Chapter Text
6/11/00
Friday was my last day of school. Honestly, I haven't been sleeping the best, so I took yesterday to rest. Today I am going back to Faraway to visit my friends. They told me there's 'a lot of stuff we wanna do this summer' so those will be my plans I guess.
Anyways, I have to get my stuff ready. I'm going for a sleepover.
Sunny typed on his keyboard, clicking sounds filling the air. He stared at the screen and listened to the soft hum of the computer's fan. He blinked, certain that this was an alright way to start his (late) morning.
He looked at the time,
10:23
...he should get his stuff ready now.
He ignored the looming smell of breakfast in the air as he grabbed his backpack, lightly used in the two months after he had moved. He pondered to himself,
Change of clothes, toothbrush, sweater... does he need a sweater? It's sweltering but... what if he gets cold?
He shook his head, throwing the sweater to the side of his bed, away from his bag.
Packing up the things he needs, making sure to bring a spare pair of socks, he made his way to the bathroom.
The door opened and in he walked, grabbing his toothbrush and beginning to brush his teeth as he wiped sleep from his eyes. He looked better these days, he wasnt as pale nor quite as thin, but he still kept the same look to him. He sighed, wishing he was able to have a little more energy and little more confidence.
After splashing water on his face, he grabbed the towel from the bin on the side that held clean laundry. He wiped his face and folded it back up, holding it in his arms.
His backpack satisfyingly zipping up after placing the towel within its confines. He smiled, looking at the nice job he did. His feet slowly met the carpet as he made his way downstairs. From this point onwards, it would be a waiting game until Hero came to pick him up.
He walked through the doorframe and saw his mother. When she saw him, a smile leapt across her face. She looked at Sunny contently,
"Good morning, Sunny..!" She said in her usual, sing-song voice. She was moving the pan back and forth, eggs sizzling as bacon crackled on the burner left of them.
Sunny rubbed his eyes which were brightly illuminated by the summer light that bled through the window, who's curtains had long been tied up,
"Morning, mom..." he sighed, walking towards the cupboard to get a glass of water.
Sunny's mom flipped the eggs over, making sure to cook the yolk, "So.. you're going to your friends' place today?" She inquisited.
Sunny nodded, "Yeah."
"Did you pack everything you need?" She hummed.
Sunny twisted the tap and filled his glass up with water, "mhm..." was all he managed to say while he pounded back water.
Sunny walked over to the door and placed his backpack there. He glanced over at the clock and went back to the kitchen. Hero would be here soon.
He hadn't even made it back to the kitchen before he began to hear the clanking of plates as his mother set the food upon the table. She put the two plates parallel to eachother, on opposite sides of the table. She filled the pan with water before placing it back on the burner and pushing the bacon pan to the side.
Sunny pulled his chair out, and shortly after his mother did too.
"Thank you, mom." He said.
Sunny's mom smiled, "It's nothing, really. I want you to have the best day as you can, so what better could I do then make you breakfast?"
Sunny's lips parted into a faint smile as he stared down at the plate below him. Somehow she had never, never forgotten the way he took his eggs, or how he preferred the chewy bacon to the crunchy bacon. He was content.
But his stomach twisted slightly, he didnt want to eat this... he began to poke at the plate.
Why? Why didnt he want to eat it?
He felt ashamed. Even after all the effort his mother had gone through to cook him this special meal, he still wanted to deny it. He just wanted to throw it away and go back to sleep. He didnt want to eat it.
He looked back up at her.
Her expression faltered, "is something wrong, honey?" She asked.
Sunny just looked back down, embarrassed, "No... its alright. Thanks." He muttered.
He slowly cut a piece of the egg and took it to his lip. He was hungry so... why didnt he want to eat?
He sighed, taking another bite.
He should eat. Everyone is worried about him constantly. He should help them by eating.
It didnt go down easily, but eventually it was through, and he had cleared his plate. He didnt feel satisfied, really. But he just thanked his mother and washed his plate anyways.
This summer, he'll try to get better.
Eventually, though, gravel was heard churning outside as a vehicle pulled up. A dark cyan, it was evidently Hero. Sunny's demeanor became slightly happier, as he was now looking forward to a day with his friends. His mom peered outside the window and gave him a hug, before waving him off within a timely manner.
Sunny looked back at his mother with a smile, before grabbing his bag and twisting the doorknob and walking down the driveway.
There Hero was, smiling.
Sunny was quick to place his bag in the backseat.
"You can sit in the front if you want, Sunny." Hero assured.
Sunny opened the door and stepped in, "Thank you."
Hero had a nice car, it was clearly a starter vehicle that had been given to him by a relative, but he kept it in amazing condition. The seats were neat, as though he vacuumed them, but more likely he just never ate in his vehicle. The cupholders probably never met anything other than water or maybe an occasional coffee. People very seldom sat in Hero's car, the only passengers being his textbooks.
The car reversed and was eventually going down the highway, back towards Faraway town.
Hero had just come back from college, so he just decided to pick Sunny up along the way, as was only natural.
Sunny was about to engage into his usual ritual of staring out the window for the next 2 hours but he was interrupted when Hero made conversation with him.
"So, Sunny, school treating you well? How's Nearby City for you?" He asked with his usual charming demeanor.
Sunny straightened his posture, "It went alright, it's not easy going to school after so long. Honestly... the city is pretty loud at night, but it has its upsides."
"Yeah, I found it the same way when I first moved into my dorm. I couldnt get a good night's rest for a couple days. I do like the outings that can be done in the city, though."
Sunny blinked, "Yeah."
The two continued to talk on-and-off for the duration of the car-ride. Hero asked Sunny if he wanted anything before they left town, but he just shook his head, stopping would only make the ride take longer.
The sun was at the top of the sky by the time they reached Faraway town, a sign reading
WELCOME TO FARAWAY TOWN
With a few symbols that indicated hiking trails and dining areas.
"Home sweet home, right, Sunny?" He laughed.
Sunny looked back from the window, "I guess..."
And from there it was all familiar, until they were finally at the crossroads before Sunny's house... old house. He's going to stay with Kel and Hero.
Oh right, Kel.
Kel has no shortage of energy to spend on Sunny. He calls him every day, or at least tries to get ahold of Sunny's line. Sunny doesnt always answer, especially when he sleeps late.
Sunny smiled. What an undying persistence.
After looking through the trees and seeing familiar sites, the car finally pulled up to a house, parking on the curb. It was Hero and Kel's house, dog toys littering the yard.
Hero sighed, "Welcome back, Sunny." He had a slight smile on his face.
The two boys brought their stuff and walked up the grass towards the door. The sun was beating down on them hard, it was clear they would need to stay in the shade today.
They opened the door and were immediately met with... the smell of lunch?
After a strange moment of silence Hero's mom walked through the door,
"Hi, boys! Welcome back!" She exclaimed, especially when she saw Hero. She quickly walked over and embraced him in a hug.
"Hi, mom..." Hero replied, almost choking.
After a while, she looked towards Sunny, disengaging and hugging him quickly,
"How are you doing, Sunny?"
Sunny nodded, "I'm doing alright, thanks for asking."
She patted him on the shoulder and then went back to the kitchen. On the way shouting,
"Lunch will be ready soon!"
Sunny sighed. Great...
Hero began to walk towards the stairs, motioning for Sunny to come with him. It was strangely quiet in the house. The two eventually reached the room and placed their things. On the floor, over towards Kel's bed, was a sleeping bag that had been laid out. Sunny blinked,
"I guess that's where I'm sleeping tonight."
Hero looked at the sleeping bag, "Yeah... I mean, we might be able to get you on the couch if you dont like it. But we could make it more comfortable if you want."
"No, i think it's fine." Sunny responded.
"Not very neat, eh? I tried getting Kel to organize it but... as usual he didnt get to it."
Sunny looked at the clothes that were strewn along the floor, he chuckled a little bit,
"Typical... where is he, anyways?"
Just then, the noise of a door opening across the house was heard, and the two looked in the direction.
Hero laughed, "sounds like we know the answer."
Hero walked out, looking back at Sunny with the mutual agreement that they would unpack later. For now, Sunny has some catching up to do...
Sunny made his way down the stairs after Hero, looking around at the walls. They were filled to the brim with photos, Sunny couldnt help but smile. They were, after all, quite a good-looking family.
It was then that rustling was heard in the kitchen, like that of a grocery bag, and a familiar voice echoed through the doorframe. Sunny walked behind Hero, and they stepped into the kitchen.
It was Kel, standing before a bunch of grocery bags. Really, he looked no different, but he had a red across his skin that couldnt be from anything else other than long exposure to the sun. He quickly turned around, spark in his eyes,
"Hi Sunny! Hi Hero!" He beamed, putting the groceries to the side and approaching the pair.
Hero put his hand on Kel's head and ruffled his hair, "Hey, Kel. Have you grown since I've been gone?"
Kel suddenly frowned, looking at the top of Hero's crown, which was so close yet so far,
"No, its only been... a month... I think."
Hero chuckled, "Maybe one day..." he teased.
Kel averted his gaze to Sunny,
"Hey, Sunny! Doing okay?"
Sunny was tired of being asked this question about 200 times a day, but he just stood there and responded,
"Yeah, I'm doing better."
Kel smiled, "Good to hear."
Kel then looked at Hero, with a look of secrecy across both their faces.
Hero spoke up,
"So, Sunny. You know what we decided?"
A wide smile crossed Kel's face,
"We bought stuff for a picnic!"
Sunny had a slight smile, "really?" He asked, looking between the pair.
Hero smiled, "It's our treat."
Suddenly Sunny's mood was lifted, as nothing else sounded better than a picnic amongst friends.
It was in the early hours of the afternoon that Kel, Sunny and Hero began to prepare an assortment of foods for a picnic. Fruits, vegetables and sandwiches mainly.
Sunny looked at the assortment,
"No drinks?" He asked, chopping up a strawberry.
Hero was rinsing off some tomatoes, "No..." he looked at Sunny, "We trusted Basil to get those... As in he volunteered, not the other way around." He stammered the last part.
Kel laughed, "All we told Aubrey was to not bring her bat."
Sunny was amused, "And?"
Kel looked back at the counter where he was placing sandwiches into bags, "She told me she would bash my head in with it... Hah... good times."
Sunny went back to cutting his strawberries, precisely and strongly gliding the knife. He was doing an exact job very well.
Then he looked towards Kel, who was bagging sandwiches, over and over.
He seemed to be entertained doing that.
Sunny smiled.
"Agh..!"
He put the knife down and looked at his index finger, which he mustve held a little too close the the strawberry.
He couldnt tell if it was strawberry juice or blood running down his finger, he held his hand and observed the cut.
Kel looked over quickly, concerned, "Sunny? Are you alright?" He swiftly blurted out, trying to assess what had happened.
Sunny sighed, "Yeah... I'm alright. I just cut my finger on accident."
Kel looked at the cut, "Huh... I can go get you a Band-Aid if you want."
Sunny nodded, "Yeah, that would be nice."
Kel left the room and Hero walked over to Sunny, examining the wound,
"Yeah, just run it under some cold water."
Sunny twisted the tap.
Hero wiped his hands on the dish-towel,
"Sunny?"
"Hm?"
"Be more careful next time, alright?"
Sunny nodded.
Eventually, the food preparation was done, and the 3 boys stood, admiring their work. Kel placed his hands on Sunny's and Hero's shoulder,
"Good work, guys!" He beamed, "Let's go have a picnic!"
It was a day just like any other in Faraway during the summer. It was hot, but the type of hot that brings a smile to your face. A breeze blew by, and instead of feeling cold, brought some relief to a day that couldn't get much better.
It was a quiet day by the lake, the "secret" hangout spot. The grass was green and the water was calm, the sun beat down on the three.
Hero was quick to put the blanket down, but he walked around it like a maniac as Kel and Sunny simply stood there, watching him perfect all the corners and flatten all the folds.
Hero took a step back, "Good enough?" He asked.
Kel looked down at it, basket in hand, "I thought it was good enough 30 seconds ago, but yeah..."
Before Hero could respond, the branches rustled. And out walked two figures. With shiny pink hair put up in a ponytail, she held a box in her hand. The blonde, who dawned a green t-shirt and cargo shorts, held a case of drinks in his arms.
With some scars on his nailbeds, he waved, everyone waved back.
Aubrey merely threw a peace sign and approached the blanket, "we just got back from the store, and we brought the goods." She smirked, looking at their inventory.
Hero smiled, "That's great, what did you guys get?"
Basil perked up, "I bought these... they're uhm... like lemonade kinda?" He held the case which in big letters showed the word 'FRESCA' across the box.
Aubrey glanced at the four, "I got a box of cookies."
Kel smiled, "nice."
"Woah, I never said you could have any." She had a smug grin across her face, "last I checked... I payed for these?"
"Aw man..." Kel frowned.
"Im just messing with 'ya! I brought these for everybody!.."
Kel's frown became a smile, "Alright, thanks, Aubs."
Aubrey sat down, "Alrighttttttt. Dont push it." She put the box next to the basket just as Basil did with his case of drinks, "So... what did you guys bring, other than Sunny?" She smiled.
Hero opened the basket, "Well... I brought fruit and we made sandwiches. But I swear they're good!" He threw a bag to Aubrey, "Try it, it's inspired by a restaurant I went to with my buddies from college."
The bag made a unique clicking noise as she opened it, pulling out the sandwich and taking a bite, her expression changed,
"What the heck is this? Its amazing!" She spoke suddenly.
Hero's face broke out in a smile, "It's a tomato sandwich with some Greek cooking ideals introduced. I made the sauce out of a yogurt base. Albeit... I took a couple creative liberties." He was flustered.
Aubrey looked back up at him, "and you say youre not into cooking anymore?"
Hero scratched his head, "well... it's still somewhat interesting."
The picnic blanket sat in the shade, as was only acceptable on a hot day such as this one. The sun began to move perpetually down, no longer midday, as it had now progressed to afternoon.
Eventually, Aubrey grabbed a cookie, followed shortly by everyone else, as if they were eating in unison.
"Im a real trendsetter here, arent I?" She asked, biting into the chocolate cookie she took, with the request of extra white chocolate chips.
Basil smiled when he took a bite, "Thanks for buying these, Aubrey. Theyre really good."
"Dont sweat it, Bas'." She responded.
Kel was eating his cookie by the mouthful.
Aubrey glared at him, "Enjoying your cookie, Kel?"
He nodded, "Yeah, its actually really good." He spoke in between bites.
Aubrey's mouth twisted into a grin, "Thats great... thats great..." she muttered,
"I actually spat on them before I got here."
Hero paused, "You... you what..." he stared down at his cookie, petrified at even the slightest contamination.
Kel stopped chewing before continuing, "probably not the worst thing I've eaten this week.."
Hero sighed, "I dont even wanna know..." he placed the cookie down onto the grass.
Aubrey looked somewhat offended, "Oh yeah... I actually made that up, FYI." She laughed, "Sorry, Hero... I only wanted to make Kel grossed out."
Hero had an annoyed look across his face, "How the tables have turned, I guess..."
Hero did not regain his appetite for the remaining duration of the picnic. It's hard to blame him, even at the thought of cross-contamination he is disgusted. Even though he couldve gotten a new cookie, he decided not to.
Kel took a swig of his drink, "Something wrong, Hero?"
Hero did not look like he was having the best time, but he simply laughed and said, "Sorry... I'm just not good with... gross things. You know?"
Kel really did not know, but he was still agitated none the less. His brow furrowed when he looked at Aubrey,
"See! Now look what you've done!"
Aubrey recoiled, "What? How was I supposed to know? I was only joking!"
"What kind of joke is that?! You said you spit in the food we were eating!"
"I refuse to believe you wouldnt have done the same thing if it couldve been to me!"
"What?! But-"
"Alright. Alright. Thats enough. We're here for a picnic, not for a debate." Hero put his hands on the shoulders of both of them. Kel looked like he would say something, but he only stayed quiet instead. Aubrey was no different.
All the while, Sunny hadn't finished his sandwich, and he had barely touched his cookie. He just wasnt hungry today...
He could tell them that if they asked.
He took another swig of his drink, watching his friends in amusement.
Kel looked at him,
"Not hungry, Sunny?"
Sunny took another swig, "No I... had a big breakfast is all. The food was good, I'm just not that hungry."
Kel tilted his head slightly, looking at Sunny, "Alright..." he didnt have a good feeling about that, as though he knew it may be a lie, but he didnt want to argue with Sunny. Especially on his first day back.
Sunny felt unsettled, as though Kel might be catching on.
Kel blinked, "so are you gonna eat that or..?" He looked at Sunny's sandwich.
Sunny felt a wave of relief wash over him, "it's all yours." passing Kel the sandwich.
Kel smiled, "Thanks."
Sunny diverted his gaze to the cut on his finger. The sacrifices of friendship, huh?
Eventually, the picnic basket was dehydrated of its contents. Courtesy of ravenous teens...
Kel. It was almost entirely Kel.
It was under the bright-blue 5 o'clock sun that the picnic concluded. Kel took the basket, now much lighter, as Hero folded the blanket up. Everyone held what they had brought, as Sunny stood there.
"So are we going to you guys' place?" Aubrey asked.
"No, I was just going to throw the picnic basket away and rent a hotel room." He said sarcastically, trying to irritate Aubrey.