Gaius sat outside the school gates, hands sitting neatly in his lap as he watched the kids slowly filter out and start heading home for the day. Normally the litch-geist would gather his things and begin make his way home, just like everyone else. Today, the boy felt rather stuck. Summer break was here. The school year had finished, and next year the boy was going to officially be a junior. There were different expectations for juniors than for freshling aged students. It worried Gaius for a number of reasons.

Samuel flickered in, his ruby eyes watching Gaius with thoughtfulness in their glossy reflection. Samuel was always there for Gaius, knew when he was worried, scared, or even embarrassingly overjoyed. The two had grown incredibly close over the years, and yet, nobody knew of Samuel's existence. After all, he was just “in Gaius' head”. Just an “imaginary friend”. Tch.

“Hey ... why so glum ... ?” Samuel asked worriedly, gently reaching out to touch Gaiu's arm.

Gaius perked up, not having seen his dear friend appear. He wanted to hug him, to reach out and clutch the other boy close and sob in to his shoulder, but Gaius was terrified. There had been so many instances of his speaking with Samuel at the school and at home that had starting drawing far too much attention to Gaius' situation. Teachers had started calling home, worried about Gaius' development, concerned his emotional needs were not being met as a child his age should not have an “imaginary friend”. After all, he was nearly twelve. His excuses were running out — that's just how they are at that age, he just has an overactive imagination. Now the reasons for why were causes adults all around him to overthink.

He didn't want to tell him the truth about Samuel.

“I can't right now ...” Gaius murmured under his voice, casting a side-long glance at a pair of his classmates walking past, their eyes passing over Gaius with small sneers on their faces. “Not right now. Not at school.”

Samuel reeled back, looking openly affronted. “Since when did you care about what people thought about you?” Samuel demanded to know, visibly ruffled by Gaius' unwillingness to communicate with him.

“It's just ... I want friends ...”

“You have friends, Gaius! You have me! Do I count for nothing?”

“That's not the same!” Gaius shouted abruptly, drawing the stares of a few strangers passing by.

The litch-geist slapped his hand over his mouth to prevent anymore sounds. After a few, tense, quiet moments, Gaius got to his feet, heaving a heavy sigh. “At this rate, Samuel. I'm never going to be anything. For as long as you're holding me back, I'm never going to go anywhere in life ... “

Samuels' face twisted with intense emotion, his eyes welling up with hurt and sudden hatred. He couldn't say anything. Couldn't bring himself to call out after Gaius as the boy walked away with his head cast downward. Instead, Samuel simply faded away ...