Buck opened his eyes and gazed at the morning sun shining through his windows. He yawned, stretched, and then sat up in his bed. The events of the day and night before were still clear in his mind. He smiled as he recalled the warm, fuzzy memory of his call with Jenos. They were the two hearts in the stars. He wore a slight grin on his face as he got out of bed and went downstairs to get some breakfast.
His mother was already awake and cooking breakfast. The scent of cooking meat and eggs graced Buck's nostrils.
"Good morning, Mom," he started.
"Oh, hello. How was your day at the beach?" she asked.
"It was good." He didn't feel like going in depth. "You making breakfast?"
"I'm making some for your father. Want me to make more for you?"
"Yes, thanks Mom." There was a short pause as she turned around to chop some potatoes.
"So, I heard you talking on the phone last night." Buck gulped.
"Yeah, I was talking to Jenos." She raised an eyebrow, then turned back around to put the now diced potatoes in the pan.
"Jenos? That's a name I haven't heard in a while."
"I've started to hang out with him again."
"That's good. I like him, he's a cute kid."
"Sure," Buck mumbled as he sat down at the counter. After a couple of minutes, breakfast was ready. His father joined him at the counter, and his mother served them both, then herself. They chatted over the food. Buck finished, then got up and washed his dish.
"I'm going to go back up to my room and get ready," he stated.
"Get ready? For what?" his father asked.
"I'm going over to Jenos' house in a bit." His parents looked at each other.
"Alright then. Have fun," his mother replied. He walked back upstairs, brushed his teeth, and changed into some clothes for the day. After that, he sat down on his bed and texted Jenos.
"Good morning, Jenos. What time would you like me to come over?" he wrote. After a couple of minutes, he got a response.
"Hi Buck. How about 11:00?"
"Sounds good. See you then." He flopped back onto his back and glanced over at the clock. It was only 9:00. He picked up his phone and browsed his social media. After scrolling through a dozen or so pictures, one finally stood out. It was posted by Lian and was of her and Khan at the beach. He carried her in his arms as she smiled up at him, the low light of the setting sun highlighting their carefree expressions. Buck sighed. You would think they were the perfect couple, he thought to himself as he put his phone away. He decided to do something productive, rather than frustrate himself over matters that had nothing to do with him. He sat down at his desk to start working. Buck finished homework and other assignments that hung over from the week before. He stopped at around 10:45, giving himself plenty of time to walk to Jenos' house. He left, making sure to bring money just in case and to let his mother know he would be back soon.
Jenos' street was a couple of blocks away diagonally, a short enough distance to go by foot. Buck admired the way the morning light made everything clear and bright. Birds chirped, a slight breeze tugged leaves and grasses, and everything was covered with dew. A perfect Sunday morning. Soon enough, he reached his friend's small home. He approached the door, walking up the cobblestone path surrounded by well-kept grass, then knocked lightly. Jenos' mother answered after a couple of moments.
"Hi Buck! Jenos is just out in the backyard. Come in." She opened the door wider to let the muscular boy inside. He greeted Jenos' mother, then took off his shoes and left them right by the other pairs next to the door. He walked past the living room to the back door, opened it, and walked down to the yard, where Jenos knelt over a flowerbed, unaware of his friend's presence. Buck grinned as he realized his opportunity. As Jenos got up and turned around, Buck jumped and playfully tackled him to the ground. Jenos let out a soft yelp as he hit the grass. Jenos' dark brown eyes met Buck's green ones, and he exhaled.
"Oh, it's just you," Jenos said, relieved. Buck chuckled.
"I'm not a serial killer," Buck joked. The smaller man gave a playful smirk, which made Buck's face turn red. Jenos, in response, let out a nervous laugh and looked away from the man looming over him. Buck realized the awkward position they were in, and took this as a signal to get off of his friend. He stood up, then helped the other boy onto his feet.
"So, what are you up to?" Buck asked, changing the subject.
"Just tending to my flowerbed, that's all." Buck nodded. Jenos wore a dirty white t-shirt, thick rubber gloves, and shorts. He'd never seen Jenos in such an outfit. His friend knelt back down and picked some weeds out of the flowerbed. Buck relaxed into a chair nearby and observed. Clearly, Jenos put a lot of effort into maintaining these plants. Vibrant flowers bloomed from bushes of healthy green leaves, the grass was soft on Buck's feet, and the whole area had a pleasant herbal smell.
"How much time do you spend out here, anyways?" he asked.
"A couple of hours every weekend," Jenos answered, still facing his plants.
"That's a lot."
"It's not too much," Jenos responded with humility.
"Well, it definitely pays off."
"Thank you." Buck continued to admire the beauty of Jenos' work. Eventually, the other boy finished tending to the flowerbed and stood up once again.
"I'm going to go change, then we can do something, okay?"
"Alright. I'll wait out here." Jenos nodded and walked inside. After a couple of minutes, he returned in a casual outfit.
"So, what do you want to do, now that you're done?" Buck questioned, getting out of his chair.
"I was thinking we could hang out in town then grab lunch at that deli on Main street."
"Sounds good to me." There was a pause as Jenos fell silent. Buck could tell he was thinking when his eyes pointed upwards, his brow furrowed, and his lip curled slightly. It was almost cute.
"Maybe we could go thrifting?" he suggested.
"Alright, when do you want to leave?" Buck replied.
"How about now?"
"Let's go." The boys rushed to the back door then went into the house. Jenos asked Buck if he preferred driving or traveling by foot, to which he responded driving. He grabbed his car keys, then headed outside to the car, Buck following close behind. The two got into their seats, and Jenos paused.
"So, there's two stores on Main street, another on Ascension, and one last one closer to the beach, on Wekono way," he explained. "Which store do you want to shop at first?"
"How about the one on Ascension, since it's the farthest from the others?" Jenos nodded.
"Alright, Ascension Avenue, here we come." Jenos started up the car and drove east, towards a valley. Ascension was the prominent avenue of the small valley created by some hills where it terminated. There were a couple of stores along the road, almost like a mini downtown. They parked in a cramped parking lot outside of a chain of small businesses, one being the thrift store. As they walked towards the store, Buck noticed Jenos observing the scenery around the town. Soon, they arrived at the store front and walked in. A bell rang when they opened the door, alerting their presence.
"Customers, finally," a deep voice grunted. A tall, muscular woman with short black hair and dyed red bangs appeared from a back room.
"Hello," Jenos greeted.
"Hi. I'm Ash. Holler if you need anything," she answered as she headed back to where she came from.
"Does she go to our school?" Jenos whispered, turning to Buck.
"Yeah. I don't really see her around, but she's in my art class." Jenos nodded.
"Let's start looking around," he suggested as he walked deeper into the store. Both browsed various items such as clothing, decorations, old belonging and trinkets that filled the shelves. After a couple of minutes, Buck spotted a dark blue turtleneck sweater. This would look good on Jenos, he thought to himself as he examined the article of clothing.
"Jenos, I found something for you!" he called. The other boy appeared at his side and gazed at the sweater.
"Very nice," he commented, grabbing the sweater and holding it up to himself.
"What do you think?" he asked.
"It would look great on you."
He kept the sweater with him as he walked back to where he was. Buck continued to browse, both for himself and his friend. He found a leather bracelet that he fancied, as well as a relatively expensive watch for a low price. He noted the location of the watch, then headed back to find Jenos, planning to ask Ash about it. Eventually, he found his friend browsing the decorations.
"You ready?" Buck asked.
"Yeah, just a couple of moments. These vases are really nice." He examined a pale blue vase with white flowers painted on it. He picked it up, then approached Buck.
"Alright, I've got everything." Buck nodded, then headed to the counter with Jenos. He put down the leather bracelet, and Jenos put down the sweater, the vase, and a necklace. As Ash rang them up, Buck started a conversation.
"So, I noticed there was a pretty nice watch for only thirty-five dollars, what's that all about?" he asked.
"I don't come up with the prices. I told the owner to make it higher, but he didn't listen. Ridiculous, I know," she complained. Suddenly, the bell above the door rang. The three turned to door to see a short, slim girl with pink hair and blue eyes wearing a mailman outfit and carrying a bag. Ash grunted and the short girl grinned at her.
"It's me, Ash, your favorite mailwoman!" she greeted with a French accent. The larger woman rolled her eyes, then glared at the small girl.
"Don't try anything this time, Maeve," she spat.
"Chill, I won't." The pink-haired disappeared into the aisles of the store. Jenos gave a confused look to Buck, who shrugged.
"Sorry about that," Ash continued. "But yeah, did you want to buy that watch?"
"Yes. I just wanted to make sure the price wasn't a mistake," he stated. "I'll go get it now."
The cashier nodded, and Buck headed back to where he remembered the watch was. When he got there, he was surprised to find the girl, Maeve, also there. He started to walk towards the table where the watch was, but stopped when he saw Maeve look around in a suspicious manner. She grabbed a handful of merchandise, including the watch, and stuffed it in her mail bag. She started to walk away as if nothing happened. The girl quickened her pace as she approached the exit of the shop.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Ash shouted with anger. Buck realized then what was happening, and dashed past the aisles to the girl. He tackled her to the ground right in front of the door and grabbed the bag from her arm.
"No thiefs allowed in this store," Ash, who had moved from behind the counter, declared. Jenos stood still and wore a shocked expression. Buck still had Maeve on the ground, one arm holding her arm on her back, and the other holding her other arm on the ground. Her cheek was pressed against the dirty floor of the store, and her vibrant blue eyes glared up and Buck.
"Let me go!" the small girl grunted, squirming. Buck smirked, then handed her bag to Ash. She dug out the stolen goods, opened the door, and threw the bag outside. Then, she knelt down next to Maeve's face and looked her in the eye.
"Next time you come, I'm calling the police," she threatened. The smaller girl's face turned white.
"Let me go!" she repeated. Ash turned to Buck and nodded. He lifted his arms off of her, and she immediately dashed outside, grabbed her bag, and ran away from the store. He stood up, and Ash thanked him. She went back behind the counter and finished ringing them up. Buck made sure to purchase the watch. She gave a weak smile and handed them their bag of items.
"Thank you for purchasing from our shop. Have a good day!" Jenos smiled and nodded.
"You too." The friends left the shop and headed back out to their car. They put their bag in the back, then got in.
"That was interesting, wasn't it?" Buck started.
"Yeah. It was cool how you stopped her," Jenos commented, smiling to himself.
"Thanks," Buck replied, looking away and blushing.
"So, where to next?" Jenos asked, changing the subject.
"How about Wekono way?"
"Alright, let's go!"
He started up the car, then they started driving again. That was one hell of a visit, Buck thought to himself as they left Ascension Valley.
/
After a much less eventful shopping spree, the two ended up on Main street in a family-owned deli. The friends sat down in the outdoor area of the deli, ready to have lunch. The waitress gave them menus, they ordered sandwiches with pictures that made Buck's mouth water, and waited. Buck noted the almost empty sidewalks and street. It was a calm Sunday afternoon, no crowds of people out in town. In the silence, he admired the cool breeze and the clear blue sky. Eventually, Buck decided to start a conversation.
"So, you think you got everything you needed?" he asked Jenos.
"Yes. I'm glad you came with me, thrifting is much more exciting with a friend." Buck smiled.
"Well, I'm glad you invited me," he replied. Jenos moved his hand to his face, then adjusted a lock of his long hair. He gave a weak grin.
"No problem." Both sat in silence for a couple of moments. Suddenly, Buck felt his phone vibrate.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Let me check this," he apologized. Jenos nodded silently. Buck hated being rude by checking his phone, especially in front of Jenos. He pulled it out and read the screen. A message from Khan saying hello and asking if he could talk right now. Buck typed that he couldn't, but that he could later, then put away his phone.
"What was it?" Jenos asked curiously.
"Nothing, just Khan," Buck replied nonchalantly.
"It could be important," Jenos argued.
"Whatever it is, it doesn't matter right now." Jenos' face turned pink at that.
"Alright then. You seemed concerned about him yesterday, that's all."
"Don't worry about it." After that, the two continued to chat about other topics until the food came. They ate, Buck paid, they thanked the waitress, and left. Jenos drove to Buck's house, and stopped when they arrived. The two got out of the car, and Jenos gave him his items from the day.
"Alright, I think that's everything," Jenos said, handing him one more small bag.
"Thank you for giving me a ride," Buck said, holding his stuff in his arms.
"No problem. You paid for lunch." He chuckled awkwardly as Jenos got back into his car. He faced Buck, his window down and his hand on the wheel.
"Well then, see you tomorrow?" Buck asked, trying to spark up a conversation.
"Sure." There was a pause.
"You should come sit with my group!" he suggested.
"Are you sure?" Jenos asked nervously.
"Yeah, they're really nice. I think you would like them, especially Ying." Jenos smiled.
"That sounds great. The lunchroom, right?"
"Yes. We're in the middle, towards the back."
"I'll see you then."
"Alright, have a good day!"
"You too," Jenos returned, starting up the car. Buck waved as he drove off, then headed into his house. He walked to his room, and put what he purchased that day on his desk. Then, he flopped down on his bed and pulled out his phone. He browsed social media mindlessly until he recalled Khan's text from earlier, which reminded Buck he should write back.
"Hey, I can talk now," he started. Khan replied immediately.
"I just wanted to apologize for ditching you guys yesterday. Nobody else would respond to my texts." Buck raised an eyebrow.
"I forgive you. But who isn't responding?"
"Fernando and Viktor are ignoring me."
"They'll get over it. They're probably just salty about Lian." There was a momentary pause.
"What do you mean?"
"We're all a little concerned about you, that's all."
"Concerned about what?" Buck rolled his eyes. Khan cared too much about what other people were thinking about him.
"Just how Lian treats you, that's all."
"You don't need to worry about it." he replied. After that, they stopped texting. Buck spent the rest of his afternoon and night browsing social media and playing video games. He took a shower and cleaned up, then went to bed early to be ready for school the next day. As Buck laid in bed, he looked forward to having Jenos sit with them at lunch, but was slightly nervous about the tensions between Khan, Lian, Fernando, and Skye boiling over. He calmed himself, reassuring himself that he wouldn't fall into the crossfire if anything did happen. With this thought, he drifted into a peaceful slumber.