Chapter Text
“Where’s the rest of you?”
A voice was heard from behind his shoulder. Though it sounded like a mockery by the tone—it startled Robert out of unexpectedment. Today, he sat alone on a bench that stood in front of the Candy Club. The night has never been so quiet, so full of life under the moonlight which began to rise above the sky. He had allowed the atmosphere of empty music to surround his space before someone had to ruin it. He almost liked it more than his conversations with his usual friends, but he did miss their arguments over nonsense right now.
Robert turned his head like an owl, quick and sharp to the person who stood behind him. A girl with her hair tied up into a ponytail, every hair strand interlocking into one full wave. The clothing that she wore tonight in her signature pink colour. From his perspective, she was taller than him. When really, they were around the same height if he stood up—he could’ve been an inch taller, but wouldn’t be able to tell by his hair, which obscured his actual height.
He’s seen this girl before, and she’s seen him countless times. Susie Wonder, with her usual frowning eyebrows, now relaxed and semi-curious by his sudden loneliness. Her hair dangling on one side of her shoulder as she leaned over, now standing beside Robert as she rested her arms on the rim of backrest.
“Uh,” Robert uttered, “Not here?” he replied, playing with the edge of his phone-case between his hands.
Susie sighed, and walked around the bench to sit beside him, opening a goodie bag of mixed candies she had bought prior to finding Robert, unwrapping a ball of chocolate and offering it to the boy, who gratefully took it, popping it into his mouth.
“Did they get kidnapped on the way here?” Susie joked.
“I hope not.”
“Lost in the woods?”
“Don’t say that,” Robert said, a tone of concern heard in his voice, “Isn’t there a cougar in there?”
Susie shrugged, “I dunno, that’s what the newspaper said.”
Robert hunched over as he tapped his thumbs intensely on the screen, eyes focused on whatever first-person shooting game he’s currently playing as he continued to talk, “Ross is bedridden sick, and Roy got grounded.”
“Huh,” Susie reacted, breaking a chocolate bar as she leaned over, looking over his shoulder as she watched his gameplay, “Why’d Roy get grounded?”
“Spreading the flu onto Ross,” Robert replied, “He probably coughed on his food without noticing.”
Susie huffed out a laugh, overlapping with the sounds coming from Robert’s phone, he forgot to bring his earbuds and had no energy to go back home to retrieve them. He could smell the scent of fresh shampoo and could feel a strand of cold hair brushing against his ear. He thought of his hair, which was dull and lifeless at the moment, it looked more of a big ball of dust bunny or of a tumbleweed. He hoped she didn’t mind the strong odor of a men’s body spray under a ridiculous name to catch a body builder’s attention.
He didn’t let that distract his game, already on a roll and practically carrying his team, pressing vigorously on the controls as he took down the opposing team with difficulty—he played better if someone wasn’t watching him like a hawk.
“You kinda suck at this,” Susie commented, her voice was closer than he thought.
“Shut up,” Robert said, eyes still glued to the screen.
“Hey,” Susie offered another chocolate, “Want another one?”
This time, in front of Robert’s face, distracting him as her hand was in front of the screen. To which Robert moved his head to avoid Susie, he could only see half of his gameplay.
Susie’s hand followed where his eyes went as she continued to tease the chocolate around his face, “You’re not like this when they’re around, hm?”
He could sense a stupid smirk forming between her lips, a muffled giggle trapped behind them. He could hear his character take bullets due to his obscured view, and every moment he tried to see his enemy, a hand would block his view, losing health every time.
“Dude, move,” Robert said as he bit his tongue, “Please.”
Until on cue, a dreadful music played through his phone as he died—his team had lost the match. Robert sighed in defeat, leaning back on the bench as Susie laughed as it echoed through his embarrassing loss.
“Why’d you do that?” he asked, his head resting on the top of the bench, looking up as a dark, yet bright hue began to coat the sky as the moon stood higher than before.
Susie’s laugh faded away, still offering the sweet, “Why not? It’s only you and me, what else is there to do?”
Robert sat up again, turning to face Susie, not realizing how close she was to him. Stunned at the close proximity, it was no wonder he could feel soft breathing hit his cheeks sometimes, or the shuffling of her clothing on his side.
He chewed his bottom lip awkwardly, glancing at the candy in front of him, unsure of what to say. What do you want to do? I didn’t plan anything beforehand, we just bumped into each other.
“I don’t know,” he replied, “Just kinda wanted to… Relax, yeah?”
Susie tilted her neck in response, moving off the bench as she did so, “Okay, here.”
She closed the bag shut, then tossed it onto his lap, “You can have them, I don’t feel like giving them to my brother today.”
Robert switched looks between the bag full of candy and Susie, confused by her current behaviour, “Didn’t you just buy these?”
“Yeah,” Susie answered, “I’ll buy again later, I don’t mind.”
Robert looked at the logo; a pink candy wrap symbol in the middle to represent the store, tied with a pink ribbon meant to seal the yellow bag, was tied again but less pleasant from previously opening it.
“Thank you?”
But no reply came, no sudden gesture or anything.
He looked up again, and the girl was gone. He looked around for any trace of her, but she vanished as quick as a phantom, silent in her footsteps and difficult to find again.
Looking back down at the bag, he untied the ribbon and opened the bag, revealing a variety of candies in different shapes and colours. All except for multiple chocolates wrapped in the same plastic; a red wrapper with a gold logo imprinted whilst surrounding a sphere shaped chocolate neatly, preventing them from melting—the same ones Susie had offered and used to distract him. He could still taste the mixture of dark and milk flavour left on his tongue like residue.
He quickly wrapped the bag again, and held it tight in his grasp. Getting up from the bench and walking away.
—
He doesn’t know how Ross did it, despite being taller than him, the window was the tallest out of them all.
It was as if as soon as he reached his leg higher, his jeans would rip a hole somewhere he couldn't see unless he had a mirror.
Or maybe he wasn’t flexible, the window was never that high, and Susie’s room is on the first floor for crying out loud. Robert is not flexible, even Roy could climb through with ease.
But Ross was still sick—dying in his bed somewhere, and Roy was still grounded—probably also rotting in his bed in sickness and anger, it’ll explode someday.
Unlike Ross, he was kindly invited by Susie, and expected for once. And unlike last time, they weren’t gonna punch bruises on one another and draw blood. Just talk, just hang out.
He remembered how plain his hair was and figured he should wash it, it was proper etiquette when hanging out with somebody, convincing them to make a good impression on him, convincing her and hoping she doesn’t contrast him to those people who live in their mother’s basement, despite being past their 20’s and no motivation of employing themselves to a job.
His hair smelled of a berry-scented shampoo, the shampoo might’ve not been his, he just picked one off the shelf and hoped it didn’t give him hair loss.
Robert hung out with Susie today, finding each other again—coincidentally or not—at the Candy Club. Midway into purchasing a new flavour of rainbow-coloured sweets, he heard the chime of the store door opening, and a less gloomier smile on the worker’s face upon seeing the familiar customer, the more mature sister than her younger and bothersome brother. Robert heard a sigh of relief from the worker, maybe a relief it wasn’t a teenage thief.
He sat on Susie’s bed again; this time not on the edge like a coward, his back pressing onto the wall as he fiddled with his drink, zero percent alcohol. He wanted to walk home without tripping on a pebble, you can’t get drunk off of soda anyway.
Somewhat across from him was Susie, who looked pretty without trying. A makeup, yet no makeup on her face like a filter, her hair draped down like silk curtains instead of being tied into a ponytail—he never knew why she always put it up, she looked better with her hair down.
And now that he thought of it, “Why do you keep your hair up?”
It took a minute to grab her attention, before she finally turned to him. A faint, “Huh?” was heard from her.
A loud scream was heard through the laptop placed in the middle of the bed, facing the two of them. Followed by the scream was a killer in a mask, two hollow eyes of darkness and a stretched out mouth covering the killer’s real face as their whole body was covered in a black cloak. They raised the knife high as their prey tried to run away from them.
“Your hair,” Robert repeated, “Why do you keep it up all the time?”
“Ah,” Susie replied, “I dunno, actually. It just gets in my face all the time.”
“Oh,” Robert sighed—he needs to stop sighing so much, “But you look nice with your hair down.”
“Do I?” Susie asked, curling a strand of her hair around her finger as she glanced at it, “I look like my mom if I leave it down.”
“Is that… A bad thing?” Robert asked with concern, worried he started a personal subject for her.
“What? No! No, no, no,” Susie assured, picking up on his worries immediately, “My grandpa just mentions it.”
“Quite a lot actually,” She added, laughing it off.
A faint smile formed on her lips, yet the solemn look held more meaning on her face. He knew it was a bitter subject for her, the weight of carrying the burden whilst having to take care of herself and family.
What knowledge Robert had on Susie’s parents, especially her mother, was extremely limited, very little to be exact. He could only remember his last memories with them during Susie’s 8th birthday, when they were all just primary school classmates.
And he didn’t want to bring up more about them to her, not while they were watching a movie where a character is currently bleeding their guts out. It wasn’t the right timing.
So instead, Robert quietly shuffled beside Susie, whose back was against the headboard.
“Turn around real quick,” he instructed, taking a part of her and began separating them into sections.
The sudden movement startled Susie, turning her head rapidly to the other direction Robert had intended; he might’ve heard her neck crack as her hair slapped him across his face.
“Ow.”
“What are you doing,” she asked—or demanded, her punctuation sharpened in her voice like broken glass.
Robert continued to part her hair, dividing them into three strands and tried blowing off the one stuck on his face, “Braiding, I do this all the time to my sister.”
“You have a sister?”
“Yeah? I swear I told you this before.”
Susie looked at him, holding in her laughter at the whiplash read on his face. She brushed off the hair that was left off of his face; some reaching to the top of her head due to the length. She turned to face fully in front of the computer, the sounds of pain and killing became background music for Robert. He didn’t mind, slasher movies made him queasy, but that was the fun part of watching them.
He continued to overlap one strand over another, slowly forming into one whole braid. The texture of soft waves against his fingertips as they danced together to the sounds of blood-curdling agony—almost like he was crocheting, or knitting, the activities old people do when they’re the most active on their deathbed.
Meanwhile, his hands would hold close to Susie’s neck. A gust of a cold breeze shivered down to her body from the smallest touch, like ice touching directly onto her back.
Pulling the hair-tie his little sister had given him off of his wrist, he secured the locks at the end, wrapping the tie around. It looked a little loose, definitely what he intended but it looked good on Susie nonetheless. Some strands subtly poked out because of layers and because he isn’t a professional at hairstyles—he just happened to always do her sister’s hair.
Robert rested her hair on one side, letting it fall onto her shoulder, “It’s not the best.”
“I know,” Susie snickered, “I’m not expecting anything professional.”
—
A dim light shone under the two as they hung around the dining table, a warm aroma of herbal tea inside the cup as Susie opened a sugar package, pouring it into the tea as it swirled around with a spoon, dissolving into obscurity.
The movie had finished, and just as expected, nobody had bothered to pay any attention to it anymore. Quickly falling into boredom, preferring each other’s silent presence over a cheap slasher film. The only sounds of cars passing by through the window and the spoon hitting the rim from time to time as it spun.
Susie looked to her shoulder, caressing her new hairstyle with one hand. For somebody who did them for their sibling; it was surprisingly well done. It wasn’t anything clean as a professional hairstylist, far from clean to be exact. The hair-tie held itself together low and didn’t tug onto her scalp tight, while being loose enough that no strands pulled away if she spun around in a circle.
“It’s getting late,” Susie said, “You’re not tired?”
“Nah,” Robert brushed off, “I’ve been up this late before.”
The dark crescents under his eyes supported his statement, they stuck out, extremely visible, and Susie swore they were never this bad when they were in her room. Perhaps it was the warm light from the lamp that hung above them, burning her eyes and leaving a temporary mark in her vision if she stared for too long. The luminosity of the lightbulb exposed all features of the two of them, the baby hairs on her scalp that stuck out like a sore thumb, the permanent tired eyes on Robert’s face from sleep deprivation. It’s a miracle he hasn’t yawned at all, not even once.
How do you do it, Robert? How have you not collapsed onto the table and snored yourself to sleep?
I’m hoping you drool instead, I can’t sleep next to somebody who snores.
“Not like you’re sleeping over anyway,” Susie muttered.
“Huh?”
“Nothing” She hastily responded. Shit.
He wasn’t begging for anything, but Susie sensed he wanted something.
Robert downed what was left of his own drink, his only source of retaining some energy, “I almost fell asleep on your bed.”
“Really now?” Susie scoffed, “I wonder why.”
“Oh, shut up,” He smirked, “It was just really comfy.”
“Uh huh,” Susie smirked. That same dreadful smirk Robert could remember, formed more softly, the fatigue growing onto her as the midnight hour carried on.
“Are you sure it isn’t the circles under your eyes? Not judging.”
“Well, you sound like you are.”
“Well, I’m not.”
Robert cracked his knuckles, “I’ve already been tired,” he said, “Your bed just made it ten times worse.”
If you want to, you could—
“—stay in my bed,” Susie offered without thinking twice, “Only tonight, though.”
Robert cocked his head, like a curious, little puppy. Despite his eyes looking half shut, they stared huge and unbearable to contain, an easy tactic for him to get what he wanted if he knew he could put them to use. She wasn’t even sure if he wanted to sleep here, she just didn’t want to see him fall asleep on her pavement.
Robert’s imaginary puppy ears perked up at her offer, followed by an imaginary tail wagging with glee. A hue of light pink—in the shade of her favourite kind of pink—glowed on both of her cheeks, she couldn’t go back on her words now. Susie didn’t put any butterflies in her tea, or sacrificed any for her last meal. Yet her stomach was cluttered with active butterflies, flying around in the space it contained.
“Are you sure?” Robert assured, “I might drool, or snore, or kick you in your sleep.”
Susie bit the tip of the spoon.
“I don’t really mind,” Kinda—if you snore, you’re sleeping on the floor.
It was obvious Robert would accept it, he held a yawn from escaping his mouth numerous times, and his eyes were gaining weight; it was slowly harder to keep them open.
But whatever it was, for some reason, he was very hesitant. Maybe his sleep paralysis demon held him back from finally getting some sleep, to keep him awake a little longer.
Robert opened his eyes, nearly falling asleep on Susie’s dining table.
“I–I should go,” he declined, embarrassed and immediately regretting his answer, “I don’t wanna stay up a little longer, but thank you.”
“Are you sure?” Susie asked sincerely, “I just saw you nearly fall asleep on my table.”
She repeated her line in her head, and realized she sounded blunt about it. Sarcastic and cold, inauthentic in her tone. She didn’t mean it to come out that way, and she gripped tightly on the handle of her mug as it replayed in her mind.
She could repeat herself, make it sound more caring.
But Robert got out of his seat with what energy he had left, nearly tripping before he could touch the floor. And heading for Susie’s room, out the window where he came from because the door might be louder if it creaks just slightly.
“It’s okay, really.”
Susie followed him out towards the window, leaving her cup of tea on top of the coaster to turn cold on its own. Please, stop lying. You’re yawning a lot now.
You’ve been hiding it, haven’t you?
Robert lifted the hatch, pushing the window up, “I just—don’t want to disturb you.”
Excuses.
When he wasn’t looking, she pursed her lips. Full of an unknown guilt inside of her.
Excuses, excuses, excuses.
“How would we know that if we’re asleep?” Susie joked, hoping she didn’t make him uncomfortable, or any of this uncomfortable. She could hear herself sound cold to him, despite being genuine. She stroked her hair, careful to not let one strand release from the rest.
“It’s okay, really,” Robert said softly, turning back around to her, “Really is.”
With excess energy remaining, he used it all to overcome his exhaustion as he climbed out of the room, his toes reaching for the felt of grass. When both his feet were on the ground he turned to Susie, who held an unreadable expression whilst carrying a sheepish smile right back at him.
“Goodnight, Sue.”
“Yeah,” She whispered, “Goodnight, Robert.”
Susie watched as he slowly disappeared from her sight, being covered by the walls of her room as what was left were the faint footsteps hitting the grass. She didn’t want to sleep in her bed anymore, it felt empty when she stared at it, like a missing piece of an almost missing puzzle—one step away from being complete.
On her bed, a singular candy rested beside her opened laptop. It wrapped itself around a cherry-coloured wrapper, the ends twisted tightly and neat.
Without hesitation, Susie grabbed the candy and ran to the window.
She poked her head out, her entire body leaning forward as she gripped onto the edge. Robert’s back faced her as the distance walked farther and farther.
“Robert,” she called out, ignoring her volume if it woke up her brother or grandpa.
Just one more thing.
It was all she could think about at this very moment. Her own fatigue was flourishing through her, but she mustered up her strength against it stronger than the boy could ever do.
Robert turned his head—the locks of his curled up hair whipping around at the movement. He had the look of a dumbfounded and foolish royal leaving his kingdom unprepared, or was she thinking too harshly of him out of her anger from the tiredness developing inside her.
Susie took her hand out, gesturing him to come back, mouthing the words for his return.
One more thing.
Robert turned his foot around, walking back to her. He stood in front of the panel between the outside and the inside and the two of them.
Susie unwrapped the candy, revealing a dainty chocolate in her hand. She took Robert’s shoulder with one hand and brought him closer to her, who nearly tumbled at the motion.
There was only a small gap between the two, they were just a little too close than intended.
She placed the chocolate in front of Robert’s lips, “You forgot it.”
To which she gained a quiet stutter out of him, a ring of blush from his cheek to his other. He popped the chocolate into his mouth in giddiness, though didn’t show it, hiding it horribly.
Susie patted his shoulder again, releasing her grip on him as she pulled the window to a close, the glass reflecting him in front of her as she headed for bed.
Robert stood there, processing what had happened. He chewed on the chocolate as he slowly walked away again, a mixture of bitter and sweet dancing with saliva around his tongue. He touched his cheeks with one hand, the growing warmth gradually moving up to his ears.
He continued walking, but his pace slowed down and halted to a stop.
Fuck.
He turned back around again, quickening his pace up as he walked up to the window. Knocking on it a few times, and waited for an answer as he heard a blanket shuffling around, thinking of an excuse for his presence again as he did so.
His eyes were near to closing shut, a rest stop here wouldn’t hurt him.