Damian leaned against the wall, his chest heaving. He had searched everywhere for Melvin. Every corner of Westbridge High's campus. The library, the cafeteria, the art room, the gym. All the extended boys toilets. Nothing.
But then he remembered this place. An old boys toilet behind the science wing. It was where students sometimes went to hide from bullies, skip class, do drugs or have sex. Damian had a bad feeling about this.
He heard a faint sound. It was like crying. Very soft.
Damian ran inside the washroom put his ear against the bathroom stall door. "Melvin?" he said. "Are you in there?"
There was silence.
"Melvin, I know you're there," Damian said. "Open the door."
"I'm fine," Melvin's voice came from inside. It was weak and shaky. "Just go away."
Damian tried the door handle. It was locked.
"Open the damn door, Melvin."
"I said I'm fine. Please, just leave."
Damian felt his heart racing. Something was very wrong. "Open the door, or I'll break it down."
There was no response.
Damian started banging on the door with his fist. Loud. Hard. The sound echoed through the empty hall. "MELVIN! OPEN THIS DOOR NOW!"
Still nothing.
Damian stepped back. He took a deep breath. Then he threw his body against the door. The old wood shook but didn't break. He did it again. Harder this time.
"Melvin, I swear to God dude—"
The door opened suddenly. Damian almost fell inside.
Melvin stood there. His face was pale. His eyes were red and swollen. His school shirt was soaked through. It was hard to tell if it was sweat or tears or both. His hair was a mess, sticking to his forehead.
Damian looked down. Melvin's arm was covered in small cuts. Fresh ones. Blood was running down his wrist.
In one hand, Melvin held his phone. In the other, a small paper cutter blade.
Damian felt his stomach drop.
He looked at the phone. The call was still connected. The name on the screen said "Alice."
Melvin hung up the call and just stared at Damian. His eyes were blank. Empty. Like he wasn't really there.
"Why are you here?" Melvin asked. His voice was barely a whisper.
"I've been looking for you for forty-five minutes, you dumbfuck," Damian said. His voice was shaking. Was it anger? Fear? Both? "What the hell is wrong with you? What the fuck dude..."
Melvin didn't answer.
Damian grabbed the paper cutter from Melvin's hand. He looked at it. Then, with both hands, he snapped it in half like it was a dry twig. The sound of the metal breaking was loud in the small room.
Melvin flinched.
Damian grabbed and moved away Melvin, walked inside the bathroom, threw the broken pieces into the toilet and pressed the flush hard. The water swirled and took the pieces away.
When he came back out, Melvin was still standing in the same spot. Not moving. Not speaking. Looking at the floor with his chin touching his chest.
Damian turned to him. He grabbed Melvin's shoulders and looked him straight in the face.
"Listen to me," Damian said, his voice low but intense. "You need to wash your face. And your arm. Right now. And then I'm taking you to the nurse. Got it?"
Melvin stared at him blankly.
"Did you hear me?" Damian asked.
Melvin nodded slowly.
"Good. Come on."
Damian led Melvin back to the bathroom. He turned on the cold water. He guided Melvin's hands under the stream. Melvin didn't resist. He just stood there, letting the water run over his cuts.
The blood mixed with the water and swirled down the drain. Red and pink.
"Wash your face," Damian said.
Melvin splashed water on his face. He looked at himself in the broken mirror. He didn't recognize the person looking back.
"The nurse," Melvin said finally. His first words since opening the door.
"Yes," Damian said. "We're going to the nurse. Now."
Melvin opened his mouth like he wanted to say something. But nothing came out. He just nodded again.
Damian grabbed Melvin's arm. Not roughly, but firmly. "Follow me. Don't talk. Just follow."
They left the toilet. Damian led Melvin down the empty hallway. The school was quiet. Most students were in class.
Damian looked at Melvin's wet shirt. He knew they couldn't go through the main building like that. People would ask questions. People would stare.
So he took Melvin through the empty field between buildings. The grass was wet from morning rain. Their shoes left dark marks on the path. Melvin followed without a word.
The boys' sick room was at the back of the admin building. A small room with two beds and a sink. A place for students who weren't feeling well.
The school nurse, Mrs. Patterson, was at her desk. She looked up when they walked in.
Her eyes went wide. "What happened?"
Damian answered before Melvin could. "He cut himself."
Mrs. Patterson stood up quickly. She came over and looked at Melvin's arm. The cuts were small but there were many of them. Some were still bleeding slightly.
"Melvin, sit down," she said gently. "Please."
Melvin sat on the bed. He stared at the wall. His face was completely blank.
"Melvin, how did this happen?" the nurse asked. She started getting supplies from the cabinet. Bandages. Antiseptic.
No answer.
"Melvin, can you tell me what happened?"
Silence.
"Melvin, I need you to—"
"His dog died," Damian blurted out.
Melvin's head shot up. He looked at Damian with wide eyes.
What was Damian doing? That was a lie. A bad lie. He wasn't even Melvin's friend. Why was he protecting him? But Melvin didn't say anything. He just stared.
"His dog died yesterday," Damian continued. "He's been really upset. He wasn't thinking clearly."
Mrs. Patterson looked at Melvin. "Is that true, Melvin? Are you upset about your dog?"
Melvin nodded slowly. It felt weird to lie. But he didn't have the energy to tell the truth.
The nurse sighed. She sat down next to Melvin on the bed. "Melvin," she said gently. "That's not a reason to hurt yourself. I know it hurts. Losing a pet is like losing family. But your dog wouldn't want you to suffer like this. Your dog would want you to be happy. To live a good life."
Melvin's eyes started to water.
"Your dog loved you," Mrs. Patterson continued. "And you loved your dog. But hurting yourself won't bring him back. It will only cause more pain. For you. For the people who care about you."
That was it. Something inside Melvin broke. The wall he had built around himself crumbled into dust. He started crying. Hard. Loud sobs that shook his whole body.
Mrs. Patterson wrapped her arms around him. She pulled him into a hug. Melvin buried his face in her shoulder and cried like a little kid.
Damian stood by the door. He didn't know what to do. So he just stayed. Watched. Made sure Melvin was okay.
Mrs. Patterson held Melvin for a long time. Eventually, his sobs quieted down to small hiccups.
"Let's get your arm cleaned up," she said softly.
She started working on Melvin's arm. Cleaning each cut. Putting ointment on them. Wrapping them in white bandages.
Melvin didn't speak. He just sat there, letting her work. Tears still rolling down his cheeks.
Mrs. Patterson talked as she worked. About her own family. Her kids. Her husband. About the sunny weather outside. About anything to fill the silence.
Damian went into the hallway, pulled out his phone. He called Alice.
"He's okay. He's with the nurse right now."
Alice replied immediately. "Thank God. Thank you, Damian. Thank you so much. I owe you one."
"Yeah you do. But mind telling me what happened to him?"
"I'll tell you later."
"Never mind. " Damian sighed. "I'll talk later"
Damian put his phone away and came back to the sick room.
Mrs. Patterson finished wrapping Melvin's arm. She stood up. "I need to call the principal," she said. "And I need to call your parents. Is your mother around?"
Melvin shook his head. "I don't know," he whispered.
"Okay," the nurse said. "Wait for me."
Damian looked at Melvin's wet shirt. "I'm going to get him a new shirt," he said. "from the uniform shop near the admin office."
Mrs. Patterson nodded. "Good idea."
Damian went to the uniform shop. He bought a new white button-up shirt back to the sick room.
"Here," he said, handing it to Melvin. "Put this on."
Melvin took the shirt. He changed out of his wet, stained one. The new shirt was crisp and clean. It made him look almost normal.
Almost.
Damian looked at Melvin. At his blank face. At his bandaged arms. "Listen," he said. "Never do that stupid shit again. Okay?"
Melvin stared at him.
"Or I'm gonna beat your ass." Damian repeated.
Melvin nodded slowly.
"Good."
Mrs. Patterson came back into the room. "The principal wants to see both of you," she said. "Melvin, I've called your step-mother. She's on her way."
Melvin nodded.
The walk to the principal's office was silent. Damian walked beside Melvin. Close enough to catch him if he fell.
Principal was a tall man with gray hair and glasses. He was not an unkind man, but he was very serious.
"Melvin," he said. "Please sit down."
Melvin sat. Damian stood behind him.
"I've spoken to the nurse," Principal said. "Melvin, I'm very concerned about you. I've heard about your dog. I'm very sorry for your loss. But what happened today is serious. Very serious."
Melvin didn't speak.
"Your step-mother is on her way," the principal continued. "She's going to take you home. I think you need some rest. And maybe you need to talk to someone. A professional perhaps."
Melvin nodded again.
Principal looked at Damian. "Damian, I understand you found Melvin and brought him to the nurse. Thank you for that. That was good thinking."
Damian shrugged. "I just did what anyone would do."
"Not everyone would," the principal said. "And because of the circumstances, I need someone to take over Melvin's responsibilities as school captain while he recovers."
Damian blinked. "What?"
"I'm giving you the temporary duty," Principal said. "Until Melvin is well enough to return."
Damian opened his mouth. He wanted to say no. He didn't want more responsibility. He already had enough on his plate. But then he looked at Melvin. At the boy who had been through hell and was still standing. Just barely.
"Fine," Damian said. "Whatever."
The principal smiled. "Good."
A few minutes later, Melvin's step-mother arrived. She was a tired-looking woman with dark circles under her eyes. She took one look at Melvin and her face crumpled.
"Oh, dear," she said. "Oh, God. What happened?"
Melvin didn't say anything. He just let her lead him out of the office.
At the door, he stopped. He looked back at Damian. There was no expression on his face. Just that same blank stare. But before he walked out, Melvin's lips moved. Forming words that Damian barely heard.
"Thank you," Melvin whispered.
And then he was gone. Damian stood in the office alone with principal.
"Damian," the principal said. "I know this isn't what you expected today. But I think you did something important. You helped someone who couldn't help themselves."
Damian sighed. "Yeah."
But inside, something was different. Something had changed.
He thought about Melvin. About the cuts on his arm. About the hollow look in his eyes. About the boy who was so broken he couldn't even speak.
And Damian realized something. He might not know Melvin Blackthorne. He might not even like him.
But he had saved his life today. And maybe that meant something. Maybe that was enough.