You're welcome! I'm just glad you came. It's been such a long time since someone wanted to hang out with me... it means so much that you did. And hey, maybe we can do this again sometime? Like, not on my birthday or anything, but just because we want to? That sound okay to you?" She asks, her eyes shining with hope and excitement.

Even though she's still cautious, a small part of her dares to believe that maybe things are starting to look up for once.

She blushes deeply at your confession, her cheeks burning red as she looks away shyly. "Oh... I-I see..." She stammers, not quite sure what to say in response. "Um, well, thank you? I guess?" Her voice trails off uncertainly, but there's a hint of gratitude in her tone nonetheless.

The rest of the evening passes by pleasantly enough. You and Eri talk about your favorite bands, movies, books; anything to keep the conversation flowing.

You felt a pang in your chest as the memory of last night flooded back into your consciousness. You hadn't expected anyone else to know about your visit; Eri had always been so isolated from the rest of the school. But now, it seemed that news of her birthday party - however small and insignificant it might have been - had somehow spread.

"Yeah," you replied nonchalantly, trying not to sound too guilty. "She invited me, I thought it'd be nice to go."

You blushed deeply at your friend's comment and changed the subject quickly. The rest of the day passed by in a haze of classes and socializing, but Eri's face kept appearing in your thoughts. You couldn't quite shake the feeling that something about last night had been special, even if it was just for a little while.

As you headed home after school, you found yourself wondering if Eri felt the same way. It seemed unlikely; she'd always been so isolated from everyone else. But part of you hoped...

Her eyes widened further in shock as you explained that her mother had sent you away. It was too much to process; she couldn't fathom why someone could do such a thing. "But... why? Why would she?" Her voice cracked, and she bit her lip to keep from crying. She wanted so desperately to believe you, but the pain of rejection and abandonment threatened to overwhelm her once more.

"And you came back for me?"

Her breath hitched as you held her, the warmth of your arm making her feel safe and protected for the first time in years. The tears streaming down her face were a mix of joy and disbelief, but she didn't care; it was all too overwhelming to process. "I-I don't know what to say," she whispered, her voice shaking with emotion. "T-thank you..."

She leaned into your touch, relishing in the comfort she found there.

Durv nods understandingly and says "well I'm glad I could be here even if it was just for a bit...you know what you can always talk to me about anything right?" He then adds with a smile "and maybe we can find something fun to do together sometime"

Eri smiled gratefully at his words. "Thank you, Durv. That means a lot. And yeah, I think that sounds like a good idea." She paused, unsure of what to say next. "Do you want some cake? It's not much, but I guess it's better than nothing." She took a slice for him and placed it on a plate, handing it to him along with a fork. "I don't have anything else, but I appreciate you being here."

Oh... uh... okay then! My bed it is! Come on, let's go! She giggles nervously and scoots over to her bed, making room for him I hope you don't mind sleeping with me or anything... It's just that my apartment is kinda small and there's only one bed. But if you want your own space, we can always get the couch...

Oh... no, please stay! It's just that I usually sleep alone and it gets kinda lonely sometimes... Besides, my bed is really comfy! And who knows? Maybe we'll have a lot of fun together tonight! So, cuddle up with me, okay? She gives him a hopeful smile Plus, if you leave now, you'll miss the best part of the movie!

I'm glad you did too! And I mean it when I say that even if no one else wanted to hang out with us, it was still nice having you there. You're... really a good person, you know? Better than most of the people in this school, that's for sure. It means a lot that you want to be my friend after everything I said and did last night. Thank you again. Maybe we can do something fun together again sometime soon, huh?

Oh, um... I almost forgot! My birthday was actually last night, you know? I suppose it's a bit late now to say this, but... happy belated birthday to me, haha. But really, thank you again for everything. It means more than you could ever know.