"Excuse me, have you ever seen this boy? He's this tall…"

"Sorry for interrupting, but have you seen this kid? …"

"Sorry sir- no? Thank you for your time, sir…"

A boy wearing an orange polo shirt and jeans sat down on a bench, exhausted both physically and mentally. Physically, because he had been walking around for so long. Mentally, because he wasn't finding any answers.

Hero sighed as he looked around.

The town of Somewhere is the town of rich people and high end musicians. All the buildings here are of Jacobethan Victorian architecture. Creamy white terracotta, flat roofs with ornate fences, and a lot of carved details on the walls. At the bottom part, are shops with the same type of architecture, except of different color and material. They sold fancy clothes, shoes, and jewelry along with restaurants that would destroy Hero's wallet. The people walking around give off elegant and civilized (and rich) vibes with their dresses and suits. When you look at it, Hero stood out like a sore thumb with his simple outfit.

"No good here… The sun is setting, too. I'd better go back home…"

Hero stared at the scenery from the bus window. His head empty, thoughts clear. Well, except for his concern and guilt towards Mari.

Ever since the day Mari broke down crying, Hero has been trying to make things right between them. Even after Hero apologized, Mari still hasn't forgiven him completely, as she felt distant and cold towards him.

Craving for Mari's love, to repair their relationship, and to find the boy he also thought of as his other little brother, Hero had been using his weekends to visit nearby towns and ask people about Sunny's whereabouts. It really was a piece of cake for Hero to ask people due to his maxed out charm levels, which also let their lips even more loose, giving him more information. Unfortunately, every lead he got so far are all dead ends.

His exhaustion had finally hit him. His eyes were getting heavier, his limbs feeling weak, the taste of slumber tempting him to sleep.

I'm so tired. Sunny, where are you?

I'm sorry, Mari.

No…

I'm sorry, too, Sunny.

I've hurt you both. But Sunny, I've hurt you even more.

I'm so sorry, Sunny. Please come back home.

Come back.. To us.

Hero finally slept.

During the same day Hero went to Somewhere, a girl with a pink dress and blue bow was swinging by the swings in Faraway Park. The park is painted with the color orange, with very few people. After all, it's going to be dark very soon.

Aubrey had tear stain marks on her face. She wasn't having a great day.

Aubrey's mother found out that her husband had been cheating on her with another woman, which led to a fierce fight within her household. Aubrey was trembling in fear in the corner as glass bottles and glass shards were flying around. A girl like her shouldn't have to go through that.

At one point, the flying bottles stopped, and her father approached her. He grabbed her arm with a strong grip to the point it hurt her.

"Papa… It hurts… please stop…" Aubrey pleaded.

Then, her father looked back. The look on her fathers face terrified her. Other than that, she had a feeling if she went with him, she would never see her friends again.

She didn't want that.

Aubrey broke her fathers grip and ran as fast and far as her legs could bring her. Her heart was beating at an extremely fast rate, her adrenaline giving her the strength to run, her fear screaming to her to not look back.

And now, here she is. Swinging alone in Faraway Park.

Grumble.

It was getting dark. Where should I go? Aubrey thought. Basil? She felt bad if she were to burden Basil's grandma. Mari? Hero and Kel? Truth is, both of them could shelter her for the night. Aubrey was actually afraid of Sunny's parents, because she had felt unfriendly glares coming from them towards her before. But Kel… Kel, you traitor. But right now… that didn't matter. As long as she can steer away from her house at the moment, she would be fine with anything.

Hero and Kel's house it is.

Getting down from the swings, she headed towards their house. However…

"Aubrey?"

Aubrey looked towards the direction of the voice and saw a girl with a boyish cut, glasses, and a blue baggy sweater.

"Oh, Kim…"

Aubrey knew Kim. They were in the same class, but both of them weren't friends. They just knew each other. For your information, Aubrey's friends in class were Basil and Kel. Her other friend (crush) was in another class.

Kim realized Aubrey's tear marks.

"Aubrey, what happened?"

Should I tell her?

Whilst she was contemplating whether to tell her situation or not to an acquaintance, her stomach let out its answer, and a very loud one at that.

Grumble.

Kim then realized Aubrey was also hungry.

"... Do you want to eat out with me and my friends?"

Kim was actually heading to Gino's pizza to meet up with the Hooligans for dinner. However, she stopped by the park because she saw Aubrey alone. She must've felt something was wrong, and seeing her tear marks made her feel something was even… wronger.

"But… I didn't bring money…"

"It's chill, you can pay me any other time. So, let's go and have fun!" said Kim with a big smile.

Kim had always been a rowdy kid along with a weird bunch at school. This made various people stay away and gave them a weird eye, including Aubrey. Other than that, they also pulled pranks (which are harmless, mind you) on other people, giving the impression of the Hooligans a group of bad kids. However, being rowdy, weird, and naughty doesn't mean they're not kind. Aubrey's heart was warmed by her response, and in return, her previous impression of Kim is slowly changing.

Aubrey went with Kim.

(Self note for personality guidelines:

Kim: Rowdy

Mikhael: Chuunibyou

Angel: Hyperactive

Charlene: ok

Vance: Blunt, but cemen)

Ring, ring.

The door chimed with the sound of bells as Aubrey and Kim went inside Gino's. The restaurant had a homey feel with light brown walls, brown tiled flooring, tables with red and white checkered tablecloths, along with warm lighting. The restaurant was bustling with customers. After all, Gino's pizza is the best. On the back part of the restaurant, is a table with 4 out-of-place individuals.

Mikhael, with his brand new blonde wig, cyan shirt, and light brown long pants, was posing poses that would only be done by anime characters while saying things only an anime protagonist would say.

Angel, wearing a white t-shirt and cream-colored shorts, was admiring Mikhael's awesome(?) posings.

Charlene, wearing a dark blue sweater and long jeans, was sitting down nervously.

…and Vance, wearing a black t-shirt layered with an unbuttoned red shirt and black ripped jeans, who was downing his umpteenth taffy from a ridiculously big candy bag.

Kim announced her presence with a loud voice.

"Hey, fellas! Good to see the gang all here! Today, we have a special guest. Iiiiiiit's Aubrey!"

…

…

Silence.

Aubrey was getting uncomfortable, as she never knew these people.

Angel raised his hand.

"Yes, Angel?"

"Why do we have a special guest?"

"Because…"

The gang waited in anticipation, there was a non-existent drum roll in the background.

"She was sad and alone, so I felt bad and picked her up!" She exclaimed, as if Aubrey was a sad little kitten Kim picked up on the road.

…huh?

Immediately, Mikhael went up to her, holding Aubrey's hands and kneeling.

"Ojou-chan, who hurt you? My damsel in distress, just say the word, and I will vanquish him and make you happy!" said Mikhael charmingly(?). Apparently, he had been watching medieval romance drama animes.

Mikhael took out his pen and raised it up as if it was a sword. "I swear on my blade of Excalibur Mk. 5 Series Evangelion, I will erase your misery, protect you, and cherish you until my life runs d- urkkk….."

"Alright, that's enough from you, Mikhael," said Kim as she shoved his face away.

"Hey! Don't call me by that name! I'm the Mave-oogh!"

Aubrey blinked twice in amusement and confusion.

"Well then, take a seat, Aubrey! Hey, mind if I call you Auby? That would be cute!" said Kim welcomingly.

Seeing no reason to refuse, Aubrey nodded and sat down next to Charlene. Aubrey was intimidated by Charlene's sheer size and aura, only to be met with a warm head pat and blush from her (she liked the head pat, by the way). After all, Aubrey is a cute and pretty girl.

…

"Pizza's here! Leeeeet's dig in, boys!" said Kim.

""Yeah!""

Everyone took a slice of Gino's pizza. Greasy, just the way everyone likes it. The rest of them ate with vigor and with fighting (it's pizza, after all), while Aubrey ate hers with no energy and nibbled her pizza.

The atmosphere of the Hooligans reminded her of old times, when she, Basil, Kel, Hero, Mari and… Sunny went to eat at Gino's. Kel and her would be fighting for pizza in the background, with their fight slowly turning into a round of Street Fighter, Basil and Sunny would be enjoying their pizza as they telepathically talked to each other. Nobody knows how that works. Hero and Mari would be feeding each other pizza during times with the rest of the children giving them weird looks. Some with cheeky smiles, some with utter surprise, and Kel puking due to the scene. It felt so warm, it felt like home…

…

Huh?

Tears started rolling from Aubrey's eyes. Her heart felt pain. It wasn't a heart attack, it wasn't a physical kind of pain, but nevertheless it still hurt.

"Bro! Candies on pizza!? That's geniu- Wait, AUBY!? Auby, what's wrong?" Kim was talking to Vance when she realized Aubrey's eyes were leaking. Kim put her clean hand on Aubrey's shoulder and looked at her with concern.

The Hooligans all took attention of Kim's words and looked at Aubrey

"Ah.. ughh.. Hik…" Aubrey tried to hold her tears, but she didn't succeed. She started sobbing as she tried to wipe her tears.

It had been a rough day for her. She had a terrible experience back at home. Her friends have slowly drifted apart. Remembering the good times shattered her heart into bits.

The Hooligans comforted Aubrey, with the boys sneaking pizza from time to time to their mouths.

…

…

Some time later.

"... Gosh, that's horrible. Your father is horrible! How can he do that to you and your mom!? And Kel, and his big bro!? How could they!?" Kim responded.

After Aubrey had calmed down, she had decided to talk about what happened in her family, why she cried.

Speaking of her group of friends, all of them have drifted apart. Aubrey understood that Mari had also been making an effort to find Sunny by keeping in touch with the cops and putting missing posters, all while balancing her school work and piano. But Hero… Hero had been randomly disappearing every weekend, in which she mistakenly thought Hero was probably doing something else that's not finding Sunny (in which he was trying to find Sunny). Kel rarely talked to her, Mari and Basil anymore, and instead played and hung out with the sports kids at school. She felt like Kel didn't care about Sunny and betrayed them.

Basil was under strict curfew from his grandma, so he couldn't go too far after school. Other than that, he wasn't allowed to go out of town alone, needing someone older to accompany him. He could've gone secretly, but he was also a grandma's boy; he loves his grandma and wouldn't want to give her a heart attack. However, everytime his grandma wants to go out of town, he would go with her while looking around for Sunny. Unlike Hero, he wasn't used to talking to strangers.

But what about Aubrey?

During the early days after Sunny's disappearance, she would go with Basil and Mari to search for him outside Faraway. During that time, she still had an allowance. However, her family situation worsened financially, and as a result she no longer got allowances from her parents. Little did she know, all that money was spent on her dad's other 'mistress'.

Even if she wanted to now, she couldn't, because she had no money. Even if she wanted to work part-time, she can't because of her age. If she wanted to borrow some money from the others, she would feel bad.

…No, that was an excuse, Aubrey thought in response. She could've borrowed and paid it back later on when she was old enough to take part-time jobs. … She felt guilty. She was no better than Kel who ignored them and Sunny's disappearance. She could've done something, but she didn't do anything.

I'm the worst.

"Don't worry, By-By. We feel you. I swear by my allegiance to The Maverick, we'll help you so that you can be happy!" exclaimed Angel with optimism while he stood up with his hands on his waist, both curled up into a fist.

By-By? thought the rest of the Hooligans, but no one pointed it out, only giving him a weird eye.

… that's cute, too, the Hooligans thought again.

Aubrey giggled in response.

The Hooligans looked at her giggling and felt a heartwarming fluff in their chests. This was the first time Aubrey showed a happy expression ever since just now.

"Thank you… but…"

Aubrey clearly knew that the Hooligans would not be able to resolve her family situation, and there's no way she would ask them to adopt her into their families or freeload for a long time. Especially when she just got to know them. But…

They could certainly help her in mending her group of friends.

Ever since Sunny left, her friends have drifted apart. To her, Mari, Hero, Basil, Kel, and… Sunny is her second family. Surrounded by them, she felt loved, a love equal to the one she felt long ago with her real family. With nowhere to be loved, Aubrey wanted to at least repair her circle of friends.

And… Sunny. Sunny was a very special person to her. But… Could she really face him after not doing anything? Is her love so trivial to not search every nook and cranny in the world? If she truly loved him, then she should've done this months ago; to search for him, even though she would temporarily burden someone in the process. After all, love is worth everything.

Aubrey pursed her lips. It wasn't easy to ask help from people you just knew. She felt she was going to burden them. But… that's okay, I'll return the favor when the time comes. Sunny matters more.

"I… I need your help, please."

Writer's notes:
Jacobethan architecture information credit:
wiki/Jacobethan