*****

“A friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.”

*****

It was the day after the funeral. Devlin sat down near the grave that housed his only friend. It felt so peaceful and right just being there. The afternoon breeze and the comfortable silence making him sigh in content.

It was really difficult for Devlin to remind himself that his friend was no longer alive. They had done everything together and told each other everything. Right from pranking their teachers, to crushing on girls in higher classes than them, to loosing their virginities, to finding their first loves and getting crushed. All that they experienced together. The two were inseparable.

It was a surprise really how the two became friends. Both of their parents and teachers were surprised one day to find the two boys walking and laughing together.

Ironic as it was Kevin at a young age of seven years had already been named the bad boy in their school. All the other kids in class feared him as much as they feared the principal.

The teachers did not admit it but they too feared his pranks which had led to madam teachers screaming their lungs out with faces of horror and male teachers use cursing words involuntarily. A handful of teachers even quit their jobs, not being able to stomach the frequent pranks.

Devlin remembered the first time that the two became friends. It was during lunch and Devlin was making his mother a birthday present since her birthday was the day after. He was not good at drawing but he had tried to draw a butterfly and was coloring it when three boys from a class higher than his peeked to see whatever he was drawing.

"Is that a bat?" The taller of the three asked.

A little offended, little Devlin stood and hid the picture in his chest. "No, its a butterfly." Little Devlin answered.

"Looks like a bat to me, but whatever." The taller one shrugged his shoulders, not bothered by the glare that little Devlin was giving him.

"Butterflies are for girls. Why don't you draw something like race cars?" The shorter one asked. Even though he was the shortest, he was a little taller than Devlin.

"Unless he likes girl stuff!" The middle one chipped in and they all laughed.

Little Devlin wanted to defend himself that the picture was not his and that he was doing it for his mom but they did not give him time to do so. They mockingly laughed and laughed at him until he felt like crying.

"Since you like girls stuff too much, why don't you give me that and i will draw a cute little dolly for you,  hmmm?" The tallest one said and the others laughed.

Before little Devlin could register what was going on, the drawing paper was snatched from him by the taller one. Devlin protested but the other two stood in front of their friend like bodyguards. Little Devlin could do nothing. His protests and pleads fell on deaf ears as the taller one took out his pen and started working.

A minute later, the tall boy handed back the paper to little Devlin with an evil grin on his face. Devlin could not believe it when he saw his once perfect picture now looked like trash. The stupid boy just decided it was better to draw whatever he was drawing on top of his own drawing!

Devlin sobbed silently and the boys looked at him with satisfaction on their faces. That is what they wanted. To make him cry. And they achieved.

"Hey! What did you do to him?" Another boy joined the scene and stood protectively in front of Devlin. It was funny to watch since the boy was even shorter and thinner than Devlin.

"Who are you little baby to ask questions? Why don't you go home and breastfeed, huh?" The tallest one of the them took two steps and stood just centimeters in front of little Devlin's saviour, intimidating him with his height.

"My name is Kevin and you should ask for forgiveness for insulting me and making my friend cry." Kevin said glaring at the tall buddy, not at all intimidated by his height.

"Why don't you kneel down for us and we might think about asking you for forgiveness, huh?" The taller one mocked, still standing dangerously close to Kevin.

Devlin had stopped crying and was watching the boy in front of him curiously. Devlin knew Kevin was from his class but they had not talked much since Devlin was not good at making friends.

From the corner of his eyes he saw Kevin smirk and before he could blink Kevin connected his right knee with the tall boy's stomach, dangerously near where the sun doesn't shine. When the tall boy bent down to clutch his stomach so as to numb the sudden pain, Kevin landed a punch squarely on his face making the once perfect nose to drizzle blood.

Before the show could continue though, the principal who had been nearby dashed quickly to the scene and took the tall boy from his angry attacker to the school nurse.

Exactly an hour later, Devlin, Kevin and a boy with a bandaged face, stood with their heads down in the principal's office, with their parents behind them glaring daggers at them.

After a very long meeting, they were given punishments  and a very thorough warning that should anything of that sought happen again, it would be a police case.

That was the start of the friendship between Devlin and Kevin. In the start, Devlin's parents saw Kevin as a bad influence on their son but the more they complain, the stronger the bond the two had. So after sometimes they gave up and started welcoming their son's friend.

***

Right now, as Devlin sat near his friends grave, he could not help but voice out his feelings. "You left me too early mate. Too early."

Unknown to Devlin, Sharleen had also arrived at the place some minutes ago. She watched as Devlin talked to his friend, the gesture warming her heart.

After sometime, Devlin felt her presence. Looking towards her, he beckoned her over and she did not hesitate to join him. The two sat quietly, both looking at the grave in front of them finding a welcoming peace.

"He really talked much about you, you know." Sharleen broke the silence, her eyes still glued to the grave though her mouth twitched to form a small smile.

"Not the embarrassing stuff i hope." Devlin said with a chuckle.

"No, nothing embarrassing." Sharleen laughed a little. "Just how he was proud to have a friend in the forces. A friend that can kick anyone's ass in a matter of seconds."

"If you only knew how much Kevin would kick my ass in a matter of seconds..." Devlin scoffed.

"What? No! Kevin can't hurt even a fly!" Sharleen denied with a surprise. "He was like a big teddy bear. So big but cute and innocent."

"Teddy bear my foot." Devlin said jokingly. "My friend here was worst nightmare a teacher could expect when we were at school."

"No way! I don't believe that! I swear Kevin was the sweetest man i know." Sharleen giggled.

Devlin was happy to see Sharleen put a smile on her face. Talking about Kevin really cheered her moods.

"Think of him as the big bad alpha. Too cute and sweet around his mate but the scariest thing to every other thing across the planet. Actually when i think of it, i thing Kevin might be a werewolf." Devlin whispered the last part into Sharleen's eyes like it was the biggest secret on earth.

Sharleen laughed at Devlin's lame jokes and listened with interest the story of how the two friends grew up. The story soothing the pain in her heart bit by bit.

Devlin could not admit it loudly but sharing the moments he experienced with his friend to Sharleen felt right. He felt satisfied whenever Sharleen giggled, laughed or seemed shocked as he went on and on narrating his and his friend's childhood.

The two were too engrossed in their talk that they did not realise how time flew. Devlin was the one who noticed later that the once scorching sun was now descending on the other side of the mountains.

"It seemed as though today the sun was in a hurry to set." Devlin commented while looking to where the sun was.

"Who knows, maybe the earth has decided to pick up speed in it's rotation." Sharleen replied.

"Well, lets go before my name goes all over the news that i am a kidnapper." Devlin said lightly.

"Don't worry, you don't look like a kidnapper at all." Sharleen scoffed, standing up.

"Really? It seems you have met a kidnapper once in your life?" Devlin raised his brow at her.

"Of course. In movies duh!" Sharleen grinned.

"You do realise movies are totally different from real life, right?" Devlin asked as they walked going to Sharleen's home.

"Yes sir!" Sharleen mocked salute and continued walking.

To Devlin's disappointment, they reached Sharleen's house sooner. Kevin's relatives were still around. Devlin knew a few of them and greeted them as he entered.

Sharleen went to her room after saying her goodbyes to him. Devlin thought it was best if he could go home and be with his mom, but before he could leave he saw Kevin's mum talking to someone in the dinning room, so he thought it was better if he went and greeted her before going out.

Kevin's mum and her companion were talking in a hushed tone and faced away from the way that he was coming from. But as Devlin neared, he heard something that he wished he would have never heard.

"What are we going to do about her? What are we going to do about Sharleen?" The man asked.

There was silence and then Kevin's mum answered. "We must get her married."

Devlin was greatly shocked but quickly recovered from it. Realising that he heard what he was not supposed to hear, he swiftly turned his direction to where he came from, but before he could go far, the same voice that spoke last spoke again once more.

"She must be married again to someone we trust."

*****