Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

His bare feet hit the cold tiles of the floor as he walked forward; the hospital gown he wore was the only thing stopping the cool air of the hospital from freezing him, but his feet continued nonetheless. He could feel his left eye straining as he fought back tears, memories of the past threatening to break through again and almost bringing him to sob, yet only a tiny tear emerged and fell down his cheek. His right eye remained dry behind the cloth eye patch. His hand touched the corner of the wall as he looked left toward a door where he saw a figure disappear. His hand touched the knob on the door, and with the slightest bit of hesitation, but it quickly died as he slowly took in a breath and breathed it out.

Entering the room, he saw the only people he cared about who were still there. He noticed Aubrey by the foot of a hospital bed, her face filled with worry and uncertainty about what would happen before it was replaced by shock as he entered. Kel stood on the right side of the bed, looking down at the person inside with a worried expression similar to Aubrey's but a surprised and hopeful smile upon seeing him enter. Hero stood leaning against the wall on the left, the farthest away from the bed, with a look of worry and sheer panic as he looked at the ground; his face quickly turned to confusion as he saw him enter. Finally, Basil lay on the hospital bed, bruises and minor cuts on his face visible as he raised his head to look at him.

And there he was—Sunny—standing in front of the doorway as all his friends looked at him.

He could feel their uncertainty, hopefulness, doubt, and fear stares.

He felt guilty for keeping the truth from them for so long, but he knew that keeping it inside him would worsen things.

Yet he didn't speak. He felt his throat tighten, a slight hesitation as he opened his mouth, but his throat didn’t make the words again as his heart pounded against his chest, his ribs pierced his lungs, and his mind swirled as he felt sick.

But he pushed through.

"I have something to tell you."

—-

That dream happened again.

Sunny slowly woke up from the dream once more as the sun shone directly into his face, forcing him to react. But the dream of the hospital still lingered in his mind. Every night, he relived that day a week ago, something he didn't want to relive, But he was driven to go through it each time.

His hand absentmindedly reached for his right eye, feeling the somewhat healed skin around his now-gone eye. He went towards the end of his bed, picking up the white eye patch he had left hanging on his bedpost. Putting on the eye patch took his mind off of the dream as he ensured the eye patch was secure. He would have to keep it on all day if the scarring was to heal correctly.

A knock interrupted his thoughts again as a knock on his door captured his attention.

"Sunny? It's Mommy. Are you alright? With the moving canceled at the last minute and everything regarding your eye, it could have been stressful, so I just hoped you were alright, sweetheart."

His mother wasn't good at being a mother, in all honesty, despite her trying. She had ignored him, and his feelings for the better of four years left him home alone for days with no power and practically no food. Still, he couldn't ignore the fact that she had also been hurting, just like him, but still.

His mother took his thinking in silence as an answer to continue. “And… I have to leave for a while again. Canceling the move put me in a tough position, and the company won’t let me off for another day. I leave in just a few minutes to catch a flight south...”

His hands clenched into fists as he looked to his feet. He felt like his heart was stabbed through the chest by a knife. Why? Could she not stay any longer? Quit her job and just help him once in four fucking years?! But he also understood it, or maybe it was just a part of his mind saying that her job was more important than him. Sunny wasn’t even sure anymore.

“But, Polly, that woman who looks after Basil has agreed to check up on you daily. I’m sorry, son; I hope you see that at least.”

With those words, he listened as his mother backed away from his door slowly, her hesitation evident but then quickly. Her footsteps gradually got quieter as she walked down the stairs and out of the house.

He wanted to punch something, or more accurately, someone, if just to let the pain from the hit take his mind away from the quicking breath he had. He clenched his chest with a fist, biting his other hand’s knuckle to let that pain distract him. Blood didn’t flow from his knuckle, but he could feel his teeth push skin onto the bone, leaving teeth marks on his fists as he pulled his hand away.

Panic attack? Was this a panic attack? It had to be. Sunny didn’t know; nobody even informed him of the specifics of one, but it had to be. His breath was quickening, his chest was tight, and he fell from the bed and onto his knees as he tried to distract himself.

Has anything changed? His mom was still unsure, and he felt as weak as always; he thought things would be better after telling his friends the truth. Though, even then, he was sure if he could call them friends, they’d accept it, as they’d been entirely silent from them since that day in the hospital.

He could feel his chest tightening even more as he instinctively tried to inflict more pain to better himself. Biting his knuckles didn’t work, much less now hitting the floor with the same fist. But, he needed to feel something more extreme, and looking at his lamp and then his window, he figured it could work, taking a piece of broken glass to his flesh. He didn’t mean to do it, something he’ll say when his mother returns and discovers what he did, a simple accident.

But, when his eyes looked at his window, he watched as a small pebble bounced off. He stared in confusion long enough for a second, and then a third pebble bounced off before finally hearing a voice shout.

“SUNNY!!! Are you awake!” Kel’s unmistakable voice shouted as Sunny slowly walked up to the window.

Sunny slowly looked down below into his backyard where Kel was, looking at him with the signature goofy Kel smile.

“You are awake! Man, I thought the worst when I kept knocking on your front door, and you weren’t responding. I saw your mom drive off in a taxi with some luggage and figured I’d come by to check up on you!” Kel shouted at him, annoyingly so since he didn’t need to.

Sunny didn’t even know Kel was knocking, and he guessed he was so distracted by what Sunny assumed was a panic attack he didn’t even notice. And how long was it? A few short seconds? No, likely he was so distracted that his sense of time just wasn’t there.

“So, uh… Do you want to hang out at the park or my place? Don’t want you cooped up in your house again, haha!” Kel said with an attempt at humor.

Sunny figured that it couldn’t be so horrible; after all, he was afraid of staying home, he’d just experience another attack again. He didn’t respond but gave a grand thumbs up to Kel, one which Kel gave back. Kel then jumped over the backyard fence, going back to his side, at least explaining how Kel got in the backyard in the first place.

Sunny closed the curtains to his bedroom as he looked at his hand and sighed at the teeth marks he had left on his knuckles. He could see indents, which looked mild red, but it would be cleared by tomorrow. He hoped, at least. For now, Sunny shoved that hand in his pocket as he left his room.

He hesitated at the stairs, but the fear he once had is now gone. Still, he took his time, walking down the stairs one step at a time, hand gripping hard on the handrail. He let go of the rail only when he reached the end and reached the front door. His hand hesitated, only for a second, before opening the door. The sunlight instantly hit his eye, making him flinch as he covered his good eye, and let some seconds pass to adjust his eye.

He let his hand down as his eye finally adjusted, and his feet guided him to where Kel stood at the end of his driveway.

“Good to see you, Sunny!” Kel shouted, walking up to him.

Kel held his hand forward, waiting for Sunny to give him a high five. Sunny didn’t hesitate to leave him hanging, holding up his hand as Kel slapped his hand with force. Sunny was sure he would leave red marks on his hands.

“Oh yeah! Back together again! I wasn’t sure if you would stay cooped up in your house again, uh, no offense. So, how about we head to the park first? Then we can have dinner at my place. Hero’s still here, so he’s cooking tonight,” Kel said with a toothy grin. “Can’t wait to see what he’s gonna make today!”

Sunny agreed that even after Hero had largely stopped cooking, he could still make a mean meal. Sunny shook his head, yes, making Kel’s grin wide.

“Great! We can look around the park for anything to do. I hope Mincy is there; I heard she’s finally done making that portfolio. Maybe Aubrey or Basil are there too; I can guess they’ve been worried as much as me in trying to isolate again.”

Sunny wondered if Basil and Aubrey wanted to see him. He could imagine Basil would be terrified to confront Sunny due to what he did to him and Aubrey… Sunny wouldn’t be surprised if Aubrey refused to look at him, given what he did to Mari, essentially her technical sister.

Kel put his hand on Sunny’s shoulder as Sunny peered down at his feet. “Hey, I get it if you’re scared of seeing them, but isn’t it better to get it out the way now? At least you have a chance at forgiveness, something you won’t have if you don’t do anything.”

Sunny knew he was right, and it was apparent, but sometimes, a person had to be told something obvious to reinforce it in their head.

Sunny nodded, lifting his eyes from the ground a bit. “I-I know…” He said, his voice a bit gravely for the little time in such a long time he ever spoke.

Kel stayed quiet for a while, looking at him with a neutral expression before smiling. “Well, that’s great! I’ll follow your lead, and don’t forget, I’m here for support whenever you need me!”

Sunny gave the nod and a slight curve of his lips to form a smile, one Kel decided was worthy enough to prove things wouldn’t turn out like they did last time.

Kel followed Sunny as they walked down the street, passing Kel’s house and a barking Hector running around in a circle chasing bugs. On the main road, they turned left and moved up until they reached the entrance to Faraway Park.

It was reasonably empty today, as some rain clouds in the sky foretold rain later, around sunset; many people must not have taken their chance. It meant they had the entire place, and he could avoid Basil and Aubrey.

Or he hoped.

On the swingset, Aubrey sat there, not doing anything but looking at the sky. It would have been more of a surprise not to see her here than anything, or maybe at the church. But now, his head was spinning, trying to figure out what to do, talk with her. No, he couldn’t. He felt she wouldn’t want to speak with him; he felt like she hated him and was right to do so. He’s moved on, but Sunny can’t deny the apparent way some might feel, especially not Aubrey.

But he felt Kel’s hand touch his back, and looking over his shoulder, he saw Kel look back and smile. It was… reassuring, a warm feeling, as Kel took the lead forward in a silent understanding as Sunny followed behind. It didn’t take long for Aubrey to notice them, some mild shock on her face seeing Kel and even more upon seeing him.

“Aubrey! Hehe, I didn’t expect to see you around. How are you holding up?” Kel asked, Sunny silently staying behind him.

Despite his attempt at hiding, Aubrey’s eyes lingered on him, yet not a hint of anger in the eyes. What is it that Aubrey looked at him in confusion? Would it be that? She was trying to think of what to think of him. Maybe. And whatever anger she may have had for him was quickly pushed down, her attention moving to Kel.

“I’m fine, Kel. What do you want?”

Kel froze for a bit, Aubrey’s dry reply leaving him to try to think of something. “Well, uh, Sunny and I are looking around on what to do,” figured. “How about we ask our good old friend Aubrey if she wants to come with us!”

Aubrey stayed quiet for a few seconds, sighing before responding. “Sorry, Kel. Not today, tomorrow though, maybe.”

“Oh, well…” Kel looked back to Sunny, a reassuring smile on Kel’s face, before turning around. “Well, that’s alright, tomorrow then-“

“Dinner!”

Kel stopped mid-sentence, his and Aubrey’s attention turning to Sunny, no longer using Kel to hide behind. Why’d he do it? Sunny wasn’t even sure himself. Did he shout out because he didn’t want to see Aubrey turn out like him after Mari’s death, a sense of guilt? Maybe it was something older, his attraction for her long ago when they were kids suddenly returning after so many years? It’s all so confusing to him, yet Sunny couldn’t help but maintain eye contact with Aubrey as she held a confused look.

Kel came in fast, taking what Sunny had said to their advantage. “Dinner! How about you come by my place for dinner? Hero’s cooking, so I can guarantee that the food will be top to die for!’

Aubrey’s attention turned to Kel for only a second, quickly returning to Sunny. “I-I, yeah, sure. I guess I'll be at your place for dinner…”

Kel’s face didn’t show much other than him thinking deeply, almost frustrated.

“Sunny and I will be at Hobbeez, then! We’ll see you when the sun starts setting. See you, Aubrey!”

Kel’s usual demeanor suddenly returned, leaving Sunny no time to think before he walked away, confused. Sunny looked back as Kel walked towards the park exit; nervous, he looked towards Aubrey as he wasn’t sure what to do, and Aubrey didn’t seem to know what to do either. Not knowing what to do, Sunny gave an awkward wave, and Aubrey gave one back before Sunny ran up to Kel, who was waiting for him.

“Well, I guess that sorts out Aubrey… but you didn’t have to shout out like that, Sunny. I could have handled that on my own.”

Huh? Why would Kel think that? Sunny could also help, and despite how worried and anxious he was, he did a good job. Or did Kel believe he was the one out of everyone else to fix it all? He wasn’t sure; maybe Kel thought it would be easier and simpler if he were just trying to keep everything stable. But Sunny didn’t bring it up as Kel walked down the sidewalk towards Hobbeez, and Sunny quickly followed.

Kel’s face was unreadable to Sunny. Kel’s poker face did not show much emotion, maybe only showing Kel thinking deeply. But Sunny ignored it for now; it would fix itself eventually, at least, he hoped.

Sunny kept quiet as he followed Kel up to the old fountain before moving to Hobbeez, and before he knew it, Kel’s average behavior returned to his face, all perky and cheery. Sunny… felt strange and uncomfortable as Kel changed so suddenly earlier before turning to normal. It made him think… even if it was just dumb thoughts, was Kel faking his go-to attitude?

Well, from what Sunny could see, it might not be wrong. But, it made him wonder if Kel was also faking the friendliness he portrayed with him. It… was Sunny overthinking? Likely, but in his head, it felt so likely… but he didn't know… and felt so useless that he couldn’t tell how he could help…

Without warning, fingers snapped in front of Sunny’s face, surprising him. Looking up from where he was looking on the floor, Kel stood with the door to Hobbeez open and waiting for him.

“Sunny? You okay? I've been waiting for you to stop zoning out for almost a minute. Are you sure you’re okay? Maybe we should just head back to my house…”

Sunny quickly shook his head, pushing Kel back inside. Even despite everything, Sunny didn’t want to ruin Kel’s day with his overthinking. Sunny didn’t want to burden Kel, not after everything he did and the fact they forgave them, or else, he hoped they did.

“I guess we can go on looking around for a bit… then, let’s head to my house to eat, yeah?” Kel said, once again plastering a smile on his face, to which Sunny nodded.

With the issue being ignored by both parties, Kel and Sunny quickly entered Hobbeez, nostalgic memories hitting Sunny again, yet Sunny didn’t feel like reliving them, not right now anyway. Despite this, he followed Kel around as Kel scoured the shelves filled with video game boxes and the newly released chapters of comics, at least somewhat curious, even if he hadn’t played any games or read any comics in a long while. It was an excellent way to get his mind off it all or attempt to, at the very least. The distraction didn’t last long, mainly because Kel tried to read some new chapters of his favorite comics without paying, getting them both promptly kicked out for the day.

“Well, at least now I know what happens in the next chapter… Is there anything you wanted to do, Sunny?” Kel asked, looking down at his friend as Sunny blankly stared back up.

He didn’t; Sunny’s mind was too focused on everything that’s happened the last week, given what happened, so the request just left Sunny without words. He had only one idea, despite not wanting to go there; he just wanted to escape any embarrassing situation. Sunny turned his head to Fix-It, pointing his finger to it.

“Fix-it? I mean, we can browse around it for a bit, but… Oh. You want flowers?” Kel asked, a not severe but understanding tone in his voice, to which Sunny nodded.

Both boys silently moved to the shop. The sleeping storekeeper was there as per usual, waking up to the taping of Kel’s fingers drumming next to his face.

“Wuh?! Oh, hey there… looking for work per usual kid, or…?” The man asked, looking down at Sunny.

“Oh, uh, we’re here for some flowers, please,” Kel asked.

“Oh, yeah, sure, no problem, Kel…” The man said, masking a yawn under a hand, bending down under the desk before grabbing a vase with a dozen flowers or more inside it.

Kel and Sunny watched silently as the man wrapped the flowers in the paper, exchanging a dozen flowers for two dollars. With that, Kel and Sunny left Fix-It, both of them silent, as Sunny followed Kel to the church, holding onto the dozen flowers to his chest. It was a weekday, leaving only the Priest there, which he didn’t mind for them to return to the cemetery area.

Kel still kept quiet as Sunny walked to Mari’s grave. A fresh Lily of the Valley in a pot beside her grave was a sign of Aubrey or Basil, the former most likely. Sunny sat at the end of her grave, holding the flowers tightly to his chest. This was one of the last places he wanted to be here, but it was probably for the best. Given what he did, Sunny felt well that he had to do something like this more often. What was the cost of an hour of his day compared to this?

Silence filled the area for a few minutes, Sunny simply sitting there unsure what to do, and Kel sitting by awkwardly, but a sigh escaped his lips as Kel came up behind Sunny, crouching down.

“Hey, Mari! It seems Sunny here is a bit nervous about what to say, but don’t worry. I’ll be sure he’ll have some stories to tell next time we’re here! I hope you don’t mind us just checking up on you here, and judging by the sun, we can’t be here for very long anyway…” Kel muttered the last part, looking to the sky to see the sun slowly setting, orange basking their skin. “Hope you won’t mind! Is there anything you wanna do or say before we go, Sunny…?”

Sunny gave Kel the briefest of glances before looking back to the grave. He only shook his head, standing up with Kel, a reassuring hand on Sunny’s shoulder, as both boys walked away. They didn’t speak much, other than Kel’s attempt at humor and Sunny’s typical silence in response, though that never discouraged Kel anyway. It stayed like that until they both finally made it to Kel’s house, with the said boy looking back at Sunny, the mask of a smile on his face.

“Did you wanna come in for dinner? I know I asked earlier, but I just want to make sure… If not, I don’t think anyone would mind; I’ll just make you a plate for you to bring home.”

Sunny didn’t say much, but he stepped closer to the door, standing next to Kel with a smile on said boy’s face. “Well, that’s great! I’m sure Hero would love to see you for the few weeks he has left before needing to go back to college. Not to mention my parents, too.”

With that, the two enter, both being hit with the smell of cooking. For Kel, it was the usual dinner with his family, significantly more with Hero’s cooking. For Sunny, it is a rare occurrence, given the state of his family.

“Well! Looks like you’ve finally gotten home, Kel!” The voice of Hero ranges from the kitchen, but the house lacks any other noise from anyone else.

“Yeah, Sunny and I took a little detour before coming here. And where’s Mom and Dad and Sally?” Kel asked from the living room.

“Sunny’s here?!” Hero said, exiting the kitchen, a plate of food in hand. “Ah, I wasn’t expecting it… Well, Mom and Dad went out to do… honestly, I'm not sure; all I know is they got a call and left In a hurry. It doesn’t fill me with any confidence, but I can’t do much. But, hey, it just means we have enough food for all three of us!”

“Really? That’s… worrying. But, hey, more food for us isn’t wrong! Come on, let’s go eat, Sunny,” Kel said, running past Hero and into the kitchen.

Sunny strolled into the kitchen, passing by Hero, a brotherly and worrying look and smile on Hero’s face as he followed close by.

The three boys sat together at the table, Kel shoving food into his mouth as if he wasn’t going to eat all week after this, and Hero simply ate at an average pace. Sunny sat there, looking down at his plate of food, an amazingly appetizing-looking plate of food Hero had made. He had no natural appetite to think of, not now anyway, after what he and Hero had done earlier, but still, he ate some pieces of the food, if only not to have Hero and Kel be worried about him. It tasted good, in all honesty, and the few bites he took of the food were excellent and a bit embarrassing, given he could see Kel’s and Hero’s smiles at seeing him finally eating as far as they were aware.

It felt nice, too; the food managed to distract him at least as he ate, masking the negative thoughts he had just moments earlier; it felt like he was eating with his family again…

It was taken away, though, as the door opened, grabbing their attention as the sound of an older woman and man entered. Kel and Hero didn’t hesitate to stand to see their parents, and Sunny decided to follow if just not to be left alone at the kitchen table. Entering the living room, he could see Kel’s and Hero’s mom putting Sally on the couch, but her eyes seemed to widen in surprise and… something else… but quickly composed herself.

“Ah, Sunny, honey… what are you doing here…?” She asked, nervousness in her voice, but she wasn’t sure.

“Sunny just came here to have some dinner, Mom. And are you and Dad okay…? You both are in a rush…” Kel said, feeling just as suspicious as Sunny did.

“Ah… A-adult stuff… Hero, why don’t you clean the kitchen while your father and I clean ourselves up? Would you bring your sister to her little play area, Kel? You can stay here in the living room, Sunny,” She said, exiting with her Husband into a separate husband and upstairs.

“I… something happened, right? That’s obvious, right?” Kel asked, picking up his little sister from the couch.

“Gotta be… something is going on, though I don’t think they’ll say much of anything… Well, I guess I’ll just prepare their food and clean up. You won’t mind waiting here in the living room, Sunny?” Hero asked, uncertain about either leaving him in the living room or uncertainty in trusting his parents.

Sunny nodded, though he didn’t want people worrying and burdening them when it was necessary. With that, Kel and Hero went, leaving Sunny alone on the living room couch. Their mom watched him most of the time, even as she talked with Kel and Hero,… which made him nervous and scared if he had to be honest.

The fluttering of paper falling from behind got his attention. Looking behind the couch, Sunny saw a piece of paper falling from a shelf near the door. Kel’s and Hero’s parents must have brought it with them home. He picked it up, not wanting to leave anything on the floor or be accused of leaving trash on the ground… Picking it up to see the front of it, he instinctively read the paper.

“Dear Mr. and Mrs. Desoto, this paper is a legal copy of paperwork done at the local Faraway Town Police Force.”

Sunny ignored the top of the paper, seeing it as interesting words… until he could feel his heart skip a beat.

‘This document details the transfer of Guardianship from the Minor’s original Guardian/Parent to that they have legally put in the Child’s Legal Documents. Under the Direction of the Faraway Police Force and the Child Protective Services of the United States of America, ‘Sunny Suzuki’s’ new legal Guardians, under all documentation and by Law, are now ‘Mr. and Mrs. Desoto’, following the ‘death’ of the child’s Guardian/Parent. ‘The cause of Death of the Child’s Parent is believed to be blunt-force trauma to the body as a result of a head-on collision with a Semi-Truck. You, Mr. and Mrs. Deseto were placed under the child’s Guardians in case anything happened to Ms. Suzuki. I wish you the best of luck.” - Head of the Faraway Police Force.’

Sunny didn’t hesitate to run out, not even giving a moment to drop the paper from his hands as he ran out of the street. He could hear Kel’s and Hero’s parents behind him, screaming for him, but he ignored it as he ran. Where did he even want to go? Home? No, he couldn’t, it’s too obvious. Just anywhere to let all the tears out in privacy and away from anyone else, just somewhere for him to bail his eyes out. First, Mari, and now his own Mom… maybe it was just his real punishment…

There was only one place he could think of staying for a little bit, even if Hero and Kel knew it was reasonable for him to be. Still, he ran with tears down his cheeks through the park and the trees to what was his favorite place. A blue picnic blanket and an empty basket lay near a small lake, the statue with no meaning was still there, and the small wooden deck was there to jump into the water. He couldn’t focus, though, as tears made it almost impossible to see, but he walked forward to the water's edge regardless. The paper he had clutched in his hand was thrown to the ground as he approached it, a hand on the small wooden pier as he started to cough from all the crying, hurting even more due to his dry throat.

It made him buckle as he continued coughing, his head pounding and nose clogged. He grabbed water from the small lake, desperately trying to drink the water to clear up his hurting throat, even if it was nasty to drink. Still, his chest felt tight, his eyes were starting to hurt too from the amount of crying he was doing now, and his head felt like it was being smashed in by a thousand hammers each second. He could barely even think as it happened, and he wanted anything to get his mind away from the horrible feeling. His hand held onto the wooden pier, but he grabbed a loose piece and ripped it off, producing a stake-like object to use, just to get the pain away…

He pressed it to his arm as he looked down, slowly pressing it down and pushing the skin down as it tried to fight against the weight being put on it. And Sunny continued; despite the sharp pain, he could feel the strong point slowly finding its way in. But he stopped it and heard noises behind him, and turning around, he could see the slightest bit of pink from the tree line, the last person he expected to see tonight. And Aubrey didn’t take long to see him before she approached.

“Sunny…? What are you doing here at this hour…” She paused as she saw his tearful eyes, his red face, and most importantly, his attempt at self-harm. She didn’t hesitate to rush up to him before he could threaten her to stay back, throwing her bat to the ground and slapping the sharp wooden tool into the water as she grabbed his arms.

Aubrey didn’t say anything as she held Sunny down, wrapping her arms around his to make sure he couldn’t move and wrapping her legs around his waist to keep him from kicking, though he still tried to get out of her grip. Eventually, his tears began to dry, the feeling of wetness dripping onto Aubrey’s arms lessening, proving it. She finally let her grip loosen as she looked over his arms and sighed in relief, seeing no permanent scars. She turned his head to look up at her, just to see the defeated look on his face as his arms loosened, and she finally let him go.

“I… holy shit, Sunny, I-I didn’t think you’d… I-I don’t even see past scars to suggest you would do that…” Aubrey muttered, looking down at him in a way Sunny could only describe as complete horror; she probably wasn’t expecting him to do this to him.

Sunny didn’t talk. He didn’t want to speak; his throat hurt too much, and his head hurt too much from it all. Instead, he pointed to the slightly crumpled paper on the grass nearby, and Aubrey picked it up. It only took a bit for Aubrey to read through it all, her breath stopping at the end before her eyes stared back at him, mortified.

“I… good god, I am so sorry Sunny…” She said, pressing his head to her chest to comfort him.

It stayed like that for several more minutes; Aubrey kept Sunny calm and comforted as they sat there, contented. Eventually, she had to say something; it was the only real thing she could do he would appreciate.

“Let’s… come on, let’s go to my place… I… I’d rather you not be home alone for obvious reasons. My mom won’t even care, so come on,” She said, helping him onto his feet.

His hand instinctively found hers, squeezing tightly, as if he didn’t want her to go away as well, and Aubrey took it, deciding not to let go, as they both walked out of the place of good and bad memories.

Chapter Text

Aubrey practically dragged Sunny from the park onto the street, the street lamps illuminating her way south to her “home.” Sunny just leaned against Aubrey as she carried him, his head hurting too much to really wanna walk. His mind just felt numb to all that’s happened. He could barely process his surroundings; he just wanted to lay down somewhere and sleep. Sunny just wanted the headache he had to go away, and maybe the bad memories too, just for a little while. Sunny didn’t even register when Aubrey managed to bring him inside, much less carry him up the ladder to the attic where her room was. It either meant she was strong enough to do it herself, or his body was frail enough to let her do it.

Aubrey grunted as she lifted Sunny onto the bed, taking deep breaths with her hands on her knees. She looked down at Sunny as he seemed to finally relax. She sighed quietly, watching as Sunny stared at the ceiling with an empty expression.

“I’ll be back in a second. I’ll grab some blankets and stuff and make you a bed,” Aubrey said, turning to leave and giving her pet bunny a pet on the head on the way out.

Sunny took a minute or so to gather his thoughts while Aubrey was gone. He could finally feel the pounding in his head start to die down from it all, but it didn't stop the reality of the situation from crashing back down. His mother was dead, all because of his stupid eye. If maybe he was smarter and didn’t hurt, they would have moved. She would still be alive. He should have been better. He should have been smarter.

Stupid. Stupid! Stupid!

His hands gripped his head as the pounding headache came back. He bit down on one of his hands to suppress the pain coming back from the negative thoughts rolling in his head. If he just said something! If he just fucking said how he was feeling about his thoughts; a minute, just one could have stopped her from dying!

Failure. Failure! FAILURE!

He could taste blood in his mouth as his teeth dug into his hand. The pain, oh, it hurt so much, but the pain was the only way to silence all the thoughts in his head. He didn’t want her to die, he didn’t want anyone else to die! Not Mari. Not his mother…

…He killed her. Just like Mari. He killed her because he was too afraid to say anything, to do anything, and now she’s dead… and it just won’t leave his head. It only stopped when he could feel someone grab his arms, ripping him out of his thoughts as he opened his eyes to see Aubrey above him. There was a look of panic in her eyes as she looked down at him. Words weren’t said between them as Sunny laid his head back down on the pillow, ashamed and scared of what Aubrey might think.

That’s how they both stayed there for what felt like forever. Aubrey hovered over him silently, a look of shock still lingering on her face. She finally seemed to gather herself up enough to move, sitting on the bed next to Sunny. Aubrey looked down at him with worry, seeming entirely lost on what to do. She stayed like that until a knock came to the door, barely audible from where they were in the attic.

She hesitated. Aubrey didn't want to leave Sunny alone with the state he is in. She waited a moment to see if the person at the door would leave, but the knocking just continued more frantically. Giving Sunny one last glance, she quickly jumped from the bed and slid the ladder. She walked past her mother, purposely avoiding looking at her wasting away on the couch. Aubrey yanked the door open, ready to tell off whoever was at the door. All insults died on her lips when she saw none other than Kel at the door.

“K-kel? I… you’re here for Sunny, aren’t you?” Aubrey guessed, an accurate one if the surprise look on his face said anything.

“I-Is he here?! H-he ran out of the house suddenly, a-and I’m supposed to look after him and he just left and I-I-“

Aubrey put a hand on Kel’s chest cutting off his frantic speech. She could even feel his heartbeat, frantic and fast. She let Kel take a second to catch his breath before addressing him again.

“He’s upstairs, I… it’s best he’s not here, not at my house,” Aubrey continued, walking back inside her house letting Kel follow behind her.

They both climb up and into Aubrey’s room, Kel’s face softened upon seeing Sunny on Aubrey’s bed, seemingly asleep now. Kel didn’t waste any time walking up to Sunny. He looked unsure on what to do as he looked down at the smaller boy. Kel even looked sad as he stared down at Sunny. A jarring difference from the bubbly boy Aubrey was used to.

“Aubrey,” Kel said, knocking her out of her thoughts. “I… do you wanna come by my house for the night…? I think it would be best for Sunny if we had more people to keep an eye on him…”

“Yeah, sure. I think that’s best too,” Aubrey answered.

Kel smiled. A tired, but at the very least, genuine smile. He picked Sunny up, the pale boy groaning in protest at the movements. Aubrey helped Kel carry Sunny down the ladder. Aubrey then quickly grabbed all her necessities. She even brought her pet bunny, Bun-Bun with her. She didn’t wanna leave Bub-Bun alone all night with her Mom of all people. Aubrey quickly walked past her mom and opened the front door for Kel and Sunny. Not much was said between them as they silently walked down the street. Today was stressful for everyone so the silence was welcomed.

It didn’t take long to reach Kel’s house. Kel opened the door revealing his worried parents on the phone with the police. Kel’s father was the first to react to the two of them entering the house. He took the still sleeping Sunny off of Kel’s shoulders while his mom stayed on the phone with the police. They watched as Sunny was taken upstairs while Kel’s mom led them into the livingroom. It wasn't long until Kel’s dad returned to join them.

Kel and Aubrey sat on the couch silently. Aubrey holding Bun-Bun and even letting Kel pet them as they listened to Kel’s parents talk between each other. It takes only a little bit till they acknowledge them both, standing in front of Aubrey and Kel.

“Where’s Hero?” Kel asked immediately.

“He’s still in town, he’ll come by soon,” His mother replied, before turning to Aubrey. “And it’s so good to see you again Aubrey. We weren’t expecting you, but we don’t mind that you’re here.”

“Yeah, Kel said that I should come here to help look over Sunny during the night,” Aubrey responded, still petting Bun-Bun, as the Bunny stretched on her lap.

“Ah, thank you, Aubrey. I think it’s best if uh, I set up a place for you and Sunny to sleep in Kel’s and Hero’s room. Do you mind helping, son?” Kel’s father asked, and despite how Kel wanted to stay close to Sunny right now, he trusted his mother and Aubrey to look after him.

Kel and his father left through the doorway to the upstairs, leaving both women together. Kel’s mom sat next on the couch, next to Aubrey as she just aimlessly patted her pet bunny, over and over.

“I… what the fuck do we do…?” Aubrey muttered, looking down to her pet, getting Kel’s mothers attention.

“A-aubrey, what do you mean…?” The older woman asked.

“I just… I stupidly thought everything would improve back at the hospital, but here we fucking are, in this shit show!” Aubrey said, her eyes not watering, but just sheer confusion.”W-what even happens now?! Do we just hope Sunny doesn’t try and harm himself, or kill himself?! W-w-we can’t do anything?!”

“A-aubrey…”

“I-I just don’t know what to do?! What can we do!? I… I just can’t go through this again…”

Silence filled the living room, as the older woman hugged Aubrey, her arms wrapping around her shoulders as she pulled Aubrey’s sobbing eyes on her shoulders. It goes on for a time, Aubrey crying into the older woman’s shoulder, the memories of Mari and…. What happened to her, she was afraid of Sunny dying. She didn’t want to see more death.

It was where Hero found them as he entered the house. Aubrey and his mother though, on the couch. His mother comforting a sobbing Aubrey on her shoulder. Hero moves without hesitation to sit by Aubrey’s side as she finally starts to calm down from her crying. Noticing he was there, his mom stood up and left the room to the two of them for some privacy.

“Aubrey… you found Sunny, didn’t you?” He guessed, no doubt the reason she was here, and confirmed as she slowly nodded.

“H-he… Fuck, Hero… he tried to fucking slit his wrists… I-I dunno what to do… if he’s left alone for a minute, he’ll try to kill himself…! I… I don’t wanna see what happened to Mari happen to him…” She said, her hands shaking as she stared down, the dried tears on her cheeks rejuvenating as new tears began to form.

Hero hesitated at what she said, about Mari, but he didn’t hesitate further to pull her into a hug, her head on his shoulder.

“It’s okay… we can both help him and each other… I… we won’t let what happened before happen again to Sunny, even if we know what happened. I don’t wanna see Sunny gone too…”

Aubrey kept quiet as her tears slid down her cheeks. She sniffled quietly before wiping the tears from her face. The hug lasted a moment longer before she finally pulled away, looking back up at him.

“Let’s… let’s go see him. He’s in your room…”

***

Kel sat beside his bed, a sleeping Sunny on it, snoring soundly as Kel looked down to his feet. His hands were shaking slightly, noticeable to anyone looking. His mind was going wild on what to do, on what he should have done to prevent this. If he had just stayed with Sunny, if his parents just said anything to him, he could have been there to stop Sunny before he ran off. If only he was smarter, if only his parents had said something!

His hands balled up into fists as a headache started to form, pushing him out of his thoughts. He covered his face with his hands, defeated at what to do. He has to do something, he NEEDS to do something, Sunny was one of the only ones he trusted, and Kel needs to help him. Kel is the only one that can help.

His thoughts were stopped as Aubrey and Hero stepped into the room. Aubrey’s eyes were red, clearly showing she had been crying. They didn’t say anything as they sat close by Kel and Sunny. Silence filled the air in the room before Hero broke it.

“Is he okay?” Hero whispered.

“Y-yeah… he’s been sleeping like this for a while… I think Dad went to his room to find some old blankets and pillows before moving to his house to get some of his stuff.” Kel said.

“That’s good. I’ll probably move around some stuff in the room. I’m thinking that… in the middle of the room is probably good,” Hero said, panning his eyes around their bedroom.

“I-Is there anything I can do? I just… wanna do something other than just sit around all day while all of this happens…” Aubrey mutters, intertwining her fingers together.

“There is one thing, Basil needs to know what happened. Regardless of… what happened before, it’s for the best to not keep him in the dark about all of this,” Hero said.

Kel hesitated to agree, given just what happened with Sunny and Basil. But, he does agree a bit, if Basil is left out of everything, it will probably just result in Basil having a breakdown. Kel doesn’t want to see how Basil is gonna react. He really hopes he doesn't regress back to how he was that night.

“I-I can do that… yeah. I just wanna help,” Aubrey muttered.

“That’s good. Thank you, Aubrey,” Hero said, putting a hand on her shoulder, comforting Aubrey.

Kel watched the interaction as he wondered what he should do. He felt useless at this moment, but he had to do something. It was his responsibility after all. He’s Kel, the happy to go-lucky guy anyone can rely on to help! He didn’t mind sacrificing hours of his time to help people. Afterall, it was really all he knew how to do. It’s the one thing he is good at.

Without a second thought, Kel pulled both Aubrey and Hero into the biggest hug he could pull off. It left them confused from how sudden it was, but they hugged back anyway.

“I just… hope this all goes well, ya know?” Kel said. “And I wanna be useful too.”

“You’ve done a lot Kel, it’s okay to let us help you as well. You don’t have to just do this on your own, since I know you’ve been… struggling for a while,” Hero said.

“I know, I just… wanna help as much as I can,” Kel said, his voice almost hitching from the sudden emotions of his brother’s words. “I think it’s good if we start now, I think we’ve been stalling for long enough now.”

The three of them stop the hug, as they start moving, with Aubrey exiting the room heading towards Basil’s house. Kel and Hero helped with moving furniture around. Sunny stayed peacefully asleep. Completely undisturbed by the noises created from the two moving stuff around the room. A deep sleep that left the boy lost in his dreams…

***

Sunny’s body felt weightless as he came through to his senses. He felt the gentle lapping of water against his skin, floating in a cold body of water. Sunny slowly opened his eyes as he stared right into the sky, the sun hitting his eyes. But he didn’t recoil from the sunlight, it wasn’t real, afterall. Sunny looked around. He was surrounded by just water and rocks, or was until he felt himself get gently pushed onto a sandy shore.

Sunny slowly stood up from the sand as he looked over himself. He wasn’t wet even though he should be, but he honestly wasn’t complaining.

Despite waking up in this weird place in his dream, he could instantly recognize where he was.

Headspace.

But it didn’t feel like his normal headspace. It felt… fake. Fake like someone tried to replicate a drawing they haven’t seen in weeks. It wasn’t the headspace he remembers, it felt more like a recreation of it in his dream. It looked like he was at North Coast, a little ways north from where he remembers the playground being. The wooden walkway that was once here looked old now, the wood seemingly rotten and falling apart. Some parts of the walkway seemed to have already drifted away from the current, however that realistically works.

Sunny tore his attention away from the dilapidated walkway. He looked away from the water and towards the rest of the forest. The trees looked half-dead. Their leaves almost all rotten off and their wood too looked soft to the touch. Some trees were already dead, fallen over, and some seemed to have taken others down with them. There were no animals in sight, though Sunny wasn’t sure if there were really any animals living in the northern part of the forest. So with not much else to really do, he walked down the pathway into the forest, avoiding the dead branches and leaves that littered the forest.

Sunny wasn’t sure what to really think of all of this. It was so weird to him, and it felt so off to be here. Why is he here? Even if this isn’t really his headspace, it just felt so weird to him. Still though, he’ll do anything to get out of here, even if it means… stabbing himself all over again. Just imagining how it felt sent shivers down his spine. He hopes to keep it as a last resort and nothing else.

Sunny continued to walk down the path over the dead leaves until he came across the Stump. It was alone, and looked so normal and alive. Ironic, given the fact it was a stump of a tree and looked more alive then the others here in the forest he found himself in. The open spot into Neighbor's Room, however, was gone. The hole was covered up as if it was never there. Sunny wanted to check to see if there was another way in. Maybe another hole back into Neighbor’s Room. Walking around the stump revealed no such thing sadly. In one final attempt, he pushed against the bark where the entrance should be, but he will admit, even in his dream he was too weak to do much of anything against it. Looking to the sides of the stump, the pathways to Otherworld and Pyrefly Forest were blocked off by fallen trees. A coincidence maybe? It was hard to tell.

So with the only one pathway not blocked off, Sunny made his way further south to the playground. The playground looked to be in complete disarray. The toys that littered the sand and grass looked old. Paint peeled off of every structure in the playground revealing rusted metal and cracked plastic. It was completely abandoned and left to rot away with time. Not only that, but that sky also looked different. It was much darker and barren. The bright purple of the sky was now dull and gray. Even the designs painted with the stars were all gone.

A sudden tingly feeling traveled through his body cutting off Sunny’s thoughts. It was like a small shock you would get from touching staticy metal. Then, without his control his hands flew up to his throat. His own hand started to squeeze tightly, his throat feeling as if it was breaking in half. Sunny started to struggle as his airway was forcibly blocked.

He fell to his knees as his face began to turn blue. Desperate tears started to flow from his cheeks as he kicked uselessly against the ground. Even if it was a dream, it all felt so real to him. He was scared, so terrified of what was happening beyond his control.

He started to lose vision, his ears ringing as his hands stayed gripped tightly onto his throat. He desperately just wanted it all to stop.

At the last moment, his hands finally let go of his throat. Sunny let out a sharp gasp of air as tears continued to cascade down his face. He laid there gasping, trying to calm his breathing. Eventually, he did open his eyes but wasn’t greeted by the gloom gray sky from before. He was met with a pitch black sky instead.

Sunny froze as he looked up to it. In the inky depths of the sky he saw something else. His throat hitched as he noticed a white eye staring down at him from its place in the void. It suddenly felt hard to breath, the air too thick to get past his throat. He felt scared, nervous, confused, and just wished he would wake up already, but he never did.

“You did not deserve the forgiveness they bestowed upon you.” A voice, so alien to Sunny, rang out in his head.

It was so loud. He curled up on the floor as he held his hands against his ears, trying to block it out.

“You’re pathetic. Your history would make anyone shake in rage and disgust. You don’t deserve forgiveness, there are so many more out there who were affected even more than you were that day.”

His legs convulsed as he kicked up sand into the air, his head felt like it was about to burst. It felt as if someone was stabbing knives into his ear drums. He wanted it to stop, he just wanted it to go away, he just wanted to wake up!

“Look at me, Sunny.”

The volume of the voice finally lowered, giving Sunny a moment of peace, laying on the ground. He slowly turned his head to the two eyes staring down at him. They stared at each other, only a few seconds, before it spoke once again.

“Just die.”

Hands bursted free from the sand below him, grabbing onto him. He began to panic again, his breath hitched in his throat as two hands gripped onto his face. Other hands gripped onto his arms and legs, pulling him down into the sand. He tried to thrash around, to get away, but the grip they had on him was too great for him to move. The eyes above him continued to stare down at him, as his vision slowly engulfed by tears and sand. He could feel the sand enter his mouth and eventually his throat and lungs. He struggled to breath through the sand, the hands grabbing on to him impossibly harder. He felt his bones strain against the pressure sending waves of pain throughout his body.

It was all too real for him. He just wanted to wake up.

WHY COULDN’T HE JUST WAKE UP?! WHY CAN’T HE SCREAM?! WHY CAN”T HE—

***

Sunny jolted awake suddenly. He could barely breathe as his thoughts ran rampant with the dream he just had.

No, not a dream, a nightmare.

He could feel wet and dry tears on his cheeks. His neck too was sore, and he could still feel the markings of hands on his neck. He must have been choking himself during the nightmare…

He sat up from the bed and looked around the room. It was Kel and Hero’s room, but he isn’t in any of their beds. He’s on his own, directly from his house. They must have grabbed it and put it in the middle of their room all while he was asleep. But, it wasn’t what he was focusing on, his nightmare was just… it’s too much for him right now. He needed something to drink, his throat was dry.

Sunny slowly rose from the bed, his legs still shaking from the memories of the nightmare. He slowly walked out of the room quietly so as to not wake anyone up. Walking into the hallway, he slowed down at the stairs. He took them one step at a time tightly holding onto the railing until he reached the bottom. He took a moment to look around the dark living room, taking it all in… remembering how his own home was once. Sunny shook his head. He can reminisce later, he needs something to drink, and fast. He walked quickly to the kitchen, scrounging around where the cups were.

When he found one, he filled it with tap water from the sink, he just needed something to drink to fix his throat. He guzzled it quickly, the water satisfying the sudden thirst. Now satisfied, Sunny stood at the counter of the sink. He stared down at the glossy metal of it, the little light that shone from the moon bled into the kitchen allowing him to look at his reflection. His eyes were heavy, not just from being tired, but from the sheer amount of crying he must have done while asleep. Under his eyes too were red, with now layers of dried tears on his cheeks.

He looked disheveled, he looked terrible, he looked like shit.

He needed sleep, but he didn’t want to go through that nightmare again. Maybe he’ll just lay down back in bed, pretend to be asleep, if only just to not seem as if he woke up in the middle of the night. So, quietly and slowly, he walked back upstairs to Kel and Hero’s room, both brothers thankfully still asleep. He slowly got back into bed, pulling the covers to his neck to cover the markings as he just laid in bed.

He really wished he could just be alone…

Chapter Text

Aubrey walked down the quiet street. Her path was lit up by the street lights, making the darkness around her feel less oppressing. She planned to keep the promise she made with Hero and Kel, to speak with Basil about what happened with Sunny.

Basil’s relationship with them can be described as shaky at best. They don’t hate him, but it’s…complicated. Still, she didn’t wanna see Basil to lash out again. It was the least they could do to avoid another incident like that night. Aubrey didn’t want to see a childhood friend she grew up with dead six feet under, not again, at least…

Aubrey eventually found her way to Basil’s front door, but she hesitated to move forward to knock. It’s late, he or his caretaker may not even be awake to open the door. Still, better late or never, right?

She took a deep breath, stepping forward. She knocked on the door of Basil’s house, quiet to at least be respectful if they were asleep. A subtle click came from the doorknob as Polly answered the door. The older woman looked haggard for staying up for too long it seemed.

“Aubrey, what are you doing here at this hour?” Polly asked. “I wasn’t expecting you here… at all honestly.”

“Yeah, I know, sorry. I just need to talk with… Basil for a few minutes,” Aubrey said, though given what happened last time Basil and her interacted was not very good.

Polly too seemed to understand this, her face grimacing at Aubrey’s words. “Aubrey… I’m not too sure if leaving you alone to talk with Basil is the smartest thing to do.”

“Please! I… just a few minutes, please. Something happened and It probably wouldn’t be best to leave him in the dark. I… I just want to tell him what happened, please?” Aubrey begged Polly, she even considered crying just to convince Polly how important this is to her, dignity be damned.

Polly looked down to Aubrey, rubbing the space between her eyes with her fingers. She audibly sighed as she stepped away from the door frame.

“Alright, you can come in and talk with him… I’ll go and tell him you’re here, you can come inside and wait for him, if you want.”

Aubrey nodded, entering Basil’s home for the first time ever since that night. The plants and flowers were still lively in the house, sunflowers, tulips, lily of the valleys, cacti, roses; All these plants littered the house. Aubrey stood there in the middle of the living room, nervous, as she heard Polly speak with Basil through his bedroom door. It took a few minutes until Polly reappeared.

“You can talk with him, just, be mindful, Aubrey. I think you understand what he's been through,” Polly said before moving to the kitchen, continuing to cook what looks like dinner.

Aubrey didn’t respond to Polly, only nodding as she moved into the hallway where Basil’s bedroom door was. She walked up to the doorway, pausing as memories flooded back to the night a week ago with Basil and Sunny. It was a gruesome sight, blood all over the floor, a scream that woke her, Hero, and Kel. The sight still haunted her, and that’s saying a lot considering how steadfast she was. She wasn’t some fragile girl. She was tough, but moments like these made her doubt her resolve.

Aubrey clenched her fist together as she knocked on the door. She heard someone move around in the room.

“C-come in…” Basil’s voice echoed through the door.

Aubrey took a short breath as she opened the door, letting herself in. Basil sat on his bed, in his usual attire. He was obviously nervous. He was probably just as uncomfortable as she was about meeting like this.

Basil awkwardly sat there. The ceiling fan made a faint buzzing sound, filling the silence in the room that neither he nor Aubrey knew how to break.

Aubrey sighed, knowing it was up to her to break the tension. “Basil… I’m sure you're wondering why I’m here… I-I came here to tell you something happened to Sunny…”

Basil’s reaction was almost immediate. His eyes widened and his mouth ajar in a panicked worry. He looked ready to spring off the bed, but Aubrey was quick to stop him.

“Listen! I can’t tell you what’s happened if you freak out on me!” Aubrey said. She had her hands firmly on Basil’s shoulders. Aubrey could feel him shaking from his poorly concealed anxiety.

“I-I-I’m sorry… but I just… sorry…” Basil muttered. His shaking seemed to calm down much to her relief.

Aubrey eventually let his shoulders go, letting Basil go as he reached for the desk beside his bed. He took a glass of water that was sitting on it. Aubrey waited as Basil drank the entire glass, seeming to finally gather all his nerves. He moved back to sit on the bed as Aubrey stood in front of him, giving him some time first to make sure he had his composure.

“Are you okay now?” Aubrey asked, as Basil nodded his head. “Alright, Sunny’s… he’s in a bad place now I guess you can say… his mom is gone now and… fuck, sorry, I-I’m not very good with this type of talk… Sunny’s just, he’s in a really shit place now…”

Basil stared at Aubrey as she struggled to speak, giving her time to collect her thoughts. Judging by her look of embarrassment (made more obvious by her red cheeks and her increasing frustration) he decided to interrupt her.

“I-I can guess what’s happened… Can I come by tomorrow and see him…?” Basil asked. There was an immediate look of relief on Aubrey as she nodded in agreement.

“Y-Yeah. He’s at Kel’s place for now, I don’t think Kel or his parents would mind the company in all honesty…” Aubrey said. There was an awkward pause before she continued. “I’ll uhh… go now, I guess, so, see you tomorrow, I guess?”

Basil nodded, a content smile on his face. “Y-yeah… I guess so too…”

They both awkwardly looked around as Aubrey slowly walked out of the room, not looking back.

“A-and Aubrey!” Basil said, standing from the bed. Aubrey turned back to him. “U-uh… thanks for telling me about what’s happened…”

Aubrey paused, nodding slowly as she turned back to the door. “Yeah, see you tomorrow… Basil.”

Aubrey quietly walked out of the bedroom and back into the living room. Lost in thought, she almost ran into Polly on her way out. Aubrey didn’t have time to react before Polly walked forward and gave her a hug. She wanted to melt into her arms, let the mountain of stress fade out of her mind. Aubrey didn’t return the hug, but she stood there until Polly let go. She didn’t really show her appreciation for the moment of comfort, but Polly didn’t seem to mind. Aubrey gave a weak wave goodbye before slowly walking out of the house. She made sure she was out of the house before quickly wiping the tears out of her eyes. She can barely keep it in, but she had to. Crying and searching for comfort is for the fragile and weak, all things that don’t describe her.

But God, she wished she could just get hugged more…

Her thoughts were whipped away from her mind however, as she noticed the lights of a police car coming up behind her. Aubrey took a deep breath as the police car slowly came up beside her. The window of the passenger side slowly rolled down. The rider of the car, a middle aged police officer, showed himself.

“Now, I’m not very confident in my guesses, but Ima guess your eyes are red not from drugs,” the older man said, his thick southern accent a rarity in faraway.

“N-no, just an allergic reaction to some of the uh… trees…” Aubrey said, quickly whipping her face.

The police officer stared at her as he thought to himself. He wasn’t dumb, but nor was he the type to accuse a person of something with no evidence. Instead, he sighed, nodding his head as he took Aubrey’s words as true.

“How about I give you a ride home? I don’t think it would be very good on my conscience to leave a youngin like you out here walking in the middle of the night by yourself. Here, hop in,”

Aubrey hesitated to hop in the car as the older man opened the passenger door. She isn’t dumb, but at the same time, it was a free ride from a police officer.

She slowly sat in the passenger seat of the police car, putting on the seatbelt as the car started to move.

“Now, you mind telling me where your house is, miss?” The older man asked.

“Uh, I’m staying at a friend's house for tonight… ah, shit! U-uh… I forgot to grab a pair of clothes…” Aubrey said.

She was so busy when leaving her house with Kel, she brought only stuff for Bun-Bun, not much for herself. And even the stuff she did grab, it wasn’t a pair of clothes.

“Ha Don’t worry, I get the feeling. You wouldn’t believe how much I forgot stuff at home after my ma’ already dropped me off at my friend’s house for a sleepover when I was your age,” The man said. “Now, where’s your house at?”

Aubrey directed the older man to her house. It really was just a straight line to her disheveled house. She could see the man look at her house, sympathy in his eyes as she got out of the car. Her hand reached inside her jacket to grab her house keys, but hesitated as she noted the door was still open. She sighed, pushing the door open as the pungent smell of trash hit her nose. Her mother was gone, no doubt going to sleep. It's one of the only times she gets up from the couch, so it's no surprise that she left the door unlocked. It’s not as if anyone would wanna rob the place anyway

Aubrey removed the thought as she quickly moved to her room. She grabbed the only clothes she had, another copy of her usual outfit and a pair of pajamas. It’s all she had, but she at least has clothes now. She moved just as fast as she could from her room and out of the house, shutting the door behind her as she sat back into the police car.

“Just uh, take a u-turn back and two lefts,” Aubrey said to the older man, the directions to Kel and Hero’s house.

He grunts in understanding, driving the police car towards her destination. Silence filled the car as he drove to the house, a silence Aubrey appreciated as she took the short time to think to herself.

“Say… uh, I never knew the town had a police force…” Aubrey asked, breaking the silence once more.

“Well, we only opened up a year ago after some complaints of some “gang” popping up here. Technically, I’m from the next town over, but I got moved here for the week because of it all,” The older man said, making Aubrey pause as her eyes widened, before silence filled their ears. If only the man knew the absolute irony of the situation.

It didn’t take long for the older man to stop in front of Kel and Hero’s house. Aubrey exited the car as she looked back at the officier.

“Thanks for the ride… I guess, sir…” Aubrey muttered, holding her clothes in her arms.

“Ah, It’s no problem, little lady. Just know, there are those willing to help when it comes to home life…” The older man hinted as he slowly started driving away.

Aubrey looked on as the car disappeared in the distance. That was an embarrassing and awkward talk, that’s for sure. The comment he made though, he no doubt saw inside her house, as if the outside couldn’t give a clear enough image of what the home life of anyone who lived there was like.

She moved towards the front porch and opened the door to find Kel and Hero’s mom on the couch. The TV on with some sort of Spanish show she couldn’t understand. Her entering the house, though, grabbed the older woman’s attention. She turned around to see Aubrey there, standing off to the side and holding her clothes.

“Ah, Aubrey, you could have told me if you needed some clothes,” The older woman said, noting the clothes Aubrey held in her arms.

“Well, no offense, but I’d rather not bother you for some clothes,” Aubrey said, sitting next to her on the couch.

Aubrey’s eyes turned then to the corner of the living room, seeing Bun-Bun behind an homemade area for her.

“Finally saw the little area I made for your bunny?” Kel’s mom said. “I made it since I didn’t really want it to eat my carpet, but I fitted it out with necessities from some of Hector’s old dog things. Don’t worry, I had a pet rabbit growing up, so I knew what to give her.”

“Oh, well thanks, Mrs. Desoto,” Aubrey thanked the older woman, placing her clothes down on the couch arm as she crouched down, slowly and calmly lifting Bun-Bun up before sitting back on the couch.

Aubrey wasn’t even sure why she sat next to the older woman. Just something about her pushed Aubrey to be close. She couldn’t find a reason why she would want to sit close to her. With her family life pretty much all in ruins, interacting with Kel and Hero’s mom is the closest she has in years with any motherly figure. It was sad, she knows, and maybe it wouldn’t be all too bad to maybe… talk with her? She peered down to Bun-Bun as her pet laid on her lap, rubbing the spot underneath the chin as the rabbit stretched its legs, a comforting sight to her as she gathered courage to break the silence in the living.

“Can we talk…?” Aubrey’s words tore the older woman’s attention to her soap opera. She quickly lowered the volume of the TV.

“Of course, is there anything specific you wanted to say?” She asked, turning her body over so she could more easily face Aubrey.

Aubrey meanwhile, took time to find her words, still scratching Bun-Bun’s chin. “I just… wanted to talk in general, since technically it’s been almost four years since…”

“Since our last real talk, huh?” She finished Aubrey’s words, stopping her mind filling in the memories of Mari. “I remember you Kids always coming by our house, then Sunny and Mari’s, then I’d watch as you kids ran off to the town center to see what games and comics you could get with the spare change you found. Sometimes, I still imagine hearing you all outside.”

Aubrey smiled at her words, reminiscing at the memories, a good distraction from literally everything recently. Her memories from the past about what she and her friends did. It was good, and she missed it.

“Yeah, sometimes I wish I could go back to the past… But, hey, I have some friends now that help me through it all,” Aubrey said.

“Friends? Well, I know you and Kel aren’t necessarily that close, or least I wouldn’t imagine,” The older woman giggled, watching the slightest of red appear on Aubrey’s cheeks. “Who are these new friends of yours?”

“Oh, well, you know… people I met after the falling out I had with… everyone,” Aubrey said.

“I meant specifics, Aubrey. I wanna get to know more about how you are, talk a little more positivity given everything that’s happened to us. You especially,” She said, itching more towards Aubrey on the couch, trying to provide comfort.

Aubrey shifted slightly, going back through her memories as she sat there next to the woman. “Well… I met my closest friend, Kim, maybe three years back. I think I met her after school when… I wasn’t allowed back. We hung out every so often during then, but then, she kinda introduced me to what can be said is my current life…”

Aubrey gathered her words some more. Kel’s mom let her take a moment, waiting patiently before Aubrey continued.

”Then after, I just… told her all I could about my life. S-she helped, so much… She even helped me pick out my current clothes,” Aubrey said, pulling on the hem of her jacket. “Even if some of them might be a little annoying sometimes… well, someone specifically. They helped me so much though, and I love them for that… Kim introduced me to her Brother, Angel, Charlene, and the… Maverick!” She finished, a playful tone to the last name, making the older grin a little.

“They sound like amazing friends, Aubrey. Have you spoken to them recently?” The older woman asked, but a frown covered her face as Aubrey hesitated, looking away as she hid her embarrassment. “Aubrey…”

”I-I just… everything that’s happened has just distracted me so much a-and I don’t wanna distract and worry them even more,” Aubrey responded.

“Aubrey, you are already worrying them. Have you tried to talk with them this last week at all?” The older woman asked.

”A little… t-they tried to talk, but I said I just wanted time alone and… I just didn’t know how to respond…”

The older woman placed a hand on Aubrey’s shoulder, comforting the teenager as she relished on her actions. She held onto Bun-Bun as the older woman pushed Aubrey into a hug, providing the girl some comfort from her mind.

“You need to talk with them. I know you’re worried, scared even for Sunny and want to help to care for him, but it doesn’t have to come at the cost of your social life or mental health, okay?” The older woman asked, feeling a nod come from Aubrey. “It doesn't have to be immediately, first thing in the morning, you can take some time for yourself, but you have to talk to them. If not all, at least Kim so she can spread the word.”

Aubrey nodded again as the older woman let go of the hug, turning the TV off as she walked to the stairs out of sight. Aubrey sat there, hugging Bun-Bun as the bunny sniffed her face, smelling the tears that slowly came down her face. It takes a moment, but Aubrey whipped the drying tears on her face, looking down to Bun-Bun. She slowly stands up and places Bun-Bun in the pen area Kel’s mom made for her. She walked away to the stairs, grabbing her clothes on the way. Silence filled the hallway as she walked up the stairs.

She stopped as she looked to the doorway to Kel and Hero’s room, but she shook her head, turning to the bathroom for a shower. She stepped in, taking in all of the decor inside it, as she looked at herself in the mirror. She stared at herself for the first time in a while, the mirror she had back home being too dirty and broken to see the greater detail of her face. She looked like shit, it’s the only explanation she has for her overall looks, hidden behind her alluring pink hair. She took off her blue eared headband before forcing one eye open, pinching at the surface of her eye and removing the blue eye contact she had on. She quickly did it to her other eye, placing both contacts in a container she pulled out from her jacket.

She stared back at herself, seeing her natural eye color for the first time in weeks, and she stood there staring at herself, just taking in the image. This would be the first time in a few days she’ll have a proper bath. The one back home doesn’t… work, you could say, leaving Aubrey most days to make do with cleaning wipes for a makeshift bath. She would usually head to Kim’s place, or really anyone else’s for a shower or bath to just keep clean, however, circumstances recently had just distracted her from her selfcare. Not today, though, she deserved this bath. She could smell the results of only partial baths every week, and even though she covered the smell as best she could, she smelled just like she looks; like shit.

She stared at the hair products Kel’s mom used. Surely she wouldn’t mind Aubrey using them a little. Though, the products were ones that would wash out Aubrey’s pink hair dye. The hair color is something she would rather keep, so, hair washing will probably be pushed to tomorrow or the day after, depending if she took Kel’s mom’s advice and went to talk with Kim in the morning. She shrugged off the thought for now. It was a worry that could wait for tomorrow.

She turned the hot water for the bath on and waited for the tub to fill. Aubrey slowly undressed, feeling the dampness of the clothes she wore for pretty much days come off. She discarded her jacket on the floor before throwing the rest of her clothing too, stretching now that her body was free. She double checked to make sure the door was locked, nodding, before stopping the water flowing into the tub.

She groaned as she laid in the hot water, her hair over the edge to keep it dry. She relaxed as she stretched in the tub, sighing and closing her eyes as she related and felt the water on her skin. Time passed fast in her mind as she washed herself in the tub, but once done, she stood from the tub. Water splattered on the floor as she grabbed a towel, drying herself off greatly as she smelled the “Cacti and Roses” shampoo Kel apparently used. Aubrey didn’t think he would mind if she used it anyways.

Once dry, she gathered her tossed clothes, putting them next to the clothes basket in the corner, before grabbing the pajamas from the pair of clothes she had. It was a gift from Kim a while back, and while Aubrey admits it’s… something, but she’ll wear what she can get nonetheless. Putting it on, she looked in the mirror as she stared down at the long skirt pajamas with an image of Mr. Plantegg on the shirt. It was meant as a joke from Kim due to her childhood obsession with the plush.

With that now done, Aubrey took all she brought with her from the bathroom. Carrying her contact case, headband, and her second pair of clothes back downstairs to the living room. She could barely see on the account of there being no light, but as little as there were, she could see a blanket and pillow laid across the couch. Aubrey didn’t waste any time to lay down on it, snuggling underneath the blanket as she stared at the ceiling. It was almost entirely quiet besides the humming of the fridge.

For the first time in a while, Aubrey slept soundly that night.

Chapter Text

Aubrey woke up halfway from falling off the couch, the pillow she used on the floor, and the blanket pushed all the way off her towards her feet. When she opened her eyes, she almost freaked out having not immediately recognized where she was. She took some time to collect herself as she slowly stood up and immediately took in the smell that woke her up. The delicious smell of freshly cooked food was coming from the kitchen. She slowly stood up as she placed her pillow back on the couch before heading to the kitchen.

She peered inside to see Hero standing there, cooking. It had been four years since she last seen him cook, but that was with Mari back then. And from what she knew now, he had taken off cooking for a while after. She silently watched as he cooked. He still looked as professional as he did back then, if not even more so.

“You know, I kinda wished you went to college for cooking rather than to go be a doctor,” Aubrey made herself known, walking into the kitchen and leaning on the counter. “It would be kinda funny seeing you dressed in those tall chef hats.”

Hero grinned at Aubrey’s comment, though he kept his eyes on cooking, but he gave some focus in talking. “Well, I dunno if being a chef helps people too much other than free meals. Plus, after what happened, my heart just wasn’t in it anymore.”

“But you’re back at it now, despite… you know,” Aubrey said, her hand taking a piece of bacon off a plate next to her, before it was quickly slapped by a hot metal spatula by Hero.

“Ouh, sorry. Kel does it so often it’s kinda become something I do on instinct.” He apologized sheepishly, though it didn’t much fix Aubrey’s stinging hand.

Not much was said after that, well, until Kel appeared.

“Gooooodd morning people!” Kel said, though not shouting, he’d much rather not wake his parents and baby sister. “How is everyone on this fine morning?”

“You’re a morning person as always, Kel…” Aubrey muttered, watching as Kel swiped bacon from the plate, faster than what Hero can react.

Aubrey watched that scene, as the door knocked, rapidly. She reacted quickly, standing from the chair, reassuring Hero and Kel she could answer. She moved quickly to fix her hair a little before opening the door, but the person she saw at the door was someone she wasn’t expecting.

”Kim?!” Aubrey nearly shouted, but kept her voice down as she leaned in closer. “What are you doing here? Hell, how did you even know I was here?”

“I didn’t… I spent like, maybe half an hour searching the town looking for you… I just gave up though and just came to ask that guy Kel…” Kim panted, adjusting her hair from the sweat forming on her forehead. “What are you doing here then? Are you and Kel like…”

Aubrey didn’t hesitate to slap her hand against Kim’s face from what Aubrey knew she would say. “N-no! Just… I’ll tell you later what’s happened…”

Kim gave a thumbs up, unable to speak-or speak well-with Aubrey’s hand over her mouth. Aubrey eventually let it go, with Kim giving an understanding nod to Aubrey's sentence.

”Okay, what is it that you needed from me? I know I… disappeared for a week by now, and I am sorry, but I hope nothing’s happened that seriously needs me to step in to help,” Aubrey asked.

“Well… It’s all been, It’s just…” Kim hesitated, rubbing her arm and twitching as she looked around. “C-can I tell you in private? I just, uh… I need a place to explain it all without eavesdropping.”

Aubrey nodded slowly, understanding Kim’s words, leaving Kim at the front door as she went to go change. She grabbed her second pair of her casual clothes as she went to change in the bathroom. She took time to fix her hair, before placing her blue bunny ear headband on. She gave Kel and Hero a quick excuse for leaving, hearing both boys give Aubrey a quick goodbye, though not quick enough before she left.

Aubrey and Kim gave a short nod, as the two began to walk down the sidewalk to Faraway Park. The two don’t say much between them, mainly due to them not having much to talk about currently until they reach the park. They walk and walk, until they finally make it to the surprisingly empty park, perfect for Kim of what she wanted to say.

”Okay… so, something’s happened…” Kim eventually muttered, sitting on a swing, with Aubrey sitting on the opposite side next to Kim. “And we need some help…”

”Help? What happened, Kim? Did Angel mess up and do something?” Aubrey asked, almost jokingly, until Kim looked at her, the serious face she had snapped Aubrey out of it.

“I… we need your help to… keep a person quiet…” Kim muttered, surprising Aubrey as she muttered her words.

”W-what the hell? What happened, Kim? I was only gone for not even two weeks?!” Aubrey asked, standing from the swing to get in front of Kim.

”I-It’s just… this guy Angel knew, and he fucked up! Angel talked about our… gang… and now he’s threatening to snitch to the police about us! I mean we haven’t done much to warrant anything serious, but like, getting attention on us would still get us in trouble!”

Aubrey, breathed, then sighed as she used both hands and covered her face in frustration, astonishment, and just anything else she could think of that could portray the sheer fuckfest in her mind.

She shook her head though, to get her thoughts together as she looked back at Kim. “Let’s talk about what to do later, and if not tomorrow. I’ll see what I can do, okay?”

Kim sighed, tapping her foot on the welcoming mat at the front door, scratching at her arms with obvious nervousness. “Okay… we’ll meet at the park as soon as you can, okay?”

Aubrey gave a quick nod at Kim’s words, as the two girls parted ways, with Kim walking away back to the sidewalk, and Aubrey closing the door. Aubrey could feel the stress already pulling at her hair, or it was more her own hands pulling at her hair with what she’ll have to do later. It seems that she’ll never be able to relax if the last given days have said anything. It’s almost as if the world was saying that she could never have some time to relax. She wanted to help, though, but she wasn’t sure turning Kim away like that was best to really show that she did wanna help.

“Hey, Aubrey, who was that at the door?” Kel’s voice interrupted Aubrey’s thoughts, the guy she called a doofus poking his head around the doorway, absentmindedly eating a piece of sausage in his hand.

She stared at him, and he stared back, the silence between them only stopped with Kel slowly bringing the sausage back to his mouth, biting, chewing, then swallowing.

“You’re just doing that on purpose now,” Aubrey said.

“Maybe. But I’m not the one pulling on my own hair,” Kel said, and Aubrey just as quickly let go of her own hair from her hands. “Though, who was out there?”

“It was just Kim checking up on me. She got worried because I kinda… disappeared from her and the others after the hospital,” Aubrey said, not telling the whole truth, but taking the time to sit on the couch. “I guess I just got so worried for Sunny I didn’t bother telling them where I was.”

Kel took in her words, finishing the last bite of his sausage as he sat beside her to give a sense of comfort. “I mean, can anyone blame you? I know I don’t really seem all too serious, but, just think about it. Basil… stabbed Sunny after a psychotic breakdown, anyone would want some time to themselves. Don’t blame yourself for just being human and wanting to relax, no?”

Aubrey took in Kel’s words for a moment, and while she should have said anything to Kim and the gang, she needed time and space to even first understand what had happened. She was only human, afterall, and no good person could blame another for recoiling from the traumatic experience she had gone through. But, she looked at Kel, a little… surprised by the words that came out of his mouth. Aubrey didn’t think he was actually dumb, a little dense at times, sure, though that sentiment was mainly from when they were younger. As far as she knew, the real Kel could be some genius he doesn’t wanna show because that would mean more responsibility.

“You’re surprisingly really… helpful, with words, Kel,” Aubrey said, lightly punching his arm.

“Hey, I may act like an airhead, but that’s only when I think it would be funny! I know when to be an airhead to lighten the mood, and I know when to be serious when the situation calls for it. And, sometimes, I guess you can just say it’s a way to distract myself from the bad stuff,” Kel responded, rolling back his own fist into Aubrey’s arm, but stopped upon seeing her glare at him, almost daring him to do so. “B-but, yeah, I can be useful when it comes to advice, thank you very much!”

“Yeah, anyone can definitely tell,” Aubrey jokes, staring at him. “But, you know, have I been a good… friend?”

Kel kept quiet for a moment, thinking of Aubrey's words, but he didn’t take long. “I mean, you’ve been good friends with Kim and your gang, and even despite what had been happening with me, you, and Sunny, I still think you’re okay.”

“Really? Do you really? I was an ass to you and Sunny, I thought you guys abandoned me after Mari… I just didn’t think straight and I lashed out like a complete asshole…”

“It just has to do with what you thought was true. We were twelve, Aubrey, could anyone blame you from the trauma you went through? No one wanted to talk to anyone because we were all just so… scared, confused. You just acted out the way you thought that would be best.”

“But does that justify what I did? I threatened you and Sunny, and…” Aubrey hesitated to speak any longer, not that she couldn’t bring herself to speak anymore, it’s more as she just ran out of words to speak her mind.

“You messed up, and yeah, sure it’s arguable how much you did, but it doesn’t really matter right now, does it? You’re here helping Hero, me, and Sunny, any amount helps, even sleeping here at the house just in case we needed help.”

Aubrey hesitated to speak, intertwining her fingers together, before speaking. “You know, I like serious Kel more than idiot Kel. And, of course, thanks for the talk too, I needed that.”

Kel smiled back at Aubrey, but now it left the two in the living room in silence, with only Hero in the kitchen left who can be heard finishing up his cooking. She appreciated the talk, and in all honesty it was some of the most help she’s realistically gotten for the last couple years, not that her current group of friends weren’t helpful, just… Kim and the others don’t really like talking about those topics. But, her mind lingered on some of Kel’s earlier comments, of him mainly pretending to be an airhead.

”I… you know, I’m also willing to listen and help if you also want to talk?” Aubrey offered Kel, looking at him.

Kel froze slightly at Aubrey’s offer, staring in front of him without responding. He seemed to be lost in thought from Aubrey’s words, with a deer in the headlight sorta look on his face. She stared back worriedly as she waited for a response. Eventually, Kel seemed to snap back to reality, his face showing no emotion as he stared at the doorway to the kitchen before staring back at Aubrey.

“Another time, maybe?”

Aubrey gave a gentle nod, and Kel just as quickly walked away, walking back to the kitchen. She watched as he walked away, and her eyes fell to her hands, intertwining with each other again. She’ll be better, she promised she would be.

————-

Sunny could first feel the cold hitting his body as he slowly woke up, courtesy of a ceiling fan above him hitting him, and a blanket that was on his being thrown to the floor. He stared up for a while though, gathering his thoughts from the nightmare from the night. He stood up quickly, however, he wanted to forget it, or push it back to another date, he just wanted to relax. He noticed a pile of clothes by his bed, leaning off of one of Hero’s trophies with a note nearby that looked to be from Hero. It was a simple shirt and shorts, probably some of Kel’s or Hero’s old clothes since he didn’t recognize it as his own clothes. He changed into nonetheless, and placed the clothes he wore through the night on his bed before exiting Kel’s and Hero’s bedroom.

He didn’t see anyone when he exited the room, but he could hear heavy snoring from one room, no doubt Kel’s and Hero’s dad snoring. How anyone can sleep with that snoring, he doesn’t know. He stared at the stairs leading down, but only stared for a few seconds as he went down it step by step, holding onto the railing as he eventually made it all the way down. He turned then and went to the bathroom.

He entered and stared back at himself through the mirror. He could see the light was back in his eyes, dimmed from the recent day’s happenings, but it was there. There was at least some hope. He looked more at himself. He’ll admit, during the time of his isolation, Sunny tried his best to take care of himself during his deep depression, but maybe now would be a good time to actually get his hygiene in check.

He grabbed an overly colorful toothbrush beside the sink with his name written on it with a sharpie, and from Hero of all people as a sticky note claims nearby. He absentmindedly starts brushing his teeth as Sunny stares at himself. He didn’t have much to really think to himself to pass the time. There wasn’t much he wanted to really think of and focus on today, other than to wonder what’s to happen today. After brushing his teeth, he splashed water on his face. With the uncertainty of what’s to come today, he left the bathroom and headed to the kitchen.

Before he can even reach the kitchen however, he spotted Aubrey, or she did him as she stared blankly at the wall in front of her in thought before he showed up.

“Oh sh- h-hey Sunny! Uhh, how was your sleep? Sleeping here on the couch was surprisingly more comfortable than my bed at home. Uhh, kinda sad honestly,” Aubrey said, her attempt of humor failed, though it was mainly for herself.

Sunny just gave a nod to Aubrey as he sat down next to Aubrey on the couch, unknowingly taking the spot Kel had just a moment ago. Aubrey and him didn’t talk, but Sunny just watched Aubrey’s bunny, Bun-Bun, do her own thing in the makeshift enclosure Kel’s mom made for her. He watched as Bun-Bun just ate. It was strangely entertaining for Sunny to watch the pet just eat, going along its daily life as if nothing had changed.

“Did you have any dreams last night?”

Aubrey’s sudden question made him hesitate for a bit, before turning his head around to look at Aubrey, and he simply gave her a simple nod. They didn’t have much to talk about with each other, and maybe to prevent the awkwardness of trying to force a conversation was best to stay that way. At least till Kel appeared from the kitchen.

“Yo! Good morning Sunny!” Kel exclaimed, a plate of bacon in his hands, no doubt meant for Kel, but quickly became Sunny’s upon seeing him. “You doing alright?”

Sunny gave a simple nod to Kel like he did Aubrey, as he mindedly chewed and ate some bacon as Kel talked.—

”You know, since we’re all here, I was thinking of having fun! Like, you know, maybe more than just walking around town. Kinda realized there wasn’t much to do around here…” Kel said, his legs kicked up on the coffee table in front of the couch.

”I mean, other than the park and going to Hobbeez or something,” Aubrey said, responding to Kel’s words. “But, we could fix… the tree house?”

“I mean, maybe? The tree house has a lot of history, but, uh, do you know how to even start to fix it?” Kel said.

”Uhh… Other than getting Hero to do it all over again, no… But, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try, it might be fun to just try, no?” Aubrey said, and Kel nodded away to it as he thought of it.

“Okay, not a bad idea! Might have to make a new route to the tree though, could probably just hop my fence over to Sunny’s… old home. It shouldn’t be so bad though! We can go get some supplies later at Fix-It to start out!”

”I’m sorry Kel, but you’ll likely have to change your plan a bit,” Kel’s mom said, dressed nicely and carrying Sally in one arm. “I’m bringing Sunny out of town to a… therapist I was suggested to.”

Sunny froze at her words. He didn’t wanna go, he didn’t wanna be alone with a stranger he was supposed to just talk everything to them. He didn’t wanna be alone too, he wanted to be around people he trusted, even if the relationship with everyone he considered his friends was shaky. Aubrey and Kel`s face were just as conflicted looking at each other before snapping Sunny out of his frozen trance, and Kel looked at him, understanding a little.

“Could I come? Since, well, don’t leave the town all too much,” Kel said, no doubt trying to provide some comfort to Sunny for having a familiar face nearby.

“I’m sorry, Kel, I’ll need you to look after Sally for me while I’m out,” The older woman said, handing Kel his baby sister, and cutting him off when Kel opened his mouth. “And no, Hero can’t do it, I need him to do some errands for me, and no! You can’t dump your sister on Aubrey’s lap. No offense Aubrey.”

Kel looked away like a caught child, as he laid more into the couch with Sally trying to climb on his chest. Aubrey just gave a thumbs up to Kel’s mom.

Sunny though, continued to stare in front of him, he wasn’t afraid… or he liked to tell himself. No, he was scared, he didn’t wanna go, he didn’t wanna go. He just wasn’t sure how to explain it, he knew it was good, but he wanted to stay here. He didn’t wanna leave the comfort of the house, he just wanted to be comforted. He just… he wasn’t even sure what he wanted anymore.

His thoughts were only ever stopped when he felt something land in his arms, and looking down, seeing Aubrey’s pet Bun-Bun in his arms. And looking up, the deliverer of it was Aubrey, and everyone else in the room stared at her in confusion as she stared back.

“What? You want someone’s attention, put an animal on them,” Aubrey said like it was an obvious thing, as she sat back down.

Sunny stared down at Bun-Bun as it moved in his lap, and his mind was briefly taken away as he started petting it. It honestly did take his mind off of things for a moment, it even reminded him of Mewo, wherever that went by now. He remembered seeing a cat like Mewo one day a while ago when going down the street. He wishes he could see her again.

“Alright, It’s a near hour drive and back to the office which is the next town over, so we have to leave soon, Sunny,” Kel’s mom said, the woman rushing around the living room grabbing amenities and stuffing them into her purse.

Sunny stayed in his seat on the couch as he mindlessly pet the bunny. He had to go, he knew, but he didn’t wanna go. God he just wanted to stay here, he didn’t wanna talk to anyone, let alone a therapist. He felt a hand touch his shoulder, and looking over he saw Kel with a sympathetic smile on his face, and Aubrey beside him looking at Sunny with the same expression. They wanted to help, they all only wanted to help him, and maybe he could just bear with it for the day if it would make them all feel better. He’ll do it just to make them not worry.

He slowly stood from the couch as Kel’s mom waited by the door as he handed Bun-Bun back to Aubrey. He could feel the numerous eyes on his as he controlled his breathing and walked to the front door where Kel’s mom waited. He felt her hand touch his head, her eyes mimicking her sympathetic face.

Was it him, or did so much of their faces look so fake?

Chapter Text

“Now, what would you say would be one of the biggest events in your life.”

Sunny’s foot tapping froze on the therapist’s words, his involuntary nervous fidgeting stopping. His new therapist sat across from him as he sat on a couch filled with plush pillows. She looked like a nice woman, and she was. The room they were in was big, too, and colorful. Books along the walls were placed for their color rather than what they entailed, and the decorations and toys scattered around, paired with everything else, made his head hurt with the amount of clutter there. He figured the room was for minors rather than any specific age group, so he’d have to deal with it.

He still hesitated to respond to his therapist, though, after wasting as much time as he could not to respond. Yet, his breath hitched as he wasn’t sure how to react, and his fingers shook from the sheer nervousness of his silence.

"I understand this subject is sensitive for you, and I was told you generally don't speak very much. So, how about we do this? I have some note cards in my hands that I was hoping you could use to talk with me. You can write full sentences or some small words on cards and use them to respond to me.”

She handed him some note cards in one hand and a pen in another, and she waited as he wrote on some of them. He’ll keep it simple for now, writing simple yes and no’s. With that, he set the pencil at his side and waited for his therapist.

“Now, I understand that you miss your sister very much, no?” She asked, no doubt having read some information on him beforehand, to which he held out the “Yes” note card.

She gave him a reassuring nod, giving him a few seconds just in case before continuing. “Then, going back to earlier, would you say that it was one of the events that changed your life?”

”The biggest,” Sunny wrote on a note card, showing it to her.

“Hmm, I assume it affected you greatly and negatively,” the therapist said softly, observing Sunny’s reaction. She paused for a moment, giving him time to process and respond.

He slowly nodded his head, not bothering to use the notecards to a simple head nod response.

“Did you have any support after your sister’s passing?” She asked, her genuine concern for him showing as she sat forward.

Sunny hesitated to respond, the four years of isolation coming back into him like a flood as he wrote out his response. “Mom tried, but not after Dad left. Isolated myself from my friends.”

The therapist read Sunny’s note, her expression softening even further. “It must have been incredibly difficult to lose your father as well, and to feel so alone.”

Sunny nodded, his eyes downcast.

“Isolating yourself might have felt like the only way to cope at the time,” the therapist continued. “But it sounds like it might have also added to your pain. Can you tell me about your friends? And, even if you’re nervous, let’s start slow, and why not speak a little when you want?”

Sunny gave a small nod, adjusting his seat on the plush couch. “Four… four friends, we’re friends again, I think…”

“Friends again? Did you reconnect with them after you isolated yourself?” she asked him, smiling as Sunny nodded. “That’s amazing, Sunny. How about you tell me about your friends now?”

”Kel, Aubrey, Hero, and… B-basil…” Sunny spoke their names to ease his nervousness into talking. “We were friends when I was younger… uh, Kel and Hero are brothers, uh, Basil and Aubrey are the other friends… After what happened four years ago…”

Sunny hesitated to speak more on what exactly happened back then, something the therapist understood. Sunny eventually got the courage to continue speaking.

“B-but, we’re all friends now again…”

The therapist nodded at Sunny’s words, writing down things further on her notepad. “That sounds amazing. How would you say your relationship with your friends is now?”

Sunny opened his mouth, hesitating about what he wanted to say. He thought about it, something he never really thought about till he was told to think it. Kel is probably the easiest he could answer, the outgoing bubbly boy even after everything, kept an optimistic attitude, and even him… Sunny doubted Kel’s attitude, but it’s not like Sunny could force the issue now, and not if Kel didn’t want it.

Hero was similar if he could be honest, he knew Hero got hurt a lot when Mari died, everyone did. Hero though, from what Kel told him, was hurt even more than the others from that. But, he also knows Hero has healed, or, it looks to be that way from the outside at the very least. Just like Kel, though, Hero seems okay with him, at least, he by god hoped Hero was.

Aubrey… maybe. She’s changed so much in just a few weeks. He hoped that he and her were still friends, she seemed awkward around him, but it’s more in the sense of her not knowing what to do around him due to recent events, than anything else. He hoped he and she would stay as friends too, either for the sake of simplicity, or maybe it was the last parks of childhood affection he still had for Aubrey after all these years. Maybe he should think more about it later…

And, Basil. The most complicated of the group. Basil… he knows Basil didn’t mean to do what he did, but he also knows that it doesn’t change much of anything in the end, does it? Basil said he did everything for him, and Sunny didn’t know if it was some sort of fascination with himself, or maybe it was something more, it was something he really didn’t wanna think about. But, Sunny wanted to stay as friends with Basil, if it was still even possible, wishful thinking on his end.

He eventually looked up from his thinking position as he looked at the therapist, as she sat there as he took the time to think to himself.

”I-It’s… okay…”

The therapist's slight smile waivered for only a second, she could tell he wanted to say more, he was thinking more. But, she knew not to prod, not this early in their weekly meetings to leave it as is. It'll be something she and him will work on later.

“I understand, Sunny. Now, I’m sorry to say our session is coming to the end, but if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to ask for one more thing from you before we end things here,” She said, her hands reaching underneath a cushion next to her, a book about sign language.

“I noticed you didn’t like talking all too much, and while the cards were in use in some cases, I noticed too they didn’t really seem useful. Too much of a hassle to carry them around, or write something in the heat of a moment. So, I want you to have this,” She said, handing him the book.

Sunny looked at the bright red book, multiple hands showcasing different letters of the alphabet in sign language form. He never did enjoy talking, though the reasoning for it is something he really can’t explain himself. To, him, talking sometimes just felt like a chore he had to do. It was like that for a long time actually. Now that he thought about it, he remembered once Mari tried to actually learn sign language for him so he didn’t have to talk that much. It really didn’t work in the end though since Mari didn’t consider the fact that Sunny himself didn’t know sign language at the time…

It brought back memories, good ones thankfully, and Sunny gave a faint smile as he continued to remember it, at least until the timer of a nearby clock went off, taking his attention away from it.

”Ah, I’m sorry, Sunny, it seems we’re officially done for our first session. An eventful one, if I have to be honest,” His therapist said, as she stood from the couch, waiting for Sunny to follow her to the door.

Sunny stammered quickly as he stood up to follow her, hugging the new sign language book to his chest.

”I’d be happy to see you here next week, Sunny. I think you can seriously heal.”

*****

Everyone sat quietly at the table, unsure of what to do from the new development. Aubrey was sat with an unsure look on her face as she held her head up with her hands, and elbows on the table for support. Kel sat opposite of her meanwhile, poking at fake fruit from the bowl in the middle of the table, poking holes in the plastic apple with his other hand’s fingernail. Hero though… Well, Hero was Hero, keeping a hopeful look on his face, even if he felt nervous immensely inside his body, as he set up the kitchen for lunch upon Sunny’s return. And on the end of the table… Basil sat there, fiddling with his fingers.

When Basil had arrived initially, Aubrey swore she could see tears swelling up in his eyes when she told him that Sunny had left ten minutes prior to his arrival. It was only because of Hero’s suggestion of Basil staying for lunch when Sunny came back that he stayed. And this is where everyone is now, Aubrey awkwardly sitting at the table, Kel for once unsure what to do, Hero doing… Hero stuff, and Basil sitting nervously.

But, the silence and awkwardness of it all finally hit Kel, as he throws the plastic apple back in its bowl, only resulting in it jumping out, before slowly rolling off the table, and on the ground.

”Ugh… okay, I need to say something, this awkwardness and nervousness is killing me, guys,” Kel eventually says, standing from his chair at the table.

“O-oh… uh, what do you uh, wanna do then, Kel…?” Basil asked hesitantly, at least wanting to be included in something, wanting to seem useful in his own eyes.

”I uh… I honestly am not sure… But, I want something more than silence` while we wait for Hero’s cooking! No offense bro.”

”No problemo.”

Kel nodded from Hero’s response, looking at Aubrey and Basil, the two looking at him to continue.

”I just… I want to do something! Sitting here, acting all sad like… I just want us all to… be happy!”

No one responded, Aubrey and Basil looking between each other as Kel rubbed his arms, suddenly embarrassed to be in the center of such attention. It stayed like this for only a few seconds, before Kel finally decided to speak again.

”I uh, I’ma go look through me and Hero’s room, see what we have to help pass the time. I’ll be right back…”

Kel left the kitchen without a sound, leaving Aubrey and Basil alone at the kitchen table. The sounds from Hero’s cooking in the opposite room filled the air, but Aubrey’s foot tapping filled the room with more noise. She needs to say something if only to fill the silence, maybe asking Basil the first thing that comes to her mind may be good…

”Do you like Sunny?”

Aubrey’s comment, meant only for Basil as he was the only other in the room, left him confused. He did respond quickly, his hands shaking slightly.

“W-what?! Do I like Sunny?!”

”Yeah, like… you know, like how girls like guys and stuff. I’m just asking if you’re g-“

“I know what you mean!” Basil said, his hands still shaking. “I-I mean, w-why just ask!? Just like that?”

”I was just… curious. I mean… with what happened with you, Sunny, and… Back four years ago, why did you help him like that?”

Basil hesitated to respond, his hands no longer shaking, but his right leg taping furiously against the floor, his eyes wide at the sheer nervousness he felt. His chest felt like a drum with his heart hitting against it, as his mind whirled in trying to find a response to Aubrey. But, he eventually sighed, and spoke.

”I don’t remember…”

”You… don’t remember!? How do you n-“

”Because I fucking don’t! Sometimes, things happen so fast, you just… act! Okay! I acted because I thought I could help Sunny! Or, something! Okay?! Is that enough to fill your mind?! Or do I have to say something that’s like, ‘I’m gay! I like men! I like Sunny! I wanted to see a body hanging!’ IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME!?”

Aubrey’s eyes were open wide as sweat poured down her forehead at Basil’s outburst. Hero too poked his head from the doorway to the kitchen, concerned from the shouting, not wanting to get involved, and potentially make it worse. Basil, sat there on the table, his hands shaking as he balled them up in fists, his eyes watering as tears spilled onto the table. His face was red, and Aubrey could hear his ragged breath, and his nose filled with mucus as he did his best to keep it in.

”Is that what you wanted from me… To justify bullying me… and wish that I was dead…”

Aubrey hesitated to respond, lifting up a hand to reach for Basil. But, in a second, Basil jumped out of his chair, knocking it down as he ran to the front door. Aubrey heard the ugly tears he cried as he ran out.

No one bothered to stop him.

Aubrey’s hands shook as she looked down at them, before she too stood from her chair.

“I… I think I need to leave,” Aubrey said to Hero, peering at him. “I… I’ve just made everything worse.:

Aubrey didn’t wait for a response from Hero, nor from the passing Kel, entering the kitchen with old games in his hands as Aubrey ran to the front door, just like Basil. Kel looked to the door as Aubrey threw it shut, before looking at his brother, defeated, as Hero shook his head.

What an unfortunate scene Sunny will come back to.

*****

Aubrey sat at the park bench in Faraway Park, fiddling with her thumbs as she contemplated the last twenty minutes or so. She fucked up, she fucked up so much for asking Basil that question, for making him go into an outburst like that. At the very least now, she’s by her lonesome, to contemplate by herself, and, wait for Kim like she promised she would. At the very least she could be helpful to someone today. And it didn’t take long for Kim to come, initially walking down the pathway from her place to the park, but running into a jog upon seeing Aubrey on the park bench.

Aubrey quickly rubbed at her eyes to make the tears that were soon coming go away, and started to pretend to rub at her eyes to explain their redness. Only when Kim got in arm's distance, did Aubrey stand up, prepping for the hug Kim gave her. Aubrey gave the hug back, wrapping her arms around Kim’s neck, her feelings of Basil’s outburst from earlier dissipating for a moment as she smiled.

“Ah, Aubrey, it’s good to see you! We need to talk,” Kim said, letting go of the hug, before staring at Aubrey’s face. “And you seriously need to stop rubbing your eyes like that, you make tears come out and it ruins your makeup!”

“Huh? I uh, yeah, I just had one of those… hurts so bad it feels good moments,” Aubrey exclaimed, flushing as she watched and felt Kim’s hand touch the makeup on her face.

”Yeah, you know I actually enjoy doing that a lot with bruises I get, but, never mind that, sit, I’ll talk to you about our… situation while I redo your makeup,” Kim said, pushing Aubrey back on the bench as she pulled out a makeup kit from her jacket.

“O-okay… so, I know you mentioned something about Angel, right?” Aubrey asked, as Kim rubbed a cloth against her face to rid of the currently ruined makeup.

“Huh? Right! Angel. Okay, so you know the neighboring town to the east, right?”

”That town they’re expanding Faraway to connect to them for?” Aubrey guessed.

“Yeah, that’s the one. They apparently have a… big gang problem, that’s why they have so much police there. Doesn’t help that because of us too and the scooter gang they sent some police here too…”

”I know, I got a ride to Kel’s house from one on my way home last night,” Aubrey said, making Kim freeze and stare at Aubrey, before she continued. “I was okay, he just drove me home and waited for me to get my stuff.”

“Ugh, I know, just makes me nervous whenever I see them, think they’re gonna tackle me and arrest me suddenly…”

Aubrey chuckled at Kim’s comments as she felt the girl work on Aubrey’s makeup. Silence filled between the two as Kim did her work, before finally finishing as Kim put away her makeup kit. With that, Kim turned Aubrey’s face around with her fingers, and satisfied with her work, nodded.

”Alright, just saying, you gotta learn to do your own Makeup eventually. And for my sake, don’t mess it up like that by crying next time.”

Aubrey froze a little at Kim’s words, revelation of her knowing she cried made Aubrey hesitate to even make a noise. But, Kim thankfully filled the silence that appeared again.

”I don’t think you can really force tears out by rubbing your eyes, and since there isn’t any water on your jacket… Well, if you didn’t correct me when I talked to you about it initially. I know it’s not really my place to bother you to tell me, but, I can listen or help out, ya know?”

Aubrey nodded quickly, taking the moment to sit down on the bench, with Kim sitting down next to her, sprawling on the bench and laying her legs on Aubrey’s lap.

”I… I fucked up, but… It’s not something I really wanna talk about really right now,” Aubrey said, looking at Kim as the girl nodded her head.

“Well, let’s just try our best to not think about it right now, yeah? Let’s just sit here, then let’s talk about the issue later?” Kim suggested, wanting to help Aubrey with her distress.

Aubrey nodded, resting at the bench, knowing that only worrying more on her thoughts wouldn’t help anyone right now. She needs to act, she needs to do something, but with Basil’s outburst at her after the question… she doubted she could help anyone at all anymore.

***

Basil ran down the sidewalk back to his house, tears falling down, nearly tripping down every step he took. His heart pumped against his chest as he pushed his legs to its limit, only slowing down to a walk once he made the corner to his house. He only made it to the steps before he nearly passed out from the constant running. He took in deep breaths, holding a hand on his chest as his heart continued to pump, until finally, it started to slow down. Once he started to calm down, however, he started to cry even more than before, the memory of what happened only a few minutes before flooding back into his head. Anger is what he mainly felt, and he slowly stood back up, grabbing the nearest thing he could find nearby.

He grabbed an empty floor pot nearby, before throwing it at his feet, the debris shattering across asphalt. He could feel some stinging pain in his legs, both from the running he was in only moments ago, and now parts of the shattered flower pot cutting at his legs. He stood there, continuing to cry as he bent over, tears falling down his cheeks, before he heard the door opening. He watched as Polly walked up to him, no words said between them as she pulled Basil into a hug, and he leaned into it. He let her pull him towards her as she walked back, and he followed. His cries were only muffled by Polly’s dress.

For Polly, she’ll be damned before she’ll watch Basil become like this again.