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It was a late summer day in Yawnee Valley. Birds chirped. Cows mooed. Children played. Most importantly, two friends sat on the steps of a gazebo, talking to one another.
These friends were, as you may have guessed, Miles Murphy and Niles Sparks. They also happen to be the main characters of this particular story.
From an outsider's perspective, the two might have appeared normal. Just two friends, talking about life before the school year started once again. Luckily, these two were anything but normal - Miles and Niles were the only members of the Terrible Two, the greatest pranking duo Yawnee Valley had ever seen.
Unfortunately, all great things must end. The Terrible Two were forced apart by a move, leaving Niles alone in Yawnee Valley and Miles alone in his new city. That's where our story begins: two halves of a pair, navigating, for the first time, as just one.
***
"How was freshman year for you?" asked Niles. He was looking up at the sky, the clouds lazily moving along.
Miles thought for a moment.
"It was... Eventful, I guess," he decided, picking at grass near his feet.
"Eventful could denote a lot of things, Miles. You're going to have to be more specific."
"The teachers are nice?" Miles squinted at the ground as if it might give him an answer. It did not. "I guess there's not much to say."
"Oh," said Niles. He seemed almost disappointed.
Miles moved his head so it rested on his knees. Niles chewed at his lip. Somewhere in the distance, a cow mooed.
"How about you?"
"Huh?"
"How was ninth grade?"
"Principal Barkin called me every day."
"Ha!" said Miles (he actually said "ha").
Niles smiled to himself.
"He started by calling the school, but the people working at the office got annoyed."
"Why?"
"He kept yelling into the receiver."
Miles laughed.
"That's Principal Barkin alright."
"So, of course, he wanted my house phone number."
"Oh god."
"Yeah. The school said he couldn't have it because he wasn't one of my legal guardians."
"Obviously."
"So he asked if he could be considered one since he was like a father figure to me."
"Oh, that's priceless. What did the school say?"
"I was getting to that. They told him that my parents would have to fill out a form allowing him to have my personal phone number."
"Did they do it?"
"No."
"Oh," Miles tapped his foot a bit.
"So I gave it to him."
"Wait, what? Why?"
Niles was suddenly blushing.
"It's embarrassing."
"You, Niles Sparks, finding something embarrassing?" Miles shoved his friend slightly, "I'll have to write that one down."
"I have my reasons, okay?"
"Whatever, dude."
Niles smiled to himself again. Miles laid back on the steps.
"I'm guessing you're not going to tell me anything about your first day of school," said Niles after a while.
"Nope," said Miles, "but I'd love to hear about yours."
"Naturally."
There was a pause.
"How's Holly?"
Niles decided it would be best just to tell Miles about his first day of high school before the conversation progressed any further.
***
Niles spent most of his free time during the summer writing letters to Miles (which Miles already knew, as he received one nearly every day). When he was not doing that, he made a multitude of plans, so much so that the walls of the prank lab had to be mostly erased. He planned on outfits, conversations, routes around the school, and all of the other various things one would need for high school. This was mostly because, if he was going to be entirely honest, Niles Sparks had absolutely no idea what he was doing.
("I wish I had your preparation skills," said Miles, "maybe then my first day of school wouldn't have been an absolute dumpster fire."
"It was that bad?" asked Niles.
"Enough about me," said Miles, and Niles had continued on, casting a meaningful glance at his friend every now and then.)
On the actual first day, Niles had elected to bike instead of walk. He didn't want to wrinkle his newly ironed button up.
("You wore a button up on the first day of school?"
"Yes."
"Wow.")
Holly met him by the flagpole at the front entrance to the building. Slightly larger clumps of kids milled around the front yard, talking about their summers.
"Hi, Holly."
"Morning, Niles."
It was the first time they had seen each other since the last day of school the year before.
("Oo, drama."
Niles shook his head.
"There was no drama."
"But didn't you guys-"
"Who says friends can't dance?"
"But we didn't-"
"And I regret that, but Holly invited me, so I did."
"You regret that?"
"Yes, Miles."
"Oh."
Niles regretted it a lot.)
The school day was otherwise normal, minus the larger amounts of homework, different teachers, and larger classes.
("That's it?"
"Yes."
"Oh. Nothing else?"
Niles paused for a second.
"No."
This was a lie.)
***
Niles spent most of his free time during the summer writing letters to Miles (which Miles already knew, as he received one nearly every day). When he was not doing that, he made a multitude of plans, so much so that the walls of the prank lab had to be mostly erased. He planned on outfits, conversations, routes around the school, and all of the other various things he would need for high school. This was mostly because, if he was going to be entirely honest, Niles Sparks had absolutely no idea what he was doing.
Niles had elected to bike to school, as he didn't want to mess up his newly ironed shirt, and walking would be much less efficient anyway.
When he arrived, he locked up his bike, taking a moment to stare at the building. The new building, now made of materials other than brick. The new building, filled with new people. The new building, now not containing his best friend. He swallowed, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the sides of his legs.
You have Holly, he reminded himself, and Stuart. You're not alone. You're going to be okay.
He looked for the other logical part of himself, but all he could find was screaming. Even despite all of his planning, he was still scared. Terrified, even. That disturbed him more than he wanted to admit.
Somewhere in the distance, a cow mooed. He shook his head and walked away from the bike racks, secretly wondering how long he could avoid his friends before they noticed he was gone.
Somewhere deep inside of him, he was scared to see Holly again, especially after their last conversation. Would she even be able to look at him the same again? If he lost her, the last person he really cared about, how would he ever forgive himself? Even worse, who would he even be? Who even was he, now that Miles was gone?
Niles had thought about this a lot. It scared him the most out of anything, even over starting high school.
"Hey, Niles."
Niles looked up from the ground.
"Hi, Holly."
There was a moment of silence bordering uncomfortable. Not even a cow mooed.
"How was class?"
Niles smiled for the first time that morning, not because he hadn't had class, but because he knew Holly was referencing a movie.
"What movie?"
"Musical, actually. Be More Chill."
"I didn't know you liked musicals."
"I got into watching them over the summer."
"Oh."
Niles began chewing on his lip. Holly was humming something under her breath. Niles vaguely recognized it as classic rock.
"Have you seen Stuart?"
Niles looked around.
"No."
"Guess he's gonna be late."
This was true, as Stuart tended to be either early or late. He was notorious for rarely being on time to school and other important events. Niles had questioned him about it, to which Stuart had simply responded that it "RUNS in the FAMILY". This was also true.
"What homeroom do you have?"
"Anderson. You?"
"Daniels."
"Darn."
The bell rang, and Niles half expected Principal Barkin to appear on the front steps, welcoming them back to Yawnee Valley Science and Letters Academy. He did not, as Niles was no longer went to school at Yawnee Valley Science and Letters Academy. Instead, everyone simply walked inside, bringing Niles and Holly with them.
The cows still did not moo. If one did, Niles probably wouldn't have heard it.
***
"Honestly, I would have expected more to happen."
"I didn't have time for a prank on the first day of a school, Miles."
"That's not what I meant."
"I know."
More silence followed, much less uncomfortable than the silence previously mentioned. Somewhere in the distance, a cow mooed.
"Did you end up pulling any though?"
"Any what?"
"Pranks."
"Yes. I'm assuming you did as well?"
Miles thought for a second before replying.
"None worth mentioning."
This was also a lie, a much smaller one, but still a lie nonetheless. Miles had pulled many pranks he thought to be interesting or impressive, but he didn't want to brag to Niles (he was also worried that Niles wouldn't like them, but he wasn't going to admit that anytime soon).
"Ah."
"Yeah."
Niles bit down too hard on his bottom lip, wincing slightly. Miles tapped his fingers to the beat of a song he had heard on the radio.
"What song is that?" asked Niles.
Miles blinked.
"Not sure."
Somewhere in the distance, a cow mooed.
"Your lip is bleeding," said Miles.
"It is?"
"Yeah, over in the corner."
He wiped his hand over his lip, leaving a small streak of red near his thumb.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
***
If you actually thought Miles' freshman year was uneventful, you might actually be a bit crazy. If you were Miles, you'd probably be at least a little bit crazy by the end of it.
Calling it eventful was also an understatement.
If anything, Miles' freshman year was the equivalent of being run over by several busses, a herd of cows, and Yawnee Valley Science and Letters Academy, all while trying to do a piece of particularly difficult homework. Miles would call it a word not allowed in The Terrible Two series.
Miles was not going to tell his best friend any of this for two reasons: 1, it turned out okay in the end and 2, he didn't want to worry Niles. At this point, it was mostly the latter.
This leads us to where we are right now: Niles and Miles sitting on the steps of a gazebo in Applesauce Park, both lying to each other in some way, Niles humming to himself because his lips were too destroyed to chew anymore, and Miles feeling figety and somewhat trapped. Not that either was going to tell the other one that.
"We should head back to your place," suggested Miles.
"Sure," said Niles, sniffing slightly because his allergies were acting up.
Neither of them stood up.
"If you don't get up first, we're both gonna stay here forever."
"Then we'll stay."
If staying had been an option before, Miles would have taken it. He would have taken it and stayed forever, here with Niles.
A dark cloud passed over the sun. It seemed to have no end (the cloud, not the sun).
"I think it's gonna rain soon," said Miles.
"The forecast didn't say anything about rain."
Miles shrugged.
"Sometimes forecasts are wrong, I guess."
The two stayed until the first droplets of rain turned into a storm. Miles was the first to get up, and Niles followed soon after. They ran through the rain to Niles' house, both arriving soaked.
"I feel like I just jumped in a pool," gasped Miles.
"You look like you jumped in a pool," laughed Niles.
They laughed for a while for almost no reason, stomachs cramping by the end, leaving them gasping for breath.
***
The Terrible Two sat in Niles' room, doing almost nothing for a while. Simply being together while they could be.
Miles stared at Niles' ceiling. Niles read his copy of The Great Gatsby.
"You're lying about school, right?" asked Miles.
"We both are," replied Niles.
"Yeah."
"We both turned out okay though, didn't we?"
Miles thought about that for a moment.
"Yeah. I guess we did."
"So you were right."
"About what?"
Niles set down his book, carefully folding the cover in to mark his page.
"About it all being okay in the end. Even if it didn't start that way."
"You think so?"
"I do."
Miles rolled over so he was lying on his side.
"I don't always feel like it... Like it turned out okay."
"Why not?"
"I dunno. I guess it's because..."
"Because you had to move in the first place?" finished Niles.
"Yeah. That."
"Me too."
Miles sat up so he was facing the windows behind Niles. The rain had turned to more of a sprinkle, and the hills beyond the neighborhood looked green and shiny. The view was beautiful.
"Sometimes I think it wasn't meant to happen. That if fate like, wrote a book about my life, the second move just wasn't in it," Miles put his head between his knees, "It's stupid, really."
"It's not stupid. It's not naive of you to want things to stay the way they were, Miles. I think it's something we both want, really. We just couldn't prevent it."
"I wish we could've."
"So do I."
Miles rubbed his eyes. Niles sat up so he was next to Miles.
"Is everyone doing well?" asked Miles.
Niles moved his gaze from the window to Miles' hand and then back. Miles pretended not to notice.
"Only if you are."
"I will be. You shouldn't worry about me."
"You know I will anyway."
"Yeah. I do," said Miles, looking away from Niles to hide his smile.
And Miles worried about Niles. And Niles worried about Miles. That was how it would be forever and ever, until the end of time, until the end of everything, until Principal Barkin retired and the next Barkin took his place, until Miles and Niles graduated college, until the farms in Yawnee Valley became neighborhoods, until the end of time.
***
Miles' car sat in the driveway, Judy Murphy in the front seat. Miles and Niles stood in Niles' yard, staring at it for a second.
"Promise you'll write," said Niles.
"Always," replied Miles.
"And call?"
"Until you get tired of the sound of my voice."
"So until the sun explodes and we all die."
"Whatever you say."
Miles held up two fingers. Niles did as well, meeting Miles'.
"So be it."
The car drove away, leaving Niles smiling in the dust it had left behind.