Chapter Text
October 1, 2001
School was a bad place for Sunny. It was a place with a schedule, which he hadn’t lived with for 5 years. It was lonely there, and while he could appreciate moments of solitude, he hated being alone. You can’t make new friends. It’s not possible for someone like you. It was fine. Sunny didn’t want new friends. Sometimes other kids would try to talk to him. He remembered one kid on the first day who seemed friendly.
“Hi!” He smiled cheerfully. “Are you new this year? What’s your name?”
Sunny was filled with fear, but he didn’t know why. He said nothing, and the conversation ended.
Aside from the atmosphere, Sunny hated the building itself. The school had four floors, and an elevator that was only for students incapable of using the stairs. Sunny’s schedule forced him to use the cold concrete stairways five times a day.
He still wore his eyepatch every day. Looking at his scar on the mirror disgusted him, and he didn’t want anyone to see it. He’d rather be known as “the eyepatch kid” than “the kid with the gross scar.”
Even though he’d been around hundreds of people this week, he hadn’t said a word to any of them. He hadn’t seen his friends since New Years. They had called, but he never had the energy to answer. They weren’t concerned enough to leave voicemails before, but they were now. Sunny checked his messages. Every one of his old friends had left him too many to listen to in a day. That’s so many reasons for them to hate you. Every message he ignored drove him further from them. He didn’t want to listen to them until…
Aubrey called him once again today. As always, he ignored it. A new voicemail.
He looked back through his messages to find she’d left him one about once a week. Maybe he’d listen to a few, to stave off the loneliness.
7/20
“Happy birthday, I guess. Answer your phone. That’s… basically it. Bye.”
3/10
“Hey, uh… can you please call me back one of these days? Things are getting pretty bad back here… Basil finally talked to me. It wasn’t good. Have you been talking to him? I… REALLY wish you’d call us. Bye.”
1/22
“Hi Sunny… did I say something wrong at New Years? Is that why you’re ignoring us? I really want to work things out, but it’s really hard if you’re not gonna talk. Call me back.”
The one from today was a lot longer, which scared Sunny a little. It started with a few seconds of crying.
“Sunny, I swear to God, call me back! I don’t want to go back to the way things were! Do you even care about us? Do you hate me? Basil does. That’s what he told me. Is he still talking to you?. You know, I’ve done all I can at this point! If this is the end for us, fine! You’re lucky I don’t know your address, because I am PISSED OFF!”
More crying.
“I’m sorry! Please, just come back to us, let us know you’re okay, at least!”
A minute or so of silence.
“I hope you’re happy, wherever you are. Things are awful for the rest of us.”
Sunny put the phone down and took the battery out, putting it in his dresser drawer. There. No need to worry about it anymore. Mom never calls your cell anyway.
He got under his covers and tried to calm down. You’re terrible. This is all your fault. You could’ve fixed this months ago, but you gave in to your fears. Does this confirm them?
Sunny missed his friends, but it seemed they were never real.