"My life never started out like cupcakes and rainbows. I never asked for a perfect life, but a decent one would have been great. It still would be great." Hansel said. He took a deep breath and didn't say anything for a few seconds. "I never knew my parents, I still don't know who they are. I'm not sure I ever will know who they are. My life started going down hill, about..." He trailed off for a moment. "It went bad when I was about two days old." He decided. "When I was two days old, I was put in a basket, and rushed down the river. That's what I've learned. After that. It never went well. I stayed in an orphanage until I was five years old. My name was Han. Horrid name. I tried to avoid it as much as possible. People at the orphanage kept telling me to get lost, to go kill myself. When I was five I decided to listen to them. I ran away. I got lost. I ended up on the streets. I was useless. I was clueless out there. They found me a few days later. Back I was there. Everyone stopped telling me to get lost." Hansel said. He didn't say anything.

"So that was good?" I tried. He ignored me.

"Now, they kept telling me to to kill myself. They kept telling me to take a knife and stab myself. Everyone did, adults, and kids. I was alone. I was scared. I didn't. I didn't want to live anymore." Hansel said, his voice breaking. His eyes had tears in them I put my hand on top of his, he didn't react to the movement. "I was seven. I had found a knife. I raised it. I almost did it, and then. Then Redline came. She saved me. Then the world went black." Hansel finished. Hansel stood up and started walking out of my new bedroom without another word.

"Hansel," I called out to him out of the blue. He turned around. "If you had to go back, what would you do?" I asked him.

"I would kill myself." He stated. Then he walked out of the room, without another word.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note

I hate how people say boys can't cry. Because some boys go through a lot and you can't expect a boy not to cry through all that. Boy or girl.

Hansel will cry. He will.

I don't care if it's "un-manly." 

Boys. Can. Cry.