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It had been six months since the confession.
Sunny still remembered his friends' reactions perfectly.
"How could you do that?!" Aubrey screamed, her voice wavering.
Sunny couldn't move or respond.
"You hid it from us for four years, Sunny! Do you—do you even know what that did to us?!"
Aubrey shook, clenching her fist tightly her knuckles turned white. Her voice cracked, but no tears fell. Hero was silent. His face was unreadable. His hands were trembling as he averted his eyes from Sunny. Kel just stared at the floor.
After a long moment, Aubrey ran out first. Then Hero followed her. Kel turned back to Sunny, his mouth opened slightly — like he wanted to say something — but he stopped himself and walked out without a word.
Those memories kept repeating in his head. He just lay in bed thinking of them. Over and over again.
A notification popped up.
Basil: Hi Sunny. How's the city?
Sunny: It's fine, but I still like Faraway better.
Basil: Really? Well, you can always visit here anytime.
There was a long silence between them.
Basil: It'd be nice if you came back. Even just for a little.
Lots of thoughts ran through his mind. Should I really visit them? What would they think of me?
Would they see me as their friend again?
Sunny shook his head.
No. I can't run away again. Besides, Basil wanted me to visit.
But what about them?
He hesitated before he finally replied.
Sunny: Okay
...
It was a three-hour bus ride from his city.
Sunny looked out of the windows. His thoughts were still circling around them. Right now, he didn't want to meet any of them yet. Not at all.
Aubrey was an obvious no. If she saw me, she would probably beat me up with no mercy.
Hero was also a no. I remembered how he reacted when I told the truth. Avoiding him would be the best option.
Kel? Though he seemed forgiving, he couldn't even look me in the eyes. Maybe that was a bad idea too.
So if I spent all day at Basil's house, it would solve all those problems?
Possibly.
He sighed.
I hope I won't see any of them today.
Sunny's eyes continued to lock onto the window, watching signs continuously pass by. He listened to the hum of the bus tires. It was like music to his ears.
As time went by, Sunny was approaching his destination. He could see the familiar trees in the distance. The anxiety was slowly rising inside him. He began tapping his fingers, glancing back and forth.
There was a poster reading 'Welcome to Faraway Town' on the sidewalk.
"Folks, we have arrived at the Faraway Town," the old bus driver said.
And here I am in Faraway.
Sunny saw lots of changes around him as he was walking. They were mostly the same as six months ago. Hobbeez was more modern, with new colorful neon lights decorating the outside. The basketball court's old hoop was replaced. Their old playground hadn't changed, though the colors were slightly faded. The old lady's booth was still here, but there was no sign of her around.
He saw the view of Kel and Hero's house from afar. From where he could see, the light was on. He briefly saw Kel and Hero's dad doing something in front of the house. It looked like a new basketball hoop. He might be building this for Kel.
He also saw Aubrey's house. The house was in much worse shape than he remembered. A lot of trash was scattered on the lawn. I wish I could do more to help but...
He continued walking.
Just a few blocks and —
"Sunny!"
Out of nowhere, Kel pulled him into a bear hug, startling him.
"Long time no see, man! How've you been?"
Why is he so nice to me?
"G-Good..."
"Let's go to Gino's. I really miss hanging out with you, you know?"
Really?
"C'mon, let's go!"
And now, Kel was walking toward Gino's. Sunny didn't know what to do, so he just followed behind him. Although Sunny wasn't yet comfortable with him, he was bombarded with questions from Kel.
"How's the city? Is it much different from here?"
"It's fine..."
"How's the food? I heard a new restaurant opened in your town too! Is it any good?"
"I haven't tried them yet..."
They continued to chat along the way. Sunny didn't feel any hostility or anger from Kel at all.
Why?
The bell above Gino's door jingled as they stepped inside; the same old greasy smell greeted him. The old jukebox was still there. The place was empty except for Gino, who was working at the counter.
"Two whole pizzas, Gino!"
"That's a lot, Kel. You sure about that?" Gino asked.
"Of course!" Kel answered quickly.
"And what about you, little guy?"
"No problem at all, he can share with me!" Kel threw an arm around Sunny's shoulder.
"Okay? So that'll bring a total of $20."
Kel reached for his wallet — and realized.
"Aw man, I forgot my wallet again!" Kel turned to Sunny.
"Sunny, can you spot me? Please?"
Some things really didn't change.
Sunny reached for the wallet and...
It only had $15.
Oh.
"I don't have enough money..."
"Oh..." Kel trailed off.
Gino let out a long, heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You know what? If you do a few deliveries for me, then you don't have to pay. Deal?"
That lit Kel up instantly. "Deal! C'mon Sunny, you can do a few deliveries with me, right?"
Sunny gave Kel a hesitant nod.
"Okay then."
"Sunny, how do I look?" Kel asked, gesturing to the pizza delivery outfit he was now wearing alongside him.
Sunny gave him a thumbs up.
"Let's do this together."
Thirty minutes later
"How can you even read this?" Kel squinted at Gino's illegible handwriting.
"I think this says 'green roof with a trash can in front'?" Sunny stated.
"There it is! I think that is the last one!" Kel pointed at the house. They hurriedly ran to it.
The door opened to reveal—
"Mincy?!" Kel's smile grew even wider. "Nice seeing you again! How's art school?"
"Hi Kel! Hi Sunny!" She gave them a warm smile. "And guess what? I got a scholarship!"
"I knew you'd get it. Your drawings are really good! You never let your number one and number two fans down!" Kel nudged Sunny's arm, grinning.
Mincy blushed at the compliment. "Hehe — Thank you, Kel."
Then, she seemed to remember something. "Oh!, and before you go, I want to give you something. Wait here!" Mincy ran back into her house.
And she came back with a drawing of the younger versions of themselves — Kel, Sunny, Basil, Aubrey, and Hero — smiling together.
"This is really nice, Mincy. Thank you!"
"Of course!" She paid them for the delivery and took the pizza. "See you later!"
"See you!" Kel waved back.
He stared at the drawing a little longer than usual.
A long silence stretched between them before Kel started speaking.
"Man... we've changed a lot, huh?" He kicked a pebble across the sidewalk. His voice changed slightly.
The breeze brushed the leaves, making a gentle rustling sound.
"Yeah." Sunny kept his eyes on the ground.
"We used to do this all the time," Kel softly said, looking into the sky "just hanging out befo—"
He stopped himself.
"Ah—forget it." Kel awkwardly laughed. "C'mon, Sunny. Let's go back."
...
As they walked, Sunny broke the comfortable silence.
"Um, are you... mad at me?"
Kel stopped walking. The sudden halt made Sunny freeze a few paces ahead.
Kel turned to Sunny, scratching his head. "For what?"
Sunny didn't answer. He avoided eye contact with him. When Kel seemed to pick up on it, he started fidgeting with his fingers, rubbing his arms nervously.
"Um..." Kel looked up at the sky, then down at his sneakers. He kicked a crack in the pavement. "Maybe... a little."
Sunny felt a knot tighten in his stomach. Kel didn't try to fill it with a joke or a distraction this time. He just stood there, wrestling with a feeling he clearly hated having. He let out a long, frustrated exhale.
"I don't know what I'm supposed to feel," Kel admitted, his voice rougher than usual. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second. "It really hurt, Sunny."
Sunny kept his eyes glued to the pavement, the guilt wrapping around his throat.
Kel kicked the pavement one more time, then finally looked up. "But I don't hate you." He said it quickly, urgently, like he needed Sunny to hear it before it got any heavier.
"Just... don't keep stuff like that from me again. Okay?" Kel offered a small, strained smile. It wasn't his usual bright beam, but it was real.
They kept walking.
No word was shared, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as before.
After they ate pizza at Gino's, Kel ran through the activities he wanted to do today.
"Where should we go, Sunny? I don't really want to go back to my house right now." Kel let out a big groan.
Sunny wasn't sure if he should suggest it but he managed to mention it anyway.
"Basil's house?"
Kel's smile briefly wavered.
"S-Sure!"
Kel quickened his pace for a second, then slowed down.
...
While they were walking, Kel constantly kicked the pebble across the sidewalk. His face wasn't as bright as before. It felt like he was trying to hide something from him.
When Kel reached the house, he just stood there, staring at the door.
There were more flowers around the front of the house than Sunny remembered. His eyes lingered on a patch of lilies of the valley.
Knock Knock Knock
"Hello, is anyone there?" Kel knocked on the door loudly. The door opened. It was Basil.
"H-Hi Kel, w-what are you doing here?"
Then he saw Sunny.
"Sunny! You finally came! I-I've been waiting for you." Basil beamed, his eyes tired.
Basil took a quick look at Kel. He seemed focused on the plants he had grown, but he paid no mind.
"Come inside. Polly had the tea ready now."
Basil's house was still full of plants and flowers. On the table, his polaroid camera sat beside five or six thick photo albums. It seemed well-used; maybe he had taken a part-time job as a photographer.
Basil, Sunny and Kel were sitting. The sound of the clock filled the room. No one dared to start the conversation.
"So um..." Basil tried to break the ice.
"W-What are you holding, Kel?"
"O-Oh, it's from Mincy," he said, his eyes still focused on the table.
"Can I see it?"
Kel gave him the paper. He didn't even look at him.
Basil looked down at the drawing. His smile faded and he started gripping the paper hard.
A silence covered the room once again.
Then Polly came in, seeming to notice how tense the situation was.
"Hey Kel!, can you lend me a hand with the dinner?"
"Y-Yes, coming!" He tried to sound enthusiastic.
The tension was relieved slightly.
Basil was tracing at the edge of the paper.
"What's wrong, Basil?" Sunny asked, trying to reach out to him.
That caught his attention.
"Ahh— Sorry. It's just..."
He paused for a moment.
"Kel's been avoiding me ever since... that."
Sunny knew what he was referring to.
"I think he might hate me." His voice was fading into a whisper.
The sound from the kitchen drifted in. Kel was talking cheerfully with Polly.
"He doesn't hate you," Sunny said quietly.
"But he didn't look at me at all." His shoulders stiffened as he spoke.
"But he came here today. He didn't have to."
Basil was staring at the drawing.
"Do you think we can ever go back to the way it was?"
Sunny stared at the drawing too. Five of them smiling.
"No," he said honestly.
Basil flinched at that response.
"But maybe," he continued. "...we can make new memories together."
Basil traced the drawing, gently this time.
He let out a shaky breath. "I'm scared."
Sunny nodded. "Me too."
Basil's hand on the paper gradually loosened. The trembling in his hands eased slightly.
Then a sound came from the kitchen.
"Sunny, Basil. Dinner's ready," Polly tenderly called.
...
Basil still kept glancing at Kel. The unsaid tension still enveloped the room.
"...And then I joined the school basketball team competition and got first place!" Kel returned to his energetic self once again.
"You have real potential, Kel." Polly said softly.
"Thank you for dinner, Polly."
He started putting on his shoes, preparing to head home. While Kel was at the door, he turned his face to Basil.
"Hey."
Basil froze. "Y-Yeah?"
"I'm not... avoiding you on purpose. I just don't know what to say to you."
"I'm sorry," Basil said quickly.
"Don't apologize... I just need a bit of time, okay?"
Basil fidgeted his fingers. "...Okay."
Kel finally looked at him fully. "I don't hate you or anything."
He rubbed the back of his neck, breaking eye contact for a second.
"...And you can keep that drawing if you really want it." He let out a small, awkward chuckle.
Basil gave a small nod.
"See you again, Basil! Sunny!" Kel gently closed the door.
Basil released a long sigh he didn't know he was holding.
The rest of the evening passed quietly. The lights finally went out.
It was almost midnight.
Sunny stared at the ceiling.
"Hey, Basil."
"H-Huh?"
"Do you know how Aubrey and Hero feel about... us?"
"I don't know..."
Sunny gazed down at his sleeping bag.
"You could try... talking to them tomorrow."
Sunny was sitting there with a pensive expression.
"Maybe."
Sunny finally went to sleep.
...
Welcome to WHITE SPACE
You won't be staying here for long.
The room was silent.
No sketchbook.
No laptop.
No lightbulb hanging from the ceiling.
No door.
The white stretched endlessly in every direction.
There was no sound beneath his feet.
He walked.
There was nothing to find.
Slowly, he sat down.
He closed his eyes.
His thoughts drifted — circling. About them.
He knew he couldn't avoid them forever, but...
He was afraid of how they would think of him.
All of a sudden, laughter broke through the stillness.
He could feel the presence around him.
Sunny's eyes opened.
Grass brushed against his fingers.
Warmth spilled over his skin — gentle morning sunlight, familiar and golden.
The scent of grass and summer filled his lungs.
"This is a perfect place for a picnic, isn't it?" a teenage girl's voice chimed brightly.
"Everywhere is perfect if it's with you, Mari."
His breath grew heavy.
Sunny pushed himself upright.
They were here. Beside him.
Kel was holding Hector. Aubrey was sitting cross-legged. Basil was adjusting his camera. Hero stayed beside Mari, holding hands.
The red-and-white checkered blanket was spread neatly over the grass with a basket filled with a variety of fruit.
It wasn't Headspace. It was a real memory.
Kel scrunched his face. "Ewwww, Hero. That's so cheesy."
Mari giggled. "Oh Hero~, you're so embarrassing sometimes~"
Hero rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly.
"Kel! Let them have their moment!" Aubrey stood up and shot back. Kel stuck his tongue out.
Mari turned to Basil. "Hey, Basil! Can we take a picture of us together? This feels like a perfect scene."
Basil lit up immediately.
"Of course, Mari!" He carefully handed her the camera before hurrying back to stand beside Sunny.
Sunny felt the brush of his shoulder.
"Alright, everyone!" Mari lifted the camera, beaming.
"Say cheese!"
The sunlight felt warmer.
Sunny looked at them.
At her.
The shutter clicked.
The dream was interrupted as Sunny woke up in his sleeping bag.
He looked at the clock.
6:03 AM.
He stretched a little. He noticed the dried tear tracks on his face when his arms brushed against it.
I probably cried in my sleep again.
He sat up.
The house was quiet. Too quiet.
He went to the bathroom and stared into a mirror.
Normally, he would have been frightened—expecting to see Something looming behind him.
But this time, there was nothing there.
Just himself.
He held his own gaze a moment longer, and then he turned away.
Not wanting to fall back asleep, he brushed his teeth and went out, closing the door carefully behind him. The air outside wasn't cold, but it wasn't warm either.
He had a plan today. A special place to revisit — the one filled with memories he had cherished for years.
The old hangout spot hadn't changed at all. The old toys were scattered around.
Those pinwheels were still there. Their pinwheels.
"Mari..." he murmured.
He found a place to sit. The picnic blanket beneath him wasn't hers anymore. This one was blue.
Sunny sighed.
The water was a little murkier than he remembered. A cold breeze ruffled his hair. He let himself breathe, silently enjoying the moment.
Then, he heard footsteps behind him. He could feel the hesitation in each step as they drew closer. They were coming his way.
"S-Sunny?" A girl's voice was shaky.
Anxiety rushed through his chest. Cold sweat prickled his back.
He knew that voice.
He tried to steady his breathing and finally forced himself to look at her.
"It's really you..." Aubrey said.
Then, her expression hardened. Her hands curled into fists. "What are you doing here?"
Sunny struggled to come up with the words. His silence seemed to infuriate her.
"I said, what are you doing here?" Her voice was louder now, startling the birds in the nearby trees.
"I..." The words wouldn't come out. He looked at the lake instead of her. "I miss this place."
They sounded small. Aubrey stared at him.
"You do?"
The wind picked up slightly, stirring the water.
"Then why didn't you come here sooner?"
She took a step closer. "You hid it from me for four years."
Each word felt deliberate.
"Four years, Sunny!"
He remembered her screaming in the hospital room.
"Four years that I blamed Basil." Her breathing grew uneven. "Four years that you let me turn out like this."
She gripped her hands harder.
"And then you just disappeared. Like I didn't matter?"
Sunny pressed his fingers into his palms until they hurt. "I thought..." His voice faltered. "I thought I'd make it worse."
She blinked. "What?"
"If I stayed... I thought I'd just mess it up again," he continued, quieter now. "I thought it'd be better... if I wasn't there."
Aubrey let out a harsh, bitter laugh that held absolutely no warmth.
"Better? Better for who, Sunny? For us? Or for you?"
Sunny shrank back, his eyes glued to the murky water.
She took another step toward him, her voice trembling with venom. "You didn't have to watch it. You locked yourself away in your house. You didn't have to see Hero completely give up on everything. You didn't see Kel trying so desperately to pretend he was all fine while his family fell apart."
Aubrey clenched her teeth. "Do you know how many times I've come back here? Every single day!"
She grabbed the fabric of her jacket tightly.
"You didn't have to walk past this lake and know that everyone you loved had abandoned you!"
Her words pinned him to the spot. Sunny didn't know how to answer. "I'm sorry," he managed to mumble.
She stood there, glaring at him. He waited for the impact, waited for her to push him or hit him.
Instead, she grabbed a loose stone from the dirt and hurled it into the lake.
Splash.
The sound echoed loudly, leaving a ripple that slowly distorted their reflections. Aubrey watched the water settle, her hands still curled into tight fists. She took another shaky breath, then another. The fierce fire in her eyes didn't vanish all at once; it flickered, struggling to stay lit against an exhaustion.
Slowly, the fight drained out of her. Her shoulders dropped.
"I-I always felt like..." Her voice finally broke. She swallowed hard, staring at the ground. "I wasn't needed anymore."
A few tears spilled over, tracking through the dust on her cheeks, but she didn't wipe them away. She sank down where she was standing and turned her face away. He could hear a light, muffled sob.
He slowly moved to sit beside her — not too close.
"I... don't know what to do," he said, his hands trembling in his lap.
"I'm still mad at you," she admitted, her voice thick.
"I know."
"I still don't forgive you for that."
"You don't have to."
Silence settled between them as the lake rippled. Eventually, Aubrey steadied her breathing.
"...But don't just disappear from me like that again."
"I won't."
She studied him for a long moment as if deciding whether to believe, then wiped her eyes. "Idiot," she muttered. There wasn't any heat in it.
She stared at the pinwheels, her eyes lingering on a purple one.
"She would've yelled at us right now," she said, softer than before. "For acting like this."
He remembered Mari scolding Kel and Aubrey for arguing over her cookies. Aubrey refused to apologize to Kel even when Mari made her. But eventually, they still reconciled — they always did.
"You're thinking about her too, aren't you?" Aubrey asked, bringing him back.
"Yeah."
The wind softened.
The sun slowly rose to the sky, shining brightly.
"Sorry for bursting out earlier," she sighed. "I'm trying to be better about that."
"You have the right to be mad," he said. "I really messed things up."
"Don't say that."
"It's true."
"That's not—" She cut herself off and glanced away. "I messed up too. You weren't the only one."
A car passed in the distance. Aubrey's clenched hands slowly loosened. She looked at the sky and let out a heavy sigh. "Do you want to go somewhere else?"
Sunny just shrugged.
"I guess we can stay here for a while."
The sun rose higher, the light growing stronger. The water glittered under the morning sky.
She watched Sunny out of the corner of her eye. He looked smaller than she remembered, staring blankly at the lake.
"You came back, though," she said suddenly.
Sunny blinked, turning his head slightly. "What?"
"After everything, you still came back here. To face me." Aubrey tore a blade of grass from the dirt, rolling it between her fingers. "That takes guts. Or stupidity. Probably both."
Sunny didn't answer, but his shoulders relaxed a fraction.
Her expression darkened as a new, heavier thought settled over her. "I don't know if I could do it. Facing someone after destroying them."
He knew exactly who she was talking about.
She dragged her hands down her face in frustration. "I was awful to him, Sunny. I made his life a living hell because I needed someone to blame. And he just took it. He took all of it."
Aubrey swallowed hard. She stared at the dirt, the weight of her past actions pressing down on her shoulders.
"Should I go talk to him?" she mumbled.
"You could, if you wanted," Sunny said.
She blinked, surprised she had spoken out loud. She dropped the torn grass and let out a heavy, ragged sigh.
"I don't know," she was fidgeting with her fingers. "I'm angry at him, but..."
The gentle wind passed through the leaves, making them brush against each other.
"You could try."
She thought for a full minute.
Then, she nodded once, a sharp, decisive movement. "I guess I could."
She stood up, brushing the dirt off her jeans, and walked out from the old hangout spot. Sunny followed behind her.
...
The walk to Basil's house felt longer than Sunny remembered. Aubrey kept her hands shoved into her jacket pockets, occasionally glancing sideways at Sunny, as if checking to make sure he was still there.
As Basil's street came into view, she slowed down, eventually coming to a complete stop in front of his house.
She stood in front of the house, chewing hard on her lower lip.
"I don't know if I can do this," she muttered. "Why would he even want to listen to me?"
"He will," Sunny said quietly.
Aubrey let out a sharp breath, looking at the ground. "If Basil screams at me or something, just... let him, okay? Don't try to defend me."
Sunny simply nodded. "He won't."
She stood there, her fists clenching and unclenching inside her jacket. Finally, she closed her eyes, took a deep, shaky breath.
She marched up to the door.
Knock Knock Knock
"Basil... Can we talk?"
Muffled footsteps and quiet mumbling echoed from behind the wall.
The door opened.
"A-Aubrey I—I'm sorry, please forgive me."
"You always say that." Aubrey took a quick breath. "I'm still mad. But that's not why I'm here."
"W-What?"
She avoided his gaze.
"I spent four years being awful to you. No matter what happened, I shouldn't have treated you like that."
"But I'm the one who—"
"Stop," she cut him off. "Just... let me say this."
She steadied herself.
"I never actually apologized to you. Not properly."
She swallowed.
"...So I'm sorry."
Basil froze. He stared at her like he didn't know what to do with an apology.
He sighed.
"I... don't know what to say," he admitted.
"You don't have to say anything," Aubrey muttered. "I just needed to say it."
Basil stood in the doorway for a long time, processing his thoughts. His hands gripped the doorframe, but eventually, his shoulder dropped. He stepped back, leaving the door open as a silent invitation.
When they stepped into the hallway, the familiar scent of plants hit Sunny once again.
"Basil? Is everything—" Polly stopped mid-sentence as she rounded the corner from the kitchen. She saw Aubrey and Sunny. The air was tense.
She offered a gentle smile to greet them. "Hello. Aubrey, isn't it? It's... really nice to see you again."
Aubrey gave a stiff, awkward nod, her eyes darting around the room. Her gaze landed on a small pot in the corner—a tiny gladiolus, its pink petals just beginning to unfurl. She walked over to it.
"U-Um, I just bought it last week," Basil said, hovering a few feet behind her. "I—I still try to take care of it every day."
Aubrey traced the edge of its leaf. "Yeah," she murmured. "I can see that."
Aubrey pulled her hand back.
"So, um... the garden is out back," Basil gestured weakly. "If you want to see it."
"Uh, Sure," Aubrey muttered.
"Then I'll let you three catch up." Polly smiled gently, giving Basil's shoulder a light, reassuring squeeze. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything." She quietly slipped away, leaving them alone in the hallway.
They stepped out into the garden.
Basil's garden was huge. He had everything organized in sections, almost like how Sunny remembered his own Headspace. The morning air was crisp, carrying the sweet, earthy scent of damp soil. But the silence between the three of them was suffocating. They hadn't stood together like this—without screaming or running away—in four years. None of them knew what to do next.
Basil nervously rubbed his arm, his eyes darting around his backyard. Unable to handle the quiet, he slowly gravitated toward a nearby watering can.
"I-I usually water them around this time," he mumbled, keeping his back to them as he tipped the water over a bed of daisies. His shoulders were still tense, expecting Aubrey to scoff or make a sharp comment like she always used to.
But Aubrey didn't say anything mean.
"You really kept it going," Aubrey said, her voice soft, almost a whisper.
Basil stopped pouring. He peeked over his shoulder. "H-Huh?"
Aubrey pulled her hands from her pockets and took a slow, tentative step onto the grass. "The garden. I remember we used to help you plant seeds back then. But you did all of this." She gestured to the sprawling flowerbeds. "It's beautiful, Basil."
Basil's breath hitched. He looked down at the watering can, a faint, genuine blush touching his cheeks. "T-Thank you, Aubrey."
"Got another watering can? I think I can help," Aubrey asked.
Basil's eyes widened, surprised. He instinctively took a half-step back, his grip tightening on his own can. "Y-Yeah," he stammered, pointing to the corner of the patio. "You can get it from there."
Aubrey nodded and retrieved it, filling it at the spigot. Sunny grabbed a small trowel to help weed, just to give his hands something to do.
For a long time, the only sound in the garden was the gentle splash of water against the soil and the rustling of leaves. The tension from the hallway hadn't entirely vanished; it hung over them. Every time Aubrey stepped a little too close, Basil's shoulders would stiffen. He kept his eyes glued to the dirt, terrified of doing something wrong. Aubrey noticed, her jaw tightening slightly, but she didn't push. She just kept watering.
Ten minutes passed in heavy silence. The repetitive task slowly seemed to ground them. Basil's grip on his watering can eventually loosened.
As Aubrey was watering a row of vibrant flowers, she paused, spotting a tall pink gladiolus. She leaned in to take a closer look, the tense line of her shoulders finally softening.
Basil peeked over. He hesitated, his voice barely above a whisper. "These... um... these gladioli match your hair perfectly."
"Really? Thanks Basil." Aubrey said with a smile, her voice softer than he had heard her today.
She came up with an idea. "Can you take the picture of me with them? I really like these flowers."
For the first time today, Sunny saw a genuine smile appeared on his face.
"Sure, let me get my camera first," he hurried back into the house.
Aubrey stepped fully into the patch of pink gladioli. She tilted her head, brushing a petal with her thumb as she looked down. The morning sunlight filtered through the trees, catching the bright pink of her hair and softening the harsh edges she usually carried.
She looked up, catching Sunny staring at her. A grin formed on her lips.
"Hey Sunny," she asked with a playful tone. "How do I look?"
Sunny froze. A small, unfamiliar warmth bloomed in his chest.
She looks so cute.
It was a thought he hadn't allowed himself to have for a very long time. He swallowed hard, suddenly hyper-aware of where to put his hands.
"Good," Sunny managed to say. "You look... really good."
Aubrey blinked, slightly taken aback. A soft blush appeared on her own cheeks. Then, a genuine, radiant smile broke across her face.
"Look at you, actually giving compliments," she giggled, leaning toward him slightly.
Sunny felt the heat rush to his face. His ears burned bright red.
"I'm back!" Basil announced, the screen door clapping shut behind him, saving Sunny from overheating. He returned with his Polaroid camera and a photo album in hand, catching the tail end of their exchange. He offered Sunny a knowing wink. "Are you ready, Aubrey?"
"Yeah," she breathed, her eyes lingering on Sunny for just a second longer before she turned to the lens.
He adjusted his camera, holding it up to his eye. With a loud click, the flash briefly blinded them.
"It seemed to turn out well." Basil handed the developing photo to Aubrey. She watched the colors slowly appear on the white paper.
"Wow, Basil. You're actually really good at this," she said, sounding impressed.
"Thanks. I've been practicing a lot lately."
Aubrey looked at the picture for a moment, then she turned to both of them. "Hey, let's take one together," she suggested. "We need a new picture of us anyway."
"Good idea, Aubrey," Basil said, holding the camera out for a group selfie. "Say cheese!"
Just as Basil was about to press the shutter button, a loud, frantic knocking echoed from the wooden gate at the side of the house, making Basil jump. The camera flashed, completely blurring the shot.
"Basil! Sunny! Are you guys in there? Do you wanna hang out?!" Kel's voice boomed from the other side of the fence.
Aubrey let out an exasperated sigh and marched over to unlatch the gate. Basil and Sunny trailed behind her.
As the gate swung open, Aubrey glared at him. "Kel! We were right in the middle of taking a group photo. And you ruined it."
Kel gasped, pressing a hand to his chest in dramatic betrayal. "What? You're taking a group photo? Without me?"
"W-We can still take a new one together," Basil offered quickly, trying to keep the peace.
"Fine," Aubrey muttered, crossing her arms and looking away, though she couldn't completely hide the small smile forming on her face.
They huddled together and Basil finally snapped a picture of the four of them.
...
"So, where do you guys want to go today?" Kel asked.
"Church," Sunny mumbled. He closed his eyes for a second. "I want to go talk to her."
Kel's smile instantly faltered. Basil flinched, his shoulders pulling inward, while Aubrey's expression tightened into something painfully solemn.
After a heavy beat, Aubrey stepped forward. "I'll go with you," she said firmly.
"Me too," Kel added, his voice unusually quiet.
Basil hesitated, his fingers nervously twisting the hem of his shirt. "...I will go with you, too."
A subtle smile formed on Sunny's lips.
They walked out of the house together. The walk started out with Kel nervously rambling about a new flavor of Orange Joe to fill the quiet. But as the church steeple came into view over the treeline, his conversation slowly died out.
By the time they passed through the church and stepped out into the back lot, no one was speaking at all. The heavy silence of the graveyard swallowed them whole. They slowly walked toward the grave.
Sunny stared at the name carved into the stone.
He gently brushed a fallen leaf off the engraved letter.
— Our dearest Mari —
The sun shined brighter when she was here.
He swallowed.
"Mari..."
The word barely left his mouth.
"I'm sorry... For not coming sooner."
The rustling sound of the leaves was soft. His fingers curled at his sides.
"I'm trying. With everyone."
Kel shifted behind him.
"I don't want to run away again."
The wind brushed past, quiet. His voice grew smaller.
"Sometimes I think..." He paused. "...maybe I don't deserve them."
Kel took a step forward, but Aubrey caught his wrist.
Sunny blinked hard.
"But they're still here... They didn't leave."
Aubrey moved to stand beside him. Basil followed. Sunny's voice quivered.
"So I'll try." He let out a shaky breath. "I'll keep going. For you... And for them too."
Sunny turned around, and before he could say another word, he was pulled into a tight embrace.
"You don't have to go through this alone," Aubrey said softly, resting her chin near his shoulder.
"Yeah, we'll always be here for you," Kel added, smiling as he wrapped his arms around both of them. Basil gently joined in, completing the circle.
The heavy weight in Sunny's chest finally felt lighter.
As they pulled away and turned to head toward the church exit, they stopped dead in their tracks.
Standing near the wooden door was a tall, familiar figure. He was holding a small bouquet of white egret orchids.
Hero.
Sunny and Basil froze, the breath catching in their throats as their gazes met his. Beside them, Aubrey's shoulders instantly went rigid, and Kel's smile vanished.
Hero just stared at Sunny and Basil. His expression was unreadable. A dead silence fell over the group.
Both of them were trembling hard.
Hero took a long, deep breath.
"Why did you come back?" he asked, his voice terrifyingly calm.
A cold shiver ran down Sunny's spine.
"Why did you come back?!" he repeated, his voice cracking as it rose. He gripped on a bouquet so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"I..." The words died in Sunny's throat.
Hero gritted his teeth, the pain finally bleeding through his anger.
"Do you know how much time I spent thinking about her suicide?" he demanded. "All those years, I was grieving... trying to find what I missed about her. Just to know that it was all a lie."
"Hero, wait... please," Kel pleaded, stepping between his brother and his friends. He held his hands up in a desperate attempt to keep the peace. "Let's just go home. We can talk about this late—"
"Stay out of this, Kel!" Hero snapped.
The sheer venom in his voice made Kel flinch. The younger brother froze, his arms dropping to his sides. He hadn't heard Hero yell like that in years.
Hero took another heavy step toward Sunny and Basil. Both of them instinctively shrank back.
But before Hero could get any closer, Aubrey shoved herself right into his path. She planted her feet firmly, shielding Sunny and Basil behind her back.
"That's enough, Hero," she warned, her voice tight but unwavering.
Hero stopped, staring at her in disbelief. "You're defending them? Aubrey, after everything they put us through? After what they did to Mari?"
"I know what they did!" Aubrey shouted back, her voice echoing off the headstones. She breathed heavily, her fists clenched at her sides. "I know. And I was just as angry as you are. I am angry."
She swallowed hard, forcing her voice to lower. "But screaming at them right in front of her grave isn't going to fix anything."
The words hung in the air, swallowed by the heavy silence of the graveyard.
Hero froze.
His eyes darted from Aubrey's fierce glare to the cold stone resting quietly behind her.
Our dearest Mari
The realization hit him like a physical blow. He was screaming. He was tearing them apart all over again. Right in front of her.
The furious grip on the white egret orchids suddenly loosened. The bouquet slipped from his trembling hand, tumbling softly onto the grass.
All the fight he had just drained out of him. His shoulders slumped. He looked so small. So exhausted.
"I..." Hero choked on the word. He covered his mouth with his hand, taking a shaky, uneven breath. He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head slowly.
When he opened them again, he didn't look at Sunny or Basil. He stared down at the fallen flowers.
"I don't know how to look at you two," he whispered. His voice wasn't angry anymore. It was just completely broken. "Every time I look at you... I just see her at the bottom of those stairs."
Basil let out a muffled, agonizing sob, hiding his face in his hands. Sunny felt the tears finally spill over his eyelashes, tracing the dried tracks from the morning.
Aubrey's protective stance wavered. Her arms dropped slightly. Even Kel, who was still frozen a few feet away, looked like he was going to cry.
Hero wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve. He took a step backward, away from them. Away from the grave.
"Just... don't follow me," he managed to say. "Please."
He turned around and walked away, leaving the four of them standing alone in the quiet cemetery.
Sunny knelt, gathered the white egret orchids from the dirt, and set them back where they belonged. As the four of them left the church grounds, no one spoke.
The walk back to Basil's house was agonizingly slow. The adrenaline that had spiked in the graveyard had completely drained away, leaving behind a heavy, hollow exhaustion. Sunny's legs felt like lead with every step.
When they finally reached the house, the suffocating silence followed them inside. They drifted into the living room like ghosts. Sunny slumped against the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor. Basil curled into his chair, his eyes red and vacant. Kel collapsed onto the couch, staring blankly at his shoes.
There were no jokes. No nervous rambling to fill the void. Kel just looked incredibly tired.
Aubrey leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her eyes darted around the room, desperately looking for something—anything—to anchor her.
Hours bled by. The afternoon sun slowly dipped below the horizon, and evening quietly faded into night, casting long, stretching shadows across Basil's living room floor. None of them made a move to turn on the lights except for Polly. The house grew dim.
Eventually, Aubrey let out a ragged sigh. She pushed off the wall and walked over to the table. Right next to Basil's Polaroid camera was the piece of paper Kel had given Basil earlier.
She picked it up carefully. It had a signature at the bottom of the sketch: Mincy.
Aubrey stared at it for a long time. The five of them, young and unburdened, smiling back at her from the paper. Aubrey's face slowly began to soften. Her thumb gently brushed over the graphite edge.
"We were so small," Aubrey murmured. Her voice broke the silence.
Basil looked up, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. "Y-Yeah. Mincy drew that."
"She's really good at this. I like it," Aubrey said, a faint, bittersweet smile forming on her lips. She glanced at Kel. "I heard that you helped her with it too, right?"
Kel blinked, pulling himself from his trance. A tiny hollow laugh escaped him. "Not really... She did all of that by herself. I didn't really help her that much."
He didn't say anything else, his gaze returning to the floor. But the air in the room felt just a bit lighter.
Knock Knock
Everyone froze.
Sunny felt his heart leap into his throat. Aubrey's posture instantly stiffened, her protective instincts flaring up again. Basil gripped the edge of his chair.
Is it Hero? Did he come back?
"I'll get it," Kel said quietly. He pushed himself up from the couch and walked toward the door.
Sunny listened to the sound of the clicking, then the door creaking open.
"Hello?" Kel's voice called out into the evening air. A pause. "Hero?"
There was no answer.
Footsteps approached the living room again. Kel walked back in, holding a plastic bag. In his other hand was a small, crumpled sticky note.
"He's not there," Kel said. "But he left this on the porch."
He set the bag on the table. Inside, perfectly baked and still slightly warm, was a batch of chocolate chip cookies.
Kel placed the sticky note next to it. Sunny stepped forward to read the messy handwriting.
I still need some time. But I shouldn't have yelled at you. I'm sorry —Hero
Aubrey let out a long, shaky exhale, resting her hands on the table. Basil stared at the note, fresh tears welling in his eyes, but this time, he wasn't quivering.
Sunny looked at the cookies. Even when he was broken, even when he was furious and grieving, he couldn't stop himself from taking care of them.
"We should... we should probably eat these," Kel whispered, wiping his nose. "Before they get cold."
They gathered around the table. Sunny took a bite. It was perfectly crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside. Just like Mari's.
The last crumb of the cookies disappeared, leaving a lingering, familiar sweetness in the air. The crushing silence from the afternoon had finally morphed into something softer. Something manageable.
Polly quietly peeked into the living room, carrying a large stack of blankets and pillows in her arms. "I thought you all might want to just crash here tonight," she said gently, setting the linens on the edge of the couch. "It's getting late, and I imagine you're all completely exhausted."
"Thanks, Polly," Basil murmured, offering her a small, genuine smile.
Once she wished them a good night and went back to her room, they began pushing the coffee table aside to make room on the carpet.
"You can take the couch, I don't mind sleeping on the floor anyway." Kel said nonchalantly to Aubrey.
"Heh, thanks Kel." Aubrey said, tossing a pillow at his head before grabbing a heavy teal blue blanket for herself. Even though Kel looked like a complete idiot to her, he genuinely cared about his friends.
Basil carefully unrolled his sleeping bag near his potted sunflower, and Sunny took the remaining space right in the center of the room.
The lights clicked off.
The only illumination left was the pale moonlight filtering through the living room window, casting soft, silver shapes across the floorboards.
For a long time, the only sound was the quiet rustling of fabric and the deep, rhythmic breathing of his friends. Unsurprisingly, Kel was the first to sleep, his snores breaking the quiet of the room.
Sunny lay on his back, staring up at the dark ceiling. His body ached with a deep, bone-weary exhaustion, but for the first time in what felt like forever, his mind was completely quiet.
"Hey... Sunny?"
The whisper was so quiet it almost sounded like the rustling wind outside. It came from Aubrey's direction. Sunny turned his head. She was lying on her side, facing him in the dark.
"Yeah?" he whispered back.
"I'm glad you came back," she murmured. Her voice was stripped of all its usual defenses, leaving only a quiet, raw sincerity. "We really miss you, I hope you know that."
Sunny felt a warmth in his chest.
"Yeah, I'm glad we could hang out like this again," Basil chimed in with a melancholy voice. "Though Hero isn't here right now..."
"He will be," Aubrey whispered back, her voice gentle in the dark. "He just needs time."
Sunny pulled the blanket a little tighter around his shoulders. He listened to the steady rhythm of Kel's snoring, the quiet rustling of the leaves outside the window, and the soft breathing of Aubrey and Basil nearby.
The room wasn't full. The space where Hero should be was still empty, and the crumpled sticky note on the table was a quiet reminder of how much work they still had to do. Things were still messy. Hero was still hurting, Aubrey was still fiercely protective, Basil was still fragile, and Sunny still had a long way to go to forgive himself.
But as he closed his eyes, surrounded by the quiet warmth of the people who chose to stay, the heavy knot in his chest finally loosened.
It wasn't perfect. But they were trying. And for now, that was enough.