The next memory.

We were in middle school. The desks we sat at were clean, polished. It was the end of the last year. Year six. We were eleven. High school next year.

She was next to me. The notebook she bought at the festival lay open about halfway in front of her. She was sketching her world out, using the smooth yet sketchy lines to make the creatures and plants come to life. She had created her character near the start, a little way after the sketch of the trees. She was a bold, bright, dragonfly winged cat-type thing. I was on the page opposite. A small, timid looking fox like creature.

Her character reflected her so perfectly. Bright. Colourful. Full of life and hope. And then mine. I - it - looked timid. It glowed with a faint, silvery light. Or that's what I could dictate from the quick drawing.

I nudged her leg as our teacher walked past. The teacher we had for that year appreciated art - but wanted us to learn. She would give her stern looks sometimes, but had let her go up to this point.

She looked up, nodded and slid the notebook onto her lap as the teacher walked past.

"Iro." She said gently. Even the name was beautiful. Colour, it meant. It suited her perfectly. No matter what tone it was used in, it was always wonderful. It made me want to laugh and cry at the same time.

She nodded and bent her head to get back to work. She winked at me. I smile back and turned to the task at hand. Nothing much - a little after-test sheet, just something easy to do until we moved on to high school.

Once the lesson was over, we walked around the playground, and ended up sitting on the wall that lead to the Wildlife garden. She bought out the notebook again, and continued with the drawing. I watched over the playground.

Even without Iro's artistic ability, I could make up my own world. The group of boys playing football were a group of gnomes and elves, playing cheerfully together. The group of horrible girls were charming mermaids who would lure sailors to their deaths. The group of normal girls - the ones without a tag yet - were just stone eggs, waiting to be hatched, waiting to make a life.

But to Iro - everything was brighter. Even the horrible girls who had tried to make her feel insecure. I had seen her notebook. She had them down as Harpies.

I wished I could see them as she does. But I couldn't, no matter how hard I tried. Iro had a gift. Her eyes - her beautiful, colourful eyes - could see the hope and wonder in everything.

The football that the boys - or at least, some of them - were playing with hit our legs.

"OI! HAIRO! THROW THE BALL BACK!"

Iro glanced up at the mention of my name. I looked at it, aimed and kicked. Of course, being me, I missed and made a fool of myself.

My face flushed red. Iro carefully closed the book and approached the boys, who were in stitches.

Oh no.

Please don't.

I'm not worth it.

She stood in their face. Their grins melted when they saw her. "Don't. Laugh. At. My. Friend." She told them, quietly and menacingly. They blinked and backed away a little - not enough to make them 'unmanly' but enough so Iro knew they were... Well, backing away.

She turned and returned to me, helping me up. I brushed my hands down, bent down and picked the ball up, then threw it back. They stopped it and continued with their game.

"You okay?" Iro asked me. I nodded, smiling, eyes fixed on the floor. That was a answer enough for her - her eyes found their way back onto the page and continued to find beauty.

Then the bell went. We headed back into the classroom, together, and continued to drag ourselves through the day. Towards the end, in art, after I had unsuccessfully drawn a apple, I grabbed her left arm. Her drawing arm. She looked at me confused. I uncapped her sharpies. She laughed and allowed me to doodle on her arm. A little rainbow from behind a sun.

Turns out I was okay at cartoons. Little things like that. She smiled at the rainbow, then grabbed my drawing arm - the right one, and drew a similar rainbow.

Then we had to return home. We found a few dandelion fluffs, and blew them as we went. The seeds flew off, to plant themselves. Then she turned down her path, waved to me, and went to her house.

I walked the two minute walk to my house alone. Upon arriving home, I sighed. This house was so... Dull. Colourless.

I wandered up to my room. My dad was out of the picture, and my mum worked late today. My brother was in his room, playing his games. The memory of my brother hurt. I could almost smell the...

No. Now was about Iro. Not my brother.

I entered my room. It was more colourful, but only because she had helped me decorate. Glow-in-the-dark stars were stuck to the ceiling in consolations. The walls were a deep indigo. The bare floorboards had a single, patchwork carpet, covering a tea stain. A bed, a wardrobe and a bedside table. A book case and a cork board, filled with photos. Me and Iro at the festival. The flower crown I had bought there. A drawing Iro drew for me once upon a time. Fairy lights snaked their way around it once, then over my bed, lighting it up in just the right way for reading.

I glanced down at my hand. The rainbow she had drawn on was wonderful - but it was bath night tonight. It would fade away, be lost forever.

Then I had a stoke of inspiration. I grabbed the landline phone and called her house. She laughed at my request but agreed without a moment of hesitation.

She came over five minutes later, paintbrush tucked behind her ear. I smiled at her and bought her into my room.

We emptied the wardrobe of my clothes. She set to work with the paints I had set out. I bought up some hot chocolate and biscuits, then sat on the bed and watched her design. A fluffy, bright cloud that seemed to be made out of sunlit stars. A small castle perched on it, with a waterfall pouring down the side. The waterfall looked like it was made of night stars. But that was not the main eye-attracter.

The rainbow stretched from the left door to the right one, going behind the castle. She examined the work, then nodded and turned to me.

My mouth was open. I threw my arms around her. Anyone walking would've seen it as a friendly gesture. It was more for me. I hoped it was more for her too.

"Thank you." I told her sweet smelling hair. "It's perfect."

"Anytime." She said, hugging me back.

Nope, seems Wattpad wants to keep being weird.

Whatever. I'm getting used to it.

Ah, those two love birds. Iro and Hairo. Ahhhh.

Again, if you want to talk to me anytime, I'm pretty sure I don't bite much. I'm more like Iro, but the more friendly side of her. I'm open for talking!

Now to start a trend - questions. My question to you; have you done something insane like that with a friend? Without asking your parent? Going out with friends or anything?

Until next time,

~Glitch.