Sticks and Stones • Park Jimin

xxxi.

Taehyung didn't know how to respond. "It's- They- I-" He exhaled. "You just know, okay?"

Jimin frowned, and Taehyung eyed the roof edge that was only about a foot behind Jimin's foot.

If I don't say the right thing, I could end up being the thing that kills him.

"Look, Jimin. Me, Jungkook, Jin, J-Hope, Namjoon, Yoongi-"

"Who's Yoongi?"

"Worry about it later. We all care about you. There isn't a right or wrong way to figure that out. We never came right out and said it. But that's just kind of how it works. We like being around you. You make us happy. We care about you, Jimin."

"You just don't want me to jump," Jimin mumbled.

"No, I want you to be happy," Tae immediately said. "And, yeah, I guess not jumping off the roof kind of falls under that category."

Jimin looked behind him at the edge. "But why would anyone care about me? I'm..." He paused. He had been about to repeat all the words that had been told to him. Fat. Ugly. Short. Slut. But he wasn't sure if they were true anymore, or if it even mattered whether they were lies because everyone believed them, which made them a truth if their own. "I don't understand," he said softly.

"Why would we- Jimin, we care about you for who you are, not what you look like, not that any of that stuff is true. Actually, while we're on that topic, who the hell told you all that shit about yourself? Is this that Kyung-soo guy you mentioned earlier?"

Jimin hesitated. "Yeah...and...my class."

"Some of your classmates?"

"No, all...all of them."

Tae just stared at Jimin. "All of them have been doing this to you?"

Jimin nodded.

"For how long?"

Jimin opened his mouth and paused. "I...I don't know. I can't remember...I can't remember when they started or any time when it wasn't happening."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Tae asked, trying not to sound as angry as he felt because he didn't want Jimin to get any closer to the edge.

"Tell you? Why would I tell you?" Jimin asked before looking down. "I didn't...want to look pathetic...in front of you guys..."

Tae frowned. "We're your friends."

Jimin looked up as if to say Were you listening at all to what I told you?

"But you weren't sure if we were actually your friends," Tae summarized, and Jimin nodded.

"Even if you were...I didn't want you to know that side of me." Jimin looked away, back at the edge that was so close to him. "And now you know. Do you know what they say about me?" Jimin frowned, his lower lip trembling. "They say that I'm f-fat and ugly and short and now they're saying that I s-slept with people I don't even know and that I'm a slut and-"

"Jimin," Tae said softly, smiling at him with a gentle aura. "You know what you said earlier? About not knowing truth from lie? Those things, those are the lies. Us being your friends and caring about you - that's the truth. Okay?And if you ever get confused, just ask us and we'll help you, okay? So come this way, away from the edge. You don't want to do that, and that's another truth. Jumping won't make you happy. It won't make us happy. It won't make your mom happy."

"It will make them happy," Jimin said, thinking of his classmates.

"Forget about them. Who is more important, the bullies from your class or your friends, the people who care about you?"

Jimin didn't answer, so Tae went on.

"C'mon, Jimin."

He held out a hand and prayed that Jimin would take it.

i know i said i wouldn't update this either but i have to judge stories for a contest on my main account and i'm going to leave you all with another chapter or two before i focus on that account for a bit