Chapter Text
Chapter 11: Tear Drops.
It was a Saturday, meaning it was a weekend. Brunio had suggested that they all come to his house since he wanted to hang out with all of them. Rick, Kern, Sario, and Elnio obviously agreed to come because they always wondered what Brunio’s house was like. Was it huge? Or, maybe it was the same height as Kern? If that stupid Kernel ever heard him making a comment like that in front of him he’d try to kill the crap out of him. Unfortunatelyfor Kern, Rick is strong, bulky, and muscular with six packs on his sick packs(biggest lie ever). Considering that Brunio isn’t a broke hoe, it was unlikely he’d be living in a small house.
No offense to his best friend of all time - Kern, but he was built like an annoying mosquito— small and annoying as hell. And don’t come at Rick for thinking so because it’s true, Brunio can even back him up here! Kern was basically, if not the shortest boy in the entire class because Cel had his growth spurt last year and is now taller than him. Kern would always have to stand on his tippy toes whenever the teacher would ask him to turn the projector on which Rick found genuinely amusing(he would always hold in his laugh and resist the temptation to tease Kern about his height)
Rick may sound like an asshole(he is one), but come on, it’s not his fault that Asians are so short. Sometimes, he ponders if all Asian people are all teeny-tiny minions, who fall down on to their knees when they see someone clearly more superior than them. Being specific– the tall people, like himself!
A lot of people find it shocking how he’s unquestionably taller than everyone in his class, he’s even taller than his teachers if that wasn’t astonishing enough to share. Can you imagine that in your mind? Being taller than your teachers? What a joke, but it’s relatively amusing now that he thought about it.
Teachers are primarily 22-43 and above years old which tells us that they are adults, 18 and above! Serendipitously, they’re short? So short that Rick could even rest his elbow on his teacher’s heads if he wanted, however he doesn’t because he doesn’t want to end up getting a warning and possibly getting into detention - not a scary place, but more on boring, unless if you like the wait or you’re used to waiting inside a dull classroom with nothing at all to do.
Rick unexpectedly hasn’t had detention yet, even when he was younger. He was such a huge troublemaker in the past, always making fun of literally anyone or just plotting ways to ruin other people’s lives.
Rick ultimately snaps out of his thoughts, his gaze drifting downwards towards the phone in his hand. There weren’t any recent texts from his friends or Johnio, who is probably studying or playing video games. He didn’t get why Johnio studied all the time, he wished they could spend more time together. Suddenly, A text pops up a minute ago on top of all his past notifications. He lifted his hand up to his face so the phone was now closer to his face so he could properly look at the message.
(image still broken, im gonna fix it i swear)
Kern:
yo wya?
the bus boutta leave
get ur fatass over here (4:08pm)
His heart races inside his chest with sheer excitement the same time he reads the text, a smile evident on the brown-haired boy’s face. He’s been looking forward to going to Brunio’s house since forever! It was a dream come true ever since he’d suggest it. He was full of joy he could just– squeal like a kid getting the best christmas present in the entire galaxy. It was a bit childish, but come on, he has been anticipating hanging out with them since the second they agreed about his suggestion that they hang out - it was always on his mind after that.
He texts Kern back, saying he’ll be there in a hot minute. He extends his other arm, grabbing his bag once his fingers touch the strap of the backpack as he wears his bag over his shoulders. He looks back at his phone, pressing resume on the song ‘White Tee’ by Summer Walker, plopping his earphones inside his ears, the music playing inside his ears. His charisma enters through his body as soon as the beat plays in his ears, smirking triumphantly to himself.
Rick walks out of his room, the door closing behind him with a simple click noise, making his way over to the stairs. He halts his walking once he’s in front of the staircase as he begins to race down the stairs at the speed of light, his footsteps loud tapping against the wood of the stairs. He leaps off the stairs, skipping the last two steps. Thankfully, he didn’t lose his balance and slip - which would hurt a whole lot if he did because of the socks he was wearing, the gods were really by his side. He quickly wears his shoes, slipping one foot into each shoe. His head snaps up, his eyes locking with the back of his mothers head, who was sitting on the couch.
“Hey, mom!” he called out, watching his mother look over at him in confusion. “I’ll be going to Brunio’s house now, okay? Don’t miss me too much!” He exclaimed teasingly.
Rick’s mother scoffs at his words, a smile spread across her face. “You’re going already?” She asks, standing up from the couch, making her way over to her son. She stops when she’s just in front of him.
Rick nods his head in response to her question. “Uh-huh. Kern is already waiting for me outside,” he explained, his hand reaching up to hold in one of his earphones so that he can hear his mother probably. “He’s.. super impatient.”
“Alright then,” she giggles, understanding that not everyone is patient. “You don’t want to keep Kern waiting, do you?”
“Of course!” he laughed out, shaking his head up and down. “Love you, mom, I’ll see you later.” He says with a wave, his gaze softening - a smile spread across his face.
“Bye, son!” His mother waves back at him. “Don’t be home late!” she informed, Rick gives her a hum in response, confirming that he won’t be home late.
He closes the door behind him but not after he gets a cold greeting from the wind brushing against his skin. His eyes wandered up to the sky and he couldn’t help but notice how dark and cloudy it was than the usual azure skies. Was it going to rain? Oh god, no way it was going to rain. He felt a wave of frustration, feeling irritated at the thought of it raining. It was such a wonderful day - Rick and his friends were going to go to Brunio’s house and hang out, like they were all close friends who enjoyed each other’s company.
He didn’t know why it was such a big deal, maybe he just enjoys being in their company. Just thinking about possibly canceling because of the horrible weather made his stomach churn inside. He wouldn’t have anything else to do if that were the case, staying home the whole weekend would be bland as hell.
Even if they always fought, bicker, and argue, he liked it that way always. He loved being around them all - Kern, Brunio, Sario, and unexpectedly Elnio. It was odd because he wasn’t one for caring about things too deeply. Others always assumed he was selfish for making fun of his friends or Heina and that he didn’t care about anything except himself which isn’t true, but he can’t prove it.
Forget it. Screw the rain, he was going to enjoy his time with his friends and there is nothing anyone or anything can do to stop him. Some pint of water didn’t matter to him at all, surely it also didn’t matter to Brunio and the others. He suddenly came to realization: he needed to hurry up and meet Kern at the bus stop, his body jolted in fear. “Shit!” He cussed out, finally moving his legs, running down the stairs of his porch. Kern was so going to nag him about being late and he wasn’t in the mood for his whiney ass.
- -
Rick actually somehow manages to make it to the bus stop ten minutes early before the bus actually comes to their stop. He arches his back, his hands settling on his knees, the palm of his hand supporting his weight as he pants breathlessly. He finally stands up straight not so long after, his eyes darting around the people who were also waiting by the bus stop, hoping to spot Kern standing nearbuy. But to his avail, he couldn’t see Kern anywhere. Was he at the wrong bus stop? There was no way. He checks to see and it was in fact the correct bus stop to the location that Brunio lived in. He was just going to pull out his phone to call him, but he stops at the sound of a voice ringing in his ears.
“Hey, did you really just run all the way here?” A familiar voice calls out, causing Rick to turn around. His face lights up when he saw who it was. It was Kern. He was standing just nearby with his hands stuffed inside his pockets, looking somewhat amused at his early arrival. “You look like a lost child, you know,” Kern says, watching Rick’s face heat up in embarrassment, his lips cracking up a triumphant smirk, feeling proud that he managed to make Rick feel flustered. He starts to take a few steps forward, stopping when he’s just standing next to him, turning around in his heel so they can talk face to face.
Rick scoffs at Kern’s teasing words, but he can’t help smiling back at him. “Hey, no I do not!” He protested, making Kern snicker at him. “And that’s your fault - you were hiding in the shadows like some mysterious guy.” He accuses, jabbing his pointer towards his chest.
Kern rolls his eyes at him, swatting his finger away from his chest. “Mysterious guy?” He repeated, quivering an eyebrow at him. “I was literally just steps behind you, but I don’t think you’d know how to–”
Rick already knew what Kern was going to say, he didn’t want to hear it come out of his mouth though. He knows they were playing around and that’s what he loves about their friendship - they could always just playfully chat and make fun of each other and never get genuinely offended(aside from him bullying Kern about his height).
But, they weren’t complete without their third musketeer: Brunio. He’s always so honest and kind no matter what, everyone in their class had nothing against him. He extends his arms, his hands finding their way to the other boy’s shoulders, gripping them firmly.
Kern’s voice gets cut off by Rick tugging him back and forth by the shoulder roughly to shut him up. “Shut up, Kernel, stop trying to dumb me down!” He interrupts, glaring at him with playful annoyance. “And I looked around for you, but you were nowhere! Nowhere, you hear me!?”
He breaks into laughter, allowing him to tug him back and forth with a smug smile. “Really?” He asks in between his laughs, finding his outburst pretty ironic. “Well, maybe you needed to look harder..” he replied, his voice laced with sarcasm. His hands flew up to Rick’s wrists, grabbing them to halt his back and forth movements.
“Then stop hiding yourself, Kernel!” He retorted. “How in the world am I supposed to see you? There are like– ten other people here at this bus stop.” He questioned, taking a step forward.
He blinks a couple times in confusion, staring at him like a deer in headlights. He studies Rick’s expression, noticing the way his eyebrows were arched down. He gulped, his fingers unconsciously caressing the other boy’s pale wrists without even realizing it. “I’m kidding, dude,” he smiles at him. “And don’t call me Kernel - it’s ‘Kern’.” He corrected him.
“I’ll call you whatever I’ll like,” He replied, a smirk playing on his lips, trying to look intimidating but Kern didn’t seem to take the implication, looking more unimpressed than intimidated.
He rolls his eyes at his remark. “Oh sure,” he says, sarcasm evident in his voice. “You and your weird-ass-hell nicknames.” He retorted, taking a small step closer towards the taller boy.
Rick noticed that Kern was still holding on his wrists so firmly, his gaze drifted to the other boy’s tan skinned hands. They were slightly smaller compared to his hands. He looks back at him, studying the features on the other boy’s face. Kern was smiling at him and he could easily see the small dimples formed on his cheeks. His naturally messy hair made his appearance look even more stunning than he already was, looking so soft and touchable. If he’s going to be honest, Kern is really good-looking. If it weren’t for his height, he’d surely have a girlfriend.
His face scrunches up into a grimace. “My nicknames aren’t ass!” He exclaimed, shaking his head disapprovingly, but Kern would obviously beg to differ.
“Oh please,” Kern says in between his laughs, slowly lowering Rick’s wrists. “I would beg to differ.” His remark made Rick scowl at him in annoyance.
“There’s no need to beg,” Rick spoke confidently, tugging him closer, a smirk spread across his face.
He looked surprised for a momentary moment, almost caught off guard by his actions, but fortunately managed to recompose himself. “How bold,” he commented playfully, returning his smirk and grinning up at him.
It was like they were in a romance movie where the two characters were going to kiss, nonexistent tension palpable between the two boys. They received a few stares from the other people waiting at the bus stop, pondering about if they were in a relationship or not even though they are obviously both straight. Although, Kern and Rick could care less about the curious gazes they were receiving - only focusing on each other. They gazed into each other’s eyes, not daring to break eye contact with each other. It was as if they were made for each other– like two puzzle pieces fitting perfectly.They felt a wave of nostalgia rushing back inside their bodies, unable to pinpoint the reason.
…
Branon’s gaze flickered between the two boys who were having.. their moment? He watches them with a small sense of envy, not knowing it was their classmates from class A. He looks back at Clent. “See Clent? Look at that couple, they are so affectionate in public, why can’t we be like them?” He pleaded, taking a step closer to him, giving the puppy-dog eyes.
Clent scowls at Branon, his heart skipped a beat at the implication of showing his best friend public displays of affection. “What!? We aren’t a couple though?”
“My, what a boring boyfriend..” Reyu yawned, a hand flying over to cover his mouth. “Can’t even show Branon one slight affectionate gesture, how cruel Clent.” He teased, earning a death stare from Clent.
“Do you have a death wish?” Clent threatens Reyu, glaring at the redhead.
“No, I don’t,” Reyu answered with a playful look on his face.
Miles’ gaze snaps towards the trio. “Can you kill Kevin instead?” He asks, pointing towards the tanned brunette with a nonchalant expression on his face.
Kevin clicks his tongue at Miles in frustration. “You’re so insufferable!”
”See Clent? Look at what you started,” Reyu whined, rolling his eyes at Miles and Kevin. “Right, Aj?”
Aj stares at Reyu with a blank expression on his face. “..Don’t include me in your banter,” he says, earning a smirk from Reyu.
”How helpful,”
”It’s your fault - you started it!”
…
Not so long after, the bus arrives at their stop just before the two boy’s could break the silence that filled in the air between them and comprehend what they were doing, their heads snapping over to the bus in unison. The bus driver stares at the boys mortified like he had caught them doing something unholy, causing Kern and Rick to withdraw their hands away from each other in embarrassment, feeling a bit humiliated on what the bus driver might think of them. People start to enter inside the bus and they both follow them inside shortly as they all find a seat.
They eventually find a suitable seat to sit at. Rick plops down next to Kern, who had the window seat. He couldn’t help but feel a bit displeased that Kern got the window seat in the bus instead himself. He leans in a bit toward the window, his body slanted and his shoulder almost smacking Kern’s shoulder. He watches the bus pass by stores and shops of the sort through the window of the bus. Kern was disturbed by this, his face contorting into an annoyed expression. He nudges Rick, causing him to lean back at his seat. “Can’t you ever just stay put?” He spatted out.
“I was just looking,” Rick answered, leaning back against his seat even further. “Don’t gotta be so dang pissy about it.” He murmured, crossing his arms under his chest. His gaze drifts away from the other boy, trying to decipher what color the floor was.
“Pissy?” Kern scoffed, shaking his head, unimpressed by that remark. “Maybe Elnio was right - you are childish!”
He looks back at him, scowling at him at the mention of being considered ‘childish’. He remembered that stupid wannabe femboy saying that to his dumb boyfriend Sario. “That caramel-freak doesn’t know what he’s talking about!” He exclaimed, uncrossing his arms.
He stares at Rick blankly, a weak smile etched on the boy’s lips. “You’re just proving his point..” he muttered, earning a snappy ‘what?’ from the irritated-looking Rick. “I mean, not that it proves you’re immature of course.” He added, his hands raised up in mock surrender, silently praying that he doesn’t get thrown off the bus by him.
“You’re lucky we’re inside a bus,” Rick says, his voice dripping with mock venom. “I would’ve killed you right now and then.”
He rolls his eyes at him, not impressed by his blank threat. His arms were crossed before he tilted his right hand up to the right side. “Suck a dick,” he says flatly, a smirk tugging the corner of his lips
“What?” Laughed Rick, grinning back at him. “You’re calling me childish, but.. Look who’s talking.” He retorted, nudging his arm teasingly. “How hypocritical.”
Kern laughs at his retort. “Ok, ok, you have a point,” he replied, his smirk never faltering once. His eyes glance up at the ceiling before returning to Rick’s face. “I guess.. We’re both childish.” He concluded, his gaze drifting over at the window as the conversation supposedly ended.
Rick nods his head, agreeing to Kern’s conclusion with a joyful look on his face. The silence fills in the air between them, making him feel a longing to break that silence between them. He batted his eyes at him before speaking in a confused tone, “wait, how am I childish?” He questioned, and raised an eyebrow.
His question caused Kern to sigh in frustration, not in the mood to answer his irrelevant questions. Rick stares at him in amusement that he’s irritated. “Hey, don’t ignore me!” He exclaimed, bugging Kern even more when he rolled his eyes at him, avoiding his gaze purposefully to annoy Rick even more.
30 minutes has passed like the wind, the bus stops at Rick and Kern’s destination. Kern sighs in relief, happy that they have finally arrived. His gaze wanders over to Rick to gauge his reaction, but noticing the other boy was still asleep. He rolls his eyes at him, taking in his seemingly peaceful appearance and he has the urge to take that peace away from him, knowing deeply that he would get pissed off at him if he even breathed too loudly. He leans over to him, tugging him back and forth roughly while chanting the words “wake up” at him simultaneously until he’s awakened from his slumber.
Rick’s eyes fluttered open from the disturbance of his sleep, his head tilted towards Kern, who still kept on tugging him. “I’m up! I’m up!” He says, his voice filled with sleep, his hands grabbing on Kern’s shoulders to stop his tugging. “Geez, you don’t have to push me like that, you damn popcorn.”
Kern rolls his eyes at his name-calling towards him. “Popcorn actually tastes good,” he informed, like some nerdy kid in math class.
“Yeah, it does,” he nods his head in agreement. “But caramel is the best flavor of all time, and that’s not an opinion but a fact.”
Rick was going to add another teasing remark, but Kern gets there before he does. “—So you’re saying I’m tasty then, and that you would eat me up?” He asks with a silly smile on his face.
His eyes widened, mortified by his implications. His mouth was hung open. “What!?” He got silenced by the nagging bus driver, scowling at her before looking back at Kern. “Are you on drugs!?”
He laughs at his reaction, loving how responsive he was to his humorous words. “Yep,” he says. It was now his turn to nod his head. “And I need you to finish me up already..☆” he teases him even further, already expecting a disgusted reaction, still doing that silly smile.
Kern’s words made him cringe badly, his face scrunched up in a grimace. “You’re so gross, weirdo!” He exclaimed, pointing a finger towards him accusingly, but he only just smiled at him enthusiastically.
“Awh, come on,” he opens his arms for him, his smile shifting into a smirk. “Come’re and give me those sweet boy lips; I wanna taste you.” He wiggles his eyebrows at him suggestively. That was the final straw that made Rick sprinting out of the bus stop. He breaks into laughter from how gullible Rick was, getting up from his seat and following out of the bus, unable to contain his laughter.
The two boys walked together side by side through the sidewalk. Ultimately, they reached a path that goes upwards and they immediately knew where it would lead them to – Brunio’s house. Brunio told them all about the way to his house descriptively and happily provided pictures so the four boys wouldn’t be left confused or like a lost puppy trying to find its way back home through a bustling city.
The moment Rick had laid his eyes on the path, he imagined it being a quest that he and Kern had to accomplish through the guidance and instructions Brunio had provided for them. Just to flex, he didn’t need to use his phone since he had remembered everything that Brunio had told him vividly in his head. That proves how better of a friend he is to Brunio than Kern. The memory plays in his head all accordingly:
[ “Oh, pretty please?” Rick begged, clasping his hands together. “I wanna hang out with you all! Wouldn’t it be fun?” He really wanted all five of them to hang out together the upcoming weekend, not wanting to be lazing around in his bed all day.
“We can just go out somewhere another time,” Brunio reassures. “The next unit test is coming soon and we need to utilize the weekend to–” his voice gets chopped off by Rick’s whining.
Rick kept going on and on about how fun it would be if they all just hung out on Saturday. Brunio tried his best to assure him they will soon, but Rick insisted that they hang out on Saturday so they can study on Sunday. Elnio blinked a few times, a scoff escaping his lips as he and Sario exchanged glances towards each other.
“Besides,” Kern began, leaning back against his chair. “I wouldn’t trust Rick to help me study, anyway.”
“That’s valid,” Elnio replied in agreement to Kern’s statement. “No one trusts Rick to help them study either way.” He explained, earning a glare from Rick.
“Hey! That’s not true!” Rick exclaimed, shaking his head disapprovingly. “People trust me!”
“Oh yeah?” Kern challenged, raising an eyebrow at him.
“Ya sure about that, man?” Sario chimed in with a laugh, an eyebrow quirked up, daring him to say something to counter him.
“Uh-huh!” He says. “I’’m *very* trustworthy!” He hoped that they wouldn’t mock him any further.
Although, Kern, Elnio, and Sario didn’t seem to take his word for it, knowing damn well that he is the last person they’d be trusting to help them study. Who did he take them for? Little kids with nothingness stored inside their little brains? It was so amusing seeing Rick try and defend his side of the argument - like a clown entertaining the audience at a circus. The trio tried their best to control their laughter, but it was harder than expected.
Brunio however wasn’t in on their teasing remarks. He just watched them go on back and forth. As much as he’d like to admit, it was funny and nice, but he couldn’t help but feel a wave of pity for Rick when he saw the frown that was evident on his face. He felt his heart clenched tightly inside his chest. Poor guy.. He really did want to spend time with everyone here and they were basically teasing him for it because he isn’t ‘trustworthy’. He knows that it was just a joke and they loved to play around, but the thought of not being trusted by others, especially his friends, made him sorrowful.
He was being sensitive for some usual bickering, nevertheless not defining that he’ll keep his mouth shut. “Rick,” he calls out, causing the four boys to stare at him with curious looks flashing in their eyes. “If you’d like, I might need help with my studying for the upcoming test.. Will you.. Help me?” He asks shyly, his voice soft that scratches Kern’s brain in the rightest way ever.
His request made Rick beam, his face lighting up instantly at Brunio. “Really!?” He was so happy that one of his best friends was asking him for help; the chances were one in a million for him. “Oh, you’d really let me help you?” He scoots even closer to him, smiling brightly.
Sario and Elnio were in disbelief, but Kern was mortified by this, his mouth agape. They didn’t expect Brunio to be asking help from Rick, who was an idiot and didn’t even know what he was talking about half of the time.
“Never would’ve expected that,” Sario leans over to Elnio, his voice soft like a whisper.
“Yeah..” Elnio’s voice trails off, his nose scrunched up, grimacing at the two. “That’s like asking a child if you need help.” He whispers back, turning his head to look at him.
“Totally,” he laughs, his lips cracking a smile.
The two stare at each other, having a small staring contest without even realizing it. Time seemed to stop when they would get lost in each other’s eyes. Sario’s eyes were as blue as the ocean, full of many wonderful things behind it - fishes and corals. Elnio’s eyes were the complete opposite of Sario’s. His eyes were pure black: a dark, endless void that was filled with nothingness. They soon realized that and instantly looked away, a pink blush of embarrassment appearing on both of their faces.
“Uh-huh,” Brunio gives a subtle nod in response. Actually, that was a lie. He didn’t really need help from Rick. He returns his smile, matching the brown-haired boy’s energy. “You can come over at my house and we can–”
Just before Brunio could suggest that Rick come over, Kern speaks up, interrupting the blonde just before he could invite Rick. “Hey– wait a minute!” He cried, standing up and pushing in between them, his hand on Brunio’s shoulder for support. “You can’t just make plans and leave me out like that..!” He exclaimed, his voice frantic.
“Well, well, well, look who's interested now,” Rick says, earning a scowl from Kern, sneering back at him. “We’ll just be studying, anyway, we aren’t leaving you out.”
Brunio’s head snapped over to Kern, confused by his sudden outburst. “I thought that you didn’t trust Rick with studying.”
“You don’t trust Rick with studying either, Brunio,” he retorted, grinning widely when he sees the blonde’s face heating up in embarrassment, squirming in his chair.
“What!? Hey! That’s not true!” Rick protested, shaking his head. “Right, Brunio?” His gaze shifts over to Brunio, who was fidgeting with his fingers.
“A-Ah—uhm, I wouldn’t say that I don’t. It’s just that..” he averts his gaze shyly, uncertain on how he should say it without being rude. “I can study perfectly on my own, but if Rick is there, I may have a better understanding.” He explained, his hands falling onto his lap as he hesitantly pulled his gaze back to Kern and Rick.
“More like your understanding of a lesson degrades,” Kern spatted.
“It’s not like that at all!” He shakes his head. “It’s like in group activities - you use more than one head which makes things easier and better!” He continued. “How can I explain this? It can also help change your perspective of stuff and deepen it further.”
Kern was taken aback by Brunio’s explanation, but quickly regained his composure afterwards. “You have a point,” he says. “Well, since two heads are better than one, five heads makes it even better than ever, right?” He suggested, smiling at him.
Sario’s head snapped over to him, his eyes widening. “You want.. me and Elnio to come, too?“ He asks, his eyebrows flying upwards.
The brunette was just as shocked as he was. “Hey, wait, I didn’t say anything about—“ he gets interrupted by Sario’s hand that flew up to cover his mouth. He looks at him in disbelief, but the black-haired boy just sneered at him, scowling back at him.
Sario turns to Elnio, leaning forward, his voice lowering: “You don’t have to say anything: I know that you want to,” he smiles. “Come on, don’t tell me that you don’t wanna!”
“I didn’t mean it like that!” He replied, his voice muffled, his eyebrows arched slightly. “I do wanna go, alright?” He was just concerned about something else that he’d never say in front of anyone, especially to his best friend.
“Whose house are we going to?” Questioned Kern, cocking his head.
“We can go to my house!” The blonde happily speaks up. “My house has a ton of room and is perfect for studying.”
“Hell yeah!!” Rick cheers, throwing his hands up in the air, almost hitting Kern, who thankfully leaned away before he could hit in the cheek. “It’s settled then! We’re all going to Brunio’s house this weekend!”
Brunio smiles at Rick’s enthusiastic response, his eyes drifting over to Sario, noticing that he had a ‘I want to ask a question’ look. “Oh, Sario, are you alright?”
He jolted by the sudden attention, meeting Brunio’s gaze. “I’m alright, don’t worry,” he reassures, but the blonde wasn’t so convinced. “It’s just that.. Where do you live, anyway?”
“Not only where he lives, but how do we get there?” Elnio chimed in, almost regretting his question when he saw Brunio beaming at him.
“Well, I’ll send the location to you guys when I get home, and as for the ‘how’ question..” he paused, trying to recall the path to get to his house. “First, once you arrive, there is a path that goes straight up, keep walking in that path until you find the path split into two paths. Second, go to the right and keep walking until you find house 31. I live in a big subdivision, so it may require a whole lot of walking.”
“A whole lot of walking..?” Sario restated in disbelief, his shoulders slumping defeatedly, his mouth agape in shock.
Elnio lets out a scoff at Sario’s defeated expression. His gaze wandered over to Brunio, then back at him. “Do you even have an ounce of determination for your friends? It’ll just be a few minutes of walking.”
“I do, okay?” He replied, folding his arms. “I’m just not fond of walking for a long period of time unless I’m going out for a walk or having my morning jog.”
“Wow..” Kern spoke with mock astoundment. “That’s really amazing.”
Rick’s face scrunches up at his mocking amazement and nudges his forehead with his finger. “You’re so fake, geez! At least try to sound more genuine.” He retorted, causing Kern to smile at him.
“Why should I?” Kern questioned. “I’ll still be fake either way, so there isn’t really a point.” He countered, daring him to say something.
Rick and Kern were about to get into an argument when Elnio chimes in abruptly. “Break is going to end soon; we should go back to our seats before Ms. Shiina comes.” He suggested, standing up from his chair.
Sario follows shortly and stands up also. “Agreed. I don’t want her to go all bonkers on us all for not being in our seats on time.”
Rick and Kern whine at the mention of Ms. Shiina. Brunio frowns a bit, wanting to spend a bit more time with his friends, but he knows he can’t. “Damnit.” Kern curses under his breath.
“Ughhh.. Why does it have to be *today* that she has her boring history class?” Rick complained, leaning back against his seat. He could feel someone’s scary aura nearby, causing him to tilt his head, being greeted by Ms. Shiina.
“May you please repeat that?” Her voice was low and a hint of irritation. Her eyes darkened with an intensity that freaked out Rick a whole ton.
“Goodmorning, Ms. Shiina!” He chuckles nervously. “It isn’t anything I swear!” He assures, sighing in relief as Ms. Shiina makes her way over to the teachers desk. ]
That memory gave Rick mixed feelings – nervousness and happiness. What a weird combo. Because of Ms. Shiina’s scariness and the joy of spending more time with his friends, he couldn’t believe that they were actually hanging out at Brunio’s house. Just thinking about Ms. Shiina’s face terrifies him a lot.
This was the first in a while they had something like this, and the thought of it made him feel all giddy in every way. He declared to himself that he was going to make the best out of today, hang out with everyone ‘till he drops! He can already envision what was going to be happening at Brunio’s house. Rick giggles to himself, causing Kern to shoot a confused glance at him.
Rick and Kern would be taking up most of the conversations, arguing and bickering. Brunio would try to stop them, and Sario and Elnio would be having the most faggy moments ever. He bet Elnio would stare at Sario with longing, silently admiring all his ‘attractive’ features.
Man, just seeing those two interact made him so annoyed with them. Best friends who interacted like they desired for each other. Who do they think they are? Newt and Thomas from “The Maze Runner”? He could see the representation vividly. He was deep in thought when someone speaks up, their voice reaching his ears.
“You look really happy,” Kern breaks the silence, walking alongside him. He had his iconic smile on his face, and Rick couldn’t help but return his smile.
Rick rolls his eyes at Kern’s obvious observation. “No shit,” he replied, grinning back at him. “Going to Brunio’s house is exciting; I always wanted to visit his house, but never got the opportunity to ask him. I wanted to hang out with him and do all the things best friends do.”
He was taken aback from his confession. “Guess the feeling is mutual?” He quirks an eyebrow at Rick, who beams at him. “I’ve always wanted to go see Brunio for the longest time, or even spend a whole entire day with him just for fun.”
The moment was so wholesome between the two boys, talking about their best friend - Brunio, who they loved a lot as a friend. Although, that moment shattered like glass as Rick chimed in with some dumb question. “You actually have feelings, huh? You’re not so nonchalant, Kernel.” His remark was so out of topic, eliciting a scoff from Kern.
“Of course I do!” He exclaimed, glaring playfully at Rick. “Man, that was so random! Everyone has feelings, it’s how they portray them and show it, idiot.” He countered his remark.
Rick stops in his tracks to face the brown-haired boy. “Don’t call me an idiot!” He snarled, glaring back at Kern, nudging him with his elbow. “I’m way more intelligent than you’ll ever be!”
“More like intelligently stupid!” Kern argued, nudging him harshly.
The two were about to go at it. Rick was prepared, mentally and physically. He could take out that elf any time of the day if he ever tried to lay a finger on him. He braces himself for another comeback from Kern, but all he does is just look at him up and down before he continues to make his way to Brunio’s house, leaving him to grapple in disbelief.
“Hey! You can’t just leave me here!” Rick shouted, hoping to at least make the other boy turn around to look at him.
However, Kern doesn’t bother looking at him - not even a split second glance. “Then hurry up!” He yelled back. “You’re not some old granny I have to watch over.” He replied, his voice getting more faint from the increasing distance between them.
How rude. That was NOT a way to treat your friends, especially someone close to you. Rick frowned at Kern’s figure, shaking his head with mock disappointment. He decides he wasn’t going to hold a grudge against that abnormally disgusting smurf since he was a good friend and good friends don’t do that to their friends. Rick calls out to him before he chases after him, determined to catch up with him.
- -
After a few minutes of walking around in the neighborhood, the two had finally reached Brunio’s house. Their eyes shot up from how huge it was, astounded by the elegant appearance of the home, a ‘woah’ dragged out by their lips. From what Rick had recalled, Brunio told him that he had a Cape Cod style house. He didn’t know what that meant, but now that he’s seen it in person, he was fascinated - and he thought he had a big house. His home was nothing compared to Brunios home. The monotone color scheme, the sleet roofline, wood siding, multi-pane windows, shook him to the core. This mansion-looking house was Brunio’s?
He wasn’t the only one intrigued by the home. He looks over at Kern and sees the stars sparkling in his eyes, a riveted expression plastered on his face. Kern’s lips tugged a vague smile, and even if it was a small smile, he looked like a kid walking inside a candy store for the very first time.
“Brunio’s house is amazing, isn’t it!?” Kern spoke with admiration, gazing back at Rick. “It’s one that I dream of living in..!” God he sounded so excited.
Rick nods his head in agreement. “Yeah, it is!” He replied, shooting a short glance at the house. “And wait– you dream of having a house like that?”
“Yep! It’s one of my goals to achieve when I grow up!” He answered proudly. “My mom is a fan of these houses and she’s always dreamed of having a house like that! So, I’ll work for it.”
He was surprised by his passionate response. He was so determined which shocked him a lot. He always thought Kern just went with the flow, but no, he actually had dreams he wanted to accomplish. He couldn’t retain the smile that appeared on his face. “That’s a really dumb dream,” he commented. He wanted to compliment Kern, but his pride swooned him over. “But I’m not surprised.”
“What!?” Kern gasped, staring at Rick in shock. He wanted to counter his cruel comment, but he decided against it. A flicker of slight hurt was evident in his face, but he quickly masks it. “Of course you’d say that, you think everything is dumb.”
“Hey! No, I don’t!” Rick exclaimed, shaking his head at his retort.
“Wow. How convincing. You definitely changed my mind.” He scoffed, rolling his eyes at him which provoked him even more.
He was just going to say something to counter him, but the door to Brunio’s house opened with a soft click, causing the two boys to look in that direction. Their faces both light up at the sight of Brunio standing by the door. “Brunio!” They called out in unison, excitement filled their voices.
“Ah, Kern! Rick!” Brunio waves at them, beckoning them to come closer, a smile evident on his lips.
Kern and Rick exchanged playful glares, a silent challenge flickered in their eyes. “Race you to Brunio!” Rick yelled out, already dashing towards Brunio, who stared at the two like a deer in headlights.
“No fair, dick! Wait up!” Kern yelled back, tailing behind Rick.
Brunio’s eyes widened when he realized they were heading straight for him, a soft gasp escaping his mouth. He tries to take back, but Rick has already pulled him in for a tight embrace, making him almost stumble and lose his balance. His arms were snaked around his neck, their bodies pressing against each other.
Rick broke into laughter, nuzzling against Brunio. “Brunio!” He was so happy to see him, and missed his presence so much.
He chuckles at Rick enthusiasm, returning his hug with equal affection. Kern also joins in the hug, wrapping his arms around Brunio, sandwiching him between himself and Rick. The three were now reunited, giggles escaping their lips as they embraced each other. Even if Brunio got sandwiched, he didn’t care, just as long as he got to be with his friends forever and ever.
“You two arrived with each other?” Brunio asked softly, smiling warmly at the two, his eyes flickered between them.
“Uh-huh,” Kern nods his head in response to his question. “We decided to go together since we were both going on the same bus, but Rick took such a long time arriving at the bus stop.” He informed, tilting his head up a bit to look at the blonde boy.
”That is so untrue!” Rick chimed in, glaring playfully at Kern before gazing back at Brunio. “Kern also just arrived at the bus stop!” He explained, gritting his teeth at the other brown haired boy, who stuck a bit of his tongue out at him.
“Guys, guys..” Brunio spoke in an attempt to calm the two boys down, but his voice was overshadowed by their arguing. “It doesn’t matter, okay? You both are here now—”
“—And how in the hell can you prove that I had just arrived, huh?” He interrogated, completely interrupting Brunio.
Rick scoffs at Kern’s question. “How? Are you kidding!?” He spat out. “You told it straight to my face!”
“Liar!” Kern exclaimed.
“Who the hell are you calling a liar!?”
“..Guys, calm down.”
“—You!” He answered.
“That isn’t true!” Objected Rick.
“It is!” He retorted. “And you have no proof to back up your false accusations!”
Brunio sighs in defeat, giving up when he realizes he can’t stop Kern and Rick from arguing. It wasn’t just seconds before they were going to start physically fighting each other. “Wait!!” He cried out, putting himself in between the two of them just in time. Is there any day where they weren’t on the verge of fighting each other like cats and dogs? He wonders how they have the energy to even get this riled up.
“Oh, Kern and Rick are here!” Elnio points out, and those words were all it takes for Kern and Rick to halt their movements, their heads snapping over to the brown-haired boy.
Sario was sitting right next to him, a little too close so Elnio kept on scooting away from him to create distance(but no way in hell he’d ever let him do that, he doesn’t want to lose that comfort from just being close to his best friend). “Hey, Kern! Rick!” He greeted, a vague smile curling up on his lips.
“Wait.. Sario and Elnio got here before us?” Rick asks in disbelief, staring at the two, mortified.
Brunio shot a glance at Sario and Elnio before he gazed back at Rick’s shocked expression. “Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you - they got here pretty early than the supposed time.” He explained with a relieved smile, thankful that they didn’t get into a fight.
Kern bats his eyelashes a few times, letting the words sink in. “..Unbelievable,” he grumbled, averting his gaze from the group. “If only someone had arrived at the bus stop earlier.”
“Hey!” Rick turns to face the other boy, glaring at him for his indirect-but-implied insult. “I’m not the only one at fault, y’know! It was the bus’ fault also!” He argued.
Elnio stares at Rick for his childish attempt to convince Kern he wasn’t the one to blame, a scoff escaping his lips. “How in the world was it the bus’ fault?”
“It’s because..! Well, it’s because.. Because..” his voice trails off, trying to think of a reason for his statement. “..He didn’t drive fast enough so he is put to fault!” He exclaimed proudly, puffing his chest.
The other four boys stare at Rick blankly after his obviously dumb excuse, even Kern looked embarrassed by how dumb Rick could be. The audacity to even call him dumb was absurd! Rick was way smarter than Kern and he bets he could get a higher score than him on the actual Unit Test.
“Is this guy kidding..?” Murmured Sario, scowling at Rick in confusion.
What? The excuse wasn’t so bad.
“Not even sure.” Brunio answered.
The betrayal! Rick swore Brunio was a secret traitor in disguise.
A scoff escapes Elnio’s lips and he shakes his head in disapproval, “that is the lamest excuse anyone’s ever come up with - just admit that you guys were late because you didn’t arrive at the bus stop earlier!”
“I wouldn’t use that lame excuse even if my life depended on it,” Kern chimed in, looking back at Rick’s sulking face. “God.. you’re such an idiot, Rick.” He sighed.
Excuse him? Was he really calling him an idiot? Kern was just as much of an idiot as he was, if not more than! By the way, he was saying all that to Rick - Rick Malik, the most handsome and smart and amazing guy in their class ever. Not to toot his horn but even Johnio says so himself, and that wasn’t a lie!
“Uh-huh, okay, Santa's Little Helper,” Rick retorted, crossing his arms under his chest. He stood straight, a bit too straight from how much triumph he felt at that moment. He noticed Kern’s neutral expression shifting to a more angry and chihuahua expression which not only terrified Brunio, Sario, and Elnio, but he himself too.
Brunio’s gaze flickered between Rick and Kern. Eager to help with the tension in the air, he speaks up: “being Santa's elf isn’t so bad, is it?” He speaks slowly, unsure if he was making things better or not. “I mean, at least you get to help make presents—”
“That isn’t the point, Brunio,” Kern corrected, his expression softening at Brunio before he looked back at Rick like a chihuahua ready to go bonkers on its owner. “He just called me short like an elf! For the record, I’m not even that short! I’m basically 5 ’5!”
“Keyword: ‘basically’,” Rick countered, his hands settled on his hips. “And by the way, you’re 5 '4 with a teeny tiny decimal point 9!” He exclaimed with a grin, his words provoking the angry Santa Elf(sorry not sorry).
Before anyone could comprehend, Kern lunges forward towards Rick, making Brunio immediately wrap his arms around his waist to stop him from pouncing on Rick and fighting like cats and dogs. Kern struggled to pull away from Brunio’s grasp, repeating the statement ‘“let me at him!” over and over. The entire scene astounded Elnio and Sario, who looked over at each other on instinct. Fucking fags who were in love with each other obviously but not because Sario likes some chick named Wanda, betcha that pissed his boyfie off pretty bad—
“–You dick I’m not short enough to be Santa’s Elf!” Kern interrupts Rick’s thoughts as he struggles against Brunio, his gaze sharp on the other brunette. Geez, you get what I mean? Santa probably isn’t gonna recruit him anytime soon because of his rigorousness, it’s really showing his secret inner fag.
“Kern— wait —my mom is going to see you guys!” Brunio pleaded, holding Kern as tight as he could. “She’s really strict and might not let you both come over anymore if she you guys!” He added. Kern still tries to reach over at Rick, but Brunio has a tight hold on him and pulls him back.
Rick yawns at how angered Kern was. He didn’t mean to have upset him.. He didn’t know Kern didn’t like being made fun of for his height. Just kidding, he did it on purpose! “Someone throw this chihuahua in its cage.” He commanded as if he was a royal, dismissing Kern with his hand. “He’s being too loud.”
“Rick, shut up, you’re lucky Brunio is holding onto Kern because he would’ve totally beat your ass,” Sario replied, facepalming at the two boys. Kern couldn’t lay a finger on him if he tried.
“No way he couldn’t even touch me!” Rick protested against Sario’s claim about Kern beating his ass, earning a smack in the head from Elnio. He groans a bit in pain, turning around to look at the glaring Elnio who looked like he could rip his head off.
Sario was about to open his mouth to counter Rick’s argument when Elnio shakes his head at him in a disapproving manner. Knowing he couldn’t win over Rick’s delusions, he closes his mouth and remains silent, allowing Rick to feel a wave of satisfaction which makes him feel annoyed by how high mighty Rick thinks he is.
- -
Now, after they(everyone except Rick obviously) have calmed down the angry Kern, they all started the “fun” part of their hang out - studying. They were now sitting on a large, fuzzy carpet. There was a low table in the middle which they used to put their things on top. As they studied, seconds turned into minutes and shortly, minutes turned into hours.
A frustrated groan escapes Rick’s lips as he buries his head into the desk. They’ve been studying for the past 2 hours and all the energy in his brain was drained completely. Honestly, he was fortunate enough to even last for 2 hours, there were some people who can’t even study for approximately a minute or so. Heck, some people studied for more than 2 hours and he ponders on how they do it without dying of pure absolute boredom.
“Ugh.. Studying is so booooring…” Rick complained, dragging out the word ‘boring’ for more emphasis that he was tired. “I’m all drained..”
An awkward silence fills the bedroom, but no one seemed to respond to Rick, all engrossed in studying for the next test, even Kern was actually focusing! He never expected that someone like him would genuinely be concentrated on studying. Now that he thinks about it, the test next week probably triggered his inner studying-self.
Brunio sat in between Kern and Rick to control their urges to get physical with one another, explaining something to Kern. It was just about a definition he didn’t understand. No wonder he was paying attention, it was Brunio explaining to him after all. Brunio was the nicest guy in their group, he loved to help others and never seemed to insult anyone. He rolls his eyes at them, his gaze shifting to Sario and Elnio - a.k.a the two lovebirds.
Sario was asking a question, clearly confused just like Kern was. Kyenio leaned forward towards his study guides, a small smile tugging his lips. He tells him not to complicate the definition, explaining to him in a simple way to make him understand the concept better also.
And then, the door slowly creaked open, causing all the five boys’ gaze to snap over to the door. A small, timid looking child was standing just by the door, holding it protectively. He had pitch black hair like Sario’s, but his eyes were similar to Brunio’s and he looked impressively tall considering how young he looked.
“Oh? Who’s that?” In curiosity, Kern asks for the rest of the four boys, resting his chin on the palm of his hand.
Brunio’s gaze seems to have softened at the timid little boy, glancing at Kern with a smile on his face. “My younger brother Milo,” he answered, his gaze flickering between Kern and Milo. “He’s in the 4th grade and can be really shy around others.”
“Never knew Brunio had a younger brother,” Elnio chimed in, waving at Milo in a friendly manner.
Sario swallowed hard, not wanting to be rude and ask a pretty personal question, but his urges took over him. “Not to sound rude or anything, but you guys don’t really look a like..” he says slowly, feeling embarrassed for even asking.
“Oh, it’s alright! I get that a lot!” Brunio reassures the noirette, who smiles at him. “I look more like my mother and Milo is on our father’s side with his black hair with his soft features.”
“Brunio..” Milo finally spoke up, his cheeks flushed in humiliation. “A-Are you guys going to take a break? It’s been 2 hours. You’re gonna get burnt out..”
“2 hours?” The blonde repeated, cocking his head sideways in confusion, unaware that they studied for such a long period. However, he did have fun in between the study sessions with his friends. “Milo, it’s okay, we’re—“
“—No!” Milo snapped, shaking his head, his brows furrowed. “2 hours is already long enough and you’re all gonna get drained and tired.” He explained, pouting slightly at his older brother.
Rick tilts his head to the other three. “You thinking what I’m thinking?” He asks then, raising an eyebrow at the trio, who nod their head in agreement. The four boys’ hearts swell from how caring Milo was for his brother's well being, a dragged out ‘aw..’ escapes their lips in unison.
“We’ll take a break, alright?”
“Y-You better..” Milo’s last words before he leaves the room, closing the door behind him, their attention shifting towards the blonde.
“You’re really lucky you have such a caring younger brother,” Elnio compliments Brunio, a vague smile tugging the corner of his lips.
Rick sulked, feeling jealous that Brunio’s younger brother was way more kinder than his younger brother were. “Really lucky, Ryder is really making me feel pissy.”
“Again with ‘pissy’?” The brunette groaned, not liking how immature his vocabulary was. “Geez, someone buy this man a dictionary.”
Rick laughs bitterly at Elnio’s teasing remark. “Shut up fem boy,” he countered, earning a grimace from him.
“I’m not a fem boy!” He snapped at him, his grimace turning into a glare towards the other brunette.
“Meh-meh-meh, I can’t hear you, fem boy!” He covers his ears, clearly mocking Elnio.
Sario covers his mouth to stifle a laugh. Elnio looks back at him, a confused scowl appearing on his face. “Sario I swear—“ his voice gets overshadowed by Sario’s bursted laughter.
“Sorry, sorry!” Sario apologized with a sheepish smile. “It’s just fem boy was an insult I never expected.” Heh, he always had the best comebacks ever, no joke.
“Uh-huh, yeah sure,” Elnio rolls his eyes, but he couldn’t stay annoyed at him for long, returning his smile. See what Rick means? The closet is glass and he swears his life on it!
“Maybe that’s why you like fem boys,” murmured Rick.
“What?” Sario shoots a confused glance at Rick, hoping to hear him repeat his murmured words, but he doesn’t unfortunately.
“Now I can see where Ryder gets his personality from,” Brunio chimed in happily, a soft giggle escaping his lips.
Kern nods his head in agreement to Brunio’s statement. “Yep, loud, annoying, and obnoxious.” He rolled his eyes, averting his gaze from the group.
His gaze snapped to Brunio and Kern. “Hey! Me and my brother are not similar!”
“Yes you are!”
“No way!”
“Are you blind?”
“No? Are YOU blind?”
“Shut it, you’re so childish and immature that even Heina hates you!” Kern countered his retort. “And she’s the nicest girl in our class!” Hah, no shit Sherlock, totally didn’t know.
“Guys.. calm down, this isn’t the time to be arguing,” Brunio intervenes like he always did, a sigh escaping his lips. Rick found it adorable how he was always the first person to intervene.
And to their shocker, they heard rain drops pouring outside Brunio’s house. Elnio was leaning towards the window with Sario right next to him, admiring how the rain splashed on the ground below perfectly synced together with each drop, as if they were following a rhythm. Rain always had that lingering, relaxing feeling that left them all calm and comforted.
“It’s raining,” Elnio glances back at Rick, Kern, and Brunio. “We’ll have to stay inside for a while until the rain clears up.” He added, and Sario replied with a statement agreeing with him.
Brunio frowns, exchanging a sad glance with Kern. “It’s raining, oh.. what a bummer, I was planning if we could all play some games outside,” He admits, gazing back at Elnio and Sario. “The uhm.. that slipper and can game, Kern introduced me to it.” The three boys stare at Brunio in confusion, a “huh?” escaping their lips, hoping for him to at least elaborate.
“Tumbrang preso,” Kern answered, but that didn’t clear up the confusion. “You need a slipper and a can, it’s basically like tag but you also have to hit the can.”
“We could still do that!” Rick exclaimed with excitement. “Besides, there’s still one more thing we could do,”
“Really? And what‘s that?” Sario questioned the suddenly enthusiastic Rick.
He puffed out his chest proudly. “We could just play that game in the rain!” There was no way anyone could argue against his statement!
“Hell yeah, let’s totally do that!” Kern exclaims as he holds his hand up to the air, high-fiving Rick.
“Yeah, we ain’t doing that,” Elnio protested, shaking his head at Rick. “Besides, I don’t want to get sick.” Heck, of course he’d say that.
“Aw, why not!?” Rick asked, his hand grabbing on Elnio’s shoulders, tugging him back and forth harshly. “Pleaseeeeeee!! It’ll be so fun and staying inside is just boring!”
“I think we should totally do that,” Sario speaks up, his voice laced with small hesitation. “It’s pretty childish but it’s really fun.”
Rick’s face lights up at Sario’s words. “You think so too!?” He exclaimed, enthusiasm evident in his voice. He glances back at Elnio, jeering at him. “See? I told you!” He stops tugging him.
“Fine, fine!” Elnio rolls his eyes at him, feeling a bit dizzy from the harsh tugging. “I’m only agreeing just because Sario has a point.”
Brunio giggles to himself, clearly enjoying watching their playful banter. He never seemed to get bored of it at all, always smiling and being so giddy whenever this occurs. “I have extra raincoats you guys can borrow, it’s downstairs.” He stands up, stretching his arms a little to relax them.
The other four boys followed suit as they all left the blonde’s room to head downstairs to grab the raincoats. Rick was nagging Kern, teasing him how the raincoat might be too big since he’s built like an elf. Sario and Elnio exchange knowing glances at each other, predicting what was gonna happen as soon as they head out outside.