Chapter Text
"Kel we'll be going off soon to get Hero from college! You should start packing."
"Oh, no thanks mom, I'm going to Sunny's! I'm sure he'll come out today!" Kel exclaimed enthusiastically as he started to open the front door.
"Okay... but make sure you wear the right clothes! I don't want to see you go out in your jersey and shorts. It started snowing yesterday and I don't want you to catch a cold or anything."
"Not just my jersey and shorts? But that's my signature outfit! Maybe I'll just..." Kel took out an old sweater from his closet, "Perfect!"
"Alright mom, I'm heading out!"
"Okay Kelsey! I'll check on you when we're driving out later, 'kay?" Kel's mom wasn't focusing on him. She was getting everything ready for the trip to Hero's college.
"Okay!"
Kel stepped out of his front door.
"What was mom talking about? It isn't cold at all! Sure there's a little chill, but it's nothing I can't take!" Kel trudged through the snow as he walked off to Sunny's house.
As soon as he reached there, he planted himself right in front of Sunny's door.
A few minutes later, Kel heard the rumble of the family car's engine.
"KELSEY RODRIGUEZ! I TOLD YOU TO WEAR THE RIGHT CLOTHES! WHAT KIND OF CLOTHES ARE THOSE?!"
Heh, his mom. Always so paranoid.
"Aww, c'mon mom, it's not cold at all! And even if it gets colder, I can just go home and get more layers!"
"Are you sure you're okay in those sport?"
"Yeah dad! Can both of you just get Hero already? I can't wait to see him!"
"If you say so son..." They drove off.
Kel spent most of his time throwing rocks at Sunny's window.
Hour 1.
Kel saw Sunny or at least he thought he did. Someone opened the curtain and immediately closed it after Kel waved at them. Whoever it was, they definitely saw him.
"Maybe Mrs Suzuki rented it out? I don't think Sunny would do that, right? Also, my fingers are getting numb, maybe I should have listened to mom when she told me to add more layers."
Hour 2:
Kel felt the saliva in his throat freeze up. He no longer had the choice to scream for help. An hour ago, he could've done that or even just knocked on the window. But now? His parents went to get Hero from college. His best hope or survival would be to get Sunny to let him in. Unfortunately, his legs are going numb.
"If Sunny is taking this long… I might as well just go back. I should have the keys right?"
He checked his pockets.
"Shit. I guess I'll have to rely on the chance that mom left it unlocked for me..."
Kel got up and shuffled to his house. It still hurt like hell, but it hurt less than if he walked.
He got to his house, turned the door knob, and…
"Dammit, it’s locked."
"I guess I’ll just have to wait for either Sunny to open the door or for my parents to come back… I’ll take my chances with Sunny. My parents probably won’t be coming back for another few hours, and by then…"
Kel stopped himself.
"No, Kel, you’ll make it. Don’t- Don’t think about that."
Kel shuffled back to the Suzuki household and knocked the door. His knuckles hurt like hell after that.
He lay back down in front of the door… and waited
Hour 3:
"God it’s so cold, I really wanna go to sleep, but… I don’t want to…"
No.
"Don't think about that."
"I… I think I have hypothermostat or something..." Kel muttered, his usually loud voice now quiet and hoarse from the cold.
"But it's fine, I'll pull through, I always do!"
"..."
"Maybe not this time…" he heard someone say.
He looked around.
He saw a younger, happier version of himself
"Damnit, the cold must be getting to me."
"It sure is, and at this rate, you'll be dead in 5 minutes!" the other him replied in an eerily joyous tone.
"Why is he so cheerful?"
"Because you are! It's what you always do!" the other him spoke once more with a large grin plastered on his face.
"Heh, nobody knows me better than myself…"
…
"So I'm dying right?" Kel asked. It... wasn't possible right? He was so young. He had so much left to do...
"Yes."
"But what about Sunny, what about my friends, what about Hero?! I- I wanted to bring them all together again! It's the only goal I'm even close to achieving!"
"Well, on the bright side, they might meet each other at the funeral!" The other him spoke in that same eerily joyous tone as before.
"Sorry, that was a little dark, wasn’t it?" Finally, something that wasn't so sickeningly joyful. It was more.. sombre.
"It's… fine." It wasn't fine.
"Kel! You can do it! You can get through this!" Kel heard a voice he hadn't heard in a long time. One that comforted him when Hero was away... One that died a long time ago.
One that his brother had missed dearly for so long.
"M-Mari?" Kel turned his head to see her... but all that was there was that younger version of him... smiling.
"Nah, just kidding," The other him replied with that same shit eating grin on his face, "After all… You're no Hero, you're just his little brother."
"You'll always be in his shadow." Kel... Kel hadn't felt that since... since... No....
Kel wanted to run but his legs wouldn't move. He needed to get through this. He HAD to.
"No… I can get through this… I know I ca…"
Kel blacked out.