He smiled a little, as he sat in the sandbox, Ex watching a few feet away.

He giggled a tad. "Ex?"

"Hm?"

"Why d'ya wear a helmet?"

He shrugged and smiled a little. "Reasons."

He smiled. "Ok!"

Ex nodded and watched awhile, before Xisuma looked up at him. "Will you push me on the swings?"

"No." Was the quick response he got, Ex shaking his head.

"Whyyyyyyy?"

He shrugged. "Reasons."

Xisuma went to say something else, but the same kid from a few days back came over. "Who're you talking to, freak?" X nervously smiled and sunk back a little. "A.. uh... a friend..?"

The kid laughed. "Your a stupid head. Nobody would want to be friends with you." Xisuma looked down as the kid laughed.

Ex walked over, going unnoticed by the kid, and whispered, "This is the kid messing with you, right?"

X nodded. "Mhm..."

"Hm." Ex looked at him, the sand, the kid, the sand, then back to him. "The sand. Use it."

Xisuma looked up to him. "How....?"

The kid laughed. "Making up friends!? Your so stupid!" Again, he took no note of Ex, who just stood there and looked at X. "Throw it at him."

X frowned. "That's not nice..."

The kid walked over, and despite being a year older than Xisuma, or seven to be precise, he seemed much more older than that. And bigger.

"What's not nice?" He said, in a mock tone, "Are you too scared you'll wet your little kid panties? Hmm?" He cracked some more.

Xs' hand curled into a small fist, out of fear and anger, but he noticed sand curled into his fist as well. He looked up to the kid, seeing Ex now standing behind him, mouthing, "Use it."

X looked at him, the sand, the kid, his hand, Ex, the sand, the kid, and his hand again.

Then he threw the sand.

The kid immediately stopped, and rubbed his eyes, whining and whimpering. "Owww! Why'd you do that?!" He winced in pain, rubbing the sand into instead of out of his eye. He quickly ran off to his mom, crying.

Ex smiled. "Good job." X looked at him. "I feel bad... it wasn't nice..."

"So?" Ex shrugged, "Doesn't it feel nice to make him feel how you felt?"

X thought a moment and slowly, half-nodded. "Sorta... not really... kinda...?"

Ex smiled, and went to say something before Xs' mom came over.

"X! Did you throw sand in that kids eyes?!"

X nodded. "Yeah."

His mom gave him a look. "Why??! Why would you do that." He looked down at the small bite in her tone. His mom never got mad, but when she did, he always felt bad.

"Uh because.. he was being mean.... and bullied me..?"

His mom sighed and pulled him up, so he was standing. "That's not how you deal with bullies Xisuma. You should've told me."

He nodded silently.

"C'mon, we're leaving."

He nodded and followed his mom out.

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She looked at him as he slipped under his covers. She sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm not mad, just disappointed."

"Sorry.." Was what he mumbled.

"Why would you do that though X? You're not the type of kid to just do that."

He sunk down a moment. "Because.... he was being mean.. and he said to."

"He?" His mom arched a brow. "He who?"

Xisuma shrugged. "Nobody.."

"X. You've mentioned this 'he' before sweetie." She gave him a motherly look. "Who is 'he'?"

X mumbled something, and his mom told him to speak up, so he did.

"Ex..." He mumbled, "That's the 'he'..."

"Who's that?"

"A friend."

"Where'd you meet him?"

"The park.... he was talking to me but introduced himself last night.."

His mom paused a moment. "Where is he....?"

Xisuma shrugged. "I-" He stopped, noticing Ex in the corner, shaking his head for some unknown reason. He smiled and pointed to him. "He's over there!"

His mom looked a moment, before turning back to X, realization on her face. "Have I ever.... been near him... and haven't noticed?"

Xisuma nodded. "Uh-huh."

His mom sighed. "Sweetie... He's just an imaginary friend.. ok..?"

X shook his head. "Nuh-uh! He's real! He's my friend!"

His mom sighed again. "Alright... Just," She paused a moment, "Just don't listen to him next time he tells you something like that, ok?"

He nodded. "Mkay!" Then he yawned, and his mom tucked him in.

After they said their goodnights, his mom left and Ex looked to him.

"Why'd you tell her." His tone was flat, but- as always, it had a soft, creepy-whisper to it.

He shrugged. "She's my mom. And moms know everything."

Ex groaned.

X tilted his head. "What?"

Ex shook his head, and Xisuma yawned again, blinking slowly, and when his eyes opened, Ex was gone. He seemed to do that sometimes.

Right as he closed his eyes, he heard quiet whispers coming from outside his door. He walked over and listened in, but was only able to make out fractions of the conversation.

"-I never thought..."

"I know..."

"....... Why.... Lonely......... bullied."

"Would never have expected.... the sand-"

"-He said Ex-"

"Who's- Oh.."

"It'll go away soon."

"Hopefully..."

The conversation fizzled out, and he gave up on it, because it had barley made sense anyways. As he was curling back under the covers, he barely made out one more phrase.

"Imaginary friends."

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His mom sighed and looked over to her husband, who was recently informed of what his son had done.

She frowned a little.

"What's your take for this all?"

Her husband, Dan, shrugged. "I dunno, it's just.." He sighed and Xs' mom, Karla, nodded.

"I know, I never thought he'd do something like that either."

Dan nodded. "I know... it's just.. Odd."

"Well I may know why. X has been saying he's been lonely.. and that may have caused him, or at least had something to deal with him being bullied."

"Still, he's a good kid and I would never have expected that, especially the sand," Dan took a moment to breathe, "It just doesn't make sense."

Karla sighed. "Well, he said Ex told him to."

Xs' dad looked at his wife a moment. "Who's-"

"Apparently his imaginary friend." Was what his wife cut him off with.

"Oh.." He said.

"It'll go away soon."

"Hopefully..." His dad muttered under his breath.

A moment of silence went by, before they both parted ways to go do their own thing, his mom quietly saying 'Imaginary friends' under her own breath before leaving.

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[Words: About 1140]

So uh, I understand chapters are less detailed, and slower in general/event-wise. Just try and bare with me though y'all. I'm on a trip so everything's gonna be not... as well done....? I guess. Meh. Anyways, hope y'all enjoyed!

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