TWO DAYS LEFT…
Today, KEL was restless.
REALLY restless.
Like, the kind of restless one would feel after downing seven cups of coffee in one sitting and being told to stand in the corner to think about life.
This past week has flown by where KEL had basically done nothing but play video games by himself, play basketball by himself, and was practically doing nothing but hanging out by himself. It was starting to get really really boring without any social interactions.
Getting up from his bed, he scratched his head as he wondered to himself what he was going to do today in order to fix this restless feeling. It was already the afternoon, so there should still be daytime left to burn.
Today was the middle of Summer. The hot heat outside made it a perfect time to go do something fun and energetic. Especially with some friends.
If only he could find someone to do something fun with…
Hm…
Oh! That's it!
Maybe the best way to spend this day was to get his high school basketball team together and asked the captain if he wanted to train before school starts back up again!
With an excited gleam, KEL immediately grabbed his house phone and dialed a phone number as he mentally high-fived himself for a great idea. It'll be fun! He'll get to see the team again, reminisce the good ol' times, ask them how their lives have been and if they've gone through any adventures over the summer-
"Yeah, no, sorry man. I'm out on a ski trip with my family. Won't be able to ask anyone anything until I get back home."
"Oh." KEL blinked, not expecting the sails of his boat to be knocked out so early. Ah well, no big deal. That's life.
"Oh, but I don't mind if you want to round the old team up to do some practice games if you want. Just give them a call!"
Oh yeah, that's a great idea!
…
Except… Er…
"I… um… I don't have any of the other team member's phone numbers…" KEL mumbled embarrassingly.
"Seriously? You've been on the team for two years now and you only have my phone number?"
"I mean, it just never came up! I never needed anything from the team until now, and it's not like anyone calls me either…" KEL sighed, before having another brilliant idea! "Ooh! If you still know the other guy's phone numbers, how about listing them off to me?"
"Sure, man! Here, give me a sec to find my notepad. I wrote everyone's phone number on a list."
KEL patiently waited while kicking his feet, listening as his captain made rustling noises on the other end of the phone.
"Uh…" He could hear a nervous mumble.
"Anything wrong?" KEL asked.
"No, not really- Well, I mean… Hmm… Actually, yeah. I totally forgot to bring my notepad with me."
KEL sighed, "Seriously?"
"Well, I wasn't expecting to actually need it during this trip! This vacation was supposed to be family-focused, you know? Sorry man…"
"Nah, it's cool." KEL reassured, "I guess I'll just find something else to do in the meantime."
"Sure man. Hope you have a nice summer."
"Yeah, you too."
Hanging up the phone, KEL flopped right back into bed with a large groan.
Well, that plan was a bust. What now?
Hm…
OOH, maybe he could call JAY to see if he was available? The guy was captain of the football team at KEL's school, but with nothing to do until Summer ends, maybe he might be free?
"Sorry dude, can't hang out with you. My aunt's having a baby shower and my family can't miss it."
Ah, alright. Understandable, he remembered how much of a big deal it was for his parents when SALLY was just born. Good for JAY.
How about CRIS? That ocean-loving girl surely must be free during the summer!
"Er, you do realize I'm at a beach party at my old boarding school, right? As much as I'd like to hang out, I'm currently in the middle of a far-off island."
Yeah, even KEL had to admit that was a stretch on his part. Obviously, the girl who loves water, beaches, and oceans would have made plans during the Summer.
MINCY! The cute girl in red glasses who makes amazing art! He asked for her phone number a couple of years back and they've been in touch with each other for the most part. She DEFINITELY has to be free!
"I'm sorry KEL, but I'm taking a tutorship abroad. I'm nowhere near close to FARAWAY town to hang out. Again, I'm really sorry!"
Okay then…
Then what about-
"Nope, getting treatment for surgery."
Oh, how about asking-
"I take cram during the summer, man!"
What if he asked-
"Going on a date with my girlfriend in her hometown."
Maybe he should reach out to-
"Dad dropped his wedding ring in the ocean in Puerto Rico."
I mean, what are the chances that they'll be busy now if he asked-
"I am literally in outer space fighting a space monster to save the world right now. Please call me back later."
KEL did not call them back later, especially not after hearing a rather loud and ominous roar from the other end.
Welp, that was literally the last person on his contact list.
Sigh…
Glancing at the clock in his room, he saw that he had somehow managed to waste an hour trying to find someone to hang out with. Man, he wasn't expecting daylight to burn so quickly. At this rate, he'll be stuck bored out of his mind the entire day.
Hm… Well, there was still one person left he could call to see if he wanted to hang out.
Dialing another phone number one last time, he waited for a moment as he hoped his call got through.
…
"Hello? KEL?" He heard his big brother answer.
Ah man, it'd been a while since he actually heard HERO's voice. It was pleasant to finally find an excuse to talk to him after all this time, especially since HERO had only visited home once before two years ago.
"Hey, Bro! How's it hanging?" KEL greeted enthusiastically.
"Oh, well… It's hanging, I guess." HERO responded absentmindedly. "Something you needed, KEL?"
"Nah, I'm just bored. I was trying to find someone to hang out with, but all my friends in high school are busy doing their own thing. So I decided, why not give my big brother a call? See what you've been up to, you know? Hang out with me a bit."
"Oh, right… Um…" The tone in HERO's voice sounded both guilty and tired. "Now's probably not a good time…"
"Why, what's up?" KEL asked.
"Studying for finals. Gotta get through this semester with a good grade so that I can keep my scholarship going. Sorry, but I really do not have the time to talk to you today. Or for the next week, to be honest."
Aw man, not even HERO was free to just talk? Was KEL seriously the only high school teenager on Earth with nothing better to do?
He couldn't help but give a disappointed groan, unaware that he accidentally did it on the phone for HERO to listen to.
"Hey, is everything all right? You don't sound like your usual whiny self. This seems more serious." HERO couldn't help but ask in concern.
Realizing the blunder he made, KEL quickly reassured HERO, "O-Oh, no, nothing's wrong, man. Sorry, didn't mean to bother you during your studying session. I've just been trying to find someone that's willing to hang out with me. I've been really bored this past week, you know? I totally get that you're busy though and that this is more important than trying to entertain your whiny little brother." With an embarrassed chuckle, KEL told him, "Seriously, no worries. Good luck with your tests! I know you'll do just fine! Anyways, I'll stop bugging you now. Don't let me hold you back."
Before he was about to turn off his phone though, KEL could hear HERO give a contemplating hum.
"Hey, you know-" HERO suddenly proclaimed, "After this, I could probably ask for a break and come home sometime around the end of this month. How does that sound to you?"
KEL eyes widened in excitement.
"For real?! You're gonna come visit us at the end of this month?!"
"Sure, why not? It's been a while since I've visited anyway. I was starting to feel a little homesick. Plus, you definitely sound like you need the company."
Oh boy, does he ever!
"Aw yeah! Dude, this is totally gonna be sweet! I can't wait to hang out with my best bro again! Thanks, HERO!"
"No problem, little man. What kind of brother would I be if I left you hanging?"
"Hey, who's the little man here? I'm pretty sure I'm finally taller than you now!" KEL couldn't help but playfully pout.
"Oh yeah? Guess we'll just have to find out once again later when I get back home. Little Man." HERO emphasized in a teasing tone.
"Oh-hoh-hoh! You are totally on!" KEL accepted the challenge to his honor with gusto. "If it turns out I've gotten taller than you, you so owe me a pack of Orange Joes!"
"Deal. Oh and also by the way? Maybe keep this a secret from Mom and Dad. I think I'd rather make this a surprise visit." HERO chuckled, "Can I trust you to keep your mouth shut until the end of this month, KEL?
KEL motioned zipping his lips and throwing the zipper away.
…
"You know I can't see you right? Since I'm on the phone."
"I know."
HERO chuckled again, "I'll just take your silence as a yes then. Okay, but seriously though, I really need to get back to work."
"Sure thing, man! See you later!"
"Yeah, see you soon!"
Oooohhhh man! This was totally going to be so sweet! It's been so long since HERO came to visit since he started college. KEL couldn't wait to see how their heights compared now, or play all the new fighting games he's bought since then, and how much SALLY has grown the last time he visited-
With all this extra excitement in his veins, there was no way he could make himself cooped up in his room! He's gotta get out there and do something for fun!
…
Ah, right. The excitement of hearing HERO coming to visit completely overshadowed the main problem he was still having.
He was still alone, with no one else to hang with him. Despite the news, HERO was still a long way off before KEL can expect him to arrive.
…
Shoot…
…
Maybe his mom might need him to run a few errands or something. It'd be a waste of energy, but it still beats playing around by himself…
"You mean you're gonna be out of the house for the whole day?" KEL asked astonishingly.
"Didn't I tell you already, KEL?" His mother reminded as she carried a two-year-old SALLY in her arms, "I'm going to the local pool in order to help train SALLY to swim at an early age." Looking at the small girl in question and rubbing her nose against the little kid's stomach, "We want you to grow up to be a safe swimmer! Yes we do, yes we do little Snooky-poo!"
SALLY giggled uncontrollably from the tickling.
Bringing her back down, KEL's mother continued, "I don't have any errands for you to run. You're free to do whatever you want, it's all up to you."
"Oh… Okay…" KEL awkwardly scratched his neck.
Wow. Of all the days to have the most free time available to him, it had to be when no one else was around to play with him.
So that meant no chores. No friends. No anything to keep him busy.
Sigh… What was he supposed to do then?
Hm…
KEL continued to ponder this question for a long time, even as he sat outside under the shade of a tree. With nothing to do, he couldn't really seem motivated to play anything.
At least it was better being outside lamenting all of this instead of being inside. The wind blowing felt good in his skin.
Still, he couldn't quite shake off this restless feeling he's had since the beginning of the day.
He really really just wanted to do something with SOMEBODY. Is there seriously nobody else he knows in this town?
…
Well… There were a few, actually… But...
It had been a while since he last spoke with them. No doubt, asking out of the blue to hang out with them after a long period of silence would feel pretty awkward for both parties involved.
Out of all the people he knew in the town of FARAWAY, the only ones he hadn't asked yet to hang out with him were…
AUBREY.
MARI.
SUNNY.
BASIL.
He's not so sure if he should speak with AUBREY. The last time he remembered hanging out with her was over four years ago. The situation with SUNNY had definitely overwhelmed the both of them when it slowly dawned on them that SUNNY wasn't going to wake up anytime soon.
KEL just really needed something to change in his life. To keep the flow going. Waiting around for SUNNY to wake up wasn't going to help him do that. So he met up with other new people, tried to extend his social circle to as many people as possible. Shame that he accidentally managed to lose contact with his old friend group as a consequence…
He wouldn't say that he's changed all that much. KEL thought that he was still the same old KEL as he was six years ago.
The years had definitely changed AUBREY and MARI though, and not for the better.
AUBREY's change was something KEL never expected to happen. What was once a cute sweet girl with a temper problem and love for cute things, seemingly turned into some kind of gang leader while he wasn't paying attention. He had seen AUBREY hanging around the delinquents, or as they call themselves, "The SCOOTER GANG." Causing trouble around the neighborhood by breaking random things, making a mess wherever they go, and holding a turf over the secret hideout that the old friend group used to have picnics in. He's even seen AUBREY going around holding a nailed bat of all things. Seriously, what was up with that?
KEL wasn't proud to admit it, but the change had scared him a bit. He'd rather not have to deal with the potential hassle of messing with them.
MARI's change was something he saw happening years ago, ever since the day of the accident. When the doctors told everyone that SUNNY was going to be stuck in a coma for potentially the rest of his life, MARI hadn't been the same.
She rarely talked to anyone anymore. Hell, he had rarely seen her even leave the house unless it was to go visit SUNNY. In the beginning of it all, MARI was at least still on friendly terms with him, even if she became very quiet and lifeless. Ever since KEL stopped visiting SUNNY though, MARI started giving him the cold shoulder.
One time, two years ago, he remembered seeing her out in the Supermart buying groceries. When he went to say hi and ask how she's been, MARI gave him the coldest glare before walking away without even speaking a word. When he told HERO about it while he was visiting, HERO went ahead to try to have a talk with her. Something must have gone wrong though because shortly after, HERO came home saying that MARI had broken up with him. Poor guy...
It was the first time KEL has ever seen her like that… Yet a part of him couldn't help but feel like it was definitely his fault… KEL was not the brightest bulb in the warehouse, but even he had some self-awareness that he must have done something wrong to get MARI to hate him.
He just wasn't sure what, though…
As much as he would like to visit MARI and try to patch things up with her, he wasn't sure he'd get very far. Every attempt he made to visit her house, MARI pointedly ignored him. Standing outside and knocking on her door every five minutes for an entire day didn't work either. If he tried to go to her now, it probably won't end up any different.
SUNNY… Well, the reasons why he couldn't ask SUNNY to hang out with him were already obvious. KEL couldn't bring himself to visit him at the hospital either…
Whenever KEL saw him, sleeping like that… Never waking up… It brought an uncomfortable feeling inside him. One that he'd rather not confront at the moment. He just wasn't ready for it…
BASIL… Huh, actually, it had been a while since he last really hung out with the flower boy. Out of all of his past friends, BASIL actually seemed the most unchanged since SUNNY's accident. KEL also knew that he and BASIL didn't have any bad blood between them either, so he could totally just go visit his house if he wanted to.
Yet there was a reason why KEL stopped hanging out with him though, wasn't there? Hm… No, there was definitely a specific reason why, KEL just couldn't quite seem to remember. Was it about his grandma passing away four years ago? KEL remembered BASIL asking him to leave him alone to grieve about it, and KEL respectively honored his wishes. He even remembered telling BASIL that he would be there for him if BASIL ever wanted to talk about it. Was that it?
No, that wasn't it… It was a different reason why he stopped… Hm…
His train of thought was interrupted when he saw a familiar car drive down the street, before watching it slowly park right in front of his neighbor's house. Also known as SUNNY and MARI's house.
He saw her getting out of the car with tired dead eyes as she proceeded to open the trunk to carry her groceries in. It looked like she just bought a massive amount, considering she was having trouble carrying it all.
Hm…
A lightbulb flashed in his head.
This might be the perfect opportunity to make amends with MARI and get her to like him again!
"MAAAARIIIIIIIIII!" KEL decided to shout out of the top of his lungs as he made a beeline towards her.
MARI jumped with a startled expression as she heard her name being shouted in the distance, almost dropping her groceries. When she turned and saw KEL running towards her though, her expression deformed into an annoyed scowl before she quickly made her way into her house.
"Hey, MARI! Wait up!" KEL called out, "Need some help carrying those?"
MARI seemed to make a point to ignore him, even as she struggled to carry her bags with her.
In her rush to avoid the speed demon that was KEL though, her bad knee began acting up as she started stumbling forward. The weight of her hubris over carrying all these bags at once was nearly about to bite her as she almost face-planted into the pavement.
Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on who's perspective it was, KEL caught up with her just in time to hold her back.
"Whoa! Almost took a nasty fall there. You gotta be more careful and take things slow next time." KEL advised her with a friendly smile.
MARI did not return the smile with her own. Instead, she glared at the boy before ignoring him and trudging along. When she eventually reached her door, she dropped her bags in order to fish out her house keys. It took her a bit to unlock her door, fumbling around as she attempted to rush through it as fast as she could in order to get away from the happy-go-lucky boy in her presence.
Once she unlocked it, she took a deep breath and attempted to carry all of her bags at once. Her arms must have given out though, as she struggled to carry it all this time, much to her annoyance.
"You should let me help you carry some! You look like you're about to keel over at any second." KEL offered.
"I'm fine, KEL." MARI responded curtly.
"Nonsense! Don't be stubborn, I insist!"
KEL didn't bother to wait for her rejection, already grabbing half of the bags and inviting himself into her house.
MARI could only give a resigned yet frustrated sigh.
When KEL entered the living room for the first time in years, he couldn't help but look around with a nostalgic smile. "Aw man, it's been so long since I last stepped foot in here. God, this place brings back so many memories." Turning around to grin at MARI, he continued, "Hey, remember when we all used to come here for sleepovers and spend all night watching movies and cartoons? The Captain Spaceboy trilogy was the best, wasn't it? Heheh."
MARI didn't respond. She tiredly continued on to the kitchen, as she opened the fridge and steadily started filling it with her bags of groceries.
KEL kept admirably looking around the house, "Man, this place still looks as clean and organized as ever! I'm so jealous! Ever since HERO left for college, our room has started getting messier and messier by the day. I wish I could have been half as organized as you two were."
Hearing the nickname of her ex-boyfriend, MARI once again gave a vicious glare at the offending boy before taking a deep breath to calm down and ignore him again.
Oof. Mentioning HERO might be a touchy subject. As much as KEL would love to know more about what happened between the two of them two years ago, it might be best to leave that conversation topic for another time.
Deciding to keep the flow of conversation going, he went into the kitchen with MARI and opened up the bag in his hand to see what was inside.
To his confusion, it was a bag filled completely with plastic boxes containing tofu. Like, nothing but boxes and boxes and boxes of the same brand of tofu.
"MARI, is this all just tofu? How many boxes did you buy? Enough to outlast Fort Knox or something?" KEL chuckled lightheartedly.
When KEL walked up behind MARI to see that, yes, she did indeed fill the fridge to the brim with nothing but tofu.
KEL blinked stupidly at the sight, even as MARI roughly grabbed the bags of tofu out of his hand while still completely ignoring him.
Bleugh, seriously? Tofu was such a bland and weird meal. Sure, KEL was always a picky eater, but he couldn't even imagine himself wanting to purposely eat tofu for a single meal, let alone making it the only thing he would have in his fridge.
Is that even a healthy diet for someone? His mom always told him that eating tofu would be healthier than eating junk food, but he really doubted that eating nothing BUT tofu day in and day out would be a better alternative. At the very least, it would make every meal boring as heck.
"I, uh…" KEL mumbled awkwardly, "I see you like tofu. That's pretty cool…"
KEL honestly had no idea what else to say at this point.
After MARI finished storing all of her tofu and set the fridge temperature to max freezing, she closed the door with a sigh before turning to KEL, "What do you want, KEL? I don't have time for your nonsense."
Ouch. Looks like she's still angry at him, even after all this time. Man, he wished he knew what he did to tick her off so badly, to the point where even HERO became a casualty of it.
KEL was not a socially tactful person, he will admit. Even though he has no trouble making friends, he knows that he could be pretty oblivious to some of the more serious social cues in life.
With a guilty expression, KEL could only rub his arm as he awkwardly answered, "I mean… It's been a while since we last talked and hung out, you know? This is the first time I've seen you in months. The first time we ever actually talked in years, actually. I just wanna catch up, you know? See how you've been doing."
Looking closely at her now that he had the chance to be up close, he realized that MARI seemed a lot more frail and pale than how he remembered her back then. Man, what happened to her? She used to be so full of life and cheery and stuff, but now she just looks… half-dead.
MARI, never losing the edge in her voice or the cold stare in her eyes, scoffed, "There's nothing to catch up on, KEL. If that's seriously all you needed, then don't bother asking. Now can you kindly leave my property?"
She was so cold towards him too. If you had asked him six years ago if he could ever imagine MARI, the big sister of their old group, to ever act like this towards him, he would call you a loony.
Even though he came here in order to patch things up with her, now he was just worried…
"Hey, no offense or anything, but have you been taking care of yourself these days?" KEL couldn't help but ask out of concern.
She rolled her eyes annoyedly, "I'm fine. Will you please leave now?"
"But… You don't look so good. You're really skinny and pale. Maybe you should get some sunlight more oft-"
"That's none of your business, KEL!" MARI snapped suddenly, her patience with him quickly running dry. "I'm not asking again. Leave my house. Now."
KEL, being the nosey type that he was, couldn't back down now. Not while one of his oldest friends seemed to be living an unhealthy lifestyle.
"I feel like it is my business though!" KEL spoke back, making it clear that he wasn't going to leave anytime soon. "C'mon, MARI. Be honest with me. This is the first time I've ever gotten to see you since forever. I'm worried!"
"Why should I care?!" MARI shouted frustratedly, "I've never seen you around for the past four years, KEL! Don't start pretending to worry about me now!"
"But… But I'm not pretending." KEL felt hurt to hear that she thought of him that way. Did she really think KEL had stopped caring about her or something? "You're one of my oldest friends since we were kids!"
"Friends?!" MARI decided to laugh mockingly, "Is that what we are? Friends? You really think that's true?"
MARI…
"Of course I do…" KEL muttered sadly. Was all this anger and hatred his fault? He always thought he was trying his best to be the best friend that anyone could rely on… Did he fail to be that towards MARI?
MARI frowned again, staring into his eyes as if she was desperately searching for a lie. Eventually, she looked away to hide her face and asked softly, "... If we really were friends, why did you stop coming to visit…?"
KEL perked up at this, before immediately assuring her, "What do you mean?! I've been trying to visit all the time to make sure you were all right! But ever since four years ago, you wouldn't ever open the door for me whenever I knocked-"
"NOT ME, KEL." MARI raised her voice again, "SUNNY. Why did you stop coming to visit SUNNY?!"
…
Oh…
"Wasn't he your best friend?!" MARI turned up to look at him again, the light in her eyes flaring up as her expression became distraught and betrayed, "He was always there for you when you needed him, wasn't he? He would always come out to play with you whenever you invited him. He had always been looking forward to seeing you every day. So why?! Why won't you visit SUNNY anymore?!"
This… So this was the reason why…
KEL gulped nervously as he gave a guilty frown. He looked away from her, unable to find the backbone to make eye contact with her anymore.
It's not that KEL didn't care about his friend anymore. Of course, he cared! Of course, KEL still missed him, even to this day. KEL would never forget the time he spent with SUNNY and the bond they shared.
…
But that was exactly the problem for him…
All KEL could do whenever he visited SUNNY at the hospital was remember him. That's all. They couldn't play together like they used to. They couldn't have conversations like they used to.
It was hard to stay connected to someone when they never wake up…
In a way, KEL could understand why MARI hated him now. It was pretty selfish of him to stop coming to visit SUNNY anymore. But…
But he seriously couldn't stand being around the shell of a person that he cared about. It… It hurt. Like a constant reminder of what once was, might not ever be again.
That was why KEL had to stop visiting. So that he could move on and make sure the world around him keeps spinning. Otherwise, he'd be left behind by everyone else…
It hurt to remember.
But he couldn't say that to her. Not to MARI's face. Not to the person who was still grieving over the loss of her little brother, after all these years. It would only make her feel hurt even more if she ever realized the selfish reason why he stopped.
That's why KEL didn't say anything in response.
All he could do was silently look at the floor.
The light in MARI's eyes slowly dyed out as KEL refused to answer her question. MARI's expression turned back to the cold hard look that she had moments before.
"Get out."
And so, KEL was stuck in the park, dribbling his basketball all by his lonesome.
Back to square one…
Lining up for the shot, KEL halfheartedly shot a ball at the hoop, putting no energy or concentration behind his throw.
Surprise surprise, nothing but air.
KEL watched the ball bounce back down to the ground but made no attempt to retrieve it.
Sigh…
Dang it, KEL… You really could have done a better job at handling that situation.
Now MARI was more upset with him than ever before.
"Man, today is just… not my day." KEL sighed depressingly.
Now what was he going to do? It wasn't like he could just tell anyone about what happened with him and MARI. Who would he even talk to about this anyway?
He really wanted to know what HERO's advice on this might be. He was usually always smarter than KEL in situations like these.
Although, this was probably a unique problem that not even his big brother could solve. Not with his finals coming up, and especially not with MARI being involved.
…
It was evening now. The whole afternoon was completely wasted. Yet KEL still felt as restless as ever.
Dang…
"Meet up with the gang later at GINO's then, AUBREY?"
"Yeah, totally. See you later, KIM. Don't eat all the taffy in a single night VANCE."
KEL's ears perked up as he heard a familiar voice a distance across from the park.
Far off away, he saw the familiar pink hair of another old friend from his childhood. She was waving goodbye at two others riding away in scooters.
AUBREY and the SCOOTER GANG members. It seemed those three just exited the forest that led to where their old hangout spot used to be.
Now that he thought about it, when was the last time KEL ever spoke to AUBREY?
Ever since the accident with SUNNY, KEL never really saw her around anymore, not even in school. They would both meet up occasionally sometimes back then when school was over, but once they went up a grade and got forced into different classes, they never really maintained contact anymore.
It was around this time that KEL had been busy meeting other people and making new friends though, so no doubt he must have been too busy to notice.
When did she change from the old girl she used to be to the punk delinquent she was now? KEL had been curious about it for a while now, but never really had the guts or the opportunity to ever find out.
KEL didn't really like violence or negative confrontation with people if he could help it. Unless it was to help someone in need, he'd rather avoid trouble like it was the plague. Seeing AUBREY carrying a nailed bat around and messing with the neighborhood as leader of the SCOOTER GANG deterred KEL from ever approaching her anymore.
AUBREY never seemed to confront him either. From the few times they crossed paths with each other, it was almost like she was pretending not to even notice him.
Hm…
Seeing her now without her friends around, and it was also the rare day where she wasn't carrying her nailed bat in her hands, KEL suddenly felt confident enough to approach AUBREY again for the first time in forever.
Even though they used to argue and fight a lot as kids, KEL still remembered that they used to get along great as friends. Maybe he might be able to rekindle that same kind of relationship even now.
"Hey! AUBREY!" KEL decided to smile happily as he waved at the pink-haired girl.
She was in the middle of stretching when she froze up at the sound of his voice. She turned around to see him running after her with a big dumb goofy grin that he was always known for.
"AUBREY! It's been a while! How've you been?" KEL asked cheerfully enough.
AUBREY, instead of greeting him, blankly stared at him for a moment as if she didn't even recognize who was in front of her. Then without a word, immediately spun around and walked away.
…
KEL tilted a bit from being ignored so bluntly, before shaking his stupor off and following after her.
"Hey, wait up!" KEL called out, "Don't you recognize me? It's me, KEL!"
"I know who you are. I'm not blind." AUBREY stated matter of factly.
"Then why did you just turn around and ignore me? That was a bit rude…" KEL pouted.
AUBREY stopped walking as she turned around to face KEL again. Giving KEL a blank neutral stare, she asked, "And why shouldn't I have done that? Were you expecting me to say hi back?"
"Well… sort of? I guess?" KEL shrugged, feeling a bit less confident in himself.
"What do you want, KEL? You're bothering me." AUBREY continued with her blunt attitude.
Despite the blank stare she was giving to KEL, he couldn't help but feel just a little animosity behind that look.
Jeeze, he was going two for two at making his old friends give him the stink eye. Today seriously wasn't his day, was it?
"Sorry, didn't mean to bother." KEL smiled apologetically, "I just saw you standing around alone and decided to ask if we could maybe hang out."
"Why would you want to hang out with me? Don't you have your other friends to keep you busy?"
KEL could actually hear the bite hidden underneath that tone of hers. It was like she was accusing him of something.
"Do I need a reason to want to hang out with you?" KEL asked.
"We haven't talked in four years, KEL. This is the first time you ever even spoke a word to me since we graduated middle school."
Eheh… That was a good point…
"Right… Sorry about that." KEL chuckled nervously, "None of my other friends are around right now to keep me company. Everyone is either busy with their own stuff, or on vacation, or studying during the summer- and I guess I got pretty lonely. When I saw you hanging around the park without your usual friends, I thought I might as well try to see if you were busy."
After that, AUBREY gave a thoughtful look as she turned away. "I see. So you only came to me because I was literally the last option you had left."
KEL winced, "Jeez, don't say it like that! You make it sound as if I only came up to you because I had nothing else better to do!"
"Isn't that basically what you just admitted to me though?" AUBREY asked rhetorically.
KEL felt his nerves acting up with the way AUBREY was speaking towards him. Even though she was right in front of him, he couldn't help but feel so… distant.
"Hate to burst your bubble, but I have my own things to worry about. Find someone else to keep you distracted."
With that, she walked away and left him behind.
"Wait, AUBREY!" KEL reached out, only for her to ignore him and keep walking.
…
"Seriously…?"
What the heck was AUBREY's deal? Why was she acting so aloof?
Honestly, her acting this way towards him hurt even more than the cold hateful glare that MARI gave him earlier. It was like the childhood friendship they used to have together never even happened for her.
…
Was it… KEL's fault that she was like this?
He never did make the attempt to reach out to her after all these years…
He wondered to himself if maybe he wasn't just a bad friend all along?
…
…
…
The restless feeling inside KEL became more prominent than ever.
Sigh… what was he supposed to do now?
…
…
…
…
…
...
...
...
...
…
…
"KEL? Is that you?"
He didn't know how long he zoned out for. The moment he heard someone call his name though, KEL snapped out of his and looked around.
"It is you!"
Right in front of him was the familiar blond flower boy that had always hung out in their old friend group.
BASIL gave KEL a warm and friendly smile, "How have you been, KEL? It's been such a long time since we talked, haven't we?"
KEL had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn't just imagining him. BASIL's friendly attitude towards him counteracted the previous mood from a few minutes ago. It almost gave him a tonal whiplash.
"Hey BASIL…" KEL mumbled a bit, before shaking his head clear. Eventually, KEL was able to get himself to smile again as he properly greeted his old friend, "It has been a while, hasn't it? Nice to see you again!"
"Yeah, you too!" BASIL smiled happily, "Wow, I can't believe it's been years now. I've seen you around school, but we never really had the chance to talk with each other since we had different periods from each other." BASIL curiously eyed KEL up and down, before stating, "You've gotten taller."
KEL couldn't help but give a prideful chuckle, "You notice, have you? I've been forcing myself to drink milk every single day!
"That's good! I always know how much you dislike milk, so I'm glad to see you're still pushing yourself to overcome it!"
"You know, you don't look bad yourself! You definitely grew a few feet taller than I remember you being." KEL complimented.
"Thanks, hearing that from you is really good to hear." BASIL chuckled embarrassingly as he looked away, "There was a time a few years ago where I wasn't taking care of myself properly. I was worried it might have stunted my growth since I wasn't eating properly."
KEL wondered what he meant before realizing, "You're talking about when your grandma passed away?"
Despite the sad reminder, BASIL gave KEL a soft smile, "Yeah."
That was definitely a dark time for BASIL if KEL remembered correctly. BASIL practically locked himself away in his house for months. Almost like how MARI locked herself up after SUNNY's accident.
"I'm really sorry about what happened, BASIL. She was a real sweetheart, and I know you loved her a lot." KEL offered his condolences.
BASIL shook his head and continued to grin happily, "Don't be. It wasn't your fault. She was just at that age, you know? I'm sure she's in a better place now."
"It's good to see that you managed to move on peacefully enough."
BASIL nodded, "It was hard at first. She pretty much raised me my entire life. Knowing that she's gone really affected me." With a wistful smile, he looked up to the orange sky, "I was really sad that she was gone. Even remembering the good times we spent together was enough to get me to break down. But then, eventually, I realized something." Turning back down to look at KEL again, he continued cheerfully, "Even though remembering the memories we had together seem a little sad now, I should be happy that they even happened at all. If it hadn't been for my parents deciding to leave me with her, I would have never gotten to know and experience her love. That's why, instead of obsessing over the past, I should keep moving towards the future and make even more new memories along the way. Then once I eventually get to meet up with her again, I'll have tons of stories to tell her while I was still alive."
KEL blinked astonishingly at the flower boy, surprised at how mature and grown-up he seemed. It wasn't long ago that he remembered BASIL being the crybaby of the group. Even when they first met, he had seemed so fragile and innocent. Like a simple touch could break him apart.
Seeing him like this now, KEL felt really proud of him. The same kind of pride that an older brother would usually feel when they see their little brother all grown up.
"I'm sure wherever she is now, she's looking down on you with all the love and happiness in the world." KEL assured BASIL, slapping his hand on his shoulder.
BASIL nodded happily, "Yeah. She is."
There was a brief moment of silence between them as a moment of respect before BASIL continued the conversation.
"Anyways, what are you doing out here by yourself? You were just standing around the park like a dead zombie."
"O-Oh, was I?" KEL chuckled embarrassingly, "Yeah, sorry, I guess I was getting lost in my own thoughts."
BASIL tilted his head curiously, "That doesn't normally sound like you. You always seemed to be the type that's always focused more on being 'in the now', you know?"
"You're right, I guess it is pretty out of character for me." KEL mumbled awkwardly.
BASIL hummed curiously, before shrugging it off. Then with an excited smile, BASIL asked, "Hey, if you're not busy, do you want to spend some time together? It's been a long time, we should hang out and catch up with each other."
KEL was surprised at the offer at first before slowly growing excited himself, "Yeah! Totally! I'd love to hang out with my old bud! I've actually been trying to find something to do with someone this whole day!"
"That's perfect then!" BASIL cheered happily.
"So what do you wanna do, BASIL? Even though it's already evening, we still have time to burn, right?" KEL asked.
BASIL looked towards his wristwatch with a contemplative hum, "Let's see… They shouldn't be closed yet… We could still make it in time…"
"Ooh, where we going?" KEL started jumping in place, the hype already building up inside him, "We heading over to GINO's for a quick bite? Or maybe you wanted to head to HOBBEEZ to buy some new gadgets? Ooh, maybe we could even head up to the arcade downtown and play some gun games!"
BASIL couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's overexcitement, before correcting him, "Actually, I was planning to spend the rest of the evening visiting SUNNY at the hospital!"
KEL immediately stopped bouncing.
"Y-You are…?" KEL asked nervously.
Oblivious to the sudden shift in attitude, BASIL beamed with a radiant and innocent joy, "It's been so long since I brought anyone to come visit SUNNY with me! I'm sure he'd be happy to know that we're still visiting him after all these years!"
KEL felt sweat dripping from his head.
Ah, right. KEL remembered now. There was a specific reason why KEL stopped hanging out with BASIL all those years ago. It only took him just now to figure it out.
BASIL would visit SUNNY almost as often as MARI does. He practically had his own schedule revolving around getting as much free time as possible just to go visit SUNNY.
Shoot...
"Anyways, we should hurry on over! The sooner we get there, the longer we can talk to SUNNY and talk to each other about how our lives have been!" BASIL gestured KEL to follow as he prepared to jog over to the hospital.
He was stopped in place when KEL suddenly landed a rough hand on his shoulder.
"Uh… A-Actually, BASIL… Um…" KEL nervously stuttered, "I… I don't… think I can visit SUNNY right now…"
BASIL seemed genuinely shocked and confused at this, as he turned around to ask, "Why not? I thought you said you were looking for someone to spend time with today."
"..." KEL wondered to himself how he was going to get out of this one.
If KEL had already screwed up his friendship between two of his other childhood friends already. He wasn't sure if he could mentally take on the fact that he might have to screw up another just because he was too scared to visit SUNNY.
Would BASIL hate him like MARI if KEL just admitted the truth? That he couldn't see SUNNY because he didn't want to be reminded of a past that couldn't be brought back?
KEL remembered how close BASIL and SUNNY were back in the day. They pretty much followed each other around like a pair of overexcited puppies each time the other visited them.
He didn't want to lose BASIL as a friend too. But a part of him still wasn't ready to face seeing SUNNY again. He just wasn't mentally prepared for it.
What was he going to do? What was he going to say? How was he going to make it so that he could get out of this without hurting BASIL's feelings?
…
It seemed KEL took too long to respond, as BASIL seemed to notice the odd behavior KEL was displaying. BASIL put his own hand on KEL's shoulder, as he gently asked, "KEL, are you okay?"
KEL couldn't respond.
After a moment of silence, BASIL seemed to figure out the situation himself as he nodded understandingly, "I think I get it. KEL, you can't see SUNNY right now because it hurts, right?"
…
KEL looked up at BASIL in shock. He didn't expect the blond boy to figure it out so quickly!
With a sad smile, BASIL reassured KEL, "I get it. I do, seriously. You're not ready to face him yet. It hurts just to see him like this, knowing you can't do anything except wish and pray that he'll eventually come back. Even then, it doesn't ever feel like it's enough."
"T-That's right…" KEL nodded, a big part of his heart feeling majorly relieved at BASIL's understanding. "How did you know…?"
"You're not the only one that feels like this. Trust me, you're not alone." BASIL smiled softly. "If you don't feel like you're ready to see him again, then you don't have to feel pressured to visit. I'm sure SUNNY would understand. He'd never want to make his friends uncomfortable just for his expense. SUNNY is nice like that."
KEL smiled back, a huge weight being lifted off his shoulders. Man, he had been so scared too that BASIL would start judging him…He should have known that the flower boy would be kind-hearted enough to know what he was going through.
Rubbing his face, KEL gave a relieved sigh, "Thank you, BASIL. You have no idea how much it means to me to know that you totally get me. I was so worried that… that you'd…"
"That I'd what?" BASIL asked with genuine curiosity.
"..." KEL swiped down his face before looking away sadly, "I was worried that you'd hate me too. Just like MARI. Because I stopped visiting SUNNY. I met up with her today and she… she was really upset that I never visited him anymore like I used to."
KEL felt BASIL's grip on his shoulder tighten a bit. KEL looked up to see the rare sight of BASIL actually looking… annoyed at something. No, not even annoyed. He looked bitter.
It was not a face that suited BASIL, counteracting with his usually innocent charm.
As quickly as it came though, BASIL switched back to a kind smile, as he reassured KEL, "Don't listen to whatever MARI has to say about SUNNY, okay? She never got over what happened to him. MARI is too busy in her own world grieving over SUNNY to understand how anyone else feels about the situation. Just because her own method of coping is different, it doesn't mean yours is any less validated."
…
Once again, for like the fifth time tonight, KEL had to blink in astonishment at how amazingly mature BASIL was acting. It was like he knew all the right things to say to make KEL feel better.
No, for real, who was this guy and what did he do to the real BASIL?
"All that matters is that, when SUNNY wakes up one day, you'll welcome him back with open arms and treat him the same way you've always treated him. That's the best thing you can do for him."
KEL nodded back slowly, agreeing with BASIL, "Of course I'll do that! I'd do it even if you didn't tell me to!"
BASIL smiled happily, "Great! That's all I needed to hear." Letting KEL's shoulder go, BASIL continued the conversation prior, "Later when I go see SUNNY today, I'm definitely going to tell him about our conversation. When he wakes up, he's going to be so happy to know that you're still thinking about him!"
Man, BASIL was always the optimistic one. Seeing him again reminded him of the good ol' days back when the group was still together. Even despite often being weak and fragile, BASIL never once became pessimistic. He always looked at the brighter side of things, even when the situation went against his favor.
KEL was a little jealous that BASIL never let that part of him die, even six years later.
…
"Hey, BASIL." KEL started.
"Hm? Yes?" BASIL responded.
…
"I gotta ask you… How is it that you're so confident that SUNNY will wake up?" It was a terrible question to ask, now that he thought about it. But it was one that KEL really wanted to know the answer to. To understand how BASIL could be so optimistic in such a dire situation.
"I'm… not, actually," BASIL admitted honestly. With an embarrassing chuckle, BASIL continued, "A part of me is scared that SUNNY might never wake up. It's something that's always been nagging me in the back of my head." Slowly shaking his head, he went on, "But that won't stop me from believing that he'll wake up. It's the reason why I keep visiting him whenever I get free time on my hands. SUNNY is a good person, you know? I know for a fact that he would never leave any of us behind. Not on purpose."
BASIL looked up at the sky once more. KEL followed suit, looking up as well, as if SUNNY was going to be up there somehow.
"Whenever he's ready, maybe it's sometime soon, maybe not. I know SUNNY will wake up, and when he does, he'll help everything go back to the way things used to be. Where all of us are back together again, having picnics, having fun like we always do."
Hearing BASIL speak about him like this, KEL almost felt like he saw SUNNY up in the sky giving him a thumbs up.
"As long as I believe that, I can visit him without it feeling hard."
BASIL waved goodbye and left him after that, leaving KEL alone with his thoughts.
He swung on the swingset as he looked towards the sky, watching the clouds go by.
BASIL was able to visit SUNNY every day because he truly believed in his heart that SUNNY was going to wake up someday.
That kind of dedication and determination was something KEL found extremely admirable.
Maybe that was his problem… KEL had stopped believing that SUNNY would wake up again at some point.
Visiting the comatose boy over and over again without any sign of change must have put a damper on his hopes that his friend would ever come back.
This might also be why MARI hated him. Not only because he stopped visiting, but maybe in her mind, she thought that KEL had given up on SUNNY by not believing.
…
KEL didn't want to give up. KEL wouldn't stop believing anymore.
With a newfound sense of determination, KEL brought himself back up with a confident grin.
"Tomorrow." KEL stated out loud with finality, "Tomorrow for sure, I'm going to start visiting him regularly again. And then I'm gonna tell him sorry for not believing in him earlier."
The restless feeling that KEL had inside him all day finally melted away, leaving him with a satisfying kick in his step as he went back home.