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Chapter Text

A paper; folded neatly in half. It was sealed with a small star sticker from years ago- never used. It rotted in the dresser's drawer for days- but finally that Sunday- October 6th- Mari grabbed the paper from under the clothes. She gazed at it softly, eyes fogging up. Clutching it, she walked downstairs to meet her brother in the piano room. Mari heard his violin- some scratchy notes from lazily moving the bow, it lightly grazing the string.

"Sunny," Mari called as she gripped the doorframe, "you need to go shower and get ready, the recital is in a few hours."

Sunny didn't respond, he just stared at Mari in acknowledgment and set the violin in the case with the bow, taking off the shoulder rest and loosening the bow. He walked up the stairs and into the bathroom, presumably to get ready.

Mari smiled, and walked into the kitchen. She grabbed the mug, half empty with cold tea from earlier, and set it on the note to hold it down. Grabbing a pen, Mari wrote on it, "I'm sorry" in place of an address.

Taking a deep breath and steeling her nerves, she stepped outside. The autumn breeze was crisp and chilly, the leaves of the trees swaying gently. Looking around, Mari saw an old jumprope by their treehouse. She hauled out the toy box and wrapped the jumprope around the limb of the tree.

And soon enough, she joined the branches- swaying in the breeze.

Chapter Text

"Mari?" Sunny called, his footsteps echoing down the hall, "I'm ready if you want to practice more..."

There was no response.

Sunny looked in every room; upstairs, downstairs, even the closet. And there was no sign of Mari.

"Mari... Where are you?" Sunny held back tears, "Are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong?"

He opened the door to their backyard.

There, swaying in the wind, was the hanged corpse of Sunny's sister.

Sunny's eyes widened, but he convinced himself this is all a dream- some sick prank. Surely Mari is just... visiting Hero or something.

Sunny ran down the street, next door to Kel and Hero's house, knocking on the door between gasps for air.

Kel opened the door. "Sunny? Are you.. good...?"

Tears started falling from Sunny's eyes.

"Is Hero home?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?" Kel answered, "Sunny is something wrong?"

"No-I'm fine- I just have to get Mari, she's hanging out with Hero again," Sunny rushed the words out before going upstairs.

As Sunny opened the door, he began, "Mari? I've been looking for you..." And he opened the door to see Hero sitting on his bed, reading a book.

"Sunny? What are you doing here, I thought you would be practicing for the recital with Mari..." Hero asked, Kel walking up from behind Sunny.

"I think something's wrong with Sunny," Kel interjected, "He's been super like... panicky or whatever it's called- like crying and stuff."

"M- Mari..." Sunny stuttered quietly, "the tree..."

Kel suggested, "Maybe we should take Sunny home, like tell Mari about this stuff so she can take care of him."

Hero kneeled down to be at the same height as Sunny and put his hand on his shoulder. "Sunny," he asked gently, "where's Mari? What happened?"

All Sunny could manage was, "T- tree..."

Kel glanced over to Hero, concerned for his friend. They walked Sunny home and got him settled on the couch with a blanket so he could calm down.

"Anyways," Hero asked, "What's wrong? We're really worried for you..."

Chapter Text

Sunny glanced up at his friends.

"Outside... the tree..." he muttered, pointing out the sliding door.

Curious, Kel walked over to the glass and stepped outside, only to come back inside, eyes wide, grabbing Hero's shoulder.

"Call 911," he whispered loudly.

"Why..." Hero asked, walking over to the landline.

"Mari... she needs an ambulance. Now," Kel whispered.

In spite of not understanding everything, Sunny knew his sister...

No. She's fine, just... going shopping.

Mari's alive.

Mari's alive..

Mari's alive...

From then, it was a blur- sirens wailing, people rushing and swarming around the house- then it all faded. Silence again.

Except this time, it was true silence. Stillness.

But Sunny couldn't accept that he was alone- Mari had always been there for him when there was nobody else. She can't be gone.

He just repeated one thing in his head the whole night-

Mari's alive.

Mari's alive..

Mari's alive...

Mari can't die.

She can't leave me.

It's okay.

It's all going to be okay.

Right?

Chapter Text

In the silence, Sunny walked over to the kitchen. He was planning to get a snack, something to do to take his mind off the anxiety- nagging at him from the back of his mind.

As he grabbed an apple from the basket of fruit on the counter, he saw a paper under a mug of still, cold tea, that had something (most likely a gnat or other small bug) floating in it. In neat cursive, the words "I'm sorry", were written.

Sunny pushed the mug over, causing some to spatter on the marble. He shakily grabbed the paper and turned it over. He carefully removed the purple star sealing it from the bottom paper, and unfolded the paper.

Sunny,

What happened might be shocking. You might be confused. But there's one thing I have to tell you- it's not your fault. It'll be ok, you'll find a way to live without me, like how we found a way to live without mom and dad. The world moves on, it always has, and it still turns without me.

It just feels like there's nothing left for me- doing the same thing to never be good enough... They say I'm such a role model, but I can never live up to their standards. They say things like- "You're so responsible for your age," "You are a star student," but all the pressure from labels like that... I had my whole life ahead of me, right? I had a good life, too. A happy friend group, perfect grades, a boyfriend, a duet with my little brother... But it seems it didn't occur to our parents that I was too young to raise a child at 14 before they left. Nobody can help me- all others see is a happy, normal family, since our parents show for every important event. I would have to take care of you, Sunny, sacrifice college and a good career- it was too much.

Please, let go. Forgive me for this. I'm so sorry, and I understand if you can't. There's nothing for me- but live your life, Sunny. You're free now.

Let anyone in the friend group take my things as they please, and for my last wish...

Tell everyone I love them. Tell it to Aubrey, Hero, Kel, Basil, and remember-

You all were the world to me.

Signed, Mari.

Chapter Text

The note- the heart after the signature- the little lines above the "i"'s from a rushed dot-

The reality hit Sunny like a tsunami.

Denying it again, he walked upstairs to his bedroom, a tear streaming down his red face.

Walking to Mari's bed, he stacked pillows to make it look like she was asleep. He got under the blankets, and pretended he was in Mari's embrace.

Whenever he had a nightmare, or was cold, or couldn't sleep, Mari would always be there to care for him. Whenever he struggled in a class, whenever people at school were mean, whenever he didn't quite understand his emotions... Mari was always there for him.

That can't be gone-

She can't be gone-

"It'll be okay, Sunny," Mari assured, "I'm always going to be here for you."

"Promise?" Sunny asked, looking up at his sister with big, teary eyes.

"I promise. Always and forever."

Sunny clung on to those words- he was a small child back then- scared and alone. But Mari always made the bad seem better, a rainy day have a bit more sunshine. Sunny repeated her words in his mind- over and over and over again- a small bit of reassurance.

"She can't be gone," Sunny thought, "she promised me..."

Eventually sleep overtook him and he fled into his dreams- a world where nothing changed, dust collecting slowly on Mari's books, the clothes they were meant to wear to the recital on the floor, the room silent.

Chapter Text

Sunny awoke to the sound of knocking at the door. He walked downstairs and opened the door to see Kel and Hero standing with suitcases. Hero's was bland- a solid grayish-blue, and Kel's was a bright orange basketball pattern over a rainbow tie-dye background.

I wouldn't be caught dead with that, Sunny thought.

"We're gonna be staying here for a few weeks while this..." Hero hesitated, forcing a smile, "To help you adjust while everything gets sorted out."

Sunny nodded and walked over, sitting on the couch as the other two got adjusted, bringing their luggage upstairs. Kel was staying in the same room as Sunny, meanwhile Hero stayed in Sunny's mother's room.

This would normally be a fun surprise- staying with his friend for a week- but the circumstances... left a bleak tinge on everything.

I need to make her proud of me, Sunny thought, I need to be good enough and maybe she'll come back for me... Just like what she said about mom and dad a few years ago...

Sunny walked upstairs to see Kel and Hero sitting together on Mari's bed.

Sunny muttered, "I love you..."

"What?" Kel asked, visibly confused.

"She wanted me to tell you..." he whispered, head down, hand outstretched with the note, crinkled from his grip, "And Aubrey, and Basil..."

Hero reached out to grab the paper. He looked at it misty-eyed before taking a sharp breath and unfolding it. Hero read the paper for far too long to be normal- most likely multiple times over. Kel would peer over his shoulder, but Hero turned away so he couldn't see.

He stood up, still grasping the note, walking over to his room. He murmured, "Why?" As he stood. Sunny heard the lock of the other door click shut.

Kel looked over at Sunny, a concerned look on his face.

"Do you think Hero's alright?" He asked, "I've never seen him act like this before..."

Sunny looked down.

Something was wrong-

But he couldn't tell Kel, he was always the ray of sunshine, whenever someone was feeling down he always knew how to cheer them up...

If Kel was sad, there's no way out.

And there has. To be. A way. Out.

"Can I play on your gameboy, Sunny?" Kel asked, obviously trying to change the subject. Sunny nodded and pulled out the gameboy from under his pillow, where he hid it so he could play once Mari fell asleep when he wasn't tired. Kel grinned and snatched it right out of the other boy's hands.

"I think I'm gonna get some sleep," Sunny muttered, pulling the blankets of his bed over his head. It was odd, seeing the silhouette after Kel tucked into Mari's bed- all sprawled out on his stomach, arms resting on the pillow playing the gameboy. It was in stark contrast to Mari, always neatly tucked in, curled up around a pillow she hugged and rested her head on, as if it was another person.

It really made everything feel more distant- as if Mari was a fleeting memory, slowly eroding to time

But as Sunny was lulled to sleep by the Harvest Moon soundtrack, he vowed to himself:

I will never let her go. I will never forget Mari.

Chapter Text

Two days had passed since Hero locked himself in his room, and he only left the room in the middle of the night, to go to the bathroom and have a snack.

Kel decided to check on him, knocking on the door before opening it seconds after. He saw Hero in the dark, the screen of his flip phone being the only light source, illuminating his face, rosy from crying. The note was on the floor next to the bed, opened with tear stains warping the text.

Kel walked over to him, then stood behind to see what he was doing. The phone screen stood still on a chain of texts to Mari- all unanswered. "Good morning darling's", "How are you doing's", and "Good night love's"... Sent and unopened.

Kel tapped his brother on the shoulder. "Hero," he asked, "Are you okay? Me and Sunny need you..." Hero snapped close the flip phone.

"You think you know what's going on, don't you," Hero said in a monotone voice, deeper than his usual tone, "You have no fucking clue... You can never leave anyone alone, Kel! How will you ever learn to just. Shut. The. Fuck. Up?"

"Hero... this isn't like you..." Kel nervously muttered.

"Isn't like me?" He laughed. "You know what's isn't like me? Having to deal with my girlfriend fucking killing herself- the Mari I know- knew would never do that... Just leave, Kel. There's no point for you to be here." He repressed his frustration with the calm facade again.

"Hero... don't leave us..." Kel whispered, his volume decreasing every word, "like Mari..."

"You're such a nuisance, Kel! Do you never learn when to stop?" Hero yelled this time. Kel had never seen him act like this before.

Kel turned away and ran to the other room, tears streaming down his face. He ran up to Sunny and hugged him for comfort. Sunny was confused for a moment, but smiled at him and reciprocated.

Sunny followed Kel downstairs while he made himself a sandwich with the stale bread from the last week. As Kel put the top slice of bread on the (likely expired) toppings, the two heard footsteps descending the stairs. Hero ran over to Kel.

"God, I'm so sorry..." he said through tears, "You're not a nuisance... I just- This is really hard for me..." Kel tried to back away from the hug.

"If you really wanna apologize," Kel began in a sing song voice, "take us to the pizza place for dinner..." He smiled and batted his eyelashes.

"Fine," Hero reluctantly agreed, "The money could've been spent on the funeral, but I guess you deserve a better apology..."

"Yesssss-" Kel muttered.

"Anyways..." Hero said, "I need to make some calls." He walked back upstairs to the phone in his room.

Chapter Text

The car came to a stop in the parking lot of the small strip mall. Sunny opened his door and stepped out. He was alone in the backseat, being the shortest of the three.

"Hurry up," Kel whined, "The food's gonna get cold!"

"We haven't even ordered yet," Hero laughed. Kel ran inside and immediately pulled out a chair at a table, four chairs. Sunny followed, and lastly Hero entered and took their seats. The fourth chair sat slightly off-center. Sunny silently stared at it while zoning out.

"I'm gonna go order," Hero said, standing up and pushing his chair in, "Kel already told me his order in the car, so what do you want, Sunny?"

"Not... hungry..." Sunny groaned.

"Uh... okay, I'll just grab you a pizza slice for later."

Sunny mindlessly listened to chatter from Kel, but eventually he picked up on the other's disinterest and stopped talking, causing an awkward silence.

When Hero came back with the food, he tried to make small talk to break up the silence, but to no avail.

"I remember a few years ago all of us would come here," Kel started saying, attempting to break the ice, "Like us, then Aubrey, Basil, and Mari, we would always go to the treehouse after and you and Mari," Kel gestured to Hero, "would make cookies, then we would all hang out."

Sunny looked down to the floor, kicking a pebble tracked in between his feet.

Hero's smile faded, and he focused on eating- presumably stuck in his own thoughts. Kel looked between the two.

"Sorry," he mumbled, "Didn't mean to bring up a... touchy topic.

"It's fine..." Hero responded idly, "We should check on Aubrey and Basil."

The group continued to eat in silence, minus Sunny, who was fidgeting with his hands.

"Maybe we should head home," Hero suggested, "It's late enough, maybe we can find something good on tv."

"Y- yeah," Kel agreed, standing up and closing the box of his mini-pizza. Sunny was the first out the door, standing against the car door while the other two exited.

The dark roads were illuminated by the yellow-tinted car lights. The low-quality radio played Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" during the quiet drive. Sunny leaned against his window, watching trees pass by through the dirty window. Before the song was even over, the car was parked in the driveway, and the group walked inside.

Chapter Text

A day had passed, and it had now been 5 days since Mari...

"You agreed to meet Basil to buy clothes for the funeral later, right?" Hero asked, "Do you need a ride?"

"Nah," Kel answered, "It's not that far from here."

Sunny pushed around the cold macaroni on his plate before pushing it to the side and getting up. "I should go get dressed," he said, "Basil should be meeting us here soon." He slipped on an oversized t-shirt, jeans, and old tennis shoes. Walking out the door, he lifted his shirt.

You're not good enough.

You'll never be good enough.

You need to be perfect.

Mari would hate you.

Sunny pushed the door open and continued down the stairs, trying to push down the nagging thoughts. He saw Basil standing by Kel, chatting.

"Oh, h- hey Sunny," Basil greeted, "You ready?" Sunny nodded.

As the group left, Hero reminded, "Be back by dinner!" For some reason the word made Sunny feel sick.

"We should say hi to Aubrey since we're out," Kel suggested while the group walked on the sidewalk towards Othermart, which sold some (albeit low quality) clothes.

"That would be nice," Basil agreed, "We haven't all hung out since... Uhm..." He trailed off.

The three searched the clothing aisle to help Basil find clothes for the funeral, only to decide on a black button down and slacks.

"Good enough," Kel said, "You could've taken my suggestion though..."

"I don't think a t-shirt with Orange Joe on it is appropriate for a funeral, Kel," Basil added.

"Wear it ironically," Kel groaned, "It would be funny."

"Pretty sure funerals aren't meant to be funny," Sunny mumbled.

"See? Sunny agrees with me," Basil smugly beamed. Kel rolled his eyes.

Basil walked out the store accompanied by his friends, holding a bag, almost spherical from the clothes.

They went up to Aubrey's door and rang the doorbell. For a solid 3 minutes, there was no response.

After, Aubrey opened the door. Her long brown hair was in a tangly low ponytail, eyes red and puffy from crying. Sunny had never seen her in such a careless state.

"Aubrey, are you..." Kel thought of his words for a second (another first Sunny had seen), "good?"

Aubrey stared everyone up and down individually.

"Just get out," she held back tears, her voice a higher pitch than usual. The door slammed.

"I've never seen her like that..." Basil mused.

"I mean, she's a girl... Girls are weird," Kel affirmed.

"I don't think it has anything to do with the fact she's a girl..." Sunny added.

"Of course you're saying that, Sunny," Basil teased. Kel looked confused. That was a familiar sight, for once.

"So, um..." Kel started, "Wanna come over to my place and like, play Monopoly or something?"

"Why not," Basil answered.

The group continued on, and returned to Sunny's house around 6 pm for dinner. Basil ate the pasta rather quickly, then walked home. Kel, finishing early as well, offered to accompany Basil.

"You have to help me wash dishes," Hero called, "You haven't done any cleaning all week, not even at home." Kel rolled his eyes and walked over to the counter, leaning against the wall.

Sunny pushed around the cold, untouched food idly until he got up and walked to his room.

"Bring the plate over here," Hero demanded. Kel slid over and scraped the almost full plate into the trash. He handed it to Hero and ran upstairs to avoid the chore.

Hero called up the hallway, "Fine, then you're cleaning the bathroom tomorrow!"

Chapter Text

Sunny buttoned up a black sweater vest over a black long sleeve button up shirt and some black pants. Those were supposed to be some of the recital clothes but...

The car ride to the church a few blocks away was silent. Hero muted the radio after the sound registered, and all that could be heard was the sound of the tires against the road and the wind from out of Kel's open car window.

The car beeped as it stopped on the side of the road and the keys were popped out. The doors clicked open as the group stepped out and walked, face down, into the church. They sat in the second row of pews, on the right side. Others there included Aubrey, Kel and Hero's parents, Basil, his grandmother, and his caretaker, and that was it. The church was primarily empty and every move made an echo through the high-ceilinged building.

Sunny glanced around the groups of people- only to see... His parents weren't there. They couldn't even make it to their own daughter's funeral...

The pastor walked up to the pulpit.

"Today, we are gathered here to mourn a life taken from us too soon- that of Mari Suzuki." Sunny tried to pay attention, but was trying to adjust his scratchy collar and its tag, then finger brushing through his slightly tangly hair. The rest tuned out. Sunny wasn't particularly religious, so the pastor's speech and psalms read after meant almost nothing to him.

"And with that, it's time to let the guests share their stories in remembrance." The pastor stepped down, standing by the door outside to the graveyard.

Hero walked up to the platform. He didn't grab the microphone, but spoke loudly enough to be heard the 3 taken rows of pews back.

He cleared his throat, the noise echoing.

Taking a deep breath, he began to speak.

"Mari... She meant the world to me- Shit- she was my everything... And I try to not be sad because, well... Mari was always so considerate and kind, she tried her best to make everyone happy. She wouldn't want this to be sad or somber- she would prefer a tray of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, and all her friends gathered around, playing some stupid card game together. She always had a smile on her face, and put others first even in her darkest moments. There's so much I was never able to do with her- and while it stings..." He started to audibly cry, blushing, "There's nowhere to move but forward. While I don't think I can ever truly let her go, she would want us to continue. So I ask on behalf of my late love- live where she couldn't. Experience your life to the fullest, because you never know what could happen next. I hope everyone here can heal with strength and dignity, and learn to love and care as strongly as Mari did. Thank you." Hero gave an awkward bow, drying his tears and retaking his seat at the end of the pew, next to Kel.

Kel put his hand on Hero's shoulder. "You did great up there," he whispered.

Tears started silently falling down to the floor, as Hero was slouched over. "You can't imagine how hard it was to pretend I'm fine-" he took a sharp breath, "I'm not fine. And honestly I don't think I ever will be. How can I live without her- is it even living anymore and not just... surviving?" He started uncontrollably sobbing, as others went up and shared anecdotes and other words of comfort. Then a moment of silence, then a cheesy song about moving on played from a damaged boombox. Then, the viewing.

The mourners got in a line, the casket open. Kel went first. He stared and moved on quickly, creeped out by the fact he was in front of a dead body.

Aubrey was next in line. She teared up, pulling her favorite pink bow out of her pocket. She muttered, "I hope you like it, Mari," and clipped it to a strand of her hair before moving on and standing by Kel.

Then Sunny approached the corpse. She looked so peaceful, like she was sleeping. He hoped she was having a pleasant dream. He looked blankly- his face being a mask to hide his guilt. He stared for a few more moments before walking with the others.

Basil walked up, and placed a smaller photo album in the casket. It was a bunch of pictures that barely turned out, the wrong level of exposure, blurry, anything. He hoped she, if spirits even existed, could look through the photos and remember a happier time.

Finally, Hero walked up to the casket. He looked down, a blank face hiding the tears. He gently caressed Mari's cold, dead cheek, his hand eventually resting on her hand. He placed the red rose he carried the whole service into her palm closing it around the thorny stem. He looked down with a bittersweet smile, eventually walking to join the others.

The adults left condolences, looked at the corpse- soon the group moved outside for the burial.

It was silent, minus the sound of dirt being dug up with an old, rusty shovel. Despite the cold wind, the sun still beat down upon everyone after a few minutes. Eventually, the closed wooden casket was lowered into the ground before a simple gravestone.

"Our dearest Mari-" it read, "The sun shined brighter when you were here."

When Sunny stopped zoning out again, the dirt was being packed onto the hole. Then, sod was planted on top. And finally, the funeral had ended. A few bouquets were left, and the small graveyard was empty except for Hero, Kel, and Sunny.

Hero stared at the newly dug grave for a few moments, a tear silently rolling down his cheek, then placed a small, wrapped box, a paper sticking out a corner. After, the graveyard was completely vacant once more.

Chapter Text

-1 week ago-

Hero walked into the jeweler's, carrying a small bag full of around $250. He looked through everything- rings with all gems, from diamonds to emeralds, bracelets, some with odd-looking charms, and finally the necklaces, chains in rose gold, silver, brass, and gold, with all assortments of pendants.

Hero thought back to the earrings Mari almost always wore- small, pale gold heart shaped studs. His hand lightly grazed the necklaces, until he found the perfect one...

It was pale gold as well, with a fine spiral chain. It had a small pendant, in the shape of a heart. The shape was woven together in a way similar to the infinity symbol, except repeated and in a smaller scale. There was a diamond, finely cut and reflecting the light in an elegant and colorful way, in the center of the heart, with some smaller diamonds lining the gold outline.

He picked up one from the shelves on the bottom, in a subtly pentagon-shaped box in a dark gray. He brought it up to the counter.

"That'll be about 215 dollars," the shopkeeper grunted. Hero, somewhat reluctant to speak considering the annoyed look from the cashier, pulled out the money from the duffel bag, and slid it across the counter. The cashier took it, placed it in the register, and handed the necklace to Hero.

"Thank you, sir," Hero replied, walking away. He got into his car, placing the necklace in a cupholder to keep it secure over the 30 minute drive back to Faraway Town.

Hero went through his glove compartment, where he kept his cassette tapes. Hero grabbed "Like a Virgin" by Madonna and turned it on through his car's cassette player.

The next evening was Mari's recital with Sunny, and after Hero wanted to drive Mari out to the countryside to stargaze. There was supposed to be a shooting star or two, and Mari was talking about wanting to see one. He had been saving up for months to afford a necklace for her- for no other reason than to be another way to tell her, "I love you."

When he got home, about 8 pm, he ran up to his room and tore a paper out of his notebook for school. Taking a pen from his desk, he started writing a note to go with the necklace.

Dearest Mari,

This seems out of pocket, I know, but I wanted to show you how much I care. You mean the world to me, I have no clue how I could ever live without you.

Remember when we were kids, we would meet every Saturday and watch Disney movies on your old vhs player? Those movies would always say things like "Dreams can come true," and "Everybody finds their true love." Looking back now, those cheesy messages were right-

You, my love, are the dreams- everything I could ever hope for and more.

When we see the shooting stars tonight like you always wanted to see, know- I'll be wishing for you. Wishing to be by your side, forever and always.

I hope this token of my affection can show you even a fraction of my adoration.

Yours forever, Hero

He folded it up into quarters, then carefully wrapped the box and lid of a smaller, square box. It wasn't quite tall enough, so when he tried to tie a ribbon around to seal the necklace and the note, the paper's corners stuck out. He shrugged it off, and set it gently right next to his bed, excited for the next day.

Chapter Text

Sunny woke up early the next morning, maybe 5 or 6. Not wanting to go back to bed, he walked downstairs. He paced around idly, nothing particular in mind to do. He laid on the couch and turned on the tv. Nothing good was on, so he clicked on the early-morning infomercials, laying in a way that took up almost the whole couch, Sunny being slightly too short to cover the whole thing.

As the advertiser droned on in the background, Sunny sat staring at the ceiling, boredom slowly creeping in. It felt like eyes were on him, as if the backyard through the screen door to the side of the room was staring at him. When he tried to stop thinking about whatever was outside, he slowly started to think about food- everything about it.

He had been starving for about 2 full days by then, and whenever the thoughts weren't pushed down, they resurfaced. He tried to daydream, think about anything to push it down. His body was desperate.

Sunny had never not eaten for a day, even when him and Mari were low on food and money, she would always find a way to get 3 meals, sometimes smaller than normal though, to Sunny, sometimes not eating herself.

But without her, it felt like the world was falling apart. And the worst part was- the world kept moving on. Sunny was stuck in the past it felt, clinging onto something in the ground, while everything was business as usual.

School was tomorrow, the three almost wouldn't pass with any more absences, and everything would be the exact same.

But without her.

Sunny walked to his bedroom, grabbing an old hoodie with a faded sky blue pattern and siting in front of the computer, spinning in the chair while playing on his gameboy which he grabbed from beside Kel on the bed. Turns out, there's always time to play Pokémon even after a funeral.

About an hour or so later, Hero quietly opened the door, trying not to wake anyone. Upon seeing the boy on the chair, he said, "Good morning, Sunny." His voice was shaky and cracked, some parts louder than intended. His face was blushing and slightly puffy, dried tears on his face, and some new tears, shining in the dim light from the open gameboy. He tried to force a small smile.

Hero walked over to the dresser and pulled out an old purple hoodie. He walked out the room and turned the doorknob as he closed the door, so it would be as quiet as possible. Sunny just kept playing Harvest Moon as if nothing had happened.

In another hour or so, Kel woke up and ran down the hall. "Wake up!" he yelled, "Breakfast isn't gonna make itself!"

Hero walked downstairs, a stark contrast to the energetic Kel. He was wearing the purple hoodie, it looked almost laughably small on him. He remembered Mari wearing it while the group spent time at the park, Sunny was falling asleep in her lap while overhearing a conversation.

"Your hoodie's super soft, Mari," Hero said, taking the excuse to touch her hand, partially covered by the sleeve.

"I know..." Mari agreed, "I think it's a cute color, too." She looked up at Hero. "It would look cuter on you though..."

"Mari..." Hero blushed slightly, easily flustered.

"I'm no liar," Mari commented, finger-brushing her hair back. "Maybe when I can drive in a year or so, I can give this hoodie to you. You have to give me one of yours though..."

And that was all Sunny vaguely remembered before falling asleep.

Sunny followed the other two downstairs, waiting the few minutes for Hero to make some toast and eggs. He handed Kel and Sunny their plates, then making his own. Kel's food was gone in almost an instant, while Sunny just pushed the food around to create the illusion of having eaten it.

"Why are you wearing Mari's old hoodie," Kel laughed, "It looks so stupid-"

"It's none of your business..." Hero tiredly responded, "Just go get dressed."

"We should visit Basil again since we have nothing to do," Kel suggested.

"Sure," Sunny agreed. The two boys walked upstairs and got dressed, then walked out the door.

"See ya!" Kel said before slamming the front door behind him.

Chapter Text

-10 days before the suicide-

Mari and Hero sat alone, their legs dangling out of the doorframe of the treehouse, the shade being a break from the early evening heat.

"You sure you don't wanna go with the kids?" Hero asked.

"They'll be fine," Mari answered, looking down at the grass below her, "besides, they've been to the park alone a million times before."

"So, um..." Hero began, looking to the side, "How are you doing with money? I've got a few hundred saved up from the bakery and-"

Mari gave him a playful shove on the shoulder, "It's fine," she smiled, "I've saved enough, I can afford all of Sunny's meals, and enough for me to have one every couple days."

"But, Mari, that isn't heal-"

"I'm fine," Mari shrugged off his concern, "We all have to make sacrifices, right? The only thing I'm worried about is if Sunny picks up on my habits... I don't wanna be a bad influence-"

"You're not a bad influence on him, darling," Hero brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, "And if you ever need anything, just ask me, okay? If you struggle with money for food, I can cook for you... I've been trying to learn how to cook for the past few months to help you out..."

"You're so sweet," Mari tightened her grip on Hero's hand, "But I don't wanna be a burden to you anymore. And all I could ever need right now is you with me." She leaned her head against his shoulder. The faintest bit of color ran to his cheeks.

As Mari ran her fingers through Hero's short, messy hair, she whispered, "I love you, Hero." She cupped the side of his face and closed her eyes. They felt each other's warm breath as Mari leaned in for a kiss. Mari then laid against the other, slowly falling asleep.

After Mari fell asleep, Hero, too, was lulled asleep.

Eventually, the 4 children walked up, returning from the park.

"We're back!" Kel yelled up the tree.

Mari woke fast. "Hu- huh?" She looked around, readjusting to the waking world. "Oh, you're back."

"What were you doing up there?" Aubrey winked. Mari stared down at her with a blank expression.

"We were just... talking."

"You should make some cookies for us, Mari!" Kel yelled.

"Sure, I can do that," Mari started to climb down, tapping Hero's arm to wake him up.

"What..?" Hero began, rubbing his eyes.

"We need to make cookies for 'em," Mari said, nodding down to gesture the 4.

"Hurry up," Kel whined, "I'm not patient enough for this-"

"Coming, coming," Hero laughed.

The kids watched as the older two talked as they mixed sugar, butter, then vanilla and eggs, flour, baking soda, and salt, then finally chocolate chunks. As the cookies baked, the couple leaned over the counter and continued chatting.

Kel was the first to grab a cookie, burning his tongue. He talked with a lisp the rest of the night, his tongue still bothering him.

"Cah we thtay othaight?" Kel asked Hero. He glanced over to Mari, who shrugged.

"Sure," Hero answered, "Go tell mom and dad."

"Okah," Kel ran off next door.

A few hours later, after Hero cooked macaroni for everyone and they made sure the younger kids were asleep, they walked upstairs to Mari and Sunny's room. Sunny was soundly asleep in the next bed.

Hero wrapped his arms around Mari, while she fit her head by his neck.

"Will you be there for me?" Mari whispered.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I will," Hero whispered back.

"Even if something happens?"

"Forever. I promise."

Chapter Text

Aubrey was sitting alone in her room, like she had been for days. Her hair was messy and greasy from not being washed or brushed, and she was wearing the same pajamas from after the funeral. Her favorite pink bow was on the floor next to her. Her pile of records were sprawled out on the floor. Her old record player was almost useless, so they were really just collecting dust.

She was looking for one record-

Mari loved coming over and braiding Aubrey's hair while she played records despite the bad sound quality. She loved pop, so Aubrey saved up to buy some of Mari's favorites for when she came. A few months ago, for her birthday, Mari had gifted Aubrey one of her favorite albums, "Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?" by The Cranberries.

She had opened the record before wrapping it and wrote a note inside  the case.

Hope you have an amazing birthday, Aubrey! I was searching forever to find this for you. Love, your (honorary) big sis, Mari

Aubrey picked the vinyl up and held it close to her chest, hugging it as if it was another person.

She heard the ladder below her creak, and her father climb through.

Aubrey backed up closer against the wall.

"What are you doing here?" Her father growled, "You were supposed to be cleaning the house."

Aubrey hunched closer against the wall.

"You're such a pathetic little piece of shit," he muttered, grabbing the record from Aubrey.

"Give it back!" Aubrey screamed, tears already falling, "Please, it was fro-"

Crack.

Her father snapped the record in two from inside the case, then carelessly threw it onto the ground.

"You have it easy, girl," he snarled, "I can show you what it's like to have it hard."

"Don't-" Aubrey yelled, fully expecting a slap across the face again, turning her head to soften the blow.

Instead, when she reopened her eyes, he was gone.

"Dad?" She yelled. No response. Her mother was gone too, but she had been at the bar all day. Aubrey was alone... Her assumptions being right, he would never come back. He had already teased leaving for months, sometimes not coming back from "work" for days on end.

Despite how strict her father was, and sometimes being hit with the belt or beaten, at least she had someone to take care of her- get her food, water, clothes... Although Mari was more like a parent, after she... Aubrey still had someone to provide for her. But now-

Aubrey walked upstairs and tenderly picked up the bent record case. The cover was folded up. She unfolded the cover and poured out what was left of the record. It was all chunks and shards.

The last thing Aubrey had from Mari...

Gone.

Chapter Text

Sunny, Basil, and Kel sat on the dock by the lake in the Faraway Park. The sun was starting to set, their faces illuminated by the golden hour light.

"So, what are we gonna do for Halloween," Kel asked, "Should we match again, or..."

"I don't know if I wanna go trick or treating this year..." Basil nervously answered. Sunny nodded in agreement.

"But why?" Kel asked, looking back and forth between the other two boys, "We used to always love Halloween together..."

"But with what's happened with Mari... I don't think we're ready to go back to normalcy again..." Basil trailed off.

Kel looked up at the sky, growing more orange. "I should head home," he said awkwardly, "Meet you back at your place, Sunny." He stood up and walked out of the clearing.

"Uhm, Basil..." Sunny began.

"Yeah?" Basil answered.

"I was wondering if I could borrow your photo album? I can give it back in the morning..."

"Oh- okay," Basil reached into his bag where he kept film, his camera, and his photo album and handed the book to Sunny. "Here, be careful with it, though."

"Thanks," Sunny mumbled, turning open a page and flipping through the memories.

"I'm back," Kel yelled as he walked inside.

"Where's Sunny?" Hero asked, seeing Kel alone.

"He should be getting back soon, he was hanging out with Basil a bit longer."

"Well while we wait for him, come help me make dinner."

"Whatcha makin'?" Kel asked.

"Some baked macaroni, seemed easy enough," Hero answered.

As Kel was grating cheese, he said, "I think something might be wrong with Sunny."

"Why... do you think that?" Hero questioned.

"I mean, I haven't seen him eat like, anything," Kel answered, "We even went out to get lunch but he didn't even touch his plate."

Hero set down the spoon he was using to cook the pasta. "Can you grab the phonebook? It should be in one of those drawers on the far end of the counter." He went back to stirring the pasta.

Kel tossed the phonebook onto the counter by Hero and finished shredding the cheese, handing the bowl to Hero. Once the pasta and cheese were in a pan and in the oven, Hero started flipping through the phonebook.

He tried to remember what Mari was talking about when she was getting Sunny an appointment for a school check-up.

There-

It was the local pediatric hospital, where Mari and Sunny would both go to the doctor. He dialed the number.

The receptionist answers.

Hero greeted the woman on the other line, then said, "Can I schedule a screening for anorexia here?"

"For whom?"

"Sunny Suzuki."

Chapter Text

The doors to the Othermart in town made a loud "ding dong" noise as Aubrey walked in. There were a few people, but the store was primarily empty.

She walked into the beauty and cosmetics section, clutching $20 she took from her mother's savings under her bed.

She browsed the aisle, her hand running down the different boxes of dye. She compared a few shades of pink, settling on the more vibrant color. She walked over and grabbed a bottle of bleach, then going up to the counter. She handed the cashier the $20 bill while he scanned the two items. Aubrey was handed a plastic bag with the dyes and a few dollars and coins for change.

When Aubrey got home, she threw the bag down onto the closed toilet seat. She ripped through the seal on the bleach, squeezing some of the paste onto her hand. She spread the gel through her hair, sitting on the floor for the hour or so she left the bleach in, stuck in her own thoughts.

After what Aubrey believed was about an hour, she ran the shower and rinsed out her hair. It was a messy-blondeish-brownish, but should be good enough for the pink. She painted the pink on her hair, then attempting to wrap it in the foil that came in the box, to a moderate degree of success. Some fell out, but her shirt was already ruined from the bleach.

While the dye had to be left on, Aubrey tried to use her mother's old makeup. She tried eyeliner- the wing was lopsided. She licked her finger and rubbed it off, then tried it again. For a whole two hours, she was trying the eyeliner until she figured out a (mediocre, yet passable) method. She then walked over and rinsed out her hair again, the water running down the drain being bright pink.

Her wet hair made drips across the floor, but she didn't bother to clean it up. She walked over to the old landline, dialing Sunny's house number. It went straight to the answering machine, presumably because there was another call.

She walked up to bed and tried to sleep early- at around 7 o'clock- staring up at her ceiling until she fell asleep out of boredom. Her wet hair stained her pillows and sheets, but it's not like Aubrey cared anyways...

As she drifted off, she imagined a different world- one where she and Mari got to dye their hair together. A world where Aubrey wasn't... alone.

Chapter Text

-2 weeks before the suicide-

Mari leaned against the counter in the dark, a small bit of moonlight shining off the marble. She held her head, eyes gently shut.

"Thanks for helping me with Sunny earlier..." she sighed, "I'm just really busy, doing stuff for scholarships, plus with the start of year exams coming up..."

"It's no problem. Seriously, you're not alone in this." Hero smiled at her

"I guess you really are my hero," Mari teased. Hero rolled his eyes, but Mari saw a slight blush rise to his cheeks. "Ooohhhh... you're blushing..." she laughed.

"Maybe if you weren't trying to mess with me-"

"It's just a joke-" she tapped his nose, "lighten up!"

"That was so lame though..." he looked away.

"Oh come on," Mari exaggerated the last word, "You've said much worse..."

"Don't remind me-"

"Ugh..." Mari groaned, "I've been having headaches all the time..."

"Are you good?" Hero put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah it's just..." she sighed, "Y'know how we've been tight on money recently? For the last week or so I haven't eaten anything... I gave Sunny everything I could afford. We haven't been able to be at the bakery for a while cause of school and I've been doing odd jobs around town but- It's hardly enough to get through a few days. I guess it's fucking with me... I'm gonna be fine though."

"You're not gonna be fine though- You're such an amazing sister to Sunny and just a perfect person in general... I'm the luckiest man in the universe to have you, so best believe I'll take care of you," Hero pointed over to the couch, a messy throw blanket strewn across a cushion, "Go sit on the couch, I'll be right there."

Mari walked over and sat on the couch, as Hero grabbed a frozen meal he brought for his own dinner and warmed it up in the microwave. He dumped it on the plate and walked over to Mari.

"Here ya go, my love," he said as he handed Mari the plate, sitting down next to her and draping the messy throw blanket over her legs.

Mari set the plate down and laid on Hero's lap, pulling the blanket up to her neck. Hero started gently running his fingers through her long black hair.

"Mari... Why didn't you tell me these things earlier? You know you can always come to my place, we can take care of you and Sunny..."

"I didn't want to be a burden to you..." Mari groggily muttered, "You already have enough on your plate."

"Not nearly as much as you," Hero answered, "Hell, you've been practically raising your little brother for a year, working your ass off to give everyone a good life. So please, let me make everything just a little easier for you."

Mari was smiling up at him, her eyes then closing, falling asleep fast. Hero kept finger-brushing her hair until he too fell asleep. It was one of the few times Mari felt a little better- and a little more guilty about the paper in her dresser.

Chapter Text

Aubrey woke up after sleeping in, glancing over at the alarm clock. 11:00 am. The midday light was kept somewhat out of her room by a thin curtain. She pulled her hair, partly dried and damaged from the dye, into a ponytail and put on a plain pink shirt and shorts.

She walked out of the house fast after that, hoping not to see her mother. She was passed out drunk on the couch, trashy reality shows playing on the tv.

Walking down the street, head down. She turned on the sidewalk, crossed the street, then turned down the next street up. When she got to Sunny's house, she knocked at the door.

No response.

She knocked more.

Again, no response.

She knocked harder, until her knuckles hurt.

No response.

She turned around, and walked up to the garage. Peeking under a hole, she saw nothing. The car she recalled being in the driveway was also gone.

Aubrey tried the handle. Surprisingly, the door was unlocked. She swung it open and ran up the stairs.

Opening the closet in the corner of the room, Aubrey grabbed a few things-

First, a teal bow Mari would wear to tie back her hair before doing chores. Second, a white jacket with yellow lining, the pity present sent to Mari by her parents for her most recent birthday. And last, she grabbed the photo album from Sunny's nightstand.

She gathered everything up and stormed out of the house, slamming the front door.

As she walked back to her place, it felt as if the bitter air was looking down and judging her.

She was a thief-

She was a bad person-

She's become a person Mari wouldn't like-

She's a disappointment.

Aubrey tossed the items onto her thin bed, tying up her hair with the teal satin ribbon. She then tried on the jacket- It was long and loose, going down to her knees.

She opened the photo album, only to see... it.

The book made an unsatisfying thud as it fell to the floor in the corner of the room.

Aubrey then spitefully hugged her pillow, lying in silence for hours.

Chapter Text

-5 days before the suicide-

Mari got up from the bench at her piano, walking into the kitchen. She glanced up at the calendar, it was October 2nd. The recital was in about 5 days counting that day. Mari practiced every day, and Sunny's tutor came for his practice every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. She should arrive at any second, Mari thought.

She had been saving up pocket change to pay for the tutor, she had to get discounts as well to barely scrape by with meals for Sunny.

Her calendar was full, schedules with work on weekends, hangouts with friends, other jobs she took... There was no break. No rest, no time to relax. That was, other than right before she went to bed. Constant stress, constant suffering- all in a constant cycle.

Knock, knock, knock...

Mari opened the door to Sunny's tutor.

"Sunny, get your violin, it's time for your lessons!" Mari called out. She heard a groan. Rubbing salt in the wound, she worked so hard to not even be appreciated...

Sunny begrudgingly walked down the stairs, as him and his tutor walked into the piano room.

Mari walked into the kitchen again, grabbing a notepad and pen, moving it next to the side of the fridge with the calendar, resting her elbows on the countertops.

She seized up for a bit, guilt overtaking her thoughts.

What about Basil?

What about Kel?

What about Aubrey?

What about Hero?

What about Sunny?

It's already hard for me to provide for us, how can a kid do that? I can't burden him...

But I already am a burden...

Mari let out a sigh and put the old ballpoint pen to paper. The words started to flow. She signed off the paper with her name, and drew a small heart at the bottom. She folded it into quarters after ripping the paper off the notepad, and addressed it to her younger brother.

Another pang of guilt hit her as she started to walk up to her bedroom.

She stopped in her tracks and raised the paper up to her lips. Her warm breath heated the paper as she whispered gently, "I'm so sorry..."

She walked upstairs and opened her closet. Sliding out a drawer at the bottom, she placed the note under her stack of socks.

Mari stared down at the now closed drawer, misty-eyed.

"It's for the best," she whispered to herself, "Just make the most of the time you have left..."

She sighed and walked downstairs, then getting the pan, bread, and cheese to make dinner for Sunny, as per usual.

Chapter Text

-1 day ago-

Sunny walked into the door, photo album in hand. He smelled it first- a meal.

How long had it been? 2 days? Maybe 3? It all had felt like a blur... Sunny walked up to the kitchen. Nobody was there. He assumed everyone else was busy, maybe taking a nap or something.

He cut into the baked macaroni, a squelch every second making him wince.

The slice on the messy paper towel was gone in a few minutes.

Sunny looked down in guilt.

Why.

Why would you do that.

You have no will.

You're useless.

You're trash.

You're trash.

You're trash.

You're trash.

You're trash.

He ran up to his room, Kel sleeping as he had expected. As Sunny curled up in the corner collecting dust, he pictured himself- Not him. He looked like a disgusting pig...

Sunny wanted to take a fresh knife from the kitchen drawer and slice off his flesh to look perfect. It seemed so appealing...

He opened the photo album he threw on his bed earlier.

How do I have friends.

I suck.

I'm useless.

Why would they hang around me?

They must hate me.

Yeah.

They don't care about me.

They think I'm useless too.

Sunny grabbed a black pen from off the nightstand he and Mari used to share, then sitting on his bed.

And he drew.

And drew.

And drew.

Until all the sour memories were covered by the black ink.

Chapter Text

The car stopped in front of the doors to the local middle school. Sunny and Kel walked out, the faint sound of Kel complaining about arriving so early being heard from the car.

Hero then drove over to the high school. It was his first year there, and he was still overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people, and noises, and places...

He remembered when him and Mari compared their schedules when they were released, seeing they only have a couple classes together. But, since Mari knew her way around from being a volunteer to play piano for school concerts with little kids, she promised to always walk him to class to make it a bit less overwhelming.

But now...

The sound of chatter overflowed, felt like a cold bucket of water constantly pouring on his head. The florescent lights painted everything in a dingy tone that felt like it was slowly draining his capacity for emotion.

Hero bit hard on his lip, the pain temporarily grounding him. In the absence of Mari- the one person that could stop the pain in the halls- any relief was worthwhile.

He walked to his desk in the first period English class he had shared with Mari.

As others slowly shuffled in, the teacher began attendance.

Names droned on and on, a response of "here" after each.

"Hero?" The teacher called. Hero glanced up from staring at the desk as if he had been woke up.

"H- here," he stammered.

"Jennifer?" The teacher said. Hero started staring at the desk again, slipping into his own thoughts.

"Present," a girl's voice responded.

"Ma-" The teacher began, stifling the name with a cough. Hero perked up, peeking over to Mari's desk, vacant...

It felt like pouring salt into an open, bleeding gash. A wound that will never close up.

At lunch, Hero sat alone at the table he and Mari would always take in the back, away from the crowd. It felt even more isolating than the lonely walks to class. He poked at his food for the half hour, maybe taking a couple bites.

It just wasn't the same.

Walking out to his locker, grabbing his backpack and keys.

It felt like something was just... missing. Wrong. Off.

Mari's locker was down a hall to the right. He walked up to it, remembering when he would wait for her to finish stacking everything she would bring back and forth from home to school, and they would walk outside together, sometimes drive home or to the bakery if they had a shift that day.

Through the slots of her abandoned locker, he slid in a folded sheet of torn notebook paper, walking outside, only to continue the day like nothing had ever happened. Again.

Chapter Text

Hero turned down the radio, his car pulling to a stop in the driveway. Sunny and Kel were the first out, while Hero lingered in the vehicle, staring into space, lost in his thoughts. Eventually, snapping back into reality, he unlocked the door and walked into his bedroom.

Pulling the sheets over his head and tightly around his shoulders, he stared into the dark folds before him. Too tired to speak, let alone cry or complete any tasks, his thoughts started spiraling.

It's all your fault.

Sunny,

Mari...

None of this would've happened if you were better.

None of this would've happened without you.

But now you're stuck.

Living Mari's life...

You never did enough for her.

And now you can never make it up.

Hero tightened the sheets around his ears, trying fruitlessly to block out the noise of his own thoughts.

He didn't have time for this, he had to rest, then make dinner for the others, then finish his homework, then rest, and survive another school day, then take Sunny to his appointment...

Damn, is this what Mari did every day, for the past year or so?

Hero cursed himself for not being better, not taking care of her enough, letting her do this alone while he was carefree...

I just need some peace of mind.

In some sort of a daze, he stumbled over to the dusty desk in the corner. A pair of old red scissors were tossed half open in the drawer.

His sleeve was tight against his upper arm, the knitted fabric feeling like a loose tourniquet.

Cold metal scraped against his forearm.

Again, and again, and again...

A drop of blood fell from the shallow wound. It never had to be deep, just something to take the edge off...

He exhaled, pulling down his sleeve to mask the cut. It was just one... It's fine...

Guilt weighed him down as he descended the stairs to care for the children there. He pushed it to the back of his mind. He had to be there for the others, there just wasn't room for his own emotions.

So, he had to continue on with the day as if nothing out of the ordinary had ever happened.

Chapter Text

Knock-

Knock-

Kno-

The door swung open. Sunny was greeted by a familiar sight of a slightly taller blonde boy, with bright blue eyes the shade of the sky.

"H- hi, Sunny..." Basil stumbled over his words, fidgeting with his fingers, "I... I was wondering if I can have my photo album back? I dug up some older pictures, and I wanted to glue them in, but if you can't it's to- it's totally fine..."

"Maybe now isn't the best ti-" Sunny was cut off by a loud voice.

"I'll grab it!" Kel screamed. Soon he was seen racing down the stairs, death grip on the book. "Here 'ya go, Basil!" His hold loosened as he extended his arm to Basil.

The blonde boy shakily took the album, caressing the leather cover with his thumbs before tucking it under his shoulder. "Thanks... Anyways, I should go, so I'm home before dinner..."

"You sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" Hero asked, peeking out of the kitchen, pot in hand.

"N- no, it's really fine..." Basil quickly walked away before any more awkward goodbyes.

Sunny stared out the door where his friend had just left from, before promptly closing it and resuming his search for something to watch on TV.

Basil sat on his bed, glue-all and scattered polaroids by his side. He cracked open the book, expecting to see his friends' faces smiling back at him, a sight he would look at to bring him comfort when things got bad-

But instead, he was greeted with messy black scribbles, although never bleeding onto the captions, every face was coated in an indigo-tinted ebony ink.

Everything Basil had kept safe- Gone. Erased. Or, more accurately, covered-

"Sunny..." Basil muttered under his breath, thumb covering the blacked out face of his best friend, "Why..."

Chapter Text

2 days before the suicide

"Hero?"

He hesitated for a moment, then continued finger brushing Mari's hair. "You need something...?"

"Well, I have a question..." She sat up a little straighter on the couch, her legs against her torso. "What... What would you do if something happened to me?"

"What kind of a question is that?"

"Well?"

"I- I dunno..." Hero started playing with his choppy brown hair, "Also, what do you mean by something...?"

"Oh you know, silly." Mari laughed, seeming effortlessly graceful compared to Hero's stuttering, "If something happened, and I... Wasn't in your life anymore..."

Hero hesitated. "I... I couldn't live anymore... You're my life, Mari, my whole world..."

"But you would have to," Mari smiled, "Life doesn't just stop, and you can't either." She rested her head on his shoulder, eyes fluttering closed.

Hero stared down at the girl resting against him with a soft smile. "I'll never leave your side... If you move, I'll go with you, If you die... I'll die too. I'm here for you forever."

Mari giggled, opening her eyes. "God, Hero, you're so cheesy..."

"What? It's just the truth..." Hero started giggling as well.

"Have I told you that you're the best boyfriend ever?" Mari teased.

"Oh, look who's the cheesy one now..."

"Shut up!"

Both laughed as they huddled closer together, eventually fading out into awkward tension.

"But really," Mari gently said, "If something does happen to me, promise you'll move on? And please, take care of Sunny."

"I will, promise. But also, why with this hypothetical? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just something that's been on my mind recently, I guess..."

"Okay, but please, stay safe," worry tricked through Hero's voice.

Mari said nothing, staring away at the wall, then punctuating his sentence with a short kiss on his cheek, leaving a faint trace of her lipgloss.

"But I promise, it's going to be okay." Mari's voice trailed off into a whisper before warm silence filled the room again.

Chapter Text

Basil walked into school the next day, photo album under his arm. He intended to talk to Sunny, but walking inside the classroom, he was nowhere to be found. Instead, he sat by Aubrey.

She stared not at Basil, but at the photo album he held.

"Why..." she muttered, her voice cold.

"It wasn-" Basil got cut off by the teacher beginning the lesson. They both shut up and looked their separate ways, Aubrey's pink hair falling down, like a veil covering her face on each side.

The teacher then handed out sheets of paper for the homework, leaving the last 5 minutes of class as free time.

"Aubrey, listen to me-"

"No," emotion leaked through Aubrey's voice, "Don't show your face after what you did to it. Don't speak to me again. Just leave me alone, please..."

"But w-"

"Leave me alone," there was nothing but pure, yet controlled venom in her voice.

Basil sat, idly fidgeting with the folds on the spine of his photo album, while Aubrey drew, then scribbled out her drawings in the margins of her textbook. The bell rang, and while all the other students stood in loud chatter as they moved to the next classroom, Aubrey and Basil left in silence.

It felt like a cold wall was between them, their friendship being torn apart... If a wall was between them, how would it affect the others? Would they be pushed away too?

Don't leave me.

Nobody else can leave me...

Basil's thoughts echoed into the silence of his mind.

A pained smile on his face, he stood in line to enter the next class while wiping a tear from his cheek.

Chapter Text

6 years ago

A short blonde boy sat alone on the swings during the recess, sounds of kids screaming fading into the background. He traced his thumb down the bends and bumps of the rusted chain. It was kinda lonely, but not something he wasn't used to after the last two weeks of school. His grandmother told him that in kindergarten, he would find some friends, but that wasn't seeming to happen.

Through the corner of his eye, he saw a girl walk towards him. Basil assumed that she was going to the swings beside him, but was surprised when she stopped in front of him. Her long brown hair looked kind of tangly, but he ignored that- or tried to, at least

"Uhm... hi!" The girl said, a smile on her face, "I thought you looked kinda lonely, so I thought I would say hi..."

"Oh... uhm... hi..." Basil's voice was shy, he had never had to talk to someone who wanted to be around him before, at least, who was his own age, "My name's Basil."

"My name's Aubrey!" The girl grabbed the boy's hand and started dragging him away from the swings, "Can we be friends? Pretty please? I have some more friends you can meet later, too."

"Oh... sure..." Basil trailed off.

I've never had a friend before...

She dragged him into a patch of clovers in the lawn by the playground, plucking some of the white flowers.

"You would look super cute with a flower crown," Aubrey said, fumbling with stems as she badly tied them together. Basil watched as she slowly got used to the rhythm of tying the flowers. She held up a sparse loop of the clovers, then placing it on her friend's head. "There!"

"Do you have a brush?" The other said quietly, "It's just... Your hair is kinda tangly, and it's bothering me, so I was gonna brush it..."

"Oh, yeah, my dad makes me bring one to school, even though he knows I hate brushing my hair..." while she spoke, she pulled a tiny pink brush out of the pocket of her blue t-shirt dress, handing it to Basil. He took it and grasped the strands of her hair by the roots to minimize the pain.

"I'm glad we're friends," Basil said.

"Yeah, I love making new friends!" Aubrey answered.

"Promise we'll be best friends forever?" Basil held out his pinkie, pausing brushing her hair.

"Pinkie promise," Aubrey wrapped her pinkie around her new friend's.

It's actually really nice to have a friend...

Chapter Text

The car pulled to a stop in the parking lot of an inconspicuous brick building. The sign in front with blue letters, shining with half-broken neons through the rain, read "Faraway Mental Health Services". Sunny was quiet the whole drive, no sound but the rain's pitter-patter on the car, and the radio's faint music. The headlights shone brightly, lines wavered in the reflections from the water, illuminating the darkness of the morning.

"C'mon, Sunny," Hero tried to comfort the boy pouting in the back seat, "This is only to keep you safe. I promised..." he paused, "Nevermind."

The sound of two clicks, seatbelts unbuckling, then car doors opening. As they walked in, Hero said, "Okay, promise me you'll be completely honest?" Sunny nodded.

The two approached the reception desk. The woman behind the desk, papers scattered across, looked up. "Do you have an appointment?"

"Yes..." Hero trailed off, then saw the woman's stare, "Oh, right... for Sunny Suzuki."

I'm so stupid... how did I forget that...

"And who are you to the patient?" Her voice reeked of false sweetness.

How do I answer this...?

"Oh yeah I'm his dead sister's boyfriend."

What kind of an answer is that...

"A- a family friend, his parents are out of town, and-"

"That's all I need, sweetie," the woman nodded, gesturing to the room on the side, "Now, go sit in the waiting room, Donna should call you back shortly."

They sat awkwardly in the dark room, walks gray and bland. In... who knows how long, a middle aged woman walked through the door.

"Sunny? You're ready to go back." She called.

"I'm gonna wait here for you, if that's oka-" Hero was cut off by the younger gripping his hand tightly. He laughed, "Fine, fine, I'll go back with you..." They made their way back into the counselor's office, each taking a seat in the armchairs.

"Okay kiddo, you're here because someone thinks you have an eating disorder. Do you know what that is?" The woman was gentle, but Sunny sank deeper into the cushions, hugging a pillow. The therapist looked at Hero, who gave a slight nod. "Okay, then I'm just going to go straight in..." she continued, handing Sunny a clipboard and ballpoint pen with some sheets of paper. "And I'm going to need you to sign off on some things, sir..." she said as she gave Hero a clipboard with papers and a pen as well.

Sunny looked at the first question- On how many of the past 28 days have you been deliberately trying to limit the amount of food you eat to influence your shape or weight (whether or not you have succeeded)?

He stared, and in that moment, for the sake of everyone, circled 1-5 days. A lie, maybe, but it's better than having to go through treatment. The rest of the questions were in the same vein, so his answers were as well.

The two wrote for what felt like hours before handing the clipboards to the counselor.

"Okay," she said, taking the boards and leading the two through the hallways, "We should get back to you in two to five business days with a diagnosis, but until then, if there are any immediate concerns with suicide or self harm, don't hesitate to bring him to our crisis center next door."

Hero glanced down at his arm, then looked back up quickly, "O-okay... C'mon, Sun, we gotta go back to school..."

The car drive back, Hero may have been quiet, but thoughts spiraled, looped...

Why am I like this?

God, if that lady knew what I did, I'd be locked up...

I make everyone better, but can't do it for myself...

Forget it-

It'll be fine...

Chapter Text

Knock.

Knock..

Knock...

Mari opened the door, Sunny right behind her. Their parents were gone again, so she was hoping to see them back this weekend. Instead, she saw two boys, some moving trucks on the street. One was jumping around and looked about Sunny's age, and he ran inside to talk to him.

"Sorry about that..." the remaining boy said awkwardly, "That's my little brother, Kel... He's a bit... uhhh..." he didn't finish.

"It's fine..." there was a long silence, "So... what's your name?"

"Oh, right... My name's Hero, we just moved next door and our mom and dad wanted us to see if there are any nice neighbors so we can have friends..."

"Ok... uhm, my name's Mari, and that's my little brother, Sunny."

"So, uhh... does this mean we can come over here later and all hang out, maybe...?"

"Oh, yeah! My parents won't be back until Monday probably, so we have plenty of time." Mari smiled.

"I'll go tell my parents then..." Hero turned towards the two younger kids in the other room and shouted, "Hey, Kel, we're going to our house real quick."

As the two walked away, Mari called, "See you later!"

Maybe the weekends without my parents won't be lonely anymore...

Chapter Text

Hero walked into the main office of the high school, waiting for a hall pass.

"Henry," Hero cringed hearing his full name, but the receptionist continued, "Why were you so late?"

"I- uhm- I overslept."

"Should've been more responsible..." she muttered it under her breath, but that didn't make it any less painful.

Painful...

He held the part of his arm he...

It was tender, but scabbed over, at least on the few parts that did bleed.

It wasn't deep enough...

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a small sheet of torn paper being handed to him, name, time, and date- like any other hall pass. The school used to have legitimate hall passes, but they've been losing funding since a lot of people have been moving away from Faraway Town... So, torn papers would have to suffice.

He checked the clock in the hallway, then walked to his 3rd period class. He never particularly liked biology, he preferred chemistry, but his parents always wanted him to become a doctor, so...

The door opened. He felt stares on his back, every pair of eyes in the class... He sat in his seat. It was then he caught a horrible scent-

Right... They did say we would be dissecting frogs soon...

He picked up the knife and tried to focus on the teacher as she instructed the class. But, as per usual, his thoughts interrupted.

Do it.

What's stopping you?

It can be deeper, better...

You've done it before.

You already gave up.

Nothing is stopping you anymore.

Just do it.

Do it.

Do it.

Do.

It.

He didn't. It wasn't worth almost being caught-

It's a... private matter.

Not that it should matter for much longer...

He survived the rest of class, in some weird trance-like state. The bell rang.

Next was english.

He grabbed his notebook he stored with his textbook from the shelf, despite not being told it was necessary. The teacher talked and talked, insisting that this material would be important for the test-

Not that it would matter anyways.

He scribbled words down in his typical messy, spread out cursive.

No.

He reworded it.

It's not good enough-

He repeated the cycle before settling on one, stuffing the crumpled papers into his backpack. The one he liked best out of the pile he folded and put into his pocket. Hero then rested his head in his hand, finding an odd sense of peace wash over him, knowing what's going to happen.

Chapter Text

4 hours before the suicide

They were in the secluded "secret hangout spot" in Faraway Park, a red-and-white picnic blanket laid out on the grass. Kel sat by the water, while Aubrey and Basil were picking flowers nearby, planning to make flower bracelets to give to everyone after the recital. Mari, Sunny, and Hero were the only that remained on the blanket.

"We really should get going soon," Hero said, packing up the dishes back into the basket, "I mean, it's a bit past 11, and you have a lot to be doing before the recital, I'm sure..."

"Awww, but he's sleeping," Mari gestured to her little brother, asleep on her lap, "I'm sure he's tired after all the preparations, I have been rather... intense with preparations recently, we should let him have a nap. Plus, the kids are all having fun..."

"Fine, fine, we can stay 'till noon, but then we gotta go," Hero started fidgeting with his shirt collar after latching the basket shut, "So remember what you were talking about a few nights ago?"

"Wait, which night? We've been hanging out like, every day... not that I'm arguing, though," Mari laughed.

"I think it was three nights ago? You were talking about the stars."

"Oh, I remember," Mari smiled, "I wish I could've seen a shooting star..."

"About that, uhm..." Hero trailed off, messing with his hair, "Nevermind... just try to not have plans after the recital?"

Mari giggled, "Why, you wanna take me on a date?"

"I mean..." Hero sighed.

Mari glanced down, picking at her brother's hair, as she simply had nothing better to do. Her smile faded into something less intense, more... mellow.

"Is something wrong?" Hero placed his hand on Mari's shoulder, "God... did I mess something up...?"

"No, no... It's not you, it's just..." she paused, "I don't know, I've just been feeling off..."

"You've been overworking yourself, you really need a break, some, you know, rest."

"Right, yeah... I can rest after the recital..."

"I can try to take over some of your responsibilities, you really need a break," Mari began to open her mouth after Hero finished speaking, but he cut her off, "No, you wouldn't be a burden. In all honesty, I'm probably more of a burden... You have to do so much, and I hardly help. This is the least I can do..."

"You're so sweet... But really, it'll all be fine- you don't have to help me. I can handle myself..."

"But remember, I promised you, I'll always be by your side, always help you out, and I'm not gonna break it just because you told me to."

"I guess, it's just..."

"Just what?"

"Nevermind..." Mari sighed, "Just please, always be here for Sunny." she muttered the last part under her breath, "He can't be alone..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Mari sighed, "Let's just... change the subject..."

And as she said, the two began talking about lighter topics, until they left a few minutes after noon.

But, Mari couldn't help but feel the happy moments sour in her memories, since she knew exactly what she was going to do...

Chapter Text

The car headlights lit the road, pitch black as it was 11 pm. Or was it 10? Maybe even midnight.

It's not like it matters.

Sunny and Kel were dropped off with Basil to spend the weekend. Hero parked the car on the side of the road by the church.

But does it really matter where it is?

He walked into the graveyard, pushing back the heavy iron gates. It was almost like a dream- as if his body went into autopilot. He walked to the northwestern corner. He stood by a grave, picking up the wine red roses. He sat next to the grave, in the exact formation he would sit next to Mari on the picnic blanket.

Silver shined in the soft moonlight. It wasn't too big, not too small either. The wooden handle fit comfortably in his hand. He took the folded up paper from eariler, set it by his side with the flowers.

It's now or never.

Taking in a sharp breath, he drove the knife into his chest, pulling it out, then with blood barely sticking to the metal.

It's funny, he felt nothing.

Probably the adrenaline.

Again.

Again.

Again...

Until his chest was practically a gaping hole, blood shining in the moonlight just like the dirty blade.

At least I look like what I feel now...

He picked up the paper, clutched it tightly. He did the same with the roses, holding them in his other hand. His blood sank into the soil beneath him, staining the dry grass.

Everything started becoming cold, and Hero felt as if he was falling in and out of reality, his thoughts blurring more and more by the second.

In his last moments before falling into sleep, Hero turned and whispered to Mari's grave beside him- "I'm sorry. I... Couldn't..." His breaths were too short and shallow to continue. He closed his eyes, fully losing consciousness with a slight smile.

The night passed, the sun rose, and the world carried on like usual, just like before. As the blood on the grass dried, it had been set in stone: the world was once again a place where Hero was not alone.

Chapter Text

2 weeks before the suicide

Hero and Mari were getting out the ingredients to bake cookies to their younger friends' request, while they were in the treehouse. Soon, they heard the door open from outside.

Mari paused her leveling off the sugar and looked up, "Sunny? What are you doing here? I thought you were in the treehouse with Aubrey, Basil, and Kel..."

"They're having fun without me..." Sunny was quiet, but that was a typical for him, "So I wondered if I could help you..."

"Sure," Hero said, handing a whisk to Sunny, "We're almost done with measuring out the wet ingredients, so after that, you can whisk it while we measure out the dry."

So, the three continued mixing the ingredients until it came time to put the dough in the fridge to chill. Hero sat by Mari in the two chairs lined up at the edge of the counter, but he noticed Sunny standing awkwardly to the side. With a smile at the boy, he got up and brought a chair from the dining room into the kitchen.

"That's actually really sweet of you, Hero," Mari said.

"I mean, it's the least I can do, I mean, I'm not gonna just leave the kid standing there..."

Sunny stared blankly as their conversation continued, eventually evolving into cheesy flirting.

"Get a room..."

"Oh, right... We were kinda excluding you from the conversation, weren't we..." Mari laughed, "I think the cookies should be ready to bake soon anyways."

Mari took Sunny's hand and showed him how much dough to scoop and roll into a ball before pressing it onto the cookie sheet, then proceeded to do the same herself, until the three of them had covered all the necessary cookie sheets with the balls of dough, then being placed in the oven for about eleven minutes.

"How about you go get the others, so we're all inside when the cookies are out of the oven?" Mari suggested.

"Okay..." Sunny mumbled, walking outside.

As she slipped on the oven mits to take out the pan, she watched her little brother slowly start running towards his friends.

She wore a bittersweet smile, glad that her brother could live a carefree childhood like he was now, yet mourned the memories she was never able to make.

Chapter Text

"Do you know why Hero isn't here yet?" Kel asked, "I woulda thought he'd be done at the library by now, he's like, never late... Plus, it's already dark out."

"He probably went back home... We can go get him in the morning," Basil suggested.

"Yeah, and after that we can see if Aubrey would hang out with us," Sunny said.

Basil looked around, "I... I don't think that's a great idea..." Sunny looked at him, trying to figure out his reasons through staring, as if that would do anything.

"Why not? It's been forever since we've, like, all hung out..."

"Kel, something's obviously wrong, stop being an idiot," Sunny deadpanned.

"She... She just said she doesn't want to be around me anymore, I don't really want to talk about why..."

Sunny continued to search for some explanation in the other boy's eyes, until the thought clicked.

Shit...

I ruined everything...

I'm even worse than useless-

"Here, let me play some music, maybe... lighten the mood..." Basil walked over to his boombox and sorted through his CDs.

The group was just as talkative as usual after a few minutes of awkwardness, the music eventually fading into the background. They went through board game after board game, slowly starting to fall asleep through the process.

The next morning, after breakfast, they walked outside.

"Right, let's go get Hero real quick from your place, Sunny," Kel said, already walking up the block before anyone could respond. They pushed open the door, one by one shuffling in the house.

"Hero?" Kel shouted. There was no response. "Huh... maybe he's asleep, we should check in the other rooms..." The three split up, looking in each room for their friend. He wasn't there.

"He might be at the graveyard," Sunny said, "He has been really hung up about Mari's... I mean, he might be visiting her..."

"Right, we should probably check there before getting too worried..." Basil got quieter, hoping not having instilled the idea to be worried in their heads.

Sunny stopped walking at the corner by Aubrey's house. "Go see if he's there, I'll talk to Aubrey."

"Sunny, you really shouldn't-"

"Let him, it's not that bad. I mean. What's the worst that could happen?" Kel interrupted.

"I guess... Fine, we'll keep going. See you later, Sunny..." Basil continued walking down the street, Kel following.

Sunny knocked on the door. Like the last time, there was a delay before the door was answered.

"What do you want?" Aubrey looked tired, as if she hadn't gotten any sleep for the last few days, dressed in jeans, a black t-shirt, and a too-big jacket. Mari's jacket...

"I... I was wondering if you'd, like, maybe wanna hang out for a bit today..." Aubrey stared at him blankly, "Because, we haven't really spent a lotta time together since, uhm... But, like, if you don't want to I totally get i-"

"Sunny-" Basil was panting and holding the side of the trash can for stability, he was clearly in a rush to get there.

"Basil? What are you doing here..." Aubrey stepped forward, it was visible in her eyes she was trying to control herself.

"Sunny, Hero- he..."

Sunny stared at Basil, not saying a word.

"He what? Finish your sentence." Aubrey snapped.

"He... I- I can't say it..."

Sunny had a distant look as he stared at Basil, once again attempting to decipher his meaning. Aubrey saw Kel walking by, wiping tears, then breaking into a sprint as he turned the corner.

"Shit-" Aubrey looked down the road to the church in the distance, "Is Hero okay... Something's wrong- Please, just fucking say it..."

Basil stepped back.

Aubrey stared between him and Sunny before running towards the church. Basil stared after her, looking absently, as if he wasn't fully aware of the situation. Sunny was fully prepared to run after her, before Basil grabbed his shoulder.

"Sunny... don't... You don't want to see that, especially after Mari..."

Sunny's eyes subtly widened, figuring out what Basil had meant, why he was in a rush, why Kel ran away crying...

Sunny sat on the cold concrete, hugging his legs. His vision was blurry, his thoughts in a jumble, breathing in, out, in, out, all in a second's time...

"Fuck-"

Sunny had never heard Basil curse before, minus the time he dropped garden shears, leaving a cut in his arm.

Aubrey ran back up to the group. Her eyes were shiny, tears waiting to fall. "We really need to go check on Kel. This can't happen again..." She was choked up, trying to hold back the tears, worry leaking through her voice, sounding desperate in a way, "Please... I can't lose another one of you..."

Basil took Sunny's arms and held him as they walked.

Basil looked up at the sky. Bright blue, about no clouds in sight. He whispered to himself...

"Everything is going to be okay."

"Everything is going to be okay.."

"Everything is going to be okay..."

Chapter Text

"Kel? Are you good?" Aubrey called as she entered Sunny's house. No response. "Shit... For some reason I... don't have a great feeling about this."

"It'll be fine, Aubrey," Basil tried to comfort her, "It'll be fine, he's probably just taking some alone time or something, there's no need to be irrationally worried."

"Well? Nobody was worried about Hero, and nobody was worried about Mari," she clenched her fists, "I don't care if you all hate me, I don't care if I hate you, I'm not watching someone else die right before my fucking eyes." Her knuckles were white, voice trembling.

"Look, I know it's been hard, but that doesn't mean that everything-"

"Shut up!" a tear rolled down her cheek, "I know what you did. You don't care, you just don't get it... I lost everything in just the past two weeks alone, and you've been fine. I remember, you didn't cry at the funeral. Didn't even look sad, you had this stupid smile plastered all over your face. I don't care if it's supposed to make anyone feel better... You didn't care about Mari, and I know damn well you won't care about Hero either. You just don't care, Basil. So fuck off, I'm gonna go look for Kel."

Sunny looked between Basil and Aubrey, having somewhat calmed down on the walk, but still somewhat reeling. He broke away from Basil's grasp on his shoulder, walking towards the stairs after Aubrey. Basil stared after them, before sitting on the ground, defeated.

"Fuck..." Aubrey paced, picking up the empty bottle of sedatives, having been prescribed to Sunny's mother years ago, but had been rotting in the bathroom cabinet, "I mean, I had a feeling this was gonna happen, but..." She walked around faster, picking at the zipper of her jacket, "Uhm... Sunny, go check his pulse, I think he's still breathing, just slowly, I'll.. uhm... call 911..." Aubrey then turned and ran down the stairs to the landline, ignoring Basil watching the situation, yet being too nervous to do anything.

Sunny walked up to the unconscious body of his friend, pressing his hand on his neck, then standing to yell down the stairs, "The pulse is there, but slow."

Everything passed in a panicked rush, Aubrey and Sunny carried Kel's body down the stairs and laid it on the couch until the ambulance got there, then they explained the situation as they rode to the hospital to rather inattentive hospital staff, including the church graveyard...

Sunny was quiet, Basil was sidelined, and Aubrey was taking center stage through the whole incident, her worry shown in loud, constant frustration.

Once in the waiting room with her other two friends, she stood up with the excuse of going to the vending machine. Once there, she sat down behind the metal boxes, just small enough to be mostly hidden from sight. She rested her head against her knees, letting tears fall straight onto the carpet.

By the time Sunny had walked over to see what was taking her so long, her eyes were red, the brown having a slight tinge of green. "You don't get it... My dad left, my mother is off doing cocaine in some shitty sports bar, Mari, the one who actually treated me like a mother would, is dead, and Hero, who also took care of me? He's dead too. Everyone is leaving me, and soon, I'm gonna have nobody left around me. I'm a fucking prick anyways, why would anyone stick around? Ugh... whatever... I'll be fine, I'm just being pathetic," she laughed, "Honestly, the way I've been acting... it's sad... it's just- laughable..."

"I don't think you're pathetic," Sunny said quietly.

"Thanks... You're a good friend, y'know, I'm glad you actually listen to me... At least I can tell you care. I guess finding out what Basil did to the photo album kinda fucked me up... Honestly, I don't think I can ever forgive him. I mean, erasing Mari- and everyone else- from all our memories? How could I be around someone who did that... Anyways, we should probably head back, it's been long enough." She stood, then a few steps after, Sunny followed.

She would hate me if she found out...

I mean, my friend group is already falling apart...

I'm gonna be alone if they ever figure me out...

Chapter Text

Just like last time.

Sunny sat in the same row, same place in the church.

But this time he was alone.

Aubrey sat where she was last time, alone as well. Basil sat with his caretaker on the other side of the pews. Kel was still in psychiatric hold. And Hero...

It moved faster than before, speeches from his mother, then father, then there were psalms, then the burial. There wasn't a viewing, apparently the body was in too poor of condition, or whatever euphemisms the morgue gave. There was a plastic folding table on the platform, with photos in cheap, flimsy frames and bouquets of white flowers- lilies, carnations, chrysanthemums...

On the way out to the new gravesite, everyone was encouraged to take a flower or two, so they could be laid before the stone. The six or so guests went up and down the stairs, grabbing the snowy blooms, awkwardly brushing shoulders. The bright of the white and green stood in stark contrast against the black of the funeral goers' clothes.

Aubrey tapped Sunny on the shoulder before he walked up, making a point not to face the metal vases, "Could you, maybe... get me some?" Sunny blinked. "Look, I can't see that- I can't see his face- not after... that..." she paused, "Please..." He walked up the stairs, grabbing a large handful of flowers. He counted half into each hand, then gave one handful to Aubrey. She shot her friend a quick smile before returning to the somber expression everyone else held as she entered the lawn.

The new stone was to the left of Mari's grave, covering most of the blood stains on the dirt and grass. The sun still beat down despite the cold, chilled late October winds. Just like nine days ago, the hole was dug, the casket lowered, the dirt covered it once more, and sod messily planted over.

Everyone laid their flowers at the foot of the grave before saying their final goodbyes and leaving, in their wake a patch of petal-snow. The epitaph was simple, "Our dear Henry- the moon rose higher with you."

"They're together again," Aubrey said with a bittersweet smile, "This is what both of them would've wanted. Maybe they're somewhere else... talking, or something. I know it sounds cheesy, but I hope they're happy."

Sunny walked over to Mari's grave right by. He picked up the box, still a bit open, the paper sticking out soaked by rain in the exposed area. He turned it around in his hands. "It's all real, isn't it..." a single tear rolled down his cheek, "All of this... They're not coming back for me, are they..."

"It'll be okay, Sunny," Basil walked over and put his arm around the boy's shoulders, "I promise, I'll stay here for you. Maybe they're gone, but I'm here."

"I'm here too, I mean, we're not all leaving..." Aubrey was still standing, "Anyways... let's go. We should be back at the hospital, Kel is gonna leave psychiatric hold early next morning, and it's getting late... Plus, we'd get free dinner, and I don't really feel like having to make myself more cup noodles."

"Y- yeah... Let's go, Sunny." Basil stood up too, and the three children left the graveyard.

Chapter Text

The nurse walked out of the psychiatric ward with Kel, who was limping forward on crutches.

"He's in stable condition, both physically and mentally, according to our tests. He was in shock after seeing the body, which I'm sure you can imagine would have severe psychological effects... Luckily this was caught in time, otherwise there could have been much worse consequences, but there's only weakened muscles... He'll be fine, but if the crutches don't work, come back and get a wheelchair. We'll mail the bills to his house." She gave a smile to the kids before walking back into the room.

"I'm glad everything ended up okay- if I lost someone else..." Aubrey trailed off, hand tightly gripping her other elbow.

Sunny tapped her on the shoulder. "Can I talk to you..? Somewhere they can't overhear..." His voice was quiet, as usual. He walked over behind the same vending machines as Aubrey sat under days ago.

"What do you need..." Aubrey's voice was flat.

Sunny took in a deep breath, "Look, I don't know how to say this... but Basil didn't mess with the photo album. It was me. Please, don't hate him... Hate me instead. I actually deserve it-"

"No- no, I won't hate you-" Aubrey sighed, "I can't- not really- I've lost so much already... I can't just get over all this, but I'm trying- I can't lose the only friends I have left..."

Basil walked over, "Su-"

"Hi, Basil," Aubrey turned around.

"I thought you hated me-"

"It's fine," she smiled, "I just wanted to ask... Can we be friends again? I'm sorry for being a bitch... I couldn't keep losing everything-"

Basil smiled at her, holding out his hand. She took it.

"At least we're all friends again," he muttered.

"Group hug?" Kel tried hobbling closer to everyone, but tripped and twisted his ankle, not being used to the crutches.

"Well I see you're still an idiot, as per usual," Aubrey laughed.

"Hey!"

"Thanks..." Sunny muttered, "Thank you all for not hating me..."

"We've gotta be here for each other, forever," Aubrey smiled at each of her three friends, "Promise."

"Friends?" Basil asked.

Aubrey affirmed with a smile, "Friends."

Chapter Text

4 months later

It was in their "secret hangout spot", a red plaid picnic blanket laid out on the snowy grass. Aubrey had made a bunch of cookies earlier that day using Mari's old recipe, and Basil brought some warmed up sandwiches. It was actually just his thirteenth birthday a few days ago, they hadn't figured out a proper celebration, but in the meantime they made the time to have a picnic. Kel's crutches were half-covered by the snow starting to fall in a light flurry, while the others hurriedly opened and closed Mari's old picnic basket, trying to protect its contents from the cold. Their puffy coats scraped against everything.

For a moment all four of the children stopped moving, looking up at the flurry forming above. The snowflakes were large, light, and fluffy, forming perfectly untouched piles atop every stone.

Aubrey reached over, wiping the snow off of one of the stones. "Hi, Mari," she smiled, reaching over to clear the other stone, "and hi, Hero." She took a deep breath then turned her head slightly back to her friends, "Four months ago... it's like... weird, I guess, Halloween, Christmas, New Year's... without them... But it feels normal, but also like it's brand new, y'know?"

"Honestly, it still doesn't seem real," Kel laid, his hair falling into the snow, "Still, I'm sorry about worrying all of you then. I was being a bit stupid..."

"It's not stupid," Sunny was quiet below his layers of jackets, "I'm glad you're alive, we all are..."

"I still can't tell..." Basil trailed off, watching snowflakes dissolve in his cold hand, "If it's getting easier, or if I'm just getting more used to it, like, I still miss them, but now life seems a bit more normal, even without them."

"I think both, don't they say, like, 'time heals all wounds' or something? In time it'll get better, but you also get used to being without them," Aubrey said.

"I guess, yeah."

The group fell into a silence again.

"I love this weather," Aubrey said, looking up at the snow pouting from the sky, "And I think Mari would too. She always loved the winter..."

She reached into the picnic basket and pulled out two of the leftover sandwiches and two cookies. She placed one of each at each grave.

"There. Now we're all having a picnic with each other." she smiled.

"We need to do this more often," Sunny said.

"Yeah, it's really nice to all be together again," Basil said.

The four kids smiled, laughed, and talked until they were too chilled to stay, so they began to head back.

"I'm glad all of us are happy," Sunny stared down at both graves, "We needed some peace."

And peace, for once, they had.