Mastace hadn't seen Briggan at school for the rest of the week, and he missed a few days the next week as well. Something's up, he thought. Today, though, he watched Briggan walk onto the school property. God! He looks like a wreck!
Briggan took a quick look around, spotted Mastace and walked right up to him. " You said if I needed anything, you'll be there. Correct?"
" Yes, I did," Mastace replied.
" Do you stand by and honor that promise?"
" With all that I have and all that I am, yes."
" Then tell me this: Why are you suddenly so interested in my life? What about me makes it so hard for you to ignore? I just don't understand."
" I can't just stand around and watch someone suffer if I can do something about it. I refuse to be the person who did nothing, all the while, someone as worthwhile as you slowly succumb to his demons and takes a permanent action against a problem that's only temporary."
Briggan said nothing. His head was filling with confusing whispers of thoughts that he couldn't understand.
" I can see that you're in pain. I've seen it ever since the first time I laid eyes on you, and I want to help you. The thing is ... you won't let me in, and I can't get anyone else to help me figure out how to help you, so you have to do it. You have to bring down that wall you've built and allow me to help take away the sting from what's bothering you."
Briggan was shell-shocked. Mastace was going to great lengths to know what had happened in his past. Why would Mastace want to know Briggan's past? Did he want to help, or was there some other ulterior motive? He couldn't read Mastace like he could other people. He was entirely lost. Should he trust him, or treat him like he would anyone else asking this kind of information? His mind was telling him no ... but something else was telling him to give Mastace a chance. What should he do?