Was anything even real anymore?

Aubrey looked up at the hole above her room as she lay on the wooden floor, the moonlight hitting her face as she further dissociated from the events of last week.

Her childhood friend was dead. Suicide. Same family, same cause of death, just a different method. Who wouldn't want an escape from reality after losing someone close to you for a second time?

A knock at the door shattered her train of thought. She wanted to ignore it, but the knocking continued, growing louder and harder with each second.

The delinquent reluctantly got up from the floor, descending the ladder to the first floor and walking past the sleeping woman on the couch who meant nothing to her, even before her life fell apart four years ago.

By the time she reached the door, she could swear she had a migraine coming on. Something about its excessiveness was pissing her off, and as she opened the door, she would find out why that was.

"What the fuck do you-" Aubrey's expression went from agitated to woeful. "Oh. Hey Kel…"

"Hi Aubrey…" The brown-haired athlete couldn't even be bothered to fake a smile, to look her in the eye. She couldn't blame him though after what they and his brother had to see earlier.

Even an optimist like Kel had a limit.

"You uh…" the pink-haired girl managed to make eye contact with her friend. "Wanna come inside?"

"If you don't mind…"

Aubrey nodded before letting Kel enter. Closing the door, she silently walked back the path she came. The usually talkative airhead tailing her didn't say anything either, simply taking her lead as they climbed the ladder up to her room.

Once inside, Kel didn't hesitate to sit down on the worn out mattress, with its owner awkwardly standing near the pen her bunny was sleeping in. Aubrey tried sparking some type of dialogue with the boy she bickered with endlessly in the past.

"So how's Hero holding up…?"

"He uh, left again for college."

"Oh… right."

"Yeah..."

Just like old times.

Aubrey was seriously starting to reconsider if she should've let Kel inside in the first place. She wouldn't get far though with those thoughts as the athlete began unsettlingly laughing to himself.

"I made it worse, didn't I? It was a mistake coming here."

"Huh? What are-"

"If I didn't get Sunny to come out…" Kel finally looked at her. "This never would've happened."

Aubrey was now standing in front of the athlete. "That's not true."

"If I just knew my place, Aubrey, and let the past go, he would still be alive today!"

Aubrey fought the desire to smack Kel across the face like she used to whenever he pissed her off, instead embracing him in the best hug she could muster.

"This isn't your fault, Kel…"

"Then why do I feel so useless…"

"Shut up. You're not useless..." Tears began to stream down the delinquent's face. "You've never been useless, Kel. So please don't say things like that…"

"But…"

"Shh…" Aubrey interrupted as she gently patted his head. "Don't talk."

Feeling comfort in the arms of Aubrey of all people was strange for Kel, and probably even stranger to Aubrey. With how safe they both felt though, did it have to make sense anymore?

"You promised you'd be there for me from now on, right?"

Kel's eyes widened as the delinquent reminded him of his words to her not even a week ago.

"You did." Aubrey stopped her embrace before resting her hands on the athlete's shoulders. "So please…"

"Aubrey…"

"Please keep it." The delinquent's voice was beyond broken at this point. "I… can't lose another friend again."

The brown-haired athlete jolted back to reality with those words, embracing the pink-haired girl as quick and tightly as he could.

"That won't happen. I won't let it happen."

"You mean it?" Aubrey whispered as she rested her head on the athlete's chest. It was her turn to be comforted.

"I do." Kel finally managed to let out a smile, probably the first time he's done so in a week. Ever since that day.

"I made a promise after all... Isn't that right, brat?"

"Mmm. And you better keep it." The delinquent elbowed the athlete gently, managing to let out a smile of her own.

"Moron…"