Fake Smile: A YouTuber Fanfiction

Chapter 6

"Austin what's wrong? Who did this to you?" Jared asked. Austin was crying on the ground, with his hand over his right eye.

"Those kids over there punched me." Austin answered, pointing at them while sniffing. Jared looked back over at the kids, his expression filled with anger.

"I'll be right back." He said, and he started walking over to them. Austin could only faintly hear what he was shouting.

"What the heck do you think you were doing to my friend over there?"

"We were just playing, it's not our fault he's a baby." Then Austin saw Jared punch the guy right in the face, and he fell down, holding the spot he punched him in. He then just stared at Jared with wide eyes.

"It's not so fun is it, I never want to see any of you go near Austin again." Jared demanded, and the other kids nodded their heads. Jared sent them one last death glare, and he then walked back to Austin and kneeled next to him.

"Here, move your hand and let me see your eye." Jared instructed. Austin did as told, still sniveling. There was a faint purple color around his eye, but it wasn't too noticeable. "It's not too bad, I've seen black eyes that were a lot worse, luckily they punch like nerds." Austin smiled and let out a small laugh.

"Thanks Jared." Austin said. Then while he was looking at Jared's face, he noticed that there was a cut on his neck. "Did they do that to you?"

"Huh? Oh that, no, that's from something else, don't worry about it." Jared dismissed. "Come on let's get going, recess will be over soon."

"Okay."

Austin lied in his bed, thinking about past memories.

"Jared...." He mumbled. He was mostly thinking about times from about five years ago when they were in 4th grade.

Austin remembered that for a long time he was alone and had no friends, and other kids liked to single him out because of it. They made fun of him, picked on him, teased him, called him names, and occasionally would even beat him up.

Austin was miserable during those years he had no one on his side. Every day he would dread going to school, sometimes he would even refuse to go, pretending to be sick. He was worried he'd live that way for the rest of his life, miserable, alone, and afraid. But then he met Jared.

At the time, Jared had just transferred to the school, so he was new. The first week he was there Austin never imagined getting close with Jared, or becoming anything more than just acquaintances. When he first came here he never talked to anyone, he was silent, only ever talking when he was spoken to, and he only ever had a stern expression. Because he seemed so off putting, no one ever talked to him, Austin was even a little scared of him. So when he defended him for the first time, it shocked him.

It was during class, and Austin was in the middle of presenting a project. He always hated presenting in front of people, so he was already nervous. He was having trouble breathing and his mind was going blank as he looked at the class. When he started speaking his voice was shaking and his legs were wobbly. He kept mispronouncing words, stuttering, and losing his place, it was a disaster. Then things went worse when some kid in the back of the class decided to shout 'boo!' as he held his thumb down.

At that moment the whole class started to laugh and join in on the ridicule.

"How can you be this pathetic!" A kid laughed.