There was an odd sense of loneliness when I walked out of my dorm that morning. No one had to walk me to class to protect me. Andy wasn't there for me to cling to his side like I do all day everyday. What do I do? There seemed like there were just vast amounts of nothingness all day.

I went to class and then to the cafeteria to eat. I glanced out the window over the quad and frowned when I saw Jamia and Frank. It seemed like they were in a pretty heated argument. I knew I shouldn't be watching but I couldn't help myself. Eventually things seemed to calm down between them and Jamia gave him a hug.

Someone sat across from me just then, pulling me away from the mild entertainment of my two friends.

"Hey," Bob said.

I looked at him then up at Brendon, who was also in the fray and standing at the end of my booth bench so I couldn't really get out unless he let me out.

"Hey, have you seen Andy?" He asked. "We heard he left the frat but he's not answering our calls."

"He was sent to military school," I said.

"Shit, that sucks," he muttered. "He was supposed to help us set up for a party this weekend."

I didn't say anything and Brendon slid into the booth next to me so now I really couldn't get out if I wanted to.

"Do you think you can fill his spot?" He asked. "It's a fundraiser party for mental health awareness month."

"Oh, that's a really good cause," I said.

"Yeah, he was supposed to be one of the worker kinda of people but with him gone it kind of screws everything up," Bob said.

"I-I don't think I can do that," I said.

Brendon reached over and put a hand on my thigh. "It would really help us out a lot."

I shook my head. Brendon squeezed my thigh hard, digging his nails into my skin.

"Come on, we can make it up to you," he said. "Give you a little reward. Andy told us all about what you like and don't like."

Andy told them about our sex life?

"Why don't you take your fucking shit and get out," Someone said.

I looked up at Frank with watery eyes.

"You're the dumb kid Andy told us to keep an eye out for," Bob said. "Just because he isn't here anymore doesn't mean we won't still respect his wishes."

"Respect his wishes? Of choosing who Gee talks to?" Frank asked. "He's not even in the state anymore, you all need to get over yourselves. He's an adult, fucking treat him like one."

They both gave Frank glares but left anyway. But even when they were gone and Frank was sitting across from me, I still couldn't seem to be able to breathe. Frank seemed to notice me panicking and reached over to hold my hand. I snapped my arm back quickly.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have," he said. "Gee, take deep breaths."

I grabbed my backpack and hurried out, hearing Frank clean up my dishes. I was going back to the dorms when I tripped over a crack in the sidewalk, falling and skinning my knee. Frank—who was still following—sat beside me as I cried. He didn't say anything, didn't touch me. Just sat quietly a foot away.

"I can't be here anymore;" I whispered. "I'm gonna transfer schools. There's this school in New York I like, I'm gonna move there."

"Oh," he mumbled.

I pulled up my sweatpants and looked at the skinned knee.

""It's just not safe here for me," I said. "I hate his frat brothers but I don't think they'll leave me alone, Andy usually helped keep them away for the most part. It's not safe here anymore."

"Yeah, I agree with you," he said. "I'll miss you but you can start fresh and it's a great opportunity."

"No," I said.

"What?" He asked.

"You won't miss me," I said.

"Why do you think that?" He asked.

"I talked to Andy before about transferring to this school," I said. "He told me if he did then no one would care. No one would miss me and he wouldn't either so if I were to go then we would have to break up because he wouldn't miss me so he wouldn't want to stay with me. I don't matter enough for anyone to miss me."

Frank didn't say anything, just pulled his knees into his chest with his arms around them and buried his face into his knees. It was quiet for a long time before he picked his head up.

"Andy is a liar," he said. "I know that it's hard, it's hard to see things and to know what's exactly real but I can tell you he didn't tell the truth, especially when it came to you. You matter so much, you are so important to so many people. I would miss you, Gee, i would miss you a lot."

My lip quivered as I looked at him.

"I want you to be happy, though," he said. "Is it a good school?"

"Yeah, it's nice," I mumbled.

"I really hope that you can be happy there," he said.

"But I can't transfer now, I would have to wait until next semester," I said. "B-but...I'm scared to. They know my dorm and which room is mine. I'm always so scared all the time. I-I might just leave school for the semester, my house is too far to commute."

"Stay at my place," he said. "You can still be in school but you'll be somewhere safe and private. You shouldn't have to waste money and education because of them."

"I can't do that," I mumbled.

"It's okay, Gee," he said. "Do you want me to help with your knee?"

I nodded and we walked over to his dorm. I sat at his desk chair as he kneeled in front of me. He cleaned up the blood carefully before putting on a band-aid.

"Why do you have all this first aid stuff?" I asked.

Frank shrugged. "Parents got it for me. I guess it finally got to come in use."

He stood up, sitting on his roommate's chair.

"Frank, how did you know Andy wasn't in the state anymore?" I asked.

Frank looked up at me. "You told me."

"I-I don't think I did," I said. "All I said was he went to military school. His mom said he went to live down there, I assumed it meant south but I didn't know how far down so I never said that."

"It's New Jersey, Gee, how many military schools are here?" He asked. "It's probably out of state. I imagine some little Georgia place where Andy is getting his ass handed to him by a drill sergeant."

I didn't say anything as I ran my finger over the edge of my band-aid.

"I'm sorry that those frat guys are being assholes," he said.

I shrugged.

"You should be able to feel so much better now that Andy is gone," he said. "They're just being douches."

"I feel lonely," I admitted. "He's gone and I feel like I don't have a purpose anymore."

"You have free time now to do art and play with Matcha and hang out with friends and dye your hair," he said. "You can be whoever and do whatever you want."

"Will you help me with something?" I asked nervously.

"Of course, Gee, what do you need?" He asked.

I bit my lip as I tapped my middle finger to my thumb.

"Well, I just get nervous being alone, I'm not used to it and I don't really like it," I said. "Can I hang out with you and Jamia more or will I seem clingy? I have a couple kinda friends but I'm not that close and it would be weird if I were to just suddenly ask to start hanging out with them all the time."

"We love to spend time with you, Gee, you never need to worry about being clingy," he said.

I sniffled and stood up, accidentally knocking down his first-aid kit on the desk. I watched as supplies spilled out on the floor. Frank kneeled down and started cleaning it up as my heart stopped.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," I whimpered.

"It's chill," he said.

The room seemed to be getting smaller as it got harder and harder to breathe. Frank looked up at me and stood up, making me flinch.

"Gee, it's okay, it was an accident, I won't hurt you. It's okay, it doesn't matter," he said. "Can you take deep breaths? Gee, I will never touch you if you don't want me to."

I sniffled, taking deep, shaky breaths.

"Can I hug you?" He asked.

I hesitated before I nodded. Frank hugged me gently and I found myself breaking down in his arms.

"I'm so sorry," I sobbed.

"It's okay, it was an accident and you didn't do anything wrong," he said as he ran his fingers through my hair.

Eventually the tears did stop and I helped Frank pick up the bandages. I looked up at him as we both sat on the floor together.

"Would you ever lie me to?" I asked.

"No, never," he said.

"Do you like me?" I asked.

Frank was quiet for a moment before saying, "Yes."

I blushed, looking down.

"C-can we lay down together?" I asked.

Frank looked a little surprised before nodding. We laid down on top of his blankets on his little twin sized bed. It was quiet as I reached between us and held his hand. Frank turned his head and I could feel him watching me so I glanced over.

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable," he whispered. "Especially since you now know I have feelings for you."

I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to hurt his feelings. But I also didn't know if I would hurt his feelings because I didn't even know what my feelings were.

"I don't want things to change or get weird," I said.

Frank nodded and I laid my head on his chest, quickly falling asleep with the warm heat that radiated off his body.