Sunny has just been discharged from the hospital. His mother was currently out of town to settle things with the move out, and told him he'll get fetched in a day or two. So now he had time to kill. Plus, he had some extra dough from all the part-time jobs he applied to a week ago. He might as well spend it on something while he was still here.
His first thought was food. The thought never came to him until now, but he's never had a proper meal in the last four years he was confined in his own room. His stomach rumbled. That meant he was hungry, right? It gave him a numb ache. He didn't feel like eating, but he needed to eat. That was his only thought while he walked alongside his friends, away from the hospital.
There were only three of them right now. Hero went ahead to do something and Basil was fetched home by his caretaker. The latter was understandable; they did just release themselves from years-long guilt and they both agreed that it would be better for them to take some time off. The former was...well, probably busy with college and all, or he was looking for an excuse to avoid him. Sunny didn't blame him. He did reopen a wound after all.
Surprisingly, he made up with Kel and Aubrey. He never thought they'd still hang out with him after knowing the truth, but he was grateful nonetheless. Kel was quick to bounce back, though Aubrey took a heartfelt conversation by the lake to warm up again. He doesn't deserve their kindness.
Now Sunny was already lagging behind because of Kel and his large strides. He couldn't bother catching up. His stomach growled again.
The ache he felt in his stomach was beginning to annoy him. He looked ahead in a daze, just watching as clouds turned into steak and trees turned into broccoli. He shook his head. Broccoli is gross. His appetite decreased, though his stomach still rumbled.
"You sound like you need a shit ton of meat, Sunny."
Sunny snapped out of his thoughts and turned to see Aubrey right next to him, having matched his pace. He didn't say anything, but his stomach grumbled in response to her. She was right. He does need a shit ton of meat.
"You know," She added and leaned a bit closer, "I'm planning to get some grub at Gino's later. Wanna come with? My treat."
She had spoken in a volume quiet enough not for Kel to hear. Sunny thought that was funny (although he kept his face straight). Kel's a good guy, but both of them knew he would just hog all the food if he came with them.
But...free food. And at Gino's. Sunny nodded without a second thought. He never managed to eat the pizza he had with everyone the other day, because Kel ate it all. Now they knew better not to mention pizza around him.
"Great. Now if we could just shake him off…"
"Shake what off?"
Sunny and Aubrey halted to see that Kel was now at earshot distance from their conversation, an innocent smile on his face. "Whatcha guys talking about?"
Aubrey clicked her tongue, disapproval already showing on her face. It looked like her plan was about to get foiled. "None of your business, Kel."
She said that, but weren't they just talking about him earlier? Sunny shrugged mentally. He just wanted food. All he thought was food. His stomach growled, craving for food to digest. He couldn't wait.
"food…" He mumbled unknowingly. It was only when Aubrey scoffed in disbelief that he snapped out of haze once more.
"Sunny!"
"Food? Wait, were you guys planning to eat out without me?! No fair!" Kel placed his hands on his hips, looking betrayed. It looked comical to Sunny.
"Shut up, Kel! You hogged all the pizza the other day before any of us could even get a slice!"
"I was hungry, okay?! We were walking around all day!"
"That's not an excuse for you to eat a whole-ass pizza!"
Ah, they're bickering again. With no intermediary around, Sunny could only watch their heated argument. Surprisingly though, Kel was the first to reach a compromise.
"Okay, what if we get two whole pizzas? One for you guys and one for myself."
"And you expect me to pay for all that? Treat yourself, jackass."
"Well..." Kel scratched his head and chuckled nervously. "About that…"
Did Kel have no money on him right now? Sunny began to think. He had money and Kel did not. An idea clicked in his mind. He took his wallet out and handed a twenty dollar bill over to Kel, who was now confused. Aubrey shared his expression.
"Uh, Sunny? What's this for?"
Sunny cleared his throat. "your food. for the pizza."
Nevermind how incoherent he sounded. Kel raised his hands in reluctance.
"Ah, you don't need to do that! I can just get my wallet at home."
"...okay." Sunny retracted his arm and slipped the banknote back in his wallet. "but you still owe me twenty."
Kel sighed. "I know...I'll pay you back, promise."
Sunny just squinted in suspicion. Sure he will. There was a twenty dollar bill (that he regrettably did not take) in his closet and he didn't even pay him back with that. Aubrey just snorted.
"You wouldn't have brought yourself to debt if you just had your wallet with you all the time."
"I would if it didn't weigh down my shorts!"
"Then bring a bag, dumbass."
"I-" Kel cut himself off to think. "Oh yeah...didn't think of that."
Aubrey made a facepalm.
"Ugh. Anyway, I guess you can come with us…" She looked away, her face a little flushed. "...if you leave us alone after you get your food."
"Aw, what?" He whined. "Why can't we just eat together? There's no harm in tha…"
He stopped. Sunny wondered why. Did he see something strange? He saw his eyes dart between both him and Aubrey, contemplating as if he was trying to connect something together. A smug expression then appeared on his face.
"Oh, I see what's going on here." The smile on his face widened by the second. Aubrey grew mad in return.
"Shut the fuck up, Kel."
Kel just laughed. "Okay, deal. I'll leave you guys alone after I get my pizza."
Sunny had no idea what's going on. What's with the smug all of a sudden? Why is Aubrey flustered? He couldn't bother right now. He just wanted some food. When are they going to start heading over to Gino's? It's a long walk from here; it would be nice if they could go as soon as possible. He could feel his stomach rumble louder.
"Damn Sunny, when was the last time you ate?" Kel asked him, but didn't give him the chance to respond. "I guess we should head over to Gino's soon. Let's go!"
Aubrey regained her composure. "...Right, yeah. Let's go."
The trio began to head toward the Faraway Plaza.
It really was a long walk. Sunny had underestimated the distance between the plaza and the hospital. Even after replenishing a bit of his blood sugar during his time at the hospital, he was still too weak to withstand long walks especially under the summer heat. It didn't help that the ache from his empty stomach made him double over occasionally. It reminded him of a phantom pain, one that came from stabbing himself in his dreams so he could wake up. It made him uncomfortable. Aubrey and Kel had to help him up halfway through.
Needless to say he was relieved when a gust of cool air blew against him as they entered the pizzeria. He was so glad this place was equipped with air-conditioning. Although this made the greasy aroma of pizza stronger, which in turn made him hungrier. God did he want a pizza now.
With his impatience driven by hunger, he approached the counter ahead of his friends and slapped a twenty dollar bill before the pizza man. He pointed at a certain pizza on the menu, which was plastered on the deck.
"all meat. please. with extra cheese."
"All meat, eh?" Kel commented amusingly. "I like your style, man."
"Sunny, I told you it's my treat." Aubrey lightly pushed him aside and fished out some money from her pocket. He just looked at her for a solid second.
Oh right. She did tell him that.
"okay."
He put the bill back in his wallet, saddened by the fact that it was once again left unspent. He then watched as the pizza man processed their order and they all sat themselves on the table near the jukebox. Sunny sat on his old seat, the one close to the jukebox and facing the counter. Aubrey sat across him while Kel went to the seat in between them. They all waited for the pizza in silence.
"So," Kel started, leaning over his seat. "How's the eye doing, Sunny?"
Sunny pondered for a moment. He hadn't really noticed what was going on with his injuries until Kel mentioned them. He felt an itch behind his eyepatch.
"itchy," He responded. That was the first thing he felt, so he decided to say that. He tried to grab a glass of water by his blind side, only to miss by a few inches. "and inconvenient."
"Oof. Yeah, it's gonna be hard to see out of one eye. But on the bright side, you could look like a space pirate!" Kel made a hook with his hand and winked, imitating a pirate. Sunny just shrugged.
"Is your eye going to heal, or is the damage permanent?" Aubrey spoke up curiously. Sunny could see a tinge of worry in her eyes, but she just continued. "I heard of this thing called glass eyes. They kinda sound dope."
"doc said it'll heal eventually." Would it, really? Sunny wasn't exactly paying attention that time. "but i don't think i'll be able to see well like before."
That was his first complete sentence today. He gave himself a mental pat on the back.
"The eyepatch makes you look badass, though." Kel replied. Aubrey seemed to agree with him for once.
"True."
Sunny just shrugged again. He agreed with them, but at the same time he didn't like the attention it garnered toward him. If anything, he thought a glass eye would look cooler.
The conversation ended just in time for their order to arrive. Kel stood and picked the tray up before Aubrey could, then he set it on the table.
"Well then, I'll be taking my leave." Kel announced, badly imitating a nonchalant tone as he took three slices of pizza. "Thanks for the pizza!"
"Hey those are three-put that one back, you asshole!" Aubrey sprinted to Kel as he bolted toward the door, but he was unfortunately too fast. Sunny could only watch the scene unravel as he carefully picked up a slice from the tray. He was so hungry. He was so eager to eat this pizza.
"Have fun on your date~ !"
Sunny dropped his pizza slice.
He whipped his head toward the door, where Aubrey stood by. Her back was facing him. Kel was already gone.
He just realized what happened earlier.
Date. Did he hear that right? They're on a date? Does that mean he got asked out by Aubrey?
Holy shit.
He could feel his face grow hot. Holy shit, his mind repeated. He couldn't believe this was happening. He just stared at his dropped slice, barely registering Aubrey sitting back down her seat. He couldn't see her face right now, but he felt like looking up would kill him.
"Ig...Ignore what Kel said," She spoke, her voice a little shaky. Slowly, his eyes inched up to see her face.
Her face was red, just like his.
"What?!" She said in a hostile tone after seeing him look at her a little too long. Sunny flinched at the sudden volume. "Sorry. Let's just...eat all this."
He just nodded and picked up the dropped pizza slice. It landed on his plate, so it was fine. He stared at the tip of the slice; the molten, extra cheese was enticing, and the salty smell of cooked meat filled his senses. His mouth nearly watered at the sensation. He brought it closer to his mouth. His stomach rumbled loudly.
He finally took a bite.
This was perhaps the best thing he's ever tasted in years. He savored its taste, the deliciously salty mix of meat and cheese. God, the cheese was divine. It was so good.
Before he knew it, he was down to the crust of his second slice.
"Damn, you look like you could eat a whole extra pizza." Sunny focused his sight on the person across him and saw her just having finished her first slice. The other one just sat on her plate, untouched but ready to be consumed. He just shrugged in response. He couldn't help it, the pizza was practically the only thing he's eaten recently. Soon his plate became empty.
One last slice was left on the tray. Sunny could almost see himself just taking the slice all to himself to satiate his hunger, but he had to leave it for Aubrey. She might want another slice. His eye kept darting between her and the slice, perhaps a little obviously.
"You can have that last one," She said, halfway through her second slice. "You need it more than I do."
On one hand, Sunny would not hesitate to take that opportunity. He ate too quickly and already missed the taste of the pizza. On another...well, he thought that would be selfish.
He shook his head. At that instant another idea came up to him, one that could benefit the both of them. He cleared his throat.
"we could, split."
That was such a good idea. He had to thank Kel for taking one extra slice with him.
She raised a brow. "Split? Uh, sure."
Sunny watched her split the slice with her utensils, then forked one half over to her plate. He took the last half and gobbled it down. Now they were done eating.
Sunny idly listened to the music played by the jukebox and let his mind wander. That was such a delicious meal. He would probably have pizza in his dreams tonight. If he would have them, anyway. Sleep has been dreamless lately.
He didn't notice that it had gotten quiet. His thoughts were loud with all the delicious pizza and being on a date with Aubrey. He could not have asked for anything better.
"By the way," Aubrey started, putting him out of daze. "I was about to say this the other day but...do you think it would be too much trouble if you could…keep in touch? When you move away?"
So that's what she wanted to say. Sunny looked at her and pondered for a moment. His only mode of long distance communication was landline, and he doesn't even know what his new number would be. Even then, talking wasn't his strongest suit. He knew texting would be better for him. Maybe he should get his own phone sometime. That doesn't sound like too much trouble.
If that meant being able to talk with her while far away.
He shook his head in response. "don't mind, but. i don't have a phone yet."
"It's fine. Here's my number anyway. You know, if you get a phone."
He watched as she took out a pen. Her eyes scanned the table for something to write on, like a sheet of tissue, but there was nothing around. All the possible sheets of paper on the table had already been discarded. She cursed under her breath.
"There's nothing to write on." She held out her hand. "Gimme your hand. I'll write it there."
Sunny's mind stopped functioning for a second. He only had a single running thought:
She was going to hold his hand.
A little nervous, he complied. He held out his arm and she grabbed his wrist perhaps a little too tightly, or maybe that was just him. The fact that she was holding his hand (wrist) kept circling through his mind.
There was a quiet click from the pen and he watched as she wrote her contact number on his wrist, the sensation slightly tickling him.
"There. I hope you don't mind it being on your wrist."
He shook his head. Oh, he definitely didn't mind. He was about to retract the arm, but her grip was still on it. Well, he could see her number clearly anyway. He instantly memorized it.
Neither of them noticed who had entered the diner.
"Say cheese!"
Suddenly there was a flash, followed by the snapping sound of camera shutters.
"What the-"
Sunny and Aubrey immediately whipped their heads toward the source of the flash and found Kel standing by the end of the table, holding a familiar camera. He wore a wide, toothy grin.
Sunny could barely register what just happened, but he could only think that Kel was back and his words cycled in his mind. He felt his face warm up again.
On a date with Aubrey...
Meanwhile, Aubrey was livid. It took her a moment to process what just happened, but now that she did, her face grew red just like Sunny.
"KEL!"
Rage and humiliation purely fueled her right now. Kel is so dead.
With all her strength she pushed herself up from her seat, leaving Sunny's arm suspended in midair, then got stunned with another flash.
Oh, Kel is so fucking dead. His laughter filled her ears as she bolted toward him at high speed, reaching for the camera in his hands. She barely noticed the short, blonde person standing behind him.
She was within arm's reach; just now did she register the person behind him and instantly decided to change her target. She clasped her open hand into a fist and prepared to throw a punch. Yet another flash came at her face. She stumbled back for a second, but she immediately regained her momentum and did not hesitate to redirect her fist toward his chin.
Needless to say he was sent flying, but so did the camera he held.
"Shit, the camera…"
Unable to react quickly, she could only watch as it soared through the air…
...and got caught safely by Basil.
Both of them sighed in relief. Aubrey temporarily ignored the mess she made and approached Basil, hand behind her head.
"Sorry I almost broke your camera. I just realized it was yours."
Basil just chuckled. "It's okay. As long as it didn't hit the ground...I think it can still process the photos."
"Those photos," She repeated, "You're going to have to hand them over."
"Sorry Aubrey...I can't do that."
She noticed he tried to sound firm, but his body language said otherwise. He shied away from her when she stepped forward, hand outstretched. He looked scared. And coupled with his still-visible injuries, it would look like she's threatening him. She sighed and retracted her hand.
"Fine, just keep the photos to yourself."
"I will!" He smiled warmly. "I'll keep them safe in my photo album...which uh, Sunny has. I guess I'll give it to him."
Aubrey immediately retorted. "No! Don't give it to him. Just...keep it to yourself."
"Um...okay."
His eyes looked past her shoulder and she followed his gaze toward Sunny, who still sat by the table. He was still busy staring at his arm. He looked so out of it. She was about to call him, but she was cut off by the pizza man telling them off for causing a ruckus. They all had to be sent outside.
Sunny was snapped out of his daze when he felt a tug. Next thing he knew, Aubrey was dragging him by the shirt. He looked to her side to see Kel rubbing his chin. Now he turned to his side to see Basil.
Oh, Basil's here too. He greeted him sheepishly.
"Hi, Sunny."
Sunny waved in response. Good to see him being well and all. But why were they heading outside? Are they done already? He looked around in confusion as he let himself get dragged outside. He steadied himself once Aubrey let him go. Basil nudged him and spoke in a hush.
"Hey Sunny, wanna see the photos?"
What photos? He nodded anyway. Basil pulled him into a huddle away from Aubrey and Kel as he held out three photos. Sunny examined them closely. The first one was a photo of Aubrey writing on his wrist. Oh right, Kel took a photo of them. The second and third were new, though. They were mostly blurry, but the slurry of Aubrey's pink hair was obvious. He had zoned off during the commotion (now he wished he saw it). He could feel himself warm up as he continued to look at the photos. He liked it. He gave a thumbs up.
"can i. keep them," He asked his friend. He wanted to keep them because they're photos of him and Aubrey because he had the photo album in his possession. There was no better reason for that.
"Sorry, Aubrey told me not to give them to you."
Bummer. He was about to ask who would keep it, but was cut off by Aubrey.
"Basil!" Her voice was shrill and she looked abashed. "I told you not to give it to him!"
"I-I wasn't!" He stammered in his defense. "But...you didn't say anything about showing it to him. Hehe."
Both Sunny and Aubrey were astounded. No one knew Basil had the audacity to do that with her-the delinquent, the leader of the Hooligans, the one carrying around a nail bat. She was rendered speechless for a moment. Kel hollered in hilarity.
"Did Aubrey just get shut down?!" He exclaimed while laughing. "Didn't know you had it in ya, Basil!"
"Wh-what, did I say something wrong?"
"No. The opposite, actually!" He doubled over while wheezing. Sunny honestly thought he was overreacting, but he shrugged to himself. That's just how Kel is.
He continued to watch as Aubrey began to dispute with Kel over...practically everything he's done just now. Basil tried to pacify their squabble to no avail. Really, only Hero could do that, but he wasn't here right now. He shrugged to himself again. This feels like their typical Saturday, minus a few people.
But right now, all that mattered to Sunny was that he was no longer hungry. He had delicious food. He hung out with Kel. He saw Basil again. He had a date with Aubrey and got her contact number. He couldn't have asked for anything better.
Today is such a good day.
A/N: link for the photos in case it didn't work: /duplicarto/status/1358417799803199488