Chapter Text
The bell chimed out its usual tone, grabbing the attention of both students and their teachers from whatever it was they were doing at that moment. He looked up at the ceiling, where the chime resonated with a faint, inquisitive sound but then smiled.
School was over.
“Okay everyone,” Miss Yvonne spoke up, adjusting her pointed frames with a calm smile, “another day has come and gone, which is good for me, and great for you all, I’m assuming, and, because of that…” she adjusted the frames once more, as if to add a dramatic effect, “I’ve decided that I’ll let you go without any assignments today; although, it wouldn’t hurt to read a little or write a paragraph. So! Before we go...”
“Psst, Tyler,” Jimmy hissed over to the nugget, “wanna come over to my place?”
Tyler beamed brightly at his friend. “Sure!”
“Psst!”
…
“Psst, Billy!”
The boy gasped out, blinking with surprised eyes. Billy looked to his right and saw Jimmy waving to him with a grin. “What’s wrong, Jimmy?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” he chirped, “just wanted to see if you wanted to come over. Max’s bringing pizza home from work.”
Billy brightened up in his seat. Wow, a pizza did sound nice, but…
He apologetically smiled back, a paw going to the folded sleeve of his sweater in order to fiddle with it, “O—oh, I don’t know if I can. I have to go to the library for...something.”
Jimmy and Tyler blinked at that, but Jimmy returned the smile with a gesture of his paw to signal “okay” to him. “I got’cha. We’ll save ya a slice for tomorrow!”
“Aw Jimmy, you don’t have to do that…”
“Dude, it’s okay! Max doesn’t need to stuff his face with all of it anyway!”
Tyler and Billy giggled at that; however, the giggles ceased as Duncan walked by their desks, backpack slung over his shoulder as he oh-so-subtly knocked over Jimmy’s open notebook off his desk. “ Whoops ,” he said with no surprise at all as Jimmy shot him a stink-eye.
“ Jimmy,” Billy whispered, “don’t.”
Jimmy pouted but, nonetheless, didn’t throw an eraser at the much taller kid in retaliation, choosing to cross his arms to restrain himself.
Tyler hopped out of his seat, shooting Billy a smile. “Hope you have fun at the library, Billy.”
The way Billy smiled could brighten the room. “I will.”
Duncan was picked up by his dad with a genuine smile (at least he knew Duncan wasn’t always scowling nor mischievous, he was a kid like the rest of them ) , Jimmy excitedly ran to hug his awaiting dad with Tyler trailing behind, this pattern played every day after all the kids stepped outside to head on home
and then, there was Billy.
He had gotten used to seeing neither of his parents whenever he took his first few steps onto the dark pavement in front of the school’s large double doors, but even so…
...even so, he could feel his heart ache, and sometimes, his vision would become blinded by a watery film that stung so much, it made Billy choke on a sob from the sensation.
On that day, as Billy stared onward at now deserted school yard as he pulled his bag closer to his body because of a sudden autumn breeze, his heart only ached, but thankfully nothing worse.
“…”
His little arms squeezed at his bag.
“...maybe...I should’ve went with Jimmy and Tyler.”
A sigh.
“ Time to go,” he told himself, though only loud enough for him to hear, coming off like a whisper. “ Don’t wanna stay out late again...”
“ Billy? ”
Just as he prepared to leave, a voice chimed in from the inside of the school. Billy turned, and there was his math teacher, wearing a winter jacket and holding a briefcase to his right. He was smiling to him, and Billy couldn’t help but shyly return the gesture.
“I—is something wrong, Teach?”
His glasses almost shone as he shook his head. “I was just surprised to see you here, still.”
“Oh, sorry...I’m about to leave now--”
“No no, you don’t have to apologize. I was just concerned. It’s almost three-thirty
and you’re by yourself
…”
Billy widely blinked. “Three thirty…? I… ” Did he space out again? He could’ve sworn he just came outside, so how…?
His math teacher frowned with knitted brows as he sat his bag down for a moment. “Billy,” he asked, “do you need help with anything?”
Billy mustered a smile and then shook his head. “I’m okay,” his soft voice tried its best to assure his teacher, “I was spacing out, that’s all.” He took a single step back. He wasn’t scared, but he didn’t want his teacher to worry.
He never wanted anybody to worry about him.
What was there to worry about him for?
“Thank you, Teach,” his smile stayed determined to not falter, “see you tomorrow!”
And as he made a quick spin on his heels, he gave his math teacher a wave and then hurried along, throwing his backpack over his shoulder as he did so.
And the teacher simply stood there, frowning. “I really worry about that kid.” With a sigh, he retrieved his briefcase.
“All I hope is that he’s okay.”
The local library was such a relief for Billy. As soon as one stepped inside, it was expected to be embraced by the loving arms of the warm, cozy atmosphere. Gentle sensory-friendly lights hung from high above, the air was blessed with the latest seasonal scent – this one being apple spice – in every which way in a subtle manner, some of the most cushioned seats were available further to the left of the library to keep one’s butt nice and comfortable, the list went on. Heck, there were even freshly brewed drinks – coffee and hot chocolate – welcoming all those who needed a pick-me-up, just by the library counter.
Billy, of course, felt tempted to get a nice cup of hot chocolate as he sat at a table, one suitable for his small stature while he flipped through a book which had caught his eye at the “recommended reads” table in the center of the establishment.
Miss Yvonne made the not-so-subtle suggestion to read since they weren’t assigned homework, and darn it, Billy was going to comply; besides, it didn’t hurt to read before heading home.
Well, it was home for Billy – for those on the outside, it served as a place to rest one’s head, sure, but calling it “home” seemed...pitiful.
...that’s what he had been told, anyway.
His little finger traced across the corner of the page before he turned it.
Even though I was eleven at the time, my folks thought I was mature enough to take care of myself while they went out on a double date. Of course, as most kids would’ve done in a similar situation, I just played video games, stole my big brother’s snacks from the stash he had in his room, the list goes on.
Billy’s eyes glanced to the page with an illustration which contained a single wooden door with dark scribbles surrounding its edges, giving it an eerie sight.
But, something came to mind as I walked by to use the bathroom…the basement. It had been repeated time and time again by my folks never to attempt to go down there. I remember my big brother trying at one point when we were left alone for a few hours, but to the disappointment of the two of us...it was locked. That memory sprung back, and...I had to, I just had to figure out why they were so protective about that place. And so, I thought long and hard how to open that door. Well, since it had a lock, it had to have had a key, right? Made sense. I zipped to my folks’ room and started a mad search as if they were returning in ten minutes rather than seven hours. Searched the drawers, searched under the bed, dug through any shoe box and jewelry box I could find...nope. But wait. The closet...of course!
The little monkey tucked into his seat, furrowed brows as he took a quick sip of hot chocolate. Why did he get a bad feeling the character was going to regret this?
Meanwhile, as this intense reading continued, Miss Yvonne walked by the table he was at with a bright smile upon seeing her dear student reading. Such a studious student!
An old key...inside of a coat box with a photograph of me as a baby…
with an identical baby (a boy) laying right next to me? Did I...did I have a twin?
“A brother…?” In the back of his mind, Billy couldn’t resist wondering what it could’ve been like to have a sibling. “…” He sat back against his chair with a pinch of regret for thinking that. “...maybe I should stop reading for a bit.” Billy began searching around in his seat, the tufts of his fur swishing in the air with every turn of his head. “What time is it anyway…?”
His eyes finally spotted a clock, one which hung above the checkout counter.
5:30
Billy gasped sharply. Not even above a whisper, he hurriedly said, “Crap, I’ve gotta go…!”
He paused and then glanced over to the book which waited for him to return to it. It gave him the heebie jeebies, sure, but the pictures were nice, and the story sounded good so far...
Should he...should he check out that book?
He pondered, his tail wrapping around his arm.
Grocery store, book store, bakery...cross the short street one more time, and…
Billy smiled brightly upon reaching the familiar double doors as he shifted the slightly heavier backpack on his shoulder. (He couldn’t help it, he had to check out more than one book, after all.)
Using all his strength which his little body would grant him, he pushed at the doors with both paws, and once he was all the way into the building, he chimed out, “I’m home, Miss Woolworth!”
From around the impressively large kitchen, a lady sheep (a “ewe”, if one wanted to be technical with terminology) turned her head around the corner, and once she spotted the fluffy little monkey, she smiled brightly. “Welcome home, Billy. Are you hungry, dear?”
Billy blushed a little as he nodded, thanks to the growl which resounded in reply as well. “A little…”
“Alright. Go ahead and get cleaned up, and once you get back here, I’ll have a plate made for you.”
“Okay, thank you!”
“No need to thank me, silly! You’ve earned it after a long day at school!”
Billy had already begun removing his shoes at the door with care while he nodded once more in response. Off went one shoe, and off went the other soon after that, and soon they were placed into one of the available cubby holes.
...huh, the simple pair of shoes which were in another cubby hole had a name label underneath it, which read, “Marty”.
Billy blinked.
But…
Marty was a nugget. How did he wear shoes…?
The shelter was a blessing, it truly was.
Billy felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders when he was brought here, instead of having to continue to live on the street from time to time. He was especially thankful, because that meant his kitten, Buttons, didn’t have to get wet from rain that soaked the duo’s temporary hideaway, nor did Buttons have to worry about getting uncomfortably cold during some nights.
At the moment, there weren’t many residents of the hospitable: a pair of siblings (both girls and two years younger than him) with their dad, Marty (an older nugget he had met once in a while prior to moving here), and...well, himself with Buttons.
Buttons mewed as he weaved around Billy’s legs whilst the young monkey pulled over a clean sweater over his head with a grunt. Billy, as if being under the sweater too long suffocated him, gasped out loud once his head made it through the hole. “There we go…”
When he left his room and began his return to the main part of the building, he caught the sounds of the fellow kids giggling in their room while, by the sounds of it, their father was telling them a story, silly voices and all. Billy sadly smiled, a twinge returning to his chest.
He wished his dad did that.
He wished his mom did that.
“There he is,” Miss Woolworth's voice broke his sad musing.
“Huh?” His feet stopped, and he blinked widely and then glanced around in surprise as Buttons happily hopped onto one of the three living room couches. When did he reach the kitchen? Had he space out again? Was he sick…? Was he tired?
The ewe finally stepped out of the kitchen with a tray, but she took notice of how the poor kid simply stood in place with a distant look on his face. “Oh, sweetie…” worried, she spoke, “are you okay?”
Billy was ready to answer with a simple and sweet “yes”, but the word refused to come out, his mouth left gaping a tiny bit before he forced it shut. “I think I am…?”
The way his voice shrunk at the end concerned her.
And since his parents weren’t here to make any decisions, then, she would gladly step in. With one hoof balancing the tray of food with ease, she placed the other hoof on Billy’s shoulder and, with a soft tone, said, “Would you like to eat at the couch, just so you’re more comfortable? You don’t look well.”
“O—oh, I couldn’t. I can go sit at a table, it’s okay--”
“Sweetie, I know you’re concerned about dropping food, but you’re the cleanest child I’ve had.”
Buttons poked his head over the couch to look at Billy, as though he wanted the child to join him. Billy looked to Buttons and then to the concerned Woolworth who patiently waited for an answer.
“I...okay.”
“There you go. I’ll bring the tray over to the couch, and if you’re still feeling unwell tonight, maybe you should stay home from school.”
“...okay.”
And so, as he gingerly at away at the mouth-watering baked potato, chili, and sausage, he kept his eyes glued to the television that played a black and white film, Buttons now curled asleep to the right of him. He couldn’t help but steal a quick glance when he heard the kitten mew in his sleep, grinning at the cute sight.
This was so much better than living on the streets.
“Miss Woolworth…? I think...maybe I’ll stay home.”
“Alright,” she sympathetically smiled to the child as he returned the tray to her at the kitchen entrance. “Now, you just ate, so maybe you can go do something your room for a bit and then get ready for bed later. No staying up late, young man.”
Billy chuckled, Buttons staying glued to his side with a curled tail. “Okay.”
“Goodnight, Billy.”
“Goodnight, Miss Woolworth!”
And even though she knew he might have been more than simply “sick” – sometimes, it was hard to read how the child felt beyond that – Billy gave her a sweet, sincere smile as he said those words, regardless.
She watched him hurry off to his room, Buttons following his trail in an instant, and once she heard his door open and then close, Miss Woolworth let out a faint sigh. ‘Please,’ she thought, ‘come back to your son. He needs you.’
Silence, that’s what I was met with upon reaching the bottom of the long set of stairs. I swear, I wasn’t getting nervous by how cartoonishly dark it was, nor the uncomfortable air that lingered and whispered, “There’s someone here…”
Billy sat in bed, frozen with concern as he continued reading the interesting book which temporarily belonged to him while Buttons rolled around on the bed without a care in the world. This was a book for kids, right? It sure was...unsettling.
At least some light from upstairs helped me find the nearest light switch – not sure why there wouldn’t be one at the top of the stairs, but whatever – and once my paw felt the familiar bump of a switch
I flicked it
and I was met with a child who stood inches taller than me. I could tell he was a monkey like me because of his fur pattern and his...tail , but his ears...they were pointed, pointed like a cat ! His eyes had an unusual shape, almost like he was permanently squinting his eyes . I didn’t yelp, I didn’t scream, I didn’t even freak out, I was...I was just standing there, stunned.
“...I should read this in the morning,” he whispered to himself, shutting the book and then placing it on the little desk beside him. While he was leaning over, he decided to call it a night by turning the knob of his lamp off.
Just as Billy was set to go to sleep, he took one last glance around the little room that he called his “bedroom”. A desk to his side, a window covered by a set of blinds, a little corner in the room as his reading spot, beanbag chair and small bookshelf included, and even a small toy chest for him and another for Buttons.
His eyes trailed to himself, observing his flannel pajamas and cozy bed which felt like sleeping on a cloud.
Billy was -- by definition --
home.
“...goodnight, Buttons. Goodnight, Mom, Dad.”