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The sun shone brightly, warm on his skin and exhilarating after being stuck inside a stuffy classroom throughout all of winter and spring. Alex breathed deeply of the air, glad to be back in Pelican Town with his grandparents again for the summer. His skin would darken and his hair would turn redder, and all the energy that made him restless and miserable when stuck behind a desk could be released in cartwheels, handstands, games of catch with Dusty, and best of all— time at the beach.
Alex was old enough now he was trusted to go alone to the beach, just so long as he promised to stay out of the water— and he would. Alex always kept his promises, he was a good boy like that. Somehow he was sure that Granny would know if he lied to her anyway, like she was psychic, as if his damp hair wasn’t a dead giveaway.
Usually he would find grown-ups on the beach anyway, digging for seashells, swimming in the water, or fishing off the pier. Lots of people to look out for him if he really needed it— but he didn’t, of course. Alex was more than capable all by himself, like any ten-year-old boy should be. A couple more years now and he’d be a grown man, at least that’s what Mom always said.
Surprisingly, the beach was deserted today. Even the gulls and the waves seemed quiet, like the whole world had stopped. Dusty noticed it too, the hound halting as he strained to listen for any signs of life.
Having caught a hint of something, the dog took off toward the far side of the beach. “Dusty, wait!” Alex cried, sand flying behind him as he gave chase.
A little boy sat in the sand, legs pulled up into his chest like a ball. A head of mousy brown hair lifted up from his lap at the sound of the commotion, meeting Alex’s gaze and piercing him like a tossed javelin.
Alex turned around and checked behind himself to be sure that the sharp gaze was intended for him. Deciding that it must have been, given their solitude, he closed the distance to the other boy.
“Hi,” he began awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. “Are you okay?”
“Not really,” the boy called back weakly, the answer punctuated with a sniffle.
Falling down onto his knees in front of him, Alex began to inspect the other boy. No cuts or bruises… Maybe a jellyfish sting? He had obviously been crying, but physically he looked fine otherwise.
“What happened?” Alex asked hesitantly.
The boy’s lip quivered, trying to hold back his emotions even as more tears spilled down from downturned, sad eyes.
“M… My mom’s gone,” he explained shakily, hiccuping as he got the words out.
“Where is she?” Alex frowned. Maybe this kid was a tourist and got left behind? That made sense.
“She’s dead.”
“Oh.”
Alex hadn’t known death before, not really— Mom sometimes wished that Dad was dead, but he wasn’t, as far as Alex knew. Though it'd been so long since he’d seen him, he may as well have been.
“Well, no wonder you’re sad,” Alex said plainly, shuffling closer and pulling the boy into a hug. “I’d be sad too.”
Alex could kind of understand— after all, Mom had left him alone with Granny and Grandpa for the summer so she could work without leaving him at home alone. Not like he wasn’t left alone during the school year, too… But maybe it was different when it was only a few hours instead of the whole day.
This was really different, though. Probably, right? If this boy’s mom was gone gone, he’d never see her again. The thought made Alex shiver despite the summer heat.
The sounds of the boy’s sobs more than made up for the discomforting silence of the beach today, even as they were muffled into Alex’s shirt. His breath and tears were hotter than the sun beaming down on them from above, and Alex dutifully let every bit of it soak into his chest.
“I don’t know w-why I’m even sad,” he blubbered. “Mommy was so mean to me, all the time, but— but— I still miss her!”
“No, it makes sense to me,” Alex soothed, petting the other boy’s hair. “My dad was really mean to me too, but I miss him anyway. I don’t know why I do, but I do.”
“Did he die too?”
Alex shook his head with a frown. “No… He just doesn’t want to see me anymore.”
“Oh…” the boy said, hugging Alex a little closer. “Mine too. I’m living here now with my grandparents instead of with him.”
“Just like me,” Alex lit up. “I’m living with my grandparents for the summer.”
The other boy lifted his head, his sad eyes wide and wet, more blue than green with the bright sky and sea behind him tinging the hue. Alex could see his own reflection in the other boy’s gaze, offering up a supportive smile to him.
“I’m Alex,” he introduced himself, finally. “We should be friends.”
“Okay,” the other boy brightened up, smiling despite the tears still in his eyes. “I’d like that very much. My name’s Mallory, but you can call me Mal.”
“That’s a funny name,” Alex giggled, watching his new friend’s tentative smile begin to fade.
“I mean, it’s just different— but I like different,” Alex insisted, eager to find that smile again, and his reflection in his eyes. “I’m different too, at least that’s what Granny says. But she says that different just means special.”
“I like that,” Mal agreed softly, the ghost of a smile returning to his reddened face once more. “Maybe I’d like being different if I’m with you.”
Alex grinned, pulling himself and Mal up from the sand. “I have so much cool stuff to show you— if you’re really different like me, you’ll love it. Come on!”