Chapter Text
November 12th, 1997. The day after Kel’s fourteenth birthday.
Rain poured down in torrents outside his window as he slowly awoke, blinking up at the dark ceiling above his head. The ceiling fan spun in endless circles, and Kel watched, trying not to shiver from the cold waft of air it created. Why was the ceiling fan on to begin with? It was the middle of winter, and their house didn’t have built-in heating or air conditioning. In fact, why didn’t-
”Kelsey Maria Rodriguez, get out of bed this instant! You’re going to miss the bus and be late again!”
Ah. Right. School.
Kel was violently pulled from his thoughts as his mothers angry screaming shot upstairs, tearing through the dead quiet of the room. As he sat forwards, stretching his arms upwards, he shot a glance towards the other side of the room, surveying Hero in his practically catatonic state. Even the yelling from their mother couldn’t stir him out of his depressed stupor. Kel forced himself not to frown as he threw off his covers and rolled out of bed, trudging tiredly through the messy floor to flick on the lights and pick out some clean clothes.
After donning his usual attire of an orange t-shirt, cargo shorts, and sneakers, he yawned and scooped up his backpack from the foot of his bed, slinging it over one shoulder. Before he completely left the room, though, he stole one more quick look over at the opposite side of the room, just to see if Hero was awake. He wasn’t. Kel grimaced.
“Um, I’ll see ya later, Hero.” He said softly, knowing very well that he wouldn’t earn a response.
Why do I even bother? He never moves. I check every day, and he’s always like that. I should stop trying.
Kel shook his head to clear away any negative thoughts as he looked away and huffed, stepping through the door. It swung shut behind him with a small click. All he wanted was for things to go back to normal. He wanted Hero to be up and out of bed, his sheets tucked neatly back into place as he organized his school things. He wanted Hero to make breakfast like he always did, or help him tie his shoes, gently scolding him about how he was getting a little too old to need someone else’s help with that. He wanted Hero to be there to ruffle his hair with a smile, walking by his side to the bus stop, bidding him farewell when they finally got to the middle school. He wanted Hero to be like his normal self again.
But he wouldn’t. Kel tried not to overthink it as he walked down the stairs, setting his bag by the front door as he entered into the kitchen to pour himself a bowl of boring, bland, store brand cereal.
Upon his entrance, his mother turned from where she was standing at the counter brewing coffee, and immediately scowled. She did this every morning, so it was nothing new, but it didn’t change the way that it made Kel feel. The feeling wasn’t a good one.
“Mornin’, oh mother of mine!” He said cheerily, trying to ignore the pang in his chest when she shook her head.
“Kelsey, really? I thought I told you to stop wearing those silly clothes to school! You look like a boy, mija.” She complained, sizing him up with her eyes. The ache in his chest only grew. This was why the only people he had told his little secret were his friends, as well as Hero. Fat load of good it did him now that they were all gone.
“I like these clothes, though.” He said, the disappointment evident in his voice as he sat down to eat. His mother sighed again.
“Esto es lo que obtengo por dejar que tu padre y tu hermano te lleven de compras… hmph. Next time, we’re going together, and I’m getting you some proper clothing for a girl your age. Understand?”
Kel tried to ignore the ever growing ache in his chest as he nodded, finishing off his cereal in total silence before depositing his bowl into the sink and scooping up his things once again. For some reason, his mother had stopped giving him hugs and kisses goodbye around the same time Hero fell into his depression. Kel wasn’t really sure why one unresponsive son was cause for completely brushing off the other, but he learned not to question it. Questioning things always got him in trouble, and that was the last thing he needed. He didn’t bother to say goodbye as he slipped on his raincoat and exited out the front door, departing without another word.
Rain continued to cascade out of the sky in endless waterfalls as he descended the steps, cursing himself for the fact he didn’t own his own umbrella. Usually, Kel would have been completely okay with that. Rain was fun, and if it came down to it, one of his friends would always be kind enough to share their umbrella. Now, the rain felt like a curse, bogging him down even further as he felt the cold liquid pelt his face in the misty morning air. It was so cloudy and still so dim from the lack of sunlight that he could barely see ten feet ahead of him.
As Kel trudged down the street, the sound of bus brakes screeching suddenly cut through the sounds of rain pattering against the sidewalk. His gaze tore away from the puddles below his feet, eyes instead fixing ahead on the bus that was slowing to a halt at his stop. He was too far behind to make it in time. He was going to miss his ride, and be late to school again for the millionth time that year. Kel had never been one to be prided on punctuality, but without Hero there to keep him on track, he had gotten worse and worse at staying on schedule. In fact, the principal warned him that if he was late again, he might have to take part in in-school-suspension to make up for all his lost time. Kel’s stomach dropped into his feet as he remembered that little fact, and he took off running down the sidewalk.
Murky street water splashed out from under his shoes as Kel began sprinting down the concrete path, heavy spatters of rain attacking his face as he tried to make it in time. However, as he got closer and closer to the stop, the bus began to pull away, and even though he had always been an incredibly fast runner, he was quickly left behind in its wake. By the time Kel actually reached his stop, the bus was long gone. He was completely out of breath, leaning over with his hands on his knees, panting heavily as his cold breath swirled into little puffs of hot steam, dissipating as quickly as they appeared. He was going to have to walk, and it was quite the opposite of a short distance. Kel sighed. It was going to be a very long day.
About halfway to the school, soaked to the bone and shivering, Kel decided he needed a break. Even with his raincoat, there was little it could do to completely protect him from the torrential downpour that fell endlessly from the sky. So, feeling defeated, he took a seat on the curb, resigned to the fact that there was no way he’d be able to arrive in time to not get in trouble. Or at least, that was how he felt until he saw something laying discarded on the sidewalk across the street.
There, as if it was waiting for him, was someone’s lost bike.
Kel internally weighed his options. On one hand, he felt as if it would be morally wrong to steal someone else's bike. After all, they could have been out looking for it. What if they got there, but he had taken it? Then he could be in even bigger trouble than he would be if he was late to school. However, the thing did look rather abandoned and beat up. Rust clung to it like it had been lying there for ages. Even if the tires were a little flat, Kel might actually be able to show up before the first warning bell. It was very unlikely that he’d be caught.
He decided that stealing the bike was worth the risk.
Taking a deep breath inwards, Kel looked in both directions before dashing across the road, practically tripping over himself as he brought the bike upwards and mounted it, not even bothering to check the wheels or adjust the seat height. It would likely be fine. He had ridden bikes in all kinds of weather, so this wasn’t his first time at the rodeo. Now, he’d be able to get to school without his parents ever knowing that the bus had left him behind.
Just like everyone else left me as soon as Mari-
No. Kel wasn’t going to let himself think that way. They hadn’t left him, they just needed time to recollect. It didn’t matter that Sunny hadn’t left the house since the funeral. It didn’t matter that Basil actively avoided him at school, if he were to show up at all. It didn’t matter that Aubrey had made new friends, and those friends really really didn’t like him. But most importantly, it didn’t matter that Hero was so depressed that he didn’t move, or eat, or do anything but sleep away the days and softly cry when he thought that nobody was listening. More often than not, Kel was there to hear him, but never once had he tried to offer comfort. He didn’t know how to cope with his own issues, so how was he supposed to help his brother? Someone whose mind worked in infinitely different ways than his own? Kel tried not to think about it too much. It was fine. As long as he told himself that it was fine, it had to be true, right?
Kel increased the pace of his pedaling as he rounded the corner just outside the school, doing his best to push forward even though the rain was growing heavier by the minute. He was completely out of breath by the time he actually had the building in his sights, but was relieved to see he had somehow made it there in time all the same. The bike slowly but surely began to slow down in speed as he eased on the brakes, doing his best to get the rusty old thing to come to a full stop in a reasonable position.
Unluckily for him, the bike was a piece of junk. Instead of completely halting like he had so hoped it would, the bike began to hydroplane right in front of the building, and in his desperate attempt to get to the stupid thing to stop moving, Kel was sent flying over the handlebars, jacket scraping against the wet pavement as he slid what felt like a good six to seven feet. He was uninjured, but the sounds of kids laughing quickly filled his ears, and Kel felt his cheeks go red hot from embarrassment. His gaze was glued to his sneakers as he stood up and picked up the junky bike from the damp concrete.
“Nice one, Smellsey!” A high pitched, gravelly voice called. Kel frowned as he moved the bike towards the metal racks, turning around to face his verbal assailant. Of course it was Kim, the annoying delinquent girl that spent all her time making other kid’s lives hell. She was standing there, surrounded by her posse of friends, all of whom were making fun of him as he folded his arms and grumbled.
“Shut up, Kim! It was an accident, leave me alone!” He hissed back. Kim and her friends began laughing even harder.
“Man, I can’t believe you used to hang out with this dweeb, Aubs!”
Aubs? Oh no.
Kel hadn’t even noticed, but Aubrey was standing at Kim’s side, staring him down with her piercing, judgemental gaze. He could feel his stomach twist as she glared, making a show of flipping her hair dramatically before turning to speak to Kim as if she had never noticed he was there to begin with.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t see anyone there.” Aubrey said flatly. Kim snickered again, and Kel felt his face flush with humiliation again as well. It didn’t matter, though. If he told himself it didn’t matter, then it didn’t. School was about to start, and he needed to head inside.
She probably doesn’t REALLY hate me, Kel thought to himself as he adjusted his sopping wet backpack and began to trudge by Aubrey and her little gaggle of hooligan friends.
She just joins in with them because she needs a friend. It makes sense. I could still be her friend, but… I’m annoying anyways. I can handle being alone! It’s not like I haven’t-
Kel was violently jolted from his thoughts as someone shoved him hard to the ground, hands dragging against the concrete with such force that the skin of his palms got completely rubbed off. Blood immediately rose to the surface and Kel swallowed hard, trying to ignore the stinging of his injuries as he looked up at his attacker.
Aubrey’s cold, empty brown eyes stared back at him.
“Sorry, nerd. I didn’t see you there. You’re just so easy to forget about.” She spat, voice laced with such venom that Kel was sure there was something else she was implying with her statement. Kim and some short kid with a pompadour shared a high five as Aubrey kicked Kel’s backpack, then quickly rejoined with them to head inside. He sucked in a sharp breath as he stood, hissing quietly as he brushed wet bits of gravel out of the wounds on his hands. Until right then, Aubrey had never actually physically hurt him. It was all verbal harassment. Anyone who actually decided to trip him in the halls or tag him a little too hard during P.E. had always been one of the little demons that she hung around.
Swallowing thickly, Kel wiped the mixture of blood and water on his shorts, trying to not overthink anything that had just happened. He couldn’t be so negative. Optimism was the key to getting through everything. He had to stay happy.
She was just kidding around. Aubrey doesn’t hate me! She’s always play fought with me. This time was no different. She didn’t mean to hurt me at all.
Kel shook off his soaking wet jacket as he entered the classroom, trying to ignore the stares he got from other students due to his drenched clothing as he slid into his seat. He also did his very best to ignore the way that the chair next to him was lacking a person. It was Basil’s desk. Even though they hadn’t spoken in ages, the teacher still decided to assign them next to one another at the start of the year, leading to some pretty awkward and forced conversations on the days he actually decided to show up. Kel also used to bring any missed work Basil had to him, but stopped trying after months and months of nothing changing; his little efforts to try and make things okay again went unnoticed, as always.
Listening as the teacher began to drone on about some subject he didn’t care about, Kel forced his worries to the back of his mind, feeling a shiver run down his spine as his wet t-shirt clung to his back. He tried not to grunt aloud as a familiar thought crossed his mind.
This was surely going to be a very, very long day.
_______
The first half of the day went by in a blur.
Kel tried his best to take notes in every class, struggling somewhat due to his injured hands. With his already garbage handwriting coupled with his newfound difficulty in holding a pencil without pain, his writing looked a garbled mess, and by the time lunch came around, he had all but completely given up on even trying. It was fine. He tended to space out quite a bit anyways, so forgetting a thing or two of what he learned that day wouldn’t actually be that different from usual.
When the bell finally rang, and children filed out into the hallways, Kel slapped on a smile and trekked onwards like there was nothing eating away at his heart. As he made his way through the crowds, he waved briefly at a few kids he knew from his sports teams, as well as conversed with a teacher or two that he actually enjoyed being around. It was a nice breather from the reality that even though he had acquaintances, he was still going to have to sit alone.
Alas, all good things must come to an end. Instead of heading into the cafeteria with all the other students like he used to, he broke off from the mob of kids to make a beeline for the school courtyard and tuck himself away next to a vending machine in the breezeway. Even if it was still freezing and raining outside, he much preferred his little spot than having to deal with Aubrey and company bullying him at lunch. Nobody had questioned him when he began to sit alone; it wasn’t like he had anyone left to question it to begin with. As per usual, Kel ate his lunch silently, trying to keep his focus on the newest edition of Captain Spaceboy rather than the stares and whispers he got from passersby.
Kel continued to eat and read like that in silence for what felt like eons, until he was snapped back to reality by a wave of cold, muddy water splashing all over himself and his comic. He let out a loud yelp of alarm, sputtering and letting go of the paper to wipe his face and look for whoever had decided to run straight through the puddle in front of him. Unluckily for Kel, his comic landed face down in the gross water, rendering it unsalvageable. He sighed heavily and picked it up gingerly as he watched the pompadour boy from before and a strange boy with a wig (his name was Mikhael, or something like that) run away, laughing. Just two more of Aubrey’s little gremlin friends that lived to torture him.
Even if he had been unlucky when it came to saving his copy of Captain Spaceboy, Kel was fortunate enough to still have some time left to make a pit stop in the bathroom and clean himself up. Wiping his scraped up hands on his shorts for what felt like the millionth time since that morning, Kel slung his backpack over his shoulder, deposited the soiled graphic novel into the nearest trash can, and made his way towards the bathrooms outside his sixth period classroom.
As the door to the bathroom slowly creaked open, Kel could hear hushed whispers and chuckles emanating from inside. Unfortunately for him, both Aubrey and Kim were inside, standing near the sinks next to one another.
“Shh, Kim, you’re gonna get us in trouble!” Aubrey said with a giggle. Kim stuck her tongue out.
“Like I ain’t ever had detention before! C’mon, I’m almost done! We can do your whole head this weekend.”
“If this stains my shirt, you’re as good as dead! Be- ugh. Careful.”
Aubrey’s voice fell completely flat as soon as she noticed Kel walk by, and her eyes narrowed, shooting him an ice cold glare. Kim was too busy using sink water to wash box bleach out of a streak of her hair to notice, but when she did, she immediately scoffed and rolled her eyes.
“What are you doing here, Smellsey?”
Kel forced himself to smile brightly. Even if Kim and Aubrey were his bullies, that didn’t change the fact that he felt he needed to keep up his optimism and normal upbeat personality in front of everyone, even when he was feeling like absolute garbage. It didn’t matter that Kim had made fun of him that morning. It didn’t matter that Aubrey had pushed him down. It didn’t matter.
“Hiya, Kim! Hey, Aubrey! I’m just, uhh, cleaning up?” He said sheepishly, cranking on the sink furthest away from the pair and wetting down some paper towels to get the mud off of him as best he could. He pretended that he couldn’t feel Aubrey’s gaze tearing holes in him.
Don’t think about it too much. I’m allowed to come here, this is the bathroom! They just so happened to be here is all. Wrong place, wrong time. It’s fine. I don’t care.
Just as Kel went to dab the water off of his stinging hands, as well as the rest of his arms and t-shirt, the five minute warning bell signifying the end of lunch rang out. Kim let out a squeal.
“Okay, it’s done! If anyone says anything, just convince em’ it was always like that!”
Aubrey remained silent as she slipped her headband back on and stooped down to get her backpack. Kim followed suit, and Kel trailed behind them, gaze glued to the tile below. Before he could exit, however, Kim turned around and swiftly kicked him in the knees. He was barely able to stop himself from falling right on top of his injuries.
“Adios, Smellsey! Nerd!” Kim sneered, letting the heavy door slam shut. Kel shook his head and dusted himself off with the backs of his hands to avoid any further irritation to his scabs.
The day is almost over. Then, I can go home and do whatever I want! Just two more class periods.
If only time moved faster.
_______
The second half of the day did drag on, yet was still over before Kel knew it.
Basil ended up showing face half way through the final period before school let out. When he arrived, he slid into his desk next to Kel without a word, visibly shaking and refusing to look him in the eyes. Just seeing him sit there made Kel’s mind swim with inner conflict.
I shouldn’t try to talk to him… I’ll just make it worse. But… maybe it would be worth it. Even if he doesn’t like talking to me anymore, he could use a friend. We’re still friends. Even if he’s scared of me, we’re still friends. I can’t just sit by and do nothing! Even if it doesn’t work, I have to try!
...Just like with Hero.
Kel swallowed, waiting nervously for the moment the bell rang. When it finally did, he turned to the boy at his side, once again plastering on one of his trademarked smiles.
“Heya, Basil!” He exclaimed cheerily. Basil nearly jumped out of his skin, trembling hands only beginning to quake with more intensity. His crystal blue eyes went wide with shock as he whirled to face Kel, taking in a short breath before forcing a smile of his own that was much more akin to a grimace.
“Um. H-hi, Kel.” He murmured, gaze darting to where his shoulder bag sat on the floor. Kel’s mind was doing somersaults.
He’s scared. I’m scaring him. Damnit, I need to stop before I ruin everything!
“So, how’ve you been…?” He spoke pensively, reaching for his own bag and shimmying it on to his shoulders. It took all the strength in his body to pretend he couldn’t feel the searing pain that cut through his hands when he pulled against the rough fabric of the straps just a little bit too hard.
“F-fine.”
“I was wondering… d’you maybe wanna uh. I dunno, go to the park or whatever? Not today! Just… someday. Eventually.” Kel didn’t even know what he was saying. It was just a desperate attempt to get his friend to so much as look at him, even though he already knew the answer. This had happened countless times before.
“Uhm. M-maybe. I’ll t-think about it.”
“Yeah, okay! Cool! I’ll, umm. Catch you later then.”
“Mhm.”
With that, Basil disappeared almost as quickly as he had arrived, leaving Kel alone in the empty expanse of their shared classroom. All the other students had flooded out while they were chatting (if it could even be considered that), leaving only a few stragglers behind. Something within his stomach sank heavily, but he shook it off, leaving anyway. He couldn’t afford to miss the bus home as well. Sure, he’d be leaving behind the junky bike, but he was sure that something had broken when he had taken his tumble, so it wasn’t like it would be of much use anyways. Besides, he wanted to stay out of the thunderstorm that had formed from the torrential downpours of rain if he could help it.
Kel breezed through the hallways as he left, making every reasonable effort to avoid Basil and the hooligans, even if the latter would likely be on the bus. Before he knew it, he was in a seat by the front window, watching the world go by in a blur of colors as the bus arrived at the high school to pick up whatever students rode home from there. Kim’s elder brother, Vance, stepped on to the bus and immediately made a beeline for her seat, scooting in with her and Aubrey to tease his little sister. Another one of Aubrey’s older friends, a kind, shy girl named Charlene stepped on more slowly, wordlessly looking at Kel through her long bangs. After a few beats of silence, she dug through her bag and pulled out a black folder labeled “Henry R.” Then, she made her way to the very back of the bus. The folder was full of Hero’s homework. She gave it to Kel every day, even though both of them were painfully aware that whatever was inside would never get done.
He isn’t going to do any of it, but I can still pretend he will. If I can pretend, then everything will be okay. It has to be okay.
Kel was lucky enough that his stop was always the last in the mornings, which meant that he was always the first off. He held the folder of Hero’s schoolwork tightly to his chest, ignoring the paper airplane that was tossed at his head by Kim as he descended the steps and began the trek through the howling wind and violent pattering of rain towards his house.
On most days, it was a gamble of whether or not Kel would return to an empty home (technically not completely empty, but Hero was so silent that it might as well have been.) Today, he was sure that at least his mother would be home due to the storm. His suspicions were confirmed when he entered inside, toeing off his muddied sneakers and hanging his wet rain jacket on the rack by the front door. From inside the kitchen, he could hear the sounds of someone loading the dishwasher.
“Heya, mom, I’m home!” He hummed, bounding into the kitchen after setting his bag down at the entryway. She let out a sigh, turning around and quickly frowning in a similar fashion to the way she had that morning. What was it this time? He knew that before, it was due to his choice of clothing. This time, he couldn’t see a reason as to why she would be upset with him.
“Kelsey! ¡Tu camisa! And your hair! Mija, you’re covered in mud! ¿Estabas corriendo bajo la lluvia otra vez? You can’t keep ruining your perfectly good clothing!” She scolded, pinching the bridge of her nose. Kel tried not to show his confusion.
“I thought you didn’t like these clothes though.” He said, voice faltering. His mother sighed and shook her head vehemently.
“Just because I don’t approve doesn’t mean you can go around ruining them for fun! Go take a shower this instant! Ir ahora mismo, before you track dirt all over the clean floors!”
“Yes, mamá” Kel sighed. He didn’t really know what he had expected. His mother had always been more strict with him, even before Hero shut himself away. Maybe it was because she still viewed him as her daughter. Just another one of the million reasons he wasn’t ready to tell his parents that he wasn’t.
Quickly, Kel made his way upstairs, snatching some clean clothing from his bedroom before locking himself in the bathroom and turning on the shower. As he stood there under the hot water, feeling it cascade through his messy brown hair, he sucked in a deep breath and expelled it, trying to rid himself of the sickening, sinking feeling that he’d carried all day. Listening to whatever was going on around him and trying to focus on it tended to help too, so he made sure to do that as well. It was a tactic he’d learned from Hero after breaking his arm rather badly by falling out a tree. At the time, he couldn’t seem to get a grip on his senses back, so Hero had told him what to do to calm himself down. It was something that he began to do quite often after he lost all his friends; something to do to take his mind off of things.
The first thing Kel heard over the sound of the running water was the storm raging outside. He wasn’t sure when it had picked up so badly, but strangely enough, the weather seemed to only grow more and more intense as his negative emotions built up. It would have been a little bit funny if he wasn’t feeling so awful.
The second thing that he heard was nothing special. Just the sound of his own breathing as he stared forward at the tile walls of the shower. The third, however, stole his attention rather quickly. It was the sound of voices, if not slightly muffled ones. His parents bedroom was right next door to the bathroom, as well as his own room, but it couldn’t have been Hero talking, so he presumed that it was his parents having a discussion. Curious, Kel decided to tune in, scooting closer to the wall so that he could hear them better.
”No sé... tal vez sólo necesita más tiempo”
“We can’t keep doing this! It’s been a month since Hero has come downstairs, and at least a week since he’s even left his room! He doesn’t eat, doesn’t talk… he needs professional help.”
“...I suppose you’re right.”
“I always am.”
“What about Kelsey? She hasn’t really talked about anything that's happened. Quizás ella también podría beneficiarse de ver a un terapeuta.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. That useless girl is perfectly fine. Sinceramente, me gustaría que esa chica se preocupara más a veces.”
“Si tu lo dices, Isabella.”
Kel felt his stomach begin to turn as he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, slipping into his pajamas. He felt nauseous for more than one reason. With the first reason aside, his parents were right. He was fine. So why did what they were saying about him make him want to pass out?
Shaking the dizzying feeling away, Kel pushed open the bathroom door, then descended the steps to retrieve his school bag. Once it was in his possession, he returned upstairs, slowly pushing open the door to he and Hero’s shared bedroom. Immediately upon entry, he flicked on the lights, listening to the whipping wind outside alongside Hero’s quiet, steady breathing. He dared not to look at his brother's still form for fear it would only add to his sour mood as he set his bag down under his desk and pulled out his own school work, as well as the folder of things for Hero that Charlene had given. Kel frowned as he added the things inside the folder to the stack of papers on Hero’s desk, then made his way back to his own side of the room to try and ultimately fail at doing his homework.
Thirty or so minutes passed before Kel completely gave up. How the hell was he supposed to know how algebra worked? Besides, with everything that had happened that day weighing down on him, coupled with the words from his parents and his intense worry for Hero only growing by the second, it was incredibly difficult to keep himself focused on his work. Finally, for the first time since he’d arrived home, Kel let his gaze drift across the room towards his brother.
As he sat and stared from his desk across the room, Kel could feel the heavy ache within his chest begin to build even more. Each passing moment that he sat with his eyes affixed to Hero felt like a stab through the heart. How long was he going to stay like that? How long was he going to remain a husk of the once loving, caring boy he had been? How long was he going to punish himself for something that was entirely out of his control? The more he thought about it, the more it made Kel want to be sick. He couldn’t just stand by and watch Hero suffer like that any longer.
I can’t just sit here staring, I have to help him! I have to make sure he’s still there. I can’t lose anyone else… Especially not him. What would Hero do if it was me curled up in bed? He’d comfort me, right? I need to stop being such a coward. I need to do something before I lose him forever. I need to do something before he ends up like-
It was in that moment that Kel made a decision; one that was much more important than he knew yet. Even if he himself was nowhere near over the situation, he was willing to put all of that aside if it meant getting his brother back. Maybe just a little bit of his desire to finally get Hero to return to normal stemmed from selfish needs, but putting aside how painfully alone and helpless he felt, he didn’t want to watch Hero spiral like that anymore. He had to take action.
The legs of Kel’s desk chair scraped against the hardwood flooring of the bedroom as he scooted it backwards and stood to his feet. He could feel his heart thundering in his ears with anxiety as he approached the other side of the room, gaze still glued to the barely moving lump that was his elder brother. He had no idea what he was going to say. He had no idea if this was even going to be worth it; if Hero was going to react at all. But he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to try.
Kel could feel the entire weight of the world pressing down on his weary shoulders as he sat at the foot of Hero’s bed, trying to ignore the way his presence didn’t so much as cause the older boy to stir. Ready or not, Kel had to take action. He swallowed his pride and took a deep, shuddering breath, before finally beginning to speak.
“Uh. H-heya, Hero! You missed school today too, huh? It’s too bad. Charlene gave me your work… looks like you’re doin’ some pretty neat-o stuff in chemistry! I’d offer to do it for you, but they don’t teach stuff like that in eighth grade.” Kel said cheerily, doing his best to remain characteristically upbeat. Hero didn’t move. He ignored the way his eye twitched as he continued.
“...Somethin’ pretty funny happened during class today. Y’know that weird kid, Mikhael? Well, he’s started wearing this stupid looking blonde wig to school, and keeps telling everyone to call him ‘the maverick’. That obnoxious girl Kim wouldn’t do it, so he flipped out on her, and you know what she did? She pulled the wig right offa him! You woulda died laughing!”
Kel saw Hero visibly flinch at his poor usage of the word died. He cringed at the reaction, but refused to stop just because of one careless mistake. Even just a flinch could be considered progress, and he was never one to give up so easily.
“I… I think everyone is feeling kinda lonely. Basil doesn’t really come to school anymore, but when he’s there, he avoids me like the plague! Aubrey does too. Prolly because she has new friends, heh. She still looks at me in the halls a lot, though…”
He decided to leave out the bit about how Aubrey’s looks were glares, and how she had taken to actively harassing both Basil and himself at every given opportunity. Kel was a resilient, strong, and confident kid, but that didn’t change the fact that the bullying from what used to be one of his closest friends was incredibly hurtful. Besides, whatever he was saying seemed to be working. Hero had actually turned over, and was looking at Kel with blank, red eyes. Leaving out the little details was more than okay when he was making this kind of stride with Hero.
“I bet you could get Sunny to come back outside again. Oh yeah, guess I forgot to mention. Sunny hasn’t left his house yet. He hasn’t shown up to school once. Kind of like you, I guess!”
Hero cast his eyes to the side, looking crestfallen. Maybe that last comment was a mistake.
“S-sorry! I, uhm. I didn’t mean that. I just bet Sunny is lonely. Everyone seems lonely. Heh… even I’m pretty lonely. I think I miss having the group together. I… I miss having you there. Even if we don’t really talk anymore, I’m sure that the gang misses you too. I bet they’re just as worried about you as I am.”
Things were starting to get a little too real for Kel, but he couldn’t stop then. Not when Hero was sitting up on his arms, burning holes into him with his harsh, empty, tired eyes. It didn’t matter that he could feel the familiar tug of tears behind his eyes swelling with each passing second. He had to do this. If not for Hero, for himself. He needed comfort. He needed closure. But most importantly, he needed to feel like he was still cared about.
“Th-things sure are different now, huh? It… it feels like everything is going so fast. I have nobody around anymore. Y’know, there’s been so many times that I’ve wanted to come to you for help, but I didn’t. I… I kinda figured if I left you alone, you’d get better. It’s been so long now… when are you going to start getting up again?”
Kel was barely even directing his words at Hero anymore. Instead, he was letting every thought that had clouded him since Mari’s demise finally come spilling forth, not even bothering to filter his words for Hero’s sake. In fact, he had spiraled so far into his tirade of complete and utter despair, that he didn’t even notice when he stood to his feet and faced Hero head on. His body moved naturally, without him having to command it in his emotionally driven ramble.
“I-I just… I’m so lonely, Hero! And I’m scared. I’m scared you’re never gonna get better! I’m scared that you’re gonna leave me just like everyone else! Please, Hero… I miss you so much! You’re my older bro!”
Hero sat completely upright as Kel continued to rant and rave, just barely able to quell the tears that pricked at the corners of his eyes with each passing second. Any sort of composure he had gone into the confrontation with had flown out the window.
“I d-don’t wanna see you like this anymore! I’m sure Sunny wouldn’t either! O-or Aubrey, or Basil… or Mari! She wouldn’t want you to be so sad! She wouldn’t want you to die too!”
Dead silence. Kel could already feel the sinking pit in his stomach that told him he’d made a really, really big mistake. Hero visibly curled in on himself as Kel took a step back, realizing the error he’d made a little too late to fix it. With each moment that passed, it looked more and more like Hero was crying, having buried his face into his arms as soon as Kel had spoken those damning words. But, as he continued to shake, face obscured from view, Kel realized that he wasn’t crying. He was laughing. And it didn’t sound like happy laughter. It sounded angry.
“Hero, w-wait, I-” Kel began. Before he was able to finish his sentence, Hero’s head snapped up, harsh, puffy red eyes glaring with such intensity that it made him completely freeze in place.
“Shut your mouth.”
Kel’s heart dropped completely. Hero’s enraged glare intensified as he threw his legs over the side of the bed, standing as well. His height advantage only made him appear more terrifying.
“W-what?” Kel managed to squawk, feeling his throat close up. Hero took a step closer, grabbing one of Kel’s scabbed hands and squeezing it so hard that it hurt. It was as if he was trying to make sure he wouldn’t run away.
“Are you deaf or something? I said to shut your mouth. Stop acting like you knew what she wanted. None of you knew her like I did! Especially not you!”
Fear began creeping through Kel’s veins, turning his blood to ice as the absolute fury emanating off of Hero only continued to grow.
“Hell, maybe even I didn’t know her! I never knew that she was depressed! I never knew that she was feeling suicidal! You want to know why, Kel?”
“U-uhm- I don’t- I don’t know-”
“It’s because I was too busy parenting you to notice! Big shocker! If I hadn’t spent so much time babying you, then I could have seen the signs. If I had seen the signs, then Mari might still be alive. But I didn’t, because I never spent enough time with her! I was making sure you didn’t do something stupid! You’re a nuisance, Kel! You’re nothing but a nuisance!”
Kel felt like he had just been punched in the gut. Hero couldn’t have meant that, right? He was just being irrational. He didn’t actually mean what he’d said. He was still grieving, so he was bound to do and say things that were rather out of character. That had to be it.
“Hero, I know you’re upset, b-but-”
”Upset!? Upset doesn’t even begin to cover it! Stop acting like you can read what everyone is feeling! God, you’re such an idiot sometimes! Acting all happy and carefree. You never change. All of us are grieving, and yet you never change. How do you do it!? How do you pretend like everything is okay when it’s not!? Your stupidity never stops!”
“I don’t know! I’m j-just trying to stay positive, even if I miss her…!” Kel squeaked. This was getting nowhere, and fast. Every single word he said only seemed to add on to Hero’s boundless sea of total indignation.
“You liar. You fucking liar. You don’t care. You’ve never cared. Not since Mari went and hung herself from that stupid fucking tree!”
Things kept going from bad to worse, and even worse yet. Hero had never once sworn at Kel. Not when he spilled orange joe all over his precious school science fair project. Not when he broke one of his biggest and most impressive trophies with a freak basketball shot. Not even when he used to argue endlessly with Aubrey, leading to stern talking to’s that always got them nowhere. Hero had never sworn at him before, so hearing him do so was absolutely and utterly terrifying.
“I do, I do miss her, I do care! Please, just listen!”
“God, you just never stop, do you!? You ruin everything. You do nothing but get in the way! You stole my attention from Mari when she needed me. You’ve ruined so many good things for me and have done nothing to make up for them! I… I bet that if it had been you that killed yourself, then Mari would still be here!”
Kel felt his heart go completely still within his chest, static filling the cavernous void that had formed within his head. Hero couldn’t have meant that. He just couldn’t have.
“W-what?”
“It should have been you and not her! There! I fucking said it! I would be- no. Everyone would be happier if you had just done us all a favor and hung yourself instead! If it had been you, Mari could have kept everyone together. If it had been you, then maybe, I wouldn’t be like this. But you can’t do jack shit. You can barely take care of yourself without someone there to watch you, so stop acting like you can actually help anyone!”
“I just- I just wanted you to feel better!”
“For the love of fuck, Kel! I don’t give a shit what you want! No one does! God, has your skull always been this fucking thick!? Do I have to repeat myself!? I’ll do it, so that the message is drilled into that useless head of yours! Mari could still be here, and it’s all your fault.”
Kel fell silent. Hero’s reign of terror only continued to rage onwards.
“What, can’t speak now? Did you use up all your words trying to magically make everything better!? Or did you do it when you ran around without a care in the world, not giving two shits that some of us are actually suffering!? You disgust me. I… I…”
Hero was stuttering over his words, but the absolute outrage that radiated off of him continued to persist.
”Henry, please, I’m sorry-”
“I hate you! I fucking hate you! I wish you’d never been born!”
That was the final blow. Kel felt his entire body go ice cold as Hero let out a sob, yanking his arm forward and sending him tumbling into the side of the bed before him. The world around Kel seemed to tilt completely on its axis as his face slammed face first into the wood frame, sending a shooting pain through his entire body that hurt almost as much as the emotional turmoil he was suffering. Ears ringing and thoughts reeling, he was completely helpless to stop the flow of tears that just barely began to trickle down his face.
That wasn’t Hero. Hero would never hurt me.
But it was. And he had, rather badly at that. As he went to wipe away his tears, still trying to conceal his sadness, Kel felt something else trickle down his face, thickly plopping down onto the back of his hand. It was blood. His nose was bleeding. It must have broken when Hero pulled him forwards.
Hero would never hurt me.
Doing his best to subdue the bleeding, Kel turned his trembling frame around to get a glimpse of his elder brother. By then, Hero had stopped his angry screaming, and was instead standing there, sobbing into his hands. He looked like even more of a wreck than he had when he was simply silent, lying in bed all day, doing nothing but sleeping and crying when he thought no one was listening. The world felt like a ball of static. Watching Hero like that, alongside all the pain he himself was suffering, made Kel feel like he was outside his own body, watching the scene play out from afar. Nothing felt real. God, did he wish that none of what had just happened was real.
“Kelsey, Henry! ¡¿Qué diablos está pasando allí?!”
The sound of their parents yelling reverberated throughout the house as the door to the bedroom slammed open, drowning out the sounds of Hero’s choked bawling. Kel turned away as they rushed inside, sniffling to himself as blood and small tears continued to stream down his red face.
“My goodness… Hero, my love, what’s happened here!?” Their mother questioned. Hero’s sobbing only intensified. Kel felt something twist within his stomach.
They haven’t forgotten about me. They’ll ask if I’m okay too, I just know it. Any minute now.
“Oh, you poor, sweet thing… What on earth did your sister say to you!? Que bueno para nada chica… come now, let's go downstairs. I’ll make you some tea. Your father and I will talk to Kelsey later.”
Kel didn’t move or speak a single word as he listened to everything going on behind him. His mouth remained pressed shut, snot, blood and tears crusting over his lips as their parents ushered Hero out of the room. His body shook like a leaf, yet even still, they ignored him completely. Even his father, who had always seemed to care more than his mother, couldn’t seem to be bothered. The door slammed shut in an instant. Everyone was gone. Kel could do little to console himself.
They’ll come back for me.
Five minutes passed. Nobody came back.
They won’t leave me like everyone else.
Ten minutes.
They won’t leave me like Aubrey did. Like Basil did. Like Sunny did. Like…she did. Like Hero did.
Fifteen minutes. The room was utterly silent, save for Kel’s labored breathing as he continued to try and fail to quell his emotions and stay silent. Nothing he did worked. Each second that ticked by only added to his stress, and soon, he was completely unable to keep himself in check anymore. Everything that he had been containing since the initial incident finally breached the emotional wall Kel had built around himself, and he let out a bloodcurdling scream of anguish that was surely loud enough that everyone in the neighborhood could hear him. Maybe the entire city. It didn’t matter, though. Nobody was coming for him.
He was alone again. Alone, like he deserved to be. He deserved to hurt for all the suffering he had caused.
Thoughts of everything Hero had spat at him with his venom filled voice echoed throughout Kel’s mind as he pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around them and burying his face there. It didn’t matter that his nose felt like it was on fire from the simple action. Tuning out everything seemed to alleviate some of the pain, even if it wasn’t enough.
For the first time since Mari’s passing, Kel let himself fully break down, all of the misery, loneliness and heartache that he had collected releasing with each heavy sob that shook his body to its core. He didn’t care that he was still being loud. At that moment, he didn’t care about anything anymore.
They’re not coming back. Mari is dead, and Sunny is gone, and Basil is scared of me, and Aubrey is a bully, and Hero… he hates me. Hero hates me. Hero doesn’t care about me. He hates me.
Kel’s wrecked crying only intensified with that thought, his head pounding as he gasped and sputtered into his folded arms. The bleeding from his nose had stopped, but it had gotten all over his face and shirt. He was sure he looked like a complete and total mess. That didn’t matter, though. Nothing mattered. He didn’t matter.
Mari was dead, and he had lost everything and everyone else along with her.
_______
Kel wasn’t sure how much time had passed as he let himself be wholly consumed by grief. Minutes? Hours? He couldn’t seem to figure it out as he sat there, holding his head and struggling to breathe through all the tears that swelled from inside of him, just like the raging storm outside. He cried, and cried, and cried until his mouth was dry, and his stomach was in knots, and his eyes were itchy and red. It was dark, and he was so scared, helpless, and alone that it felt like someone had reached inside his chest and pulled out his still beating heart.
In fact, he was so swamped with overwhelming guilt, grief, and self hatred that he didn’t even notice when the door to the bedroom slowly creaked open, and a familiar figure stepped inside.
“Kel…?”
A soft, scratchy voice startled Kel out of his delirium, and he jerked upwards, crossing his arms defensively. His eyes darted back and forth wildly with anxiety as he observed Hero standing in the doorway, a tired, broken and deeply regretful face gracing his sorrow filled features. Kel felt himself withdraw even more. If Hero was here to yell at him more, maybe even hit him, that was okay. He had come to the conclusion that Hero was right; he was nothing more than a useless burden to everyone around him, who brought nothing but annoyance and problems to the people he loved. He deserved to hurt.
Hero slowly began to step closer, and in response, Kel scrambled backwards. Seeing how absolutely terrified his younger brother was, Hero began to slow down his movements, eventually lowering himself down so that the two boys were eye level. Kel’s haggard breathing grew even more unsteady, and he buried his face in his arms again, disregarding the flaring pain from his nose and left eye.
“Kels, oh my god... Kels, I’m so, so-”
Finally reaching a kneeling position, Hero was able to notice the blood that was splattered all over Kel’s arms, and what parts of his once clean t-shirt that he could see. A small, pained noise clawed its way out of his throat, and he audibly swallowed, but even still, Kel refused to look up.
“Kels, I don’t- I am so… I just. I can’t- I’m so, so sorry bubs…”
Bubs was a nickname Kel hadn’t heard in years. When Kel was but a newborn, his parents would constantly refer to him as “the baby” rather than his actual name. Toddler Hero couldn’t quite figure out how to say that, so instead, he simply latched on to his mispronounced version, and from there on out, Kel was known to him as bubs. Over the years, it became a nickname that Hero only used when Kel was upset and needed support. It’s replacement became “Kels” after he had come out to Hero and said that he was a boy; it was an easy way for him to not have to out him to their parents. Hearing it now made Kel’s chest ache even more, and he lowered his arms, tears trickling out of his eyes slowly but surely once again.
“...M’ sorry…”
“Bubs, no, it’s okay-”
“Hic! M’ so sorry…! I’m sorry, Henry, I- sniff I d-didn’t mean for Mari to die…!”
Hero’s regretful expression only grew tenfold as he reached forward and put a shaking hand on Kel’s shoulder. He flinched at the action. Kel knew that he shouldn’t have felt so afraid of his older brother, but what else was he supposed to do? Hero had torn him a new one and he felt like he completely deserved it.
“I should be the one apologizing to you.” Hero said quietly, gently moving Kel’s arms away from their defensive position to pull him into a warm embrace. Kel was still shaking violently, and buried his face in the crook of Hero’s neck, wincing from the pain it created in his injuries. Comforting arms quickly wrapped around him, squeezing him tight with a sort of familial love that Kel hadn’t felt in a long, long time.
“I’m so, so sorry.” Hero continued, raising one hand to wipe away his own tears before beginning to gently comb it through Kel’s hair. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to apologize enough. I don’t… I don’t know what came over me. I don’t know why I said any of that. I promise you that I didn’t mean it, bubs. Never in a million years would I mean it. I’m hurting, but… that doesn’t give me the right to hurt you too.”
Kel’s crying only began to intensify, and he gripped the back of Hero’s pajama top like a lifeline, soaking his shoulder with tears, snot, and the dried remains of blood that still clung to his face. He wanted to apologize a million times over for all the suffering he was convinced he had caused, but his throat felt as if it was closed up. Besides, Hero wasn’t done muttering apologies of his own.
“I should have been there for you. I’m your big brother. It’s my job to watch out for you, r-right? I don’t know why mom and dad started… leaving you like that. But I promise I’ll never leave you behind again. I… I can’t lose you too, Kel. Please forgive me.”
Kel continued to sob his eyes out in Hero’s arms until there was nothing left inside of him; all the sorrow that had festered over the course of that god awful year had finally run its course. Now, he was nothing but a sniveling ball, face pressed deeply into Hero’s shoulder. He was still too afraid to look up.
“I never should have said any of that. I mean it when I say none of it was true. That... that was wrong. I’m never going to take anything out on you again. You did nothing wrong, bubs. You’re just coping in your own way. I can’t blame you for that.”
As he spoke, Hero stopped stroking Kel’s hair, instead wrapping both arms tightly around him again and holding on to him as tightly as he could. Hero held him as if he was going to disappear any minute, and he was trying to make sure that didn’t happen. Kel returned the embrace with as much strength as he could muster from his weakened body.
Eventually, Kel found the strength within himself to shimmy out of Hero’s hold and finally look him in the eyes. Before, he couldn’t seem to believe that he didn’t mean anything he had said. Now, looking at Hero’s face, he could see that all of his apologies truly came from the deepest, sincerest point of his heart. However, it was only for a brief moment, because Hero quickly took notice of Kel’s busted up nose, as well as his quickly forming black eye, and how red and irritated the scrapes on his hands were.
“Did I… your nose. Is it broken?” Hero muttered, eyes glassing over with tears for a fleeting moment before he shook his head and let out a stuttering breath. “A-and your hands, what happened?”
Kel swallowed, averting his eyes. “...Fell down before school.”
“You fell that hard?”
“Yeah.”
Silence quickly worked its way between the two boys, and Hero took that as his hint that whatever had really happened was not something Kel felt comfortable sharing. Instead, he stood to his feet, then reached down to lift his brother’s trembling form into a comfortable position to be carried. Yes, Kel was getting a bit too tall to be carried, but even after hiding away for so long, Hero was still strong enough to hold him. He was three years his senior, after all.
On any normal day, Kel would have yelled, protested and struggled, laughing as Hero gave in and finally stopped playfully restraining him. It was different this time. Instead, he curled into his hold, letting himself be carried to the bathroom so that Hero could treat his wounds. He didn’t say anything the whole way there, instead listening to Hero’s heart beating in his ears as a way to keep himself calm. He still didn’t speak once he was set down on the floor. Hero dug through the cabinets in silence as well, clearly mulling something over.
After finding some bandages and wound cleaning ointment, Hero got down to Kel’s level once more, this time being cautious as to not scare Kel more than he already had. Kel’s thoughts were reeling as Hero began to clean up his palms.
I’m making him take care of me again. God, I’m such an idiot! I’ve already hurt him enough. Selfish, selfish, selfish!
No longer having the comfort of Hero’s words or his heartbeat in his ears to quell the voices that screamed at him from inside his head, Kel let out a small whimper, eyes affixed to the floor. He didn’t want to see the pain in Hero’s eyes again. It was his fault, and he didn’t want to face it.
A few minutes passed in silence, in which Hero treated the scrapes on Kel’s hands. Unfortunately, though, he was forced to look up in order for his broken nose and black eye to be inspected. All the while, the brothers' gazes never met.
There was a strange beat of silence as Hero examined Kel’s face, and instead of immediately going in to treat the wounds like he had with his hands, he hesitated for a brief second before yanking him into the tightest embrace he’d given yet. This time, it was the elder brother’s turn to cry.
“I’m so sorry. I know I’ve said it a million times, but I’m so unbelievably sorry. Everything that happened has nothing to do with you. I shouldn’t have shifted the blame on you like that. Please, please forgive me..” He choked out. Kel wasn’t sure what to do. After all, the incident from merely an hour or so prior had clearly shown him that he was no help when it came to comforting others. Instead, he just let Hero apologize over and over again until he was satisfied, then watched as he recollected himself before finally finishing up what he had brought them in there to do. When all was said and done, Hero stood, silently scooping Kel back up into his arms and carrying him to their bedroom.
With the doors closed and lights turned out, Hero carried Kel to his bed, both of them choosing to ignore the fact that it was barely dinner time. Both boys had expended enough energy to last a lifetime. But, before Hero could begin to tuck Kel in and walk away, he felt a small, bandaged hand tug on his shirt.
I can’t make him stay. He’s better off without me. I just ruin everything.
“H-hero… please don’t leave me.” Kel sniffed weakly, finally finding the strength within himself to make eye contact. “I don’t wanna be alone anymore.”
Hero looked apprehensive for a brief moment, but leaned down and pulled Kel into another hug all the same.
“Never. Never again.” Hero whispered to him, holding Kel for a minute or so more before scooting into the bed next to him. The brothers hadn’t cuddled since they were both young children; Kel had insisted that he was “a big kid who didn’t need his bro to sleep next to him anymore” at the tender age of three. But now, all of that was thrown out the window as Kel lay down and snuggled up to Hero, letting himself finally relax. Warm arms enveloped him once again, and he felt a head rest on top of his own.
For the first time since Hero had yelled those damning words, Kel felt himself stop trembling. As he felt himself finally begin to succumb to the calming tides of sleep, the younger boy felt something unfamiliar, but not unwelcome.
Kel finally felt safe, cared for, and loved.
_______
When Kel awoke the next morning, it wasn’t to hollering from his mother, nor was it to the jarring sound of his second alarm reminding him that he was running late once again. Instead, it was due to the lack of a second body in his small twin bed, and the smell of bacon, eggs and something sweet wafting through his open door.
Kel sat bolt upright and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, glancing frantically around the room. The blinds were open, and all the garbage from Hero’s side of the room had magically disappeared overnight. But that wasn’t the most important thing. The last and biggest change Kel noticed was the made up bed on the other side of the room, and the disappearance of the barely moving lump that was his brother in it.
Hero was actually up.
Kel practically threw himself from his bed, tripping over his own awkward scrawny legs and bringing all the covers off with him, as well as his pillow. A stray sheet clung to his body as he skidded out of the room at top speed, bounding down the stairs and landing on one foot as he cleared the last step, before wheeling around the corner and coming to a stop in the entryway to the kitchen.
There, standing at the stove, was Hero. He still looked a mess, but he was hard at work trying to simultaneously prep both eggs and bacon at the same time. In the other room, Kel could see a plate of steaming chocolate chip cookies on the table. His mouth watered.
Hero noticed Kel standing in the doorway, hovering a sunny side up egg on a spatula above the sizzling pan. When the pair made eye contact, Hero cracked a concerned smile, then dropped the egg back into place. Kel returned the smile with a wide grin of his own.
“Morning, bubs. I got up a few hours ago and decided to bake some cookies. Also… breakfast is ready!” He said with a slightly melancholy tone to his voice, eyes turning back to the stove. It took all of Kel’s strength to not actually drool over the smell of the food.
“What about school?” He questioned, making his way through the kitchen to not-so-subtly stuff three cookies in his mouth all at once. Hero shrugged as he slid all the finished food on to two separate plates.
“Dad is at work and Mom is busy with errands. Neither of them expect me to leave the house, so… they don’t have to know if you skip just once.”
Kel’s eyes sparkled as the food was set in front of him, not only because it looked so deliciously delectable, but because Hero was being so… different. More like his old self. This was a form of a silent apology, he could tell. And even though he knew there would be many, many more, Kel couldn’t help the way his heart smiled at the gesture.
“Tomorrow,” Hero continued. “We go back.”
Kel stopped himself halfway before eating a fourth cookie.
“We?”
Hero smiled from across the table.
“Yep. We go back together.”
Kel all but launched himself across the room at Hero, tackling him off his chair into the biggest bear hug he could manage. Any past aversion to brotherly affection was once again thrown out the window, and likely would be for the foreseeable future.
The next day couldn’t have come fast enough. But, when it did, Hero and Kel walked to the bus stop together, boarded together and sat together until they arrived at the middle school. He waved goodbye to Hero with a newfound sense of security, watching as the bus rolled away. Yes, he could feel Aubrey’s cold, confused and angry glare on his back the whole way inside, but it didn’t matter. Hero was back.
For once, everything really was going to be okay.