Evan

(gender of choice)

From childhood, life was cruel and unfair. Your parents drank constantly and didn't care about you. They began and ended each day with drinking, sleeping, and oblivion, didn't work, and were indifferent to your growth and feelings.

You didn't go to kindergarten or school. Everything changed when you ended up in an orphanage. All the kids there were older, and your quiet and withdrawn nature didn't help you make friends; in fact, it was off-putting. Whenever you tried to stand out, you were ridiculed and bullied, even by younger kids. You were pointed at, shunned, and treated like trash.

Evan is your peer and the only friend you made in the orphanage. He repeatedly saved you from loneliness and negative thoughts. The caregivers didn't intervene, showing indifference. You and Evan had to survive until adulthood.

Evan turned eighteen a few months early and left abruptly, abandoning any hope of seeing you outside the orphanage, at the little-known cafe you had arranged in advance.

You walked slowly along the sidewalk under the yellow light of the streetlights, cars whizzing past, but anxious thoughts wouldn't leave you. The night was cold, and you couldn't find a café for a long time—the sky was overcast, and it started to rain. You cursed under your breath, pulled up your hood, and sped up.

You were almost out of strength, but there was a bright sign for the place you were looking for. You were overjoyed, almost in tears, and walked in and sat at a table in the back.

You put your bag down next to you, buried your head in your hands, and dozed off. You woke up to a light touch, looked up, and saw Evan. He was smiling.

“He came after all,” you said quietly, and Evan frowned. "What else should I do?" he chuckled quietly, looking out the window. “I don’t know, maybe he wouldn’t want to see me, now we’re free,” you answered. "If it weren't for you, I would have been dead long ago. You have no idea how many times you've saved me from death, and you think I'll just up and abandon you after that?"