Runt bit her pale, delicate looking lip as she hugged Russel back, “I had a really….really bad nightmare….as usual.” She lied flat out, not looking the taller boy in the face. The older boy had no clue about the violent home life that she lead, and she didn’t plan on him finding out either. If anybody ever found out that her uncle beat her and her aunt then said man would kill her, skin her, behead her, mount her head on the wall, and make a rug out of her skin. And not necessarily in that order either.
She took a deep breath and was finally able to look up at him, a false but convincing smile plastered across her face, bringing an artificial happiness and lighting up her crystalline blue eyes. She thanked whatever sick twisted God that might be out there that Russel wasn’t able to see through her façade.
The taller freckled face teen hugged Runt tighter, bending down more so the hug would not be awkward. Or more awkward than it already was. He pet her shock white hair smooth, and wiped a small not so dry tear from her eye. He smiled warmly; the kind of smile an older brother gave his favorite little sister.  But everyone knew all too well that Russel wanted to be more than Runt’s older brother figure. But that was just how he felt the albino viewed him, “its okay Runt. It was just a dream.”
“Yeah, I know.” She took another deep breath, “we’re not heading to school yet, right?”
Russel laughed, “of course not! We’ll go to the pond.” Runt looked up at him, a more real smile playing on her lips.
“Sounds like a plan to me!” She said brightly.
They walked slowly away from the obnoxiously short girl’s house, heading towards the woods from which Russel came. They walked for a little while until they came to a small pond shimmering in the early daylight. Runt looked up at Russel a true smile on her face this time, before she headed off to catch a frog or two, entertaining herself before they had to go to school.