Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

AUBREY, along with her friend KEL, just came back from shopping the whole day for formal clothing for MARI and SUNNY’s recital tonight. Their fathers allowed them to go to the brother and sister’s house for encouragement and such.

KEL's older (and much better) brother HERO also just came back with his mother, running errands ( that's what she was told by their father).

"AUBREY! Can't you walk any faster!?" KEL teased, already getting on the aforementioned’s nerves. He was just some steps ahead of her.

The black-haired girl breathed through her nose heavily, trying to calm herself down. Her main goal for the year was to be more calm and collected.

KEL, unbeknownst to him, was ruining everything.

"I'm trying my best, KEL! Not everyone's hyperactive like you!" AUBREY furrowed her eyebrows. She knew MARI or HERO wouldn't approve of her saying this but, why does KEL have to be so damn annoying?

It was like he was doing it on purpose! He never acted like that with the others.

Well, whatever. It didn't matter anymore.

AUBREY picked up her pace to match KEL's, but of course, he was still a bit faster than her.

"Finally! You're so slow at walking." KEL complained. "Walking's really easy, y'know? Just walk!"

"KEL! You can't say that! What about disabled people?" AUBREY contradicted. "Of course your block-headed brain forgot about minorities!"

"Hey! I'm not block-headed, you are!" KEL's voice cracks were easily heard. "I'm just a little forgetful!"

AUBREY almost snorted. She rolled her eyes instead. "Yeah, right." KEL looked really piqued now.

"Hey! Says the girl who doesn't know how to solve basic math!"

…That kinda hurt. AUBREY's dad always complained about how much she sucked at math. She promised she would get better, but there was no use in trying. AUBREY still was failing.

“You’ll get new toys when you get your math grades up.”  He had sternly declared.

AUBREY just wanted a cool truck she saw on sale.

She had glared at the floor, blinking back frustrated tears.  AUBREY’s father’s word was final, never changing unless someone manages to convince him.

"Shut up, KEL! You can't do anything at all!" AUBREY shot back angrily, making fists.

KEL looked so genuinely hurt, AUBREY (almost) wanted to take back those words. She knew how much HERO was favored over KEL.

But he still deserved it!

"Well, whatever! I'm still better at science than you!" KEL’s obnoxious attitude came back.

"What does that have to do with anything!?" AUBREY shrieked. AUBREY was as good at science as him, unfortunately.

It was dark, the stars were pretty these days. The recital would start in thirty minutes in Closeby City, just twenty minutes away.

'They're so colorful...'

Chapter Text

MARI and SUNNY's house was quiet.

Too quiet.

You usually could faintly hear the lively noise of MARI's piano and SUNNY's violin.

AUBREY was expecting to at least hear the song—or piece, MARI was a bit nitpicky with stuff like that—the siblings were going to play at the recital in the city right near Faraway, the town Aubrey and her friends lived in.

The piece was beautiful, to say the least.

But all the practicing MARI and SUNNY were doing felt...excessive. Hell, AUBREY hadn't seen them outside of school at all, for months! But what does she know? She doesn’t play an instrument.

She knew how much the recital meant to MARI, but SUNNY? The poor boy had calluses and sometimes even bandages wrapped on his fingers. He looked irritated but miserable when the recital was mentioned around him.

When AUBREY vented to SUNNY on the swings about her parents, she noticed the calluses and asked him about it, but the boy dismissed it as stress from school, so AUBREY dropped it.

But she still felt worried. AUBREY might not be the brightest, but she knew when her friends were having a bad time.

"SUNNY, you know these sessions aren't just for me! You can vent to me too, although I'm not exactly the best listener..." She reassured, but SUNNY still wouldn't say anything about it.

"I know, but—" 

SUNNY wouldn't get the chance to answer that question as MARI found him and "dragged" him away from the swings.

"Come on, SUNNY! We have to practice for the recital!" MARI warmly smiled, crossing her arms together and quietly stomped her foot on the ground. A clear sign of impatience and irritation.

For a split second, SUNNY's face contorted into one of indignation, but surely AUBREY was just seeing things...right?

____________________________________________________________________________

"Hello!?!!? MARI!!!!???? SUNNY?!?!?!?!" KEL loudly shouted. AUBREY whisper-shouted at KEL to be more quiet.

"At least I'm making an effort to find them!" 

"I am! I'm just looking around!"

Eventually, after two minutes, the two twelve-year-olds came to an agreement of AUBREY checking outside and KEL checking the bottom floor; after they realized the Suzuki siblings weren't upstairs.

AUBREY slid open the sliding doors to see SUNNY and BASIL walking back from what MARI once called ‘the abyss of trees’ (She stopped calling it after she found out what abyss actually meant. Aubrey felt MARI was a bit airheaded back then. )

...AUBREY genuinely forgot about BASIL going to see SUNNY and MARI before the others.

"SUNNY, BASIL? What are you guys doing here?"

AUBREY quickly approached them, hoping her brand new shoes didn’t get dirty.

When SUNNY looked ahead to see who was calling them, his kind eyes looked dead as coal.

BASIL flinched so hard, his shoulder somewhat hit his right ear.

"A-AUBREY... what's going on...?" BASIL responded instantly, nervously smiling.  SUNNY stood there, looking deeply disturbed.

"So you two were here!" AUBREY exclaimed, smiling. Then she glanced around the backyard. "Where's MARI?" This appeared to be the wrong thing to ask, as BASIL's blue eyes widened. SUNNY looked terrified, nothing like the times he saw a mere spider.

"I-i think you should see for yourself..." BASIL finally replied, after what felt like hours, maybe even days. The blond boy beckoned towards the trees, with a hesitant finger.

"Well...alright..." AUBREY made a beeline through the lush trees of MARI and SUNNY's backyard and then she saw a blue toy box, replicating a treasure box.

Chapter Text

"MARI? Are you here-" 

AUBREY looked up at the trees. MARI's barefoot legs were dangling in the wind. The younger girl let out a blood-curdling scream, not caring about who would hear her. Who knew she would regret looking up?

MARI.

The surrogate sister Aubrey never had. The jump rope that was AUBREY’s  favorite—the one she would always play with every chance she had with it—was tied around MARI's neck.

The younger girl knew she would never see jump ropes the way she had viewed them before today. She dropped onto her knees, before she knew it.

MARI's half-shut eyes were like SUNNY's, dark and dead like coals. But SUNNY wasn’t dead. Even if AUBREY refused to acknowledge it, MARI was dead.

And gone forever.

AUBREY would never again eat MARI's cookies, filled with love and care. She wouldn't even get to dye her hair with her. MARI decided on purple, and she decided on pink; their favorite colors, respectively.

Before the black-haired girl knew it, she threw up her breakfast and lunch on the grass, tasting metal. Usually, AUBREY was ‘comforted’ by her father–occasionally her mother–when throwing up.

But her father wasn't near.

But that stupid moron KEL was. 'When did he get here?' AUBREY thought to herself, confused.  He was attempting to comfort her, but the black-haired girl couldn't hear a single thing, just an annoying, high-pitched noise.

Consistently buzzing.

Obnoxious was an understatement.

AUBREY curtly got up, and KEL just watched as she walked away. She brushed anything unnecessary on her, albeit there was nothing in the first place.

KEL straightened himself up, his suit not suiting him at all (no pun intended). KEL ran further than AUBREY to HERO, who AUBREY knew would be devastated once he saw MARI.

AUBREY watched HERO, as he kept denying this was real.

As he reassured MARI's dead corpse he would get her down.

As tears fell from his amiable brown eyes.

As he shouted for his dad–anyone, to help him get his dead lover off of SUNNY's favorite tree.

AUBREY felt sympathy for the older boy.

She didn't think HERO would recover from this—none of them might.

The black-haired girl wiped the overflowing tears from her eyes.

She could cry all she wanted at MARI’s funeral.

Before the young girl was aware, she was being dragged by hand by none other than her dad.

She wondered if MARI secretly hated her—using the former’s jump rope to sneer at her.

AUBREY really didn't want to go back to school tomorrow.

Chapter Text

Only Monday passed and AUBREY just wanted to go home. To stop thinking about how MARI died. How AUBREY was a terrible friend. But it didn't. 

AUBREY ended up wasting three hours ‘analyzing’ her every conversation with MARI. Nothing shouted "Someone please end my misery" about her. But her so-called 'rational side’ contradicted the scrutinies she conjured up. 

Maybe she faked being happy?

The possibilities were endless. MARI always looked tired following the days of the announcement of the recital. But she smiled brightly. Maybe it was her preparations for college? AUBREY knew a bit of how MARI and SUNNY’s parents felt about academics.

Weren’t her parents always pressuring her? 

Although strict, MR. and MRS. SUZUKI were loving, unlike AUBREY’s. Her father only promised food and clothing if she brought home exceptional grades. He only cared about her mildly. Who knew if he even loved AUBREY? MOM barely was home; working the days away. AUBREY sometimes wondered if it was because of her. So, MOM was caring, but not loving.

Neither of them would approve of dying my hair, anyway. The long-haired girl thought to herself, disappointed.

A sudden yell for AUBREY made her snap out of her thoughts. It was DAD. And he sounded furious. The onyx-haired girl became anxious. 'Please…oh please, tell me he’s not drunk again…'

Or worse, he saw her math test grade. 'But…I thought I hid it well!'

That didn't matter anymore. AUBREY was going to meet MARI sooner than she expected to. She didn't know if it was a good thing or bad.

AUBREY gingerly climbed down the ladder leading to the attic–also known as her makeshift bedroom–and made a beeline to the living room. She was scared. No, beyond  terrified. The last time she was this terrified was when she had found MARI han-

It didn't seem like MOM was here. That was expected. Once the raven-haired girl is spotted by her allegedly enraged father, he glares at her. AUBREY gulped. 

Wait. AUBREY suddenly thought. Did he hear me!?

Then she mentally groaned. No wonder she was failing two subjects! 

"AUBERGINE." 

AUBREY blinked. Well. This was a warning sign. AUBREY was only called AUBERGINE when her father was..calmer? Sometimes, DAD didn’t remember AUBREY’s name; she would correct him, but right now didn’t seem like a good time.

 "Yes…?" AUBREY's voice gave away the fact she wanted to run. The dreaded words of "I'm so dead tonight" echoed in her head like the piece MARI and SUNNY were going to play at the recital.

AUBREY's father ran a hand through his dark hair. "When I was going through your room–" 

"–I found this very, very interesting piece of paper." He fixed his cold stare at the putrid paper.

"Would you like to explain-"—He basically shoved the paper at AUBREY—"-this?"

AUBREY caught the paper just before it could fall. It was a letter, handwriting laced with MARI's advice with handwriting.

AUBREY knew what this was. An entry. A diary entry–AUBREY's diary entry–the one that literally had a two-page note stating no one–no one, was allowed to read.

Chapter Text

8/23/95                                                               

Dear Diary, Mari helped me write the way she does! It might not be really good like MARI’s but I swear I tried my best! Writing in cursive was really, REALLY hard at first but I slowly got better!! Maybe I should write down some tips to help me write even more pretty! Here are some things Mari taught me:

- write as small–but big as you can
- try to take your time / don't rush

 Since I've finished writing that down, I guess I'll talk about my day! Whew…man, today has been REALLY hectic! I had a math test, a language arts test, a science quiz, AND a writing assignment in social studies! (WHY does sixth grade have to be so hard??!!) I prefer not to talk about my test grade in math…but I got a really good grade in science! Can you guess what it is? 

A hundred! 100/100!!

…I honestly expected it, since I'm really great at science. It's just easy! I feel like people who fail science are honestly stupid. Like, you just have to remember some things! It's not that hard! But I could never say that to BASIL, one of my best friends! He would be really hurt by that…he doesn't really like science because he has a forty-seven…If my deadbeat parents ever saw I had THAT type of grade, I would be DEAD right now! Well, my other grades were hundreds too. Maybe today was my lucky day? Well…I better head to BASIL’s house now! He's expecting me! See ya later, diary!

-AUBREY xoxo
          

Chapter Text

AUBREY's heart dropped as she read the words on the paper. Her diary, the one where she had let her guard down and shared her thoughts and feelings; had a page torn out, and in her father’s hands. She felt exposed, vulnerable, and violated. AUBREY didn't like this at all. She tried to speak, but no words came out. Her father's eyes bore into her, waiting for an explanation. She couldn't tell him the truth, that her diary was the only place where she felt safe enough to express herself. Was it so wrong?

"I-I didn't mean for you to read that," AUBREY stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"You didn’t mean for me to read it?" her father repeated mockingly. “Why, am I not allowed to look through my daughter’s things?”

Her mind raced, trying to think of a way to convince him that the entry was harmless.

"Listen here, AUBERGINE." DAD started, glaring sharply at the aforementioned. She nodded timidly, scared of her father's wrath.

"Me and your mother have worked long shifts just for you to be a brat. If I ever find a piece of paper like this again, you will get more than just a measly scolding.”

"..."

AUBREY robotically nodded again, relieved that her father had not overreacted that much to the entry. 

"Yes, DAD. I understand." Her voice was monotone; hands in pockets, clenching her fists. AUBREY's eyes welled up with piqued tears; concealed fury and frustrations repressed.

"...May I go outside?"

"For what?"

"...I wanted to refresh." It may have sounded stupid, but it was the truth.

Her father's gaze lightened, and he nodded slowly. "Very well. Go ahead." He beckoned her to shoo. A UBREY quickly nodded and wiped her eyes and rushed out the door. She needed to release her emotions in a place where she could be 'alone'. The black-haired girl knew exactly where to go.

She went through the crossroads.

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AUBREY walked to the playground, where she usually went whenever her emotions started getting too much for her.

Her pace quickened as she entered the park area and felt a sense of comfort come back to her. She headed directly towards the swings, ready to collect her thoughts. She sat down onto her swing, SUNNY wasn't here. AUBREY figured her eyes were red, like every other time she cried.

"Hey...Are you...like, okay?" AUBREY knew that voice. She heard it in almost all of her classes, besides electives. She looked up.

"Oh, KIM...It’s you…I-I'm okay..." KIM walked closer to AUBREY and sat on the swing next to her. 

"Is it because of that girl's suicide? I've seen you hang around with her many times—" She abruptly stopped herself. "Sorry, that's something you probably don't wanna talk about..."

AUBREY looked down at her feet, not wanting to meet KIM's gaze. "It's alright."

KIM didn't seem convinced. She muttered something to herself, something like, "I am not good at this,"

AUBREY sighed heavily, knowing she couldn't hide from KIM forever. "It's just...my dad found my journal. He got mad because I wrote some things he didn't like."

The girl with red glasses frowned. "Isn't a journal supposed to, like, be some sort of safe haven for people?"

"I know! My parents complain about almost everything! To the way I act t-to how I dress!" AUBREY sniffled angrily. KIM just stared, in sympathy and indignance.

"Ugh...MOM's just like that too! She always tells me to stop wearing jeans and more skirts! Like, who said you get to choose what I wear!?" KIM bitterly retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Huh. My mom is always telling me to wear longer skirts! She says I would look like a minx!" AUBREY giggled, letting her legs move back and forth. Who knew someone like KIM could be comforting?

"What does that even mean?" KIM snickered, using a finger to push up her red glasses.

"Who knows?"

AUBREY replied, feeling a sense of comfort wash over her. She looked around the playground, noticing the kids playing in the jungle gym and the sound of laughter filling the air.

They talked like that for almost thirty minutes. AUBREY still couldn’t fathom how she randomly found comfort from someone she only knew in school. 

“Oh! I’m supposed to be home by now!” AUBREY snapped out of her inquiry, jumping off of the swing. “See you later, KIM!” She waved at the aforementioned. 

KIM grinned, and waved back. 

“Bye!” 

As she walked home, she couldn't help but feel giddy.

Maybe she gained a new friend.

Chapter Text

as it says on the title, this garbage is being discontinued. why? i lack motivation, and i've moved onto better fic ideas. as you can tell, this is literally going nowhere. i'll keep this on here, because i honestly want to keep this as an archive. thank you.

btw!!! i'm moving over to my alt---now main acc---moonlightempest. i'll try to write more on that account. not a promise.