"... I'd like to believe it can be better, too." His voice is small, and he feels like curling up. He doesn't quite know what to do - being honest about his experiences is scarier than anything he's ever faced. "I just... don't really know what it's like to be otherwise. I was picked on a lot, and I thought maybe after we moved things would get better."

They didn't. They got worse. "... They're the only friends I've had. Other than ghosts and a bird, I... I've never really had friends. Books were the closest thing I had to friends."