly toy. A moment later, he received something he hadn't expected: a big hug.
"Thank you, thank you! Vulpix is one of my favourites. Which ones do you like, Alas? Come on, tell me about it."
Smiling and letting her grab him by the hand, he managed to hold back tears of emotion. He was still afraid, but she knew his name. Why had she bothered? He didn't understand, but he felt much better now. He didn't feel so lonely anymore.
Art by https://twitter.com/dokeokeb for my dear friend, Iriust . She's been a big support for me and I can't wait to see her in person ^w^
Iriust . She's been a big support for me and I can't wait to see her in person ^w^
