Stargazing:
"Abby, you can't see Aries during the summer."
"Yes, I can. Look." Abby exclaimed and pointed out a series of stars in the sky that at least to her formed the image of a goat.
"Abby, that's not Aries. That's just some stars that you've decided look like a ram." Chester cheerfully stated. He couldn't get enough of his friend's playful nature.
"Yeah, that's what Aries is. Therefore it's April and therefor you should get me a birthday present." The longhaired girl japed.
Chester held down a chuckle. "Then it might as well be my birthday soon too cause I can see Scorpio up there." He pointed out some stars that he thought looked kind of like a scorpion.
"That's not a scorpion. It's a branding iron." Abby retorted nonchalantly.
Chester rolled his eyes. Try as he may, he could never get one up on her. Her mind was as quick and sharp as her tongue.
The two friends were lying atop the Archer residents' roof, looking at the stars and enjoying each other's company. Abby's parents had gone to a friend of theirs for a dinner party and Ty was sleeping over at Naomi's place (lucky bastard). Not wanting to be alone, Abby had invited Chester to hang out. Not that she would told her parents about it. If they ever heard their sweet daughter was spent time alone with a boy (even if it was a platonic friend that they already knew) their heads would go thru the roof.
As usual, spending time with Chester had been fun. They had ordered pizza, watched anime and listened to music. They had then taken a stroll thru the neighbourhood and when they came home, Abby suggested they should open a couple of beers and go onto the roof.
At the moment, the two just laid there in silence. Gazing at the stars or resting their tired eyes. On occasion taking a sip of their drinks. This was something Abby greatly appreciated about her friend. He understood the virtue of silence. The two of them could be alone together, not say a word yet be completely comfortable in each other's presence.
"Abby." Chester broke the silence with his usual gentle voice. "Do you believe in God?"
Abby opened her eyes and sat up, resting her arms on her knees. "Wow Chester, that's one hell of a question."
"I'm sorry." Chester apologized as he sat up in the same position. "Did I make things awkward?"
"No, no. We're BFFs so we should know each other's religious alignments. Otherwise, it might get awkward when I ask you to go to Waco with me."
Chester broke out laughing. He laughed so hard he had to bite down on his wrist to stop himself. "Abby, that's not okay." Another laughter fit cracked out of the boy's throat. "That's horrible."
Abby smirked. "You always brings out the worst in me." She was joking of course. Chester never brought anything but positive emotions out of her but he did do something to her. Whenever Abby was around him, she found herself lowering her guard. He was just so comfortable to be around. Therefore, it sometimes became difficult to restrain herself. It had led to more than one awkward moment between them.
She tapped one ponderous finger to her chin. "Do I believe in god? I've actually never thought about it. We never were very religious in my family. I went to Sunday school a few times when I was a kid but other than that we've only been to church for funerals or weddings."
"I see." Chester said.
"I know Ty's an atheist. He's pretty open about it too so he won't mind me telling you and I have no idea what my parents believe in." Abby explained. "Personally I never saw any reason to believe in something there's no evidence for but I guess I'm open to the idea."
Chester rested his head against his knees as he gazed at her. "So, you're like an agnostic atheist."
"If that's the label for it." Abby shrugged before looking at him. "So, how about you?"
The blond let out a sigh. "I don't know anymore."
Abby blinked and tilted her head, getting a bit worried.
"I did believe when I was younger. I would go to church, confess my sins and pray pretty often but then, the incident happened." His expression turned grim. Whenever he mentioned the incident, Abby knew immediately what he was referring to. "I thought god was punishing me for my hubris."
Abby placed a comforting hand on her friends shoulder. "You were trying to help people, Chester."
"No, I was trying make people like me."
Abby let out a heavy sigh. "Do you have to see it such a negative light? You don't have to be a saint to be a good person, you know." She started to gently stroke his back. "I know you well enough to tell you wanted to both help people and get recognised. There's nothing sinful about that. Even our scatter-brained Director understand that so the creator of the universe should understand it too."
Chester smiled sadly. "Well, after I got cured off Kid Rot and was made a Grossologist and after you became my friend I wondered if it had all been part of God's plan. Then I started feeling guilty for thinking so. All that destruction and pain just so I could be happy."
Abby flashed him the warmest of smiles. "But you're happy. You should never feel guilty about that."
It got him to smile a bit. Abby always knew what to say. "You're right. I am happy. I shouldn't try to make myself feel bad for it." He tilted his head up slightly and gazed at the waxing moon in the distance. "I-I still believe in God but there is something I want to believe in even more."
Abby got curious. "What's that, Chester?"
Chester blushed and ducked his head. "I can't tell you. It's a secret."
"Come on, tell me." Abby insisted, leaning closer to him.
The boy buried his face in his arms. "You're going to laugh at me."
"I promise I won't."
He peaked up slightly. "Promise."
"Cross my heart and hope to die." Abby enthusiastically chirped and stroked her finger over her shirt in a cross pattern.
"Okay." Chester straightened his back a little. "What I want to believe in is…" He paused and looked up at the stars above him. "Unconditional love."
Abby stared at him, perplexed. "Unconditional love?"
Chester smiled and nodded to her, happy she hadn't laughed. He then gazed out over Petunia's garden and the suburbs. "My mom couldn't love me when I was growing up and eventually abandoned me and as you know I couldn't make any friends. I thought I had to accomplish something great to make people care about me. The idea of being love just for who you are was such a foreign concept to me." Tears started to form at the base of his eyes but he dried them off with his glove before they started trailing. He then smiled optimistically, like he saw something wondrous in the distance. "But that's what I want to believe in from now on. I want to love people no matter what they do to me or how they feel about me."
Abby blinked, astonished. Her expression of wonderment turned to a sullen face as her gaze descended to her shoes. "That can be difficult, Chester. Just cause you love someone doesn't mean they'll feel the same."
"That's not what I meant, Abby." He said and she looked at him. His smile was warm and comforting. "Whatever Kid Rot felt for you, it wasn't love. To me, love means doing the right thing for the people you hold dear. I still love my mom even thou she couldn't do the same and I love the lord even thou he keeps testing me. Kid Rot may have ruined my life but he was a part of me so I choose to love him as well."
Abby blinked and turned her look away. She wondered if she could love someone even if they'd hurt her like the people in Chester's life had. 'Chester said Kid Rot was a part of him. Looking at it that way, I guess I already…' Abby shook her head, not wanting to continue down that train of thought.
When she'd first befriended Chester it was over a need to help the poor boy. Call it pity if you will but she'd always had a strong sense of compassion. As days went by, compassion turned to admiration as she saw this boy that by all means should have broken by his many tragedies rose to the occasion over and over again. 'Unconditional love.' Was this the faith that helped him keep going?
Chester was suddenly startled by something. He quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Man, its way past ten already. I need to get going." He rose onto his feet.
"Yeah, I should stay out for too long either." Abby stated. Chester, being the gentleman that he was, helped her up her feet and the two then snuck in thru the open window. As Grossologists they had the athletic capacity to get up on high places rather easily.
"Thank you for coming. You saved me from spending yet another boring night alone while the rest of my family has fun without me." Abby sarcastically kidded as they took their farewell by the doorstep.
Chester smiled at her. "Anytime Abby. I really had fun today."
He was about to go when Abby spoke up again. "Chester." He stopped in his tracks. "About that unconditional love thing. I have a couple of questions about that. Two exactly." She held up two fingers.
"Okay." Chester nodded.
"First, you said you choose who you love."
"Yeah. Me or my heart choose who to love. Then I do what best for them till I die."
Abby frowned a bit. "That does not mean you should let people take advantage of you."
"I know which is why it's important that I include myself among the people I love." Chester answered and turned his gaze away. "It might end with me lonely and unloved but at least I'll know everyone will be alright, including me."
Abby just stared at him with those large, sympathetic eyes of her.
Chester let out a sigh. "So, what was the second question?"
Abby blinked. "Oh, nothing. Forget it." She shrugged her shoulders before leaning against the doorframe, trying to seem indifferent.
The blonde boy tilted his head and smiled. "If your second question were going to be if I love you, you don't have to worry."
Startled, Abby stiffened and blinked. Before she knew what was happening, Chester had leaned in and planted a small kiss on her cheek.
"Unconditional love means you don't have to tell me."
He then ran away as fast as his legs could carry him, leaving the girl he loved with a moist cheek and a head full of questions. Abby remained paralyzed at the open door. Eventually, she touched the place where Chester had kissed her. Her puzzled expression turned to a blissful smile. In the cool night air she breathed out, "I love you too."