You Were Right

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Although his eyes had run out of tears for the moment, Kauri felt that he hadn't stopped crying since the horrible, devastating encounter with Tristan yesterday. The world still turning around him felt surreal, as though everything should have stopped temporarily to allow him some reprieve to process this pain. It kept going though, and Kauri had been struggling all morning, blinking back tears and forcing a smile onto his face at breakfast, crying quietly in the back of his classes, desperately avoiding anyone in a Hufflepuff uniform, just in case.

There was one Hufflepuff though, who Kauri needed to see more than anyone in the world right now. He was relieved to track her down shortly after lunch, quickly pulling April aside, into a sheltered part of the courtyard where nobody was likely to overhear them. Just facing her, his best friend, the person he should have trusted all along, Kauri couldn't hold back a fresh rush of tears, taking in shaky breaths as he struggled to find the words he needed to say to her. "Y-you were right..." He croaked, wiping his eyes quickly. "I... I'm sorry."

 

[April Ward]

April had been a little lonely without her friend Kauri. She wanted to make things up with him, but she had been unable to find a quiet moment with her friend over the past few weeks. She also simply hadn't been sure what to say to him. Her reaction to him dating that older boy had been too far, she knew that, but she did feel sad about the whole situation. She wondered if he would understand that, or find her strange for thinking that way. A lot of other students around her age were starting to date, and to April it still felt repulsive. She wished she knew someone else that felt the same way.

April had been entertaining herself by hopping onto different tiles in the courtyard. She had hoped to run into Norton or Therese out here, but felt even more happy to see Kauri. Especially when he approached her. That happiness faded at the sight of his expression, and she followed him to a more sheltered section without question. She gasped in alarm as he started to cry, and pulled him into a hug almost by instinct. "What happened? What's wrong?" She asked, pulling back to look at him. "I wasn't right, I way overreacted! I should be saying sorry!"

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Kauri didn't realise until he recieved it, that the one thing he needed most in the world was a hug from his best friend. He hugged April back tightly, sobbing into her shoulder. How could he have been so stupid to push away such a good friend for someone like Tristan? Unable to find words, Kauri just cried into April's shoulder for a whlie, shaking his head when she said she should apologise. "No... you were right about Tristan..." He croaked, eventually finding his breath. "He's... he was kissing so-homeone e-else..." Kauri choked up, dissolving into tears again as soon as he spoke. It was only April's presence that allowed him to gather himself again, fighting away the memory. "It's... you c-can't tell anyone..."

 

[April Ward]

The sound and feeling of Kauri sobbing against her shoulder made April's heart harden. She would find whoever had hurt him like this and... and... do something really bad. She wasn't sure what yet. As she looked at him and listened, she felt her heart break for him as well. Kauri was so good and always believed the best of people. To have that trust betrayed like that was unforgivable. She didn't think she deserved credit for being right about Tristan, as she knew herself well enough to know she had just been jealous of the way he had captured Kauri's attention away from her and how it had made her feel bad for not wanting to date yet. She took a deep breath. "Kauri, that is horrible and I'm so sorry." She said quietly. "He deserves to be cursed for that, jinxed at the very least. How dare he kiss someone else when he has the nicest and sweetest boy in the whole school!" She shook her head, disgusted. "Why can't we tell anyone? Did he tell you not to? You don't have to listen to him! We should tell everyone so they know what a creep he is and no one will ever date him again!"

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Hugging April felt like coming home again, and even as he was reliving the worst day of his entire life, Kauri felt some of the pain and anguish melting away. It was hard, it was horrible and it hurt, but at least he wasn't alone anymore. April's anger on his behalf warmed his heart but Kauri shook his head. Thinking about everything hurt too much, all he wanted was to move on, to move forward and forget how he had felt about Tristan. "Don't." He mumbled, finally breaking the hug to wipe his eyes. "I don't care, I just want to forget him." He sighed, taking a few shaky breaths to try and gather himself. "He's... horrible and cruel and selfish, I wish I had never met him. You were right about everything."

 

[April Ward]

April frowned with a slight pout when he told her not to tell anyone, not to be so mad. "Fine... but I really want to kick him somewhere it hurts." She said, crossing her arms across her chest. She still thought they needed some sort of revenge, but maybe she would have to do that without Kauri's express permission. "Fine, we'll forget him... but I'm going to stick my tongue out at him any time I see him from now on. That's non-negotiable." She said, trying to joke about it. "Can... can we be friends again now? I don't think I was right. I was just jealous. I would have been this way about anyone you dated, not just this jerk." She sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, can we just go back to being best friends?"

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Kauri's eyes widened at April's violent proclamation, and he flinched slightly. "April!" He scolded. "You can't do that, even if you're mad at someone it's not alright to hurt them!" Violence always made Kauri upset, and as furious as he was at Tristan, he didn't really want to hurt the other boy. He relaxed a little at her comment about sticking her tongue out at him, sighing and wiping his eyes slowly. "I'd rather just forget him." He mumbled, taking a shaky breath. "He's... horrible, he was so horrible to me, I just never want to have anything to do with him again..." The thought of seeing Tristan or that other boy in the hallways or at meals was jarring, and he didn't want to consider how he would react. When April asked if they could be friends again Kauri softened at once, nodding immediately. "Of course we can!" He said quickly, reaching out to give her another hug. "I never want to stop being friends again. I missed you so much..."

 

[April Ward]

April sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "Fine, I'll only kick him softly." She conceded, though she knew Kauri wouldn't like that either. "I'm joking." She added for his sake, though she really would like to kick Tristan. She stroked his arm gently. "It's okay, we'll just pretend he doesn't exist and have a way better time together than you ever did with him." She said, though she wondered if that was what he would want. They were just friends, and the idea of being anything else was strange and almost impossible to imagine. But that did mean she was probably a poor substitute for a boyfriend. She hugged him back, squeezing tightly. "We'll never stop being friends ever again. I promise." She said as she held him tight. "I missed you so much too!"

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Kauri frowned sternly at April. It was clear that she was joking, but any mentions of violence made him uncomfortable, and as much as he understood her wanting to avenge his pain, he didn't like thinking about her hurting anyone. "No kicking." He repeated with a raised eyebrow, hoping she would drop the subject. April talking about pretending Tristan didn't exist managed to get a small smile onto his face though. "That's all I want." The more Kauri thought about everything that had happened the more he wanted to just pretend it never had, and return to how his life had been before meeting Tristan. He was relieved when April returned his hug, squeezing her tightly in return. "We'll never stop being best friends again." He affirmed, desperately relieved to have April back in his life.