When Peter reached the downstairs bathroom, he could hear faint sounds coming from inside. Rion was definitely still there. He didn’t hesitate to knock.

“Rion?” Peter asked. “Is everything okay in there?”

“…Um…kind of?” Rion answered.

His voice was wavering and Peter was sure he heard him sniffle. He was immediately ready to go and rejoin Danny. If Rion needed privacy to cry, he would give it to him.

“Okay,” Peter said. “The food is ready so you can join us whenever you’re done.”

He took a step back but there was a muffled curse and Rion called out, “Wait!”

Peter stopped and Rion opened the door. His eyes were red and his face was splotchy from crying, though he had wiped away any sign of tears. He was still in his wet clothes, standing there, looking uncomfortable in every sense of the word.

“What is it?” Peter asked.

Rion looked like he would rather be anywhere else. He looked down to his feet and then up, all the way to the roof, almost rolling his eyes back as he heaved out a long breath. He clenched and unclenched his hands, struggling to face Peter.

“I can’t get my shirt off,” Rion finally said.

Peter hadn’t been expecting that.

“You can’t…? Is it stuck on something?” Peter asked.

“No,” Rion said and there was an edge of humiliation in his voice. “It hurts too much when I lift my arms, and it… I can’t pull it up. I…I think I need help.”

The last part came out impossibly quiet. He looked like he was going to be sick.

If Rion didn’t look so embarrassed and vulnerable right now, Peter would have scolded him for not letting them take him to the hospital. Sarina had attacked him, he was already hurt from being attacked days before, and now he was physically struggling to undress.

Peter was frustrated and his distaste for Sarina was growing. He already hated what she’d done to Rion but seeing how bad it was, how injured Rion was… It made everything about the situation so much worse.

But the last thing Rion needed right now was judgement.

“I’ll help,” Peter said. “Show me how far you can lift your arms.”

Rion did as he was told, wincing in pain. He could lift both arms above his shoulders but not quite straight into the air. That was good enough for Peter.

“Okay. I’ll pull it off,” Peter said. “Try to keep your arms at a comfortable angle.”

He grabbed the bottom hem of Rion’s shirt and pulled it up. It wasn’t that soaked since Rion had been wearing a coat but the fabric still clung to him where it was wet. Rion hissed through his teeth at the motion and Peter couldn’t stop himself from letting out a sharp, angry hiss of his own as he pulled the shirt off completely.

He could see exactly why it hurt Rion to remove his shirt. He was covered all over in bruises, both old and new. There were a few fresh ones that were either from Eric the other day or from Sarina launching herself at him earlier. It looked like his sides had taken the most damage but there was at least one especially nasty bruise on his upper arm.

It was horrible to look at.

Peter stood, holding the wet shirt in his hands while Rion winced, crossing his arms over his chest self-consciously. There was a heavy, awkward silence.

“You know that this is bad,” Peter finally said, not even bothering to phrase it as a question. “Actually, it’s unacceptable. Have you told anyone?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Rion muttered, turning and grabbing the dry shirt. “It barely even hurts. It’s nothing.”

“Are you sure?” Peter asked him. He didn’t believe that at all, considering Rion struggled to pull off his own shirt from the pain. “Have you seen a doctor? Have you gone to the hospital?”

“No,” Rion said, “because it’s just bruises. It’s not that bad.”

“It is that bad,” Peter insisted. “You haven’t told anyone? Not even a teacher or your dad?”

“My dad isn’t around enough to notice,” Rion said, trying to pull on his fresh shirt. He was struggling with it, wincing in pain. “And even if I told him, what’s he gonna do? Call Sarina's parents? You know how they are, right? They’ll just yell at her or ground her or whatever, she’ll shrug them off, and then she’ll come right back around to take it out on me.”

Peter grimaced. He hated that Rion was right.

“What about the school? The teachers?” Peter asked.

“The best they could do is maybe give her detention, but they’re not even gonna do that much,” Rion said. “The teachers don’t give a shit about me. They think I’m the problem.”

A disbelieving laugh bubbled out of Peter. It sounded ridiculous but he wasn’t surprised. He was bitter. Because even he’d been upset with Rion. Somehow he’d been blind to everything and blamed Rion for abandoning Noa.

It was like Rion accepted all the blame and hate from everyone and didn’t try to fight for his innocence. Why? He was hurting himself.

“We need to get you help,” Peter said. “If not from a teacher or your dad, then someone else. You aren’t just being bullied, you’re being assaulted and abused–”

“It doesn’t matter,” Rion cut him off. “Listen, I just have to put up with it for a little longer. Sarina and her friends have their limits. They never hurt me too bad. I just need to make it through the year and graduate and then I’m free.”

“Free?” Peter repeated in disbelief. “What are you talking about?”

“School will be done,” Rion said. “I won’t have to see them anymore.”

“Are you planning on moving away?” Peter asked. “Do you know what you’re doing for post-secondary or have a job lined up? How are your grades?”

“I…I don’t know,” Rion said. He had stopped struggling to get his shirt on so that he could stare at Peter owlishly. “What does that matter?”

“As far as I know, Sarina and her friends don’t have any idea what they’re doing. And I doubt they’re just going to leave Misty Meadows,” Peter said. “If you don’t have a plan, if you’re going to stay here with them… Graduation won’t protect you. You think Sarina and her friends will leave you alone because you’re finished school? She didn’t have any issue attacking you in front of us at the park. She might get more aggressive if she’s bored and doesn’t have anything else to do.”

Rion looked comical with his shirt half on, arms through the sleeves, the fabric bunched up around his elbows, while he stared at Peter. But the situation was anything but funny. Rion stared in realization with wide eyes, the blood draining from his face.

“I…but… I won’t have to… I mean…” he said, struggling with his words.

Peter regretted speaking up. He didn’t mean to distress Rion. He shook his head.

“Let me help you with that shirt,” he said.

Rion looked a bit dazed while Peter pulled the shirt up, getting it over his head for him. Rion stood there, blinking as he pulled his shirt down, trying to think through what Peter said.

“Do you need help with your pants too?” Peter asked.

“No.”

“Okay,” Peter said. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to… I’m worried about you, Rion. This is… This is really bad. I think you need to tell someone. Maybe you should go to the police and press charges.”

“What?” Rion said. “I can’t do that!”

“Why not?” Peter said. “This isn’t okay, Rion. Not even a little bit. What if this was happening to Noa? What if Sarina left bruises on him like that?”

“I’d never let her!” Rion snarled with sudden ferocity. It was like a switch had been flipped inside him. “I won’t ever let her touch him!”

“Yes, but she shouldn’t do it to you either,” Peter said. “It’s not okay and you need to talk to someone. You can’t just let this go on and cross your fingers hoping for things to work out once you graduate.”

“I can’t tell anyone,” Rion said. “There’s… I can’t…”

“Then tell us about it,” Peter said. “Tell Danny. Talk to Celeste and Jesse. At least let us support you. After what we saw today, we’re already on your side.”

Peter knew he’d said something wrong. He wasn’t sure what it was, but Rion’s expression changed, hardened. He squared his shoulders, turning away from Peter, coming across as defensive. Peter faltered, wondering what he’d done wrong.

“No, I… I don’t need help,” Rion said. “Look, just… Let me put on some pants. I need space.”

Peter wanted to keep pushing things. He hated that Rion was shutting him down. But there wasn’t much else he could do, not without damaging the tenuous relationship they’d just established.

“Fine,” Peter said even though it hurt to say. “Fine. I’ll see you in a bit.”

He stepped out, closing the door behind him. Peter headed back to the living room where he found Danny on the couch, nachos and coffee on the table in front of him.

“So…is Rion good?” Danny asked.

It was hard for Peter to stop himself from unloading everything that was piling up. He wished he could tell Danny everything and get his opinion; about the bracelet and about Sarina…about how Rion was obviously being abused by Sarina and how they should do something about it…

But Peter wanted to respect Rion’s privacy. As much as he could, anyway.

“He’s still sore from Sarina,” Peter said. “He needed help taking off his shirt.”

“He’s hurt that bad?” Danny said, worried.

Peter joined him on the couch, sitting with his elbows resting on his knees so that he could hang his head. He was tired.

“He’s hurt,” Peter said, keeping it simple. “I think he was hurt before and Sarina just made it worse today.”

Danny was silent for a moment and then said, “I’m really not okay with this. I can’t believe Sarina. I… Urgh… This is the worst.”

Peter had a feeling that it was much worse than either of them knew. If Sarina thought she was justified in attacking Rion in front of everyone, and if those bruises were any indication, what was she capable of when no one else was around? And what about her friends? They probably tormented Rion even when Sarina wasn’t there. How many people were attacking him, anyway? Three? Five?

“I’m done with her and her friends,” Peter said. “If I see them anywhere near Rion or Noa, I’m chasing them off. I don’t care what I have to do. I’ll fight them if I have to.”

“Yeah, I can’t really blame you for thinking that way,” Danny said. “Man… I hate this. How did it even happen? Why’d Sarina change? Things were so good when we were kids.”

Peter didn’t have an answer. He didn’t know where things had gone wrong, only that they had. Maybe it started when Amber died or maybe it was when Danny left. Maybe something had happened that Peter didn’t know about or it was something small that he couldn’t remember.

It didn’t matter either way.

“I guess we all grew up,” Peter said.

“That’s a stupid answer.”

“I know.”

“This is the kind of thing that makes me wish I had a time machine,” Danny said. “I know it’s a stupid thought, but if I could go back in time, like to the day Amber died, and just pull her out of the cabin…”

“You wouldn’t have been able to,” Peter said. “Noa and Rion tried to get her out. Noa was burned. They could have died.”

“Then I’d stop them from going to the cabin. Or from going to the lake,” Danny said. “Wouldn’t it have been better if they had stayed home and played cards that day or something? Then when we got the news that there was a fire at the lake, it would just seem like a freak thing. We’d be all, ‘Whoa! Great thing no one was there that day!’ and we would just…keep on going with our lives. Jesse and Amber would be married, and…and Sarina would be normal… Noa wouldn’t be having breakdowns and he’d still be hanging out with Rion, and…”

Danny faltered. His eyes were shining with unshed tears. Peter sat with him in silence for a moment.

“But we don’t have a time machine,” Peter said.

“Yeah…and it probably wouldn’t have worked out anyway,” Danny added, letting out a weak laugh. “Even if time machines were real.”

“Depends on how the time travel works,” Peter said. “You’d most likely just create a parallel universe. Things would still be the same here.”

This time, Danny’s laugh was more genuine.

“Ha. Yeah,” he said. “I guess that’s true.”

There was the soft padding of bare feet as Rion came down the hall from the bathroom. He was freshly changed and he looked like he’d freshened up. He was more like himself, though he still shivered at the distant rumble of thunder.

“Hey,” Rion said, hovering in the doorway.

“Hey,” Danny returned. “How are you feeling? Better?”

“Yeah,” Rion said. He didn’t meet their gaze. “I, uh… I wanted to thank you. For helping me out. You didn’t need to go out of your way like this. I really appreciate it. So, thanks.”

“Oh, it’s no problem!” Danny was quick to say. “Couldn’t just abandon you out in the rain.”

“You could’ve,” Rion said. “But you didn’t. So…yeah.”

“Come here and have something to eat,” Peter said.

Rion came closer but he was watching them critically.

“You guys are still wet. Are you going to be okay?” he asked. “You can borrow something of mine or…uh…my dad’s. You’re really tall, Peter.”

“I want to wait a little longer,” Peter said. “We should eat first. If your dad isn’t home by then, we’ll change into something.”

“Are you sure?” Rion said. “He usually comes home pretty late.”

“This is a bad storm,” Danny said. “If he was staying in the city, I think he would have called by now. I'd assume he’d be able to get off work early because of the storm. He's probably on his way home right now.”

That made Rion look even more concerned. Peter quickly cut in, not wanting Rion to think too hard about his father being out in the storm. They didn’t need Rion spiralling again.

“Eat something,” Peter told him. “Come on. The nachos are already cold.”

Rion was reluctant, but he did join them. The nachos were lukewarm, the cheese getting stiff, but they still tasted fine. Pretty soon the plate was clear and Peter took it to the sink, along with their empty cups. As he came back, there was a noise at the front entrance.

Rion froze as the sounds of wind and rain filled the house from the front door opening. He relaxed a second later when his father peeked into the room.

“Dad,” Rion said and there was undeniable relief in his voice.

“Rion,” his father responded.

Mr. Blum was damp from walking up the front steps, his hair windswept. In looks, he reminded Peter a little of his own father, broad shouldered with brown hair and green eyes. But he was thinner, his features sharper and less boxy. Mr. Blum always looked like he was on the edge of exhaustion, a hint of dark circles beneath his eyes. His gaze was always distant, like his mind was elsewhere.

“Hi, Mr. Blum,” Danny said. “It’s been a while.”

“Danny?” Rion’s dad said, blinking at him. “Didn’t your family move away a few years back?”

“Yeah, uh, we moved back to town,” Danny said. “We’re neighbours, actually.”

“Hello, Mr. Blum,” Peter added. “Rion was in a fight and then it started storming so we brought him home.”

Rion shot him an unhappy look, but Peter felt justified. He’d told the truth without even mentioning Rion’s breakdown.

“Oh…thank you,” Mr. Blum said, looking relieved and grateful. “I came home as fast as I could. Some of the roads were blocked off. I got off early because of the storm but I still had trouble making it home on time.”

“You made it though,” Danny said. “We were all just hanging out so it’s fine.”

“Thank you,” Mr. Blum said. He sounded sincere, relieved. “Rion, are you okay? Are you managing all right? What’s this about a fight?”

“It’s fine. I’m okay,” Rion said. “It wasn’t even really a fight. More like an argument. It’s nothing. Danny and Peter came home with me and we’ve been hanging out. Everything’s good.”

“Did you eat already?” Mr. Blum asked. “I could make something.”

“We actually just had nachos,” Danny said.

Mr. Blum thought about that for a moment. “Nachos… That’s a good idea. Quick and easy. Maybe I’ll do the same. Did you boys need a ride home?”

“I actually live across the street,” Danny said and turned to Peter. “I was going to ask if you wanted me to drive you home. I kind of have to. Mom already told me she’d be pissed if you walked.”

“Sounds good to me,” Peter said.

“You’re going now?” Rion asked.

“Yeah, I think so,” Danny said.

“I’ll call you,” Peter said to Rion. “We’ll pick a date for you to come over and see Noa. Maybe sometime this week.”

Rion seemed to have totally forgotten that they were going to make plans for him to visit Noa. He blinked, eyes widening.

“Oh! Right,” he said. “Thanks, Peter.”

“Yes, and thank you for looking out for Rion,” Mr. Blum told them sincerely. “It’s good to know that he has friends that he can count on.”

That made Peter’s insides do a guilty flip. Not even a week ago he wouldn’t be here, worried about Rion. He would have been home, trying to comfort Noa. Rion would have been the furthest thing from his mind.

“No problem,” Danny said. “Rion can count on us.”

There were a few more awkward exchanges as they said their goodbyes. Mr. Blum was really grateful but, more importantly, Rion looked much more relaxed. Peter assumed it was because his father was home. That was a small relief.

After their goodbyes, Danny and Peter had to jog across the street in the rain. It was easing up, the thunder a little more distant.

Peter was only half thinking about getting home, his mind elsewhere as they entered Danny’s house to get the car keys. There was so much going on – so much that he hadn’t known was going on. He felt like he’d overlooked too many important things and people had been hurt.

Peter had a lot to think about.