Next memory.

I had thought about telling my mum. I had been looking around the internet - most of them accepted anyone in the LGBT+ community. That was what being a homosexual meant. Lesbian - when you like a girl, and you are a girl. Gay - guys like guys. Bisexual - liking both genders. Transgender - when you were in opposite gender to what you were born. There were more, but those were what the letters stood for.

And most people had claimed they had been thrown out of home for coming out. So I had been arguing with myself to if I should tell her or not.

Then I decided. Today. I came home, agreeing to let Iro round after she had dropped off her bag - and came up to my mum.

"Hey, Hairo." She said, pecking my head. "How was school?"

"Okay." I swallowed. Why was my throat so dry? "Mum, I need to tell you something.

"Yeah?" She was washing up. Soap bubbles of all sizes were floating on top of the water. I focused on that while I said;

"I'm... Not straight."

She looked at me. I was scared. But she smiled. "Thank you for telling me."

My heart pounded. "That's it?"

"What, do you expect me to throw you out of this house? You're my child. I love you no matter what." She wiped her hands and hugged me. "But thank you for trusting me enough to tell."

I hugged her back, smiling. I didn't want this moment to end. Then Iro walked in.

"There's a doorbell, you know." My mum told her, letting me go. But she was smiling. "I'll bring you two some juice."

I smiled at her, and disappeared upstairs with Iro to work. We stayed up there for most of the afternoon, until it was eight. We fed Iro, then sent her home.

The next day was a huge one. A day that changed our lives. Iro came into school with her usual no-nonsense attitude - but stopped outside the school gates.

I stopped with her and looked at what she was looking at. The boy who had given me a tie was milling around the outside of the school. I hadn't taken in his appearance at the time. I did now.

He had long hair - longer then usual. Or, long for a boy. A stereotypical boy. It suited him to be fair.

He was being held back by two older guys - what would be a jock, if we were in America. A third one, a blond haired boy, was shouting in his face.

"Cut your hair, you fag! It's disgraceful! Why would you want to look like that? You look girly! You freak! Gay boy!" Each word was spat out. He was properly annoyed with him.

For... His hair?

Iro stepped in quickly, slipping between the blond boy and the tie dealer. "I'm sorry, but what's the problem here?" She asked

"Get out of here, girl." He spat at her. My fist tightened.

"Are you judging him for his hair? How he wants to look?" I demanded, storming over to stand next to Iro. The two guy holding the tie dealer up let him go. He rubbed his arm and glared at the blond boy.

"It's un manly! No-one can tell he's a guy!" He growled. My heart started to pound a little faster.

"So? Does it matter? Does it hurt you personally?" Iro snapped. He glared at her, backing away at last.

"You just made a enemy, girl." He said, walking into school. "You should keep your nose out of other peoples business."

And he and his goon friends left. I turned to the tie dealer. He looked at us.

"You shouldn't have." He said.

"It's no troubl-" Iro started, but he cut her off.

"No, really. Now he's going to target you too." He shook his head. "I'm thankful, but you shouldn't have."

And with that he turned and walked into school.

Iro sighed. "Great. You try to do something nice and you're suddenly targeted." She said. Then she looked at me and smiled. "Thanks for your help though.

With that, she went into the school as well. I followed after her, careful to avoid eye contact. It seemed everyone was watching us. I shivered, and hurried after Iro.

The day dragged by. After lunch, I went to my lesson and waited for Iro to come. She was only a little late, huffing after me. We entered the room together. She kept trying to make me laugh. By the end of the lesson, I was almost crying by holding in my laughter. She smiled as we left the room.

"I gotta go pee." I told her after I had finished exploding with laughter. "Wait for me?"

She nodded. I entered the room alone.

When I came out, she wasn't there.

I licked my lips. She had just gone round the corner to make me jump when I went there...

No. She wasn't there. I looked around the obvious places - the library, water fountains, a different toilet - then gave up and went home alone.

She hadn't gone to my house. I considered knocking round for her, but decided to wait, and see if she was coming to mine. Half four came and went, and she hadn't even walked past the house. I looked around the room - the wonderful floor which made it look like I was looking down on a town, the walls which had a world drawn on - and decided to come over.

Kate opened the door and looked relieved to see me. "Oh thank God. You know where Iro is, don't you?" She looked at me anxiously.

My eyes widened. "You mean she isn't at home?" I asked. Her face fell.

"She didn't come back from school. She did get to school today, didn't she?" I nodded. "But did you walk back with her?"

"N... No. I had to go to the toilet. She left without me. Or... I guessed she did."

Kate sighed. "It's okay. She's probably at town." She said. But her tone made it clear what she thought.

It was my fault.

I should have looked for her more. I should have kept looking.

So I did.

I left her house and went back to school. The gates were still open. A few people from after school clubs were filing out. I could hear her muttering already.

I followed the sound round to behind the bins. There she was, crumpled on the floor. Her clothes had been played with. Her hair was scattered around her.

I approached her carefully. "Iro..?" I asked. She looked up. Her hair stayed on the floor.

They had cut her hair. It was spread around her like patchwork.

She looked at me, eyes dull. I fell to the floor in front of her and hugged her.

She hugged me back and cried on my shoulder.

She never cried. I was the one crying. She would be the one there to reassure me.

But not this time.

*sighs*

Take that scene how you want. I didn't want to imply she had been raped, but something bad did happen. Something to burst her bubble.

Fun fact - this is the first chapter where the word 'patchwork' hasn't cropped up in the first draft. I insisted on having it in, so placed it in.

Sorry this one was late, but I had personal issues to deal with including stalking friends, delivering chocolate and having serious headaches.

I got no questions this time. Tell me any fun facts you have - I love them.

Until next time,

~Glitch.