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The wind howled in harsh whispers, a symphony of gruelling wails that perfectly defined the crisp autumn evening. Leaves twirled and twisted against the breeze, floating past the lonesome house that was currently framed by the setting sun. It was funny really, how on such an evening like this the world could become so blatantly eerie. Each simple creak or far off sound became a frightening growl that played into the delusions of each and every unsettled soul. Purely because this month was deemed as a spooky month.
Exer always thought it was dumb as hell. Maybe it was creepy as a kid but now that he is 16 years old, he could see through the plastic masks and theatrical stories. The way people became scared purely because they are told they should be. It was a holiday he never really understood.
Yet, here he was perched, fully in costume - because he can still absolutely look good - and waiting at the steps of some douchebag's house for a Halloween party that David had been rambling about non stop. David who absolutely adored anything scary, a morbid curiosity for the things that almost always left the other absolutely petrified.
Exer had long lost track of the countless nights he was abruptly awakened at 3 am, the phone pressed to his ear as David's hushed voice spilled out worries about imminent demonic threats. How they were really going to get him this time. Yeah, never let that kid watch a horror movie alone, no matter how much he begs you.
There was a loud click behind the door as Exer stood, hand still raised from where he was just about to knock when, without warning, the door swung open. Some kid that he vaguely recognised stumbled through, trash bag in hand as he sweated profusely. He looked stressed as hell, probably regretting inviting so many rampant teenagers.
“King Exer! Yo! So glad you could make it.” The kid let out some unruly huffs, clearly very out of breath. “Party is just through there.” He wheezed.
“Yeah..ugh thanks. D-do you need a hand with that?”
There was a twitch in the guy’s tired eyes as he smiled just a little too widely.
“Nah. I got it. Thanks though.”
Yeah, you look cool as a cucumber dude, but whatever. Suit yourself.
Exer shrugged slightly before pushing through the front door. “Alright then.”
Instantly, he was assaulted by deafening, obnoxious music, forcing him to squint against the blinding, practically toxic neon lights that emanated from every corner of the house. There were kids scattered everywhere, all blurring together in a tangle of smudgy face paint and frilly costumes and as always, their eyes were on him before he could even process who anyone was.
Oh, the things I do for you Day.
He found himself retreating slightly, awkwardly backing up until he stood just off to the corner of the sitting room and out of eyeline. He really hoped that he could just fade into the background for a moment, let himself adjust before he had to socialise. A part of him wanted to go take a seat on the couch, but there were people draped all over it. Drinks in hand and laughing in an ear splitting cackle.
No one would ever really guess that ‘the king of Jeanes High’ would stiffly stand at the sidelines during a party, but in his defence, his confidence was never really at full capacity without his best friend.
What’s a king without his queen- well ugh- other king, after all.
It’s not that he didn’t like parties. They were okay. He just found it painfully tedious and slightly overrated when there were perfectly other, less sweaty, activities they could do. And as much as Exer couldn’t complain about the attention, that was great, but he preferred hanging out with Day one on one.
Alas, the memory of when they had been invited crossed his mind and he was quickly reminded of the way that blue eyes shone with excitement, hands flapping aggressively the moment that they were told about the party. How could he possibly say no to that.
How could he possibly say no to Day.
Through his train of thought, he hadn’t even noticed the group of girls that had run up to him.
So much for fading into the background.
“Exer! You look awesome. Werewolf definitely suits you.” Karen’s voice was raised, obviously trying to speak over the music as one hand rested on her hip.
It made Exer wince slightly. Why did it have to be so extremely loud in here? Surely the blasting beats would still be heard a volume lower or two. Okay wow, he sounded like his dad. But, hey, charming girls was a Campbell specialty. He wasn’t going to let a little music hold him back.
“Thanks Karen! So do you.” He leaned in a little closer. “The feathers are really working for you.”
What left Karen’s mouth next was but a chain of non eligible gibberish, flustered hands twirling a strand of raven hair.
And of course it had all 3 of the girls giggling, nudging their bright red friend and whispering ecstatically.
Exer hummed, he really did think that they were lovely. But there was another individual here, equally as lovely, and he was desperate to find him.
“Ah, as much as I hate to cut this short. Have any of you guys seen David anywhere? Or Brenda maybe?”
The girl on Karen’s left raised a hand to her chin, clearly trying to recall if she had seen them amongst the sea of familiar faces.
“Hmm.. can’t say I have. Sorry king.” She lamented and Exer could only sigh at that.
“Any of you?”
The other two shook their heads in unison, shooting him an apologetic look.
It was no surprise really, the Miller twins were famous for being ‘fashionably’ late. That was their normal excuse at least. Which was bullshit because the two would always start getting ready an entire lifetime before the parties started. In reality the twins had absolutely no concept of time and often forgot that driving takes a while and they can’t exactly teleport to their location the second the event begins.
They were just..a tad cooky like that.
“You can hang out with us until they get here if you’d like!” Karen beamed, her hands clasped together as she gushed.
It was a kind offer but these girls normally hung around the meathead seniors that found Exer’s popularity to be a threat. They were another level of fake and would always try to humiliate him. Good thing he was far too smart to fall for their games. They just hated him because he was a few years younger and already had the school wrapped around his finger. But ya know, he can’t help being irresistible.
“That’s okay guys. I’ll probably go grab them both a drink.” He ran a slow hand through his slightly unkempt curls, courtesy of his werewolf look. “Thanks for the offer though! Some other time for sure.” Adding a finishing touch with a wink always sealed the deal, and it worked like magic; all three of them squealed in delight and linked arms.
“Bye Exer!” They hollered, snickering messily as Exer strolled past, smiling to himself smugly.
Weaving in and out of the bustling pockets of the crowd proved to be fairly difficult and there were multiple occasions where Exer wished he could just use his magic to freeze everyone, moving them all out of the way so he could actually walk in a straight line. He would never of course, but he would be lying if he said the temptation wasn’t there.
After enduring a barrage of feeble apologies and a chorus of "Please excuse me," Exer at last laid eyes on the snack table.The snack table that was currently being surrounded by a bunch of shark-like teenagers.
Fantastic.
A couple of well-intentioned shoves later and he actually managed to reach the punch bowl. He grabbed two cups for the twins, filling them up only half way. The last time he made the mistake of filling David’s all the way up, the boy had chucked it all over Exer within the first 5 minutes of handing it to him. There was absolutely no way he would risk it again, with neither of the excitable siblings. As messy as it was, he was really starting to like his monstrous outfit.
He took both cups into his hand, suddenly very grateful that he only half poured them, and began to make the rocky journey over to the coffee table in the sitting room.
Luckily the layout of the house meant that it was just in view of the front door so he could hopefully see the twins whenever they decided to show up. Which, speaking of, they were now almost half an hour late.
Typical. They were the only reason he was here in the first place.
Exer had to suppress a groan as someone knocked right into him, making the punch spill over the edge of the plastic cups as he went to place them on the table.
“Oh I am in literal hell.” He whispered begrudgingly.
That was until the door was practically almost blown off its hinges. Exer let out a sigh as he pieced together who it was. To his awe and relief there stood the unmistakable outlines of the sibling duo. In all their sparkly glory. They both seemed to be sporting matching outfits and they looked incredibly fantastic.
And they absolutely knew it judging by their smug smiles.
Brenda sported a chic silver skater skirt paired with high-heeled boots, accentuated by vibrant purple tights and a stylish white crop top. Similarly, David donned a matching outfit, featuring silver poofy trousers and sleek non-high heeled boots. Both of them wore matching dazzling silver aluminium jackets, adorned with violet alien antennae headbands. To perfect their cosmic appearance, they added delicate jewels around their eyes, enhancing the effect, and applied eyeliner with subtle hints of purple on their noses and cheeks, completing the stellar space-inspired look.
It was safe to say that Exer’s jaw quite literally hit the floor. There was literally not a single being that could ever compare to the absolute perfection that was the Miller twins.
And Exer apparently wasn’t the only one to notice as people began greeting them at the door, whistling and complimenting their outfits. To which both of them practically combusted. They had probably been waiting for this moment all day. No wait, all month. Scratch that, all year!
Damn, Exer is going to look kinda lame next to those two.
Just when he was about to move off, go and kidnap his friends from the posse of admirers, he spotted something kind of weird. Something that settled an unwelcomed twinge of scepticism in his gut.
It stopped Exer right in his tracks.
Some guy that he recognised in the grade above had swooped in, right next to David and circled a hand around his waist. Greeting him extremely up close. No one within the crowd would’ve noticed, not with the high number of people all practically clambering on top of eachother. But Exer sure did. He also noticed the way that Day had looked up to him, a shadow of blush creeping across his cheeks as he playfully swatted at the guy’s shoulder.
The sight, for some strange reason, caused Exer to ball his fists. Ball his fists and grit his teeth as though he were an actual insane person. They were clearly friends. In fact, he was pretty certain he had seen them conversing in the halls before. And look, Exer will regrettably admit that he does have a teensy tiny, itty bitty jealousy issue. It happens, and with pretty much anyone and everyone he truly cared about. It was annoying but manageable as of now. Yet this took him slightly off guard, because he really hated the way that this guy was gazing down at his best friend. Before Exer even got to go over and say hi.
Absolutely not.
Quickly asking Karen, who sat just across from him on the sofa, to keep an eye on the drinks; Exer wasted no time in heading toward the twins.
He practically rammed his way through the brutish atmosphere and non-space aware teens, grinning to himself as he caught the moment that David had finally spotted him back. The way his eyes shone as he wriggled himself away from the other guy.
Ha! Take that asshole.
The borderline colossal dude deflated, following David with his eyes. It took every ounce of self control for Exer to not raise his middle finger.
“Exer!” yelled David, and suddenly there were arms being flung over his shoulders before Day pulled him into a spine crushing hug, letting out small giggles as he patted the fake fur on Exer’s back.
“Ha! Hi Day!” He brought his own arms forward to wrap around David’s middle. Right where that other dude had placed his hands. The weirdo.
He glared at the boy from over David’s shoulder, the other looking slightly taken off guard before glaring right back.
There was a slight feeling of protest as David pulled apart, still keeping a hand on Exer’s upper arms as he took in the shaggy werewolf look that he threw together at the last minute. The shift caused him to tear his eyes off of the imposter, settling them instead on the blonde strands that fell, ever so slightly, over David’s eyes. Probably from where the headband was pushing his bangs forward.
“Woah! Werewolf! Dude you look awesome.” There was so much joy in Day’s tone, making this whole party suddenly feel worth it. As long as his best friend was happy. He was happy.
“So do you! I mean wow Day. You and Brenda have the best outfits here, for sure!”
The compliment caused his friend’s hands to clap together, clearly thrilled that their hard work had paid off. A hum sounded from behind David as Brenda emerged from the depths of the party, linking her arm with her twin’s as she smiled widely at Exer.
“You really think so?”
“Hi Brenda! Yeah for sure, everyone practically reeked of jealousy when they saw you walk in.”
Slightly hypocritical. If they reeked of jealousy, Exer would’ve been an entire garbage dump.
“Your alien outfits are killer!” He added.
It looked like Brenda was going to explode at that, looking over at David who was clearly sharing her enthusiasm. That was before both of them looked over to him, their heads turning at the same time as they sucked in a breath.
“We are fierce extraterrestrials from the dazzling realm of Zorg, the planet of style and allure,” they declared dramatically, their voices in perfect harmony. Exer did a double take, amazed by how flawlessly the twins synchronised their words and movements. However, the overly glamorous description of their home planet did slightly diminish their credibility.
Still, it managed to gain a laugh from Exer.
“That’s great and all but do the Zorg people like punch? Because I got you some over there.”
“Oh we definitely do!” David chimed.
“It’s our favourite actually.” Brenda concluded, finger raised in the air to emphasise her point.
“Thank goodness for that!” He chortled, placing both hands on each of the siblings’ backs to guide them. Exer reassured, “And don’t worry, I asked Karen to look after them while I came to get you.”
“Karen?” There was a slight waver in David’s voice as he echoed her name.
“Yeah! She’s just over here.”
“D-did you come with her?” The smile on his best friend’s face didn’t quite mask the apprehension in his tone. “She has a crush on you right?”
“What? No?” Exer didn’t really think much about the question, his answer leaving his lips frantically as he concentrated on finding a clear path to the coffee table. “And maybe? A lot of girls kinda have a crush on me Day.”
"Oh, thank god," David exhaled, and Exer wondered if he had misheard him.
“What was that?”
“Huh, what? Nothing man.” Day stammered out.
Odd.
But their messy conversation was cut short as Exer tried to manoeuvre their way around a particularly annoying group of people, who were playing a very inconveniently placed game of catch. With a vase. which was much to their extremely stressed host’s dismay. Ricky and Marty were central to it, unsurprisingly.
Finding their far quieter corner, David and Exer settled on the floor, making do with the limited seating. Exer kindly fetched Day’s drink, while Brenda, after exchanging greetings with the girls on the sofa, joined them, sitting herself nearer to the coffee table.
Everything seemed to settle in nicely past that point, Brenda was chatting away to Karen and her group whilst David sipped at his punch, listening to Exer’s most recent vinyl discovery. Annoyingly though, Exer had seemed to acquire a lot of thirst through his constant moving around. It became as plain as ever as he attempted to finish his story with a dry mouth.
“Hey I’m gonna grab some punch. I’ll be right back.”
“You got some for us but not yourself?” Cocking his head to the side, David smirked at him slightly.
A heat ran across Exer’s face as he shrugged. “I’ll be right back.”
“See ya in a bit!”
Little did Exer know that this would be the absolute worst decision of the night because by the time he had grabbed his drink and walked back over to their designated spot, David wasn’t there.
“Ugh Brenda? Where’d David go?” But the other clearly hadn’t paid much attention to her brother, simply stating with a yell, “I don’t know, he went to look for you.”
Brenda didn’t even turn to face him as she answered, too infatuated with the conversation at hand. One of Karen’s friends twiddled her fingers with a blush, Brenda flicking her hair, winking and talking to the girl through hooded eyes.
Okay then. Brenda is clearly busy.
Guess he will have to find Day on his own. He absolutely cannot stand another moment at this barely contained party without him. That’s when he rounded the corner to find what might possibly be the most aggravating scene all night.
And that is saying something.
Tucked in amongst the sea of people, the same guy from earlier towered over David as he leant against the wall, punch in hand whilst he seemed to boast about whatever bullshit the jerks in the grade above loved to show off. To say the least, David didn’t look exactly comfortable, his back slightly cornered against the wall as his eyes avoided the oblivious dim-wit in front of him. Every now and then the guy would use his free hand to adjust Day’s jacket, or flick the bouncy antennae on his head band. David cringed every time, looking as though he wished to be anywhere but there.
Probably just wanting to find Exer.
The kids in the grade above can be real dicks though. Who knows how the asshole would react to his sudden departure. It also wasn’t exactly a secret that, despite David’s own temper and fierce protectiveness, when it came to himself he never really had much of a defence mechanism. Every time that Ricky and Marty made fun of him or he was picked on by older kids, Day only seemed to freeze. Letting every cruel word sink into his skin like a weighted anchor.
It made Exer want to take every single hit for him. Let the weight become his to bear because David didn’t deserve a single bit of it. And he would if he could, every single time. Day’s sadness was more painful than anything directed his way.
Maybe that’s why the magic flowed through Exer like acid. His eyes staring daggers right at the guy from where he was planted just across from them. Anger rose to his chest through every ragged breath. A million nasty words accumulated in his mind as the assailant began to inch even closer to his friend. The burning urge to send him flying through the window causing Exer to crumple the plastic cup in his hand.
The red liquid trailed over his fist as if he had just ripped the heart out of the daunting oaf.
Oh how he wishes.
This wasn’t to be blamed by his jealousy either. As much as everything looked alright earlier, that clearly wasn’t the case right now.
As if on the que, the dude decided to rest an unwelcome hand onto Day’s shoulder. David clearly tried to shake it off as the other carried on yapping away without a glance to the kid he was quite obviously bothering.
This jerk is just asking for it now.
David’s wincing eyes was all it took for the green to harshly spark from his fingertips, a burst of seething emerald light flashing from his clenched palm and sending the punch that the guy was holding to practically launch from his grasp.
What he hadn’t calculated was that it would not only soak the guy, but David too, who gasped abruptly upon the iced drink hitting his skin.
Shit.
Giant doofus let rip every single curse word in the book as he shook the punch off of him in one giant flicking motion, unintentionally sending it flying right over to David. Which only made Exer want to kill him more. But that didn’t exactly help the now bright red stain that inched across his shitty white ghost costume.
Finally feeling as though his feet would let him, he marched forward, determination etched on his face, and with a swift motion, Exer grabbed David's arm, pulling him away from the obnoxious guy.
"Hey, sorry we've got to go. David, come on," Exer said, his voice firm, not leaving room for argument with the much taller boy who narrowed his eyes at the two.
“Oh and learn to take a hint, pal.” He all but hissed, the dramatic height difference not bothering him in the slightest.
The giant went silent, mouth gaping as he scowled down at the two.
David's head whipped back and forth from Exer and the now furious guy, clearly grateful for the intervention. Without another word, they made their way through the crowd, leaving the unpleasant encounter behind them.
As they retreated from the chaotic party scene, Exer couldn't help but feel a mix of relief and rage. Rage at the jerk who decided to break a million of David’s boundaries, getting all up in his face despite him clearly wanting to leave. And relief that he had managed to rescue his best friend from the situation without too much drama.
Once they were away from the noise and the crowd, dipping into one of the quieter hallways, Exer turned to David; his expression softening.
"You okay, Day?" Exer’s voice trembled slightly, the adrenaline and magic still coursing through him.
David’s wide eyes met Exer’s, a mix of surprise and gratitude in them. He was clearly a little shell shocked from the whole ‘exploding drink’ thing. “Exer, I…I have no idea what just-”
Exer cut him off with a reassuring but sad smile. “It’s okay, Day. Let’s get you cleaned up.” Without waiting for a response, he took David’s cold hand, guiding him towards the bathroom.
There was something so soothing about the way that Day’s hand slotted within his own. Entangling in a way that made his face tinge a bright shade of red.
Inside the bathroom, Exer handed David some tissues and turned on the tap, dampening a paper towel to help him clean the punch off his costume. “You know that asshole?” Exer asked, his voice soft but firm, meeting David’s gaze in the mirror.
David huffed, looking down at his crop top with a frown. “Yeah, I thought he was my friend but I don’t know. He’s been kinda weird lately.”
Exer really had to contain the lingering anger inside him. “You wanna talk about it?”
“Not particularly.” There was a breathy laugh that followed and he really had to try and bury the fire that was still very much rampant. David was starting to pick up on it. It was then that Exer saw the streak of eyeliner that ran down the boy’s cheek.
“Hey, look at me.” And David did, spinning around so he was no longer facing the mirror.
Exer swiped some of the damp paper towels off the sink and hesitantly brought it to David’s cheek, waiting for an indication that Day was okay with the interaction. He caught on quickly, nodding appreciatively at the other.
It was then that he inched closer, lightly dabbing the black makeup with the corner of the tissue. Exer didn’t miss the way that David’s crystal blue eyes met his own, his face turning a modest shade of pink.
Exer continued to gently wipe away the eyeliner smudge, his touch light and careful. David's eyes softened, gratitude and something else flickering in their depths. In that moment, the noise from the party outside faded away, leaving only the sound of running water and their quiet breathing.
"There," Exer said softly, pulling back slightly to examine his handiwork. "All clean."
"Thanks, Ex," David whispered, his voice barely audible over the running tap. He held Exer's gaze for a moment longer before looking away, a small smile playing on his lips.
"You know, you didn't have to defend my honour like that," David said, his tone teasing but sincere.
Exer let out a puff of air, trying to appear nonchalant, though his heart was still pounding with residual fury. "I couldn't just stand there and watch him treat you like that. You're my best friend."
David's smile widened, a mixture of affection and amusement. "Always my knight in shining armour, huh?"
Exer chuckled, feeling a bit lighter despite the persisting tension in his chest. "Something like that."
They stood there for a moment, the air between them charged with unspoken words. Exer wanted to ask David about the guy further, wanted to understand what was going on in his friend's mind, but he didn't want to push either. Instead, he settled for a reassuring smile.
"You know I've got your back, right?" Exer said, his voice light but stern. "No matter what."
David met his gaze again, and this time, there was a vulnerability in his eyes that tugged at Exer's heart. "I know," he replied, his voice equally gentle. "And I've got yours too..”
With that simple exchange, the rotting nastiness that seemed to eat away at Exer’s gut eased somewhat.
"Come on," Exer said, his tone more enthusiastic now. "Let's get back out there and find Brenda. She’s probably wondering where we are by now.”
David grinned, the sparkle returning to his eyes. "Yeah you’re right. Let’s go..”
There was still a partial trepidation to his movements as David padded across the bathroom and went to unlock the door. Which was quickly confirmed by the way he halted. Exer thought he could literally hear the cogs turning in his friend’s brain.
He startled slightly as Day whisked around, hands wringing together cautiously.
“Hey, um Ex? Did you just…want to get out of here?”
“What? But you and Brenda have barely been here. You were so excited!”The worry was apparent in his voice, amber eyes searching David’s face for an explanation of his sudden change of heart.
He really hoped it wasn’t because of that loser. If it was, Exer was going to have to hunt him down all over again.
Though the sickly sweet stare that he was met with comforted some of that concern.
“It’s just kinda lame isn’t it?” David chuckled.
“…….Yeah. And loud..”
“Oh so loud!…So what do you say?” Intertwining their fingers delicately, Day pressed his lips into a thin line.
“I say..I know a place.”
With that, David nodded, unlocking the door with a grin.
Sifting through the crowds for what felt like the millionth time this evening, the duo never let go of one another’s hands. Latching on to each other like a life line. A tuft of ginger hair, complimented by two blatant antennae stood out from the masses of people.
“Day! She is over there.” Exer called over the noise, tugging David’s hand to change his direction.
With Exer leading the way, they navigated through the shifting masses, drawing closer to Brenda’s spot. As they finally reached her, swaying to the music fairly alone, she enveloped them in a warm hug, her infectious energy contagious. Though it didn’t take much at all to convince her to leave with them. Apparently she had grown bored very quickly, especially as Karen and her friends went to hang out with some guys from the grade above.
Turns out Exer and Brenda had something in common with their shared hatred of those guys. According to Brenda, they had been hovering around the whole time that they were gone. She was equally fed up because of it.
Brenda joined onto the chain, grabbing her brother’s hand with a bounce to her step. “I’m so over this place,” she exclaimed, her voice filled with irritation. “At least we got to show off our outfits, huh little bro?” They could all just about hear each other over the racket.
“Yeah! That’s all we really cared about.” He quipped. “A lot of the people here suck anyway. They don’t deserve to see our rocking costumes.”
Exer nodded in agreement, his protective instincts flaring up at the thought of anyone bothering his friends again.
Stepping out onto the porch, the cool air was a very welcomed sensation, the weight of how stuffy it had gotten making it feel as though they’d walked into paradise itself.
“So Ex. You said you know a place?” David wiggled his eyebrows, the trio still linked by their hands.
“Yup!” Gesturing to the direction of the car, Exer bowed his head. “After you two, esteemed planet Zorg guests.”
The Millers giggled at that, skipping along to the car.
Even though the night had gone nothing to plan, Exer would still say that
it had ended perfectly.
They had all climbed out of Exer’s car with beaming smiles, flashlights illuminating the dark winding trees as bats flapped and squeaked from overhead. The walk was short but pleasant and he could feel his eyes drifting toward the now much happier form of his best friend. Of his Day.
The twins followed the designated path, each holding a flashlight as Exer trailed slightly behind with a blanket bundled in his arms. There was a choral gasp when they soon arrived at the old town bridge, Brenda running ahead in disbelief.
In the depths of the night, under the veil of a starlit sky, there stood the ancient bridge, a relic of forgotten time. Its skeletal frame, once sturdy and proud, now bore the scars of ages past. Moonlight seeped through the cracks in the clouds, casting beautiful flowing shadows that danced along the rusted iron railings.
Many would describe it as frightening. A haunted vessel of untrusting screams. But to Exer, he knew that those ‘screams’ were just the innocent scuttling of the small woodland animals that made the metal passage its home. And what may be seen as frightening he saw as timeless. A serene sanctuary for those who could appreciate its providing bones.
Brenda seemed to conquer as she cheerfully explored its surface.
“How did you..?” David spoke up from his side, pretty blue eyes trained onto the ancient bridge.
“I have my ways.” He shrugged with a wink, causing the familiar red cheeked response to overcome his friend, of all people. Which he hadn’t really expected.
Huh..weird. He must be cold.
David and Exer’s hands seemed to gravitate towards each other throughout the evening, as if drawn together by an invisible force, or perhaps they were simply meant to intertwine. Exer found himself subconsciously reaching for David, exhaling as if he had finally found the most natural and comforting connection in the world.
Day’s cold hands meeting Exer’s warm ones. Perfect harmony.
Under the moonlit night, amidst the rustle of leaves and the soft hum of a distant town. David, Brenda and himself all sat with their legs dangling from the bridge, the blanket draped over them as each twin rested a head on Exer’s shoulder. Their laughter, like the melody of the night, waltzed with the gentle breeze, creating an atmosphere of unparalleled peace. The moon, bright and kind within its tender beams, leaving them all with white tipped noses and gleaming pupils.
Any adult would lose their mind at the sight, 3 kids all huddled up on the edge of an old structure. But there was an unspoken knowing amongst them all that they were without a doubt safe. As long as they all had each other.
And so, under the watchful gaze of the moon, Exer allowed himself to take one last fleeting look at the boy next to him. It was contrasting in a way, his best friend, made of pure sunlight, looked so right under the stars. Under the night sky as constellations seemed to dot together in the reflection of blue mirrors. It was something he didn’t see often, but he is certain that he will revisit the image whenever the world feels unforgiving, whenever he loses sight of how truly wonderful this life can be.
Because it really can be so, so wonderful.