Symbolism

About two weeks ago, I was struggling with friendship and fights.
I was in tears, and I had nowhere to go, so I sat on a bench outside the cafeteria and tried to drown my problems in the apple juice they serve with lunch. (For the record, it only gave me a stomachache, so don't try it.) I wasn't sure which friends were my real friends anymore, and I was so totally lost. Confused. Destroyed. Insert various negative adjectives.
But then, this boy showed up. "Hey, I noticed you were upset, do you want to talk about it?" He sat down on the other end of the bench and put his hand on my shoulder. "I'm not good at this, and I don't even know your name, but if you need anything from me, I'm here."
That one small gesture led to me being happier than I had felt in nearly a month. I still have no idea who this guy is, but nevertheless it helped me more than he realizes.

(The boy in this story symbolizes hope.)