TRIGGER WARNING: SEVERE BULLYING, DEPRESSION, SELF HARM

A/N

Okay, this'll be a bit different. I'm gonna give a VERY LONG explanation first because this is pretty different with Pink Roses's version.

So last month, my class got an English presentation project where we tell a story in front of the class. You make a PowerPoint presentation with dialogue-less drawings, and you describe whatever the hell is going on. Apparently, you were allowed to draw and compose your own story!

I got extremely hyped up at the info and immediately thought of Tetra and Trist. When I got home I made the story when the two befriended each other, and Tetra protecting Trist from his bullies. But I forgot one thing: I added their headphones. I wanted to so I could add more detail into the story explain about the headphones in front of the class. Y'know, higher score! Apparently, the more detail your story has, the better score your presentation'll get. XD

They weren't supposed to have headphones yet since Trist and Tetra were both under 16 years old. So in this version, Trist is already 19, and Tetra is 17. WHICH IS WEIRD BECAUSE TRIST IS SUPPOSED TO ALREADY GRADUATE YET HE'S STILL IN SCHOOL WIFH TETRA AND THE OTHERS BUT OH WELL PRETEND THAT SCHOOLS IN PARADISE ARE DIFFERENT. And I kinda accidentally changed Austin's appearance, because when I drew him, I wasn't reading the paragraphs for descriptions and reference. Heheh. ^^"

I haven't posted this since last month because I wasn't confident enough to post it. But hey, it's here now!

Just as extra info, I changed, added, and removed many things here, and I even intentionally not mention Trist's self harm and suicide attempt as to not trigger anyone, and made Tetra and Pi male and female so I wouldn't confuse anyone at school. I hope you don't mind, DJG3N6 ;w; Don't worry, they're both back to gender neutral and genderfluid in this version of the story now.

Enjoy! Have some extra artwork as well. And sorry Jun if you don't really like this version :')

Also: this is different from when I presented in class. I didn't add all the artworks I made for the presentation because I'm not confident with some of them.

THIS IS WAY TOO LONG. NOW ON WITH THE STORY

In a remote magical land called Paradise, there was a boy called Trist. Trist was a quiet, shy, and antisocial boy, despite being nineteen years old, and even though he wasn't mute, nobody had ever heard him speak.

Being nineteen, Trist was pretty tall, but compared to his classmates, he was short and scrawny. He had periwinkle blue hair and light gray bluish skin. He always wore an oversized turtleneck sweater with dark blue trousers and simple turquoise shoes. Nobody knows why he liked to wear the same clothes whenever he goes out or at school. Along with those was a pair of gray headphones on his head, with a light blue square with smaller lighter blue triangles on top as a design on the sides.

Special headphones were always given to the people of Paradise as a sign of their maturity. Whenever someone turns sixteen, they receive a pair of gray headphones with a design of their choosing to put on the sides. They are allowed to choose any color of the rainbow and any kind of shape for the design, but the headphones themselves will always be gray. Whoever breaks or loses their headphones will be shunned from society until they fix it or find it again. That's why it was important to take good care of them.

Trist, because of his shyness and submissive actions, was the favorite plaything of the bullies at school. Everyday, they would taunt him and beat him up, and laugh when he crawls on the floor in pain.

All he ever wanted was a friend. But he was too shy to ask anyone. So for the past three years he had let himself get bullied, away from everyone else's watch, gained depression, and even committed self harm, which was probably the reason why he wears a sweater that completely covers his wrists.

From afar, Trist always admired a popular group of four young teenager siblings who called themselves the Quartet. The four; seventeen year-old girl Lumina and gender neutral Tetra, eighteen year-old boy Quin, and sixteen year-old genderfluid Pi were notorious for their crazy daring adventures and shenanigans, and they were hilarious troublemakers at school. Nobody ever dared to mess with them, because they would immediately kick their asses. Even Tetra, the smallest, can beat up a guy thrice their size. Trist wished he could be a part of their family and friendship someday as he watched them have fun in the distance.

One day, when Trist was being bullied again by an older boy called Austin and his gang, Tetra, who was walking past, barked at them with a threat intimidating enough to get them to scram. Thankful, Trist showed his gratitude by speaking with sign language. Fortunately Tetra understood, and Tetra, understanding Trist's position, immediately got along with him. They used to be bullied as well, but their siblings always had their back. They felt sorry for Trist to have nobody but himself, so they decided to befriend him.

Everyday, the two would get closer, and soon enough they were almost inseparable. To show his trust, Trist finally spoke his first words to his new best friend, and Tetra was shocked to find out that Trist could actually speak. After a while Tetra decided to introduce Trist to their siblings, who were at first wary but soon became friendly towards him.

Trist had never felt like this before. He was used to being ignored and beaten up by the other students, and the feeling of having actual friends and people who cared for him was new. He felt overjoyed, and before he knew it, he had developed a crush on Tetra. For a while, Trist's bullies didn't dare to place a finger on him with harmful intentions, seeing that he was hanging out with the most popular group of students at school who doesn't tolerate anyone who dares to make fun of them, and Trist was safe for at least a week.

Meanwhile, Austin was outraged. The fact that Trist had gotten himself his own 'bodyguards' infuriated him. He seized the chance when he saw Trist standing alone in front of his locker one day.

Poor Trist was shoved to the ground as Austin pummeled him with punches that made caused wounds all over his body. Bruises littered his pale blue face and blood stained his beloved sweater, and even the lockers, as Austin raged about him befriending the Quartet. Trist just cried silently as Austin continued to beat him up, landing hits on him as if he was a human punchbag. Even his headphones fell off, and Trist could only hope that Austin doesn't snap it in half.

Tetra, who was downstairs with Lumina, Quin, and Pi waiting for Trist to come down so they could eat lunch together, heard the furious, angry yells of someone and the thud of something being thrown against the lockers. Concerned, they recognized that voice. It belonged to Austin, the bully they hated the most. When they realized that they could only hear Austin's voice and not anybody else's, they immediately feared the worst for Trist, who was the quietest person of the entire school.

"I'll be right back," they said, dropping their schoolbag behind them. Lumina and Pi, who were chatting about the newest gossip, and Quin, who was texting on his phone, all stared at Tetra's departing back in confusion. "Oy, Tetra!" Lumina called after them as they disappeared up the stairs, "where are you going?!"

Tetra's fears were confirmed when they climbed the last stair and took a left turn where the dead end with the lockers were. Trist was cowering in the corner of the locker hallway, all bloody and bruised, eyes closed as tears flowed down his cheeks, and Austin stood towering over him with a bloodstained fist raised above his head. Tetra flinched and gasped silently when it fell and struck Trist full on the face. Anger boiled within Tetra as they heard Trist's helpless whimpers of pain.

That's it.

They strode angrily towards Austin's back and stopped a meter away from him. "Touch him again with your filthy skin and you'll wish you've never been born," Tetra snarled.

Austin whirled around, shock evident in his eyes, but it was only for a second as he started to smirk mockingly.

"Well, if it isn't the big boy's tiny bodyguard," he smirked. Trist slowly and painfully opened one of his black eyes and smiled in delight at the sight of Tetra. Austin, sensing Trist's happiness, turned around and kicked him hard on the stomach. He only grinned maliciously when he saw the fury in Tetra's eyes.

Austin himself had never actually got beaten by Tetra. So of course, if was foolish of him to underestimate them like that.

He smiled dangerously. "Get out of here, midget."

But Tetra was ready for the fist that flew towards them after he said that. They ducked in time and sent their own surprisingly powerful uppercut to his chin. Austin yelled in surprise as they staggered backwards, but surprise turned into rage and he threw another powerful punch at the small teen—only for them to dodge it again.

Tetra only smirked as Austin began to tire himself out by throwing punches and kicks that always missed. Eventually they got bored and dodged another hit by sliding underneath Austin's legs, pulling down his trousers, and kicked his back, causing him to fall over face first on the floor. They were triumphant as they stepped on the bully's back with one foot to hold him down and pulled his hair, causing him to roar in pain.

"Who's laughing now?" Tetra grinned triumphantly as they pulled harder on the golden strands of Austin's hair. Austin couldn't respond as he screamed in rage.

The teen only smiled. They then whispered to his ear, "Don't ever mess with any of us or bully him. Ever. Again."

They then let go of his hair and their leg and Austin ran away immediately, cursing at the top of his lungs while trying to put his pants back on again without tripping over them. "Don't forget to tell your friends about it!" Tetra waved cheerfully.

Their smile slowly dropped into a worried one as they turned around to Trist, who was coughing weakly and was trying to sit up. The poor boy was covered in cuts and bruises, but when he opened his deep black eyes to look at Tetra, his lips curled into a grateful and tearful smile, beaming at them admiringly, and with that expression, it was almost as if he wasn't hurt at all.

"Are you okay?" Tetra said worriedly, and Trist nodded, still with the soft smile on his face. It melted Tetra's heart to look at that soft, innocent smile. He was like a broken angel, and it was unbelievable that such an innocent boy had to suffer from bullying for almost four years.

The teen helped Trist stand up and he immediately wrapped his arms around them. Tetra was surprised by the sudden embrace, but they hugged him back anyway.

From that day on, Trist was never bullied ever again. Maybe once or twice, but the Quartet always made them think twice before they did. The Quartet, especially Tetra, always made sure that Trist had the company he needed. Trist hoped that he could repay the favor the Quartet had offered him. And who knows what might happen in the future?

-end-

Actual pictures I added in the end of the presentation

Before you ask, I used the name Jun_Liu because:
• I found the name on a video featuring her art :P
• "Jun_cant_draw_for_sh1t" has 'sh1t' in it and I don't want anyone, both teacher and classmates, to ask about it xD
• I like the name 'Jun' :3

I hope you don't mind me sharing your art, Jun. ^^

Bonus art I added to depict Trist and Tetra's unmatched friendship

I was originally gonna add a scene when Trist revives Tetra, Lumina, Quin, and Pi, but first of all the chapter wasn't out yet at that time and secondly I actually didn't have enough time to make one

I LITERALLY FINISHED THE PROJECT LAST MINUTE, AT THE DAY BEFORE THE DEADLINE, AND SLEPT AT 3:45 AM

Extra picture I added to show my dedication to the project to the class. ^^

Thanks for reading this chapter! Please do make sure to check out DJG3N6 and her book Pink Roses. I swear it's the best JSAB book in existence and the author is such a kind and hilarious person UwU

~Flurry away!