'Willow?' Liam said, breaking the silence when we were in the library studying one day. I sighed. Liam was good at breaking silences.

'Yeah?'

'Why is Pain in your life?' I winced. I had no idea how Liam could do that. Besides me, Liam was the only person I knew who addressed Pain like a living being. He seemed to understand me in the strangest ways, it was like he was reading my mind. Every time he guessed these things I looked into his caramel eyes in the same way, a look of puzzlement. He always returned the same look, a stern, but soft look that said, "I just know".

'Well... As I said last week, it's a long story.'

'And we have a lot of time. It's Saturday. Willow, you can tell me these things.'

'I know, but - OK.' I took a deep breath and told him the story. He had a way of listening that I couldn't understand. I just couldn't. Whenever reminded myself of my story, I always pictured it. I pictured myself there, I pictured the scene, but when I told Liam the story, I pictured the scenes differently. I pictured him there with me, observing the scenes, a dark and mysterious look on his face.

'And that's why I'm here again.'
I expected him to say "wow", or clap his hand to his mouth, or look at my, his eyes wide, and tell me how sorry he was; but he didn't. He just looked at me, and said four words. 'Life can be disappointing.'

'I guess.'

'And Pain has been the only company you've had up until now...'

'Yeah.'

'How has Pain helped you through this? How have you coped with just Pain in your life?'

'I - I don't know. I've never seen a light at the end of the tunnel. Only now that I have friends am I seeing more point in life. Pain has still kept me company.'

'But Pain hasn't helped you.'

'Well...'

'No. Willow. Don't think like that. Pain is among the worst things that exist. Pain can't have helped you through anything.' I shrugged.

'How is it you understand me so well?'

'Pain has been a part of my life, too.'

'How?'

'I'll tell you another time.'

'Why not now?'

'Because... Because I have the biology essay for Monday and I haven't made a start yet.' I eyed him suspiciously as he busied himself with the book he was reading before. I was sure it was an excuse. I finally moved my eye to my own book and did my own homework.

---

I lay awake in bed that night, confused. I felt like Liam had entered my mind, and was observing my thoughts and how Pain was treating me. I'd never met anyone who could make me feel so strange like that. When I'd first met him he seemed like a normal person, with a normal life, but he wasn't. He had secrets, he was quiet, he wasn't an easy person to start a conversation with. He was just like me. I had grown up thinking there was no one like me in the world, no one who understood me as he did. Life had treated him like it had treated me. I didn't know the story of his life, but I could tell it was nothing good. He was the only other person who seemed to know how bad life had treated me. Not even Lucy would know. She might try and understand, or be sympathetic, but she would never know. That's what Liam did. He knew. He knew and his Pain was just like mine. I had to discover his story. I had to.

Notes

Hi narwhal-directioners:)
here is my next chapter.
i feel like this story is really powerful and the message goes for a lot of people who know what Pain can do to them. I'll tell you all now; the message is: no matter what Pain thinks it is capable of, there will always be light at the end of the tunnel. You will always find someone who will understand how you feel, and try to help you. There is someone out there who loves you. At least one person. They love you and would do anything for you to see that, in their arms, things could be better.
so my narwhal-directioners, never lose hope. Pain wants to get to you, to make your life the worst possible, but you must never give in to Pain. Please narwhal-directioners, you all do have at least one person in the world who cares about you. Look, I care about you all, that's one person!:) but out there, there is also one person who is waiting for you. Observe. Observe, and you will find what you're looking for.
With endless, endless love,
me xx