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Hector proceeded outside through the front of the school. ‘But, um... anyhow, to make a long story short, uh... I mean, I wasn’t going to tell anyone about what I saw... but I kinda... ended up telling Ms. Trent.’

‘Ah. Damn, Hector.’

‘Yeah... I-I tried not to tell her, but... uh... Ms. Trent already had her suspicions, I guess... and... she sorta cornered me... and I just... I don’t know. I couldn’t lie about it. And I should have...’ He shook his head. ‘I really fucking should have...’

Garovel gave a sympathetic shrug. ‘You just told the truth. Why does everyone in the club hold that against you?’

‘Because... Katrina and Jamal were both expelled, and now they have to repeat a year.

‘Oh. Yikes.’

‘I hadn’t, uh... I hadn’t actually done anything wrong, so... they couldn’t kick me out of the club, but...’

‘They ignored you until you just left on your own.’

‘Pretty much...’

‘Is that when you decided to kill yourself?’

Hector sighed. ‘When you put it like that... it sounds even more pathetic...’

‘Sorry.’

‘It’s fine...’

‘Well. They sound like the kind of friends you’re better off without, anyway.’

He shook his head again. ‘Garovel, no offense, but... you don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.’

The reaper raised an eyebrow at him. ‘What?’

‘I’m sorry, but... that’s the sort of thing that people only say when they already have friends that they’re comfortable with. It’s not the same when you’re rejected and completely on your own... “Just find new friends,” people say. “Friends who will treat you better.” Yeah. Right. As if that’s so fucking easy. I mean, that’s the whole problem to begin with...’

‘Hmm. I see your point.’

‘And besides... isn’t it still better to, y’know... try to accept your friends for who they are? Faults and all? I mean... it’s not like I’m perfect, either...’