"William dear, would you like to go to the music festival? It starts soon!"

There's worry and hope concealed carefully under a mask of cheerfulness. Will is smart enough to know it isn't a question, this is his parents attempt at making him happy, making him want to live.

No, I don't.

"Sure! That sounds great mum!" The reply is carefully timed and reeks of positivity.

He quickly gets changed and changes the bandages wrapped around his wrists.

He meets his family downstairs and smiles happily, "Let's go!"

The festival crammed full of people, street vendors, there's a stage in the middle and someone is already singing some song.

This is awful.

"Woah! This is so cool! Is it ok if I wander around and try find some other boys?"

He smiles and he forces sparkles into his voice.

His parents wave him ahead brightly.

They still can't read my true emotions, how uncaring.

"Ok! I'll see you at the end!"

He waves goodbye to his parents before letting his smile drop.

It's dark and the music pounds in the back of his head, shutting the noise out he sits on a bench and lets the people bypass him.

He feels lonely sitting in a massive crowd, with no one to talk to. Bullies seem to love him and a wave of depression falls onto him. He's grateful that no one will recognize him in the dark, he really can't deal with a confrontation now.

He sits and dark thoughts choke him. He sinks into sadness until his solitude is broken.

A boy sits next to him; he looks only a few years older than William. Black hair, dark eyes, tall with sharp features; he seems to have a relaxed and confident aura.

"Hello. Brilliant night isn't it?"

The shock of being spoken too prevents William from answering for a few moments. Hastily he plasters an excited expression on.

"Yeah! It's all super cool!" He grins a toothy grin, he briefly considers cutting off the conversation but reminds himself to keep up the façade. "You having fun?"

No. I don't really like music.

"Yup, I love music but I don't think I can handle the insane crowds. I can hear the music from here and that's all that matters."

William has never really felt anything for music so he merely smiles and nods. For a few beats they lapse into a semi-awkward silence.

"You don't seem like you're really enjoying this."

William starts with a jolt, "No! I'm having a lot of fun. I just prefer listening to the music here, like you!"

The stranger merely regards him with scepticism.

The first thing William thinks is a thought of annoyance: he's found someone sharp.

The second is a little more confusing: he's found someone who sees beyond his façade and he isn't sure how he feels about that.

Then an impulse smashing into him and for once in his life he utters the truth.

"I don't really like music."

He slaps a hand over his mouth in complete embarrassment and mortification.

Who says they don't like music at a music concert!

Before he can make any attempt of covering his mistake the stranger cuts in.

"Ah. Why? I think music is one of the best things in the world."

Taken aback William realises that this may be the first time any has ever willingly tried to initiate any kind of conversation with him and he feels the desperate urge to somehow connect to this person.

"It's just that I've never really... Well... Felt for it."

He flushes red, what kind of an answer was that?

"Hm. It's a way of escapism for me, I can lose myself in music and I think that's wonderful."

That sounds great. I wish I could do that, maybe if I could I wouldn't be so messed up.

"Oh. Thing is, whenever I listen to music it just feels like droning in the back of my skull."

Once again William feels awful, that was incredibly rude! The guy clearly loved music and he had just insulted it!

"Perhaps you aren't listening right. You should try find a genre or artist you like and listen carefully. Let yourself swim in the beat, the melody, the lyrics. Songs have a lot of power to stir up emotions within a human being. That's why I love them."

How kind. He isn't even angry; this boy is wonderful. I really like him. It's amazing how passionately he speaks about music.

"Oh. Ok. I'll try that."

William tugs at the hems of his sleeves, he actually is enjoying this conversation, a feeling he is uncomfortably unfamiliar with.

"That's great! I love music so it makes me sad if someone doesn't know how to appreciate it." The handsome boy hums content. "You know; this song is really lovely. Quite romantic."

William tunes in and the song really is cheesy.

This is disgusting. Love is overrated, what has it ever done for me?

"It is." He isn't sure what else to say.

"Love songs are nice aren't they? Love can be a beautiful emotion."

"I'm not sure..."

"Oh? Have you seen some unsavoury examples of love?" The boy's eyes look at William and he feels a little scared of the sharp gaze.

"Yeah... My mum divorced my biological father because he started to develop some... Er... Bad habits..." His voice trail off at the end. He feels shameful. Normally he was very guarded about his personal details yet here he was spilling his darkest truths to a complete stranger.

He feels vulnerable.

"Oh. How sad. It's horrible when love turns sour. But don't let that ruin love or you. That would be foolish."

He flushed at being called a fool. He was no fool. He knew the world, he had suffered, he had cried, he understood and here he was being called a fool simply because he didn't believe in love.

"I'm not foolish. What part of being cautious is foolish? It isn't wrong to be afraid! Have you seen what love is like! It can be detrimental for someone's mental health. Love can be really scary!"

This boy actually talks to you and gives you advice and you snap at him! This is why you don't deserve friendship!

"That's true. I apologise for offending you. Love can be scary however you need to remember how beautiful it can be as well. We all have to be brave and take chances or we might miss the love of our lifetimes. Life is too short for fear."

"Life sucks."

Life sucks.

The cuts on his wrists sting and he feels like crying.

"Yeah, it can really hurt." The stranger smiles a mysteriously. "Life can be unbearable, sometimes I've wonder whether it would be better not to live."

William blinks in surprise.

He understands me.

I'm not alone.

"I thought that too." In a moment of life-changing boldness lets his bandages show.

The stranger's eyes fix on the bandages and William's throat closes and heart pounds. He reaches over and gently squeezes William's hand, looking directly into his eyes he whispers, "It's worth it. Life is worth it so don't give up."

This was the moment William fell in love.

His eyes tear up and the words of a boy he doesn't even know wash over him and he feels for once in his life: ok.

He nods numbly and whispers back, "Ok."

William gave up on life when he was thirteen.

He regains his hope and falls in love when he is thirteen.

"What's your name?" The stranger asks, voice smooth and deep.

It strikes William that he's spilled his life details to this boy and he doesn't even know his name.

"I'm William."

"I'm Joseph."

It's at this specific moment, surrounded by music he would come to adore, that he falls in love with this boy.