Basil's Hope

Silence

The boys left Basil's house with nothing but some cash Basil kept in his nightstand. He locked the door behind him, since Polly wasn't home yet. Sunny waited for Basil patiently, staring at him. Right into his soul. It made the boy feel awkward.

After they left, they walked side-by-side up the path towards the park. The sun was on its way to setting, but for now it was still bright and warm. Sunny kept looking around as if ghosts walked the street, but there wasn't anyone or anything there. I guess he misses this place, Basil thought to himself.

He caught the dark-haired boy looking towards his old house down the next street. "An old couple lives there now," Basil said. They probably have no clue what happened in their own home, he thought to himself, but didn't want to say it aloud.

The look on Sunny's face didn't give away much, per usual, but Basil knew he was deep in thought. He had that same lost look as always since the incident. There was an odd tension in the air. Maybe he's thinking about it too.

Silence.

They didn't talk for the rest of the walk. Basil rung his hands anxiously as he forced one foot in front of the other. He wondered how Sunny could look so composed. How did he hold himself together? It was like he was in his own world. A world without Basil.

They paused at the entrance to the park. It was loud. Kids played at the basketball court, while others were sprinkled around the park, just hanging out on the lovely end-of-summer day. Basil thought back to the time that Aubrey was bothering him, when Kel and Sunny came along to his rescue.

He tried to push it out of his mind. His ex-friend wasn't really there to save him. Sunny just happened to be with Kel at the time, who really cared about him. Who didn't leave him.

He felt someone brush past him as he was staring at his shoes, deep in thought. It was Sunny, walking ahead towards the back of the park, towards the trees. Without a second thought, Basil bounded after him. The boys reached the trees and pushed past them where they both knew the secret entrance would be. Their own hidden world.

The hidden park was looking much better than the last time Sunny had seen it. It used to be worn down by time, with plants and dust gathering on the bars at the entrance. But since then, Basil had been visiting and cleaning the place up now and then. Of course, it hadn't really been on his mind since Sunny texted.

Basil had trimmed overgrown plants and weeds. He added pollinators so that the bees would return. He also kept the picnic blanket clean, right where it used to be. In its place.

He let Sunny step ahead and get a full look at the park. He thought momentarily of his dreams with him. He would daydream about Sunny while trimming the weeds sometimes. Except he didn't wear such a nerdy outfit. Basil hated himself for thinking, I like him better in this anyway.

Sunny spun in a full circle, then looked shyly back at Basil. He stepped forward to hear him speak. Basil knew when Sunny wanted to talk. He didn't do it often, so he was easy to read. His eyebrows were raised, and he lowered his chin, as if in question of if it was okay to speak.

"You guys kept it clean," he said softly.

You guys? Basil thought, a bit annoyed. He hadn't seen any of the others visit the park since Sunny left. Alas, he nodded his head.

"Wow," Sunny said under his breath. Although he acted excited, his emotions displayed quite mutely. He still had a neutral expression on his face.

"What could I possibly do to make you smile?" Basil wondered aloud. He raised his own eyebrows in surprise. "Did I say that-"

"Yes," Sunny answered before he could finish. He leaned in closer, "I'm quite happy, even though I'm not smiling".

Quite, Basil thought. He's always been such a nerd.

Sunny turned around again to view the small lake. Then he angled his head to the side, as if shielding his view of it.

"Brings back a lot of memories," Basil remarked, feeling the same way. Sunny looked at him with his eyes wide. He nodded his head slightly.

"Here," Basil said. He grabbed his old friend's hand and pulled him towards the picnic. His hand felt hot. Extremely hot. And Basil's chest felt as if it were fluttering for a moment. But after a second, the moment was over.

Basil let go of Sunny's hand, and sat with him on the picnic blanket, facing away from the lake. They sat for what felt to Basil like forever in silence. They avoided each other's gazes. A few crickets chirped as the sun lit pink and orange streaks into the sky.

Maybe this was all a bad idea, Basil found himself thinking, then Sunny spoke.

"It's really beautiful here, you know," Sunny said quietly.

Not as beautiful as you, Basil thought for a fleeting moment, before pushing it out of his head. It's the stress of the situation, it means nothing, he rationalized to himself, about his own thoughts.

"I'm lucky," he decided to say instead of what he was truly thinking. "But-" he began to say at the same time as Sunny spoke.

"No, really," Sunny began as well. They turned to each other, for a moment of silence and tension. Then they both laughed. It felt right to Basil, sitting there with Sunny with their legs out, the sun setting, laughing together. But there was so much left unsaid.

"You go ahead," Basil said, motioning his hand for Sunny to go. He nodded in response.

"Look, I'm sorry for leaving," he said slowly, turning his head and refusing to look at Basil. "I wish I didn't have to, but my mom got a new job and-"

"I get it," Basil cut him off. "I understand, you had to go."

They sat there together for a moment, both staring into their own laps in silence. The sky was now painted a brilliant purple, and the crickets chirped louder, filling the space.

Basil suddenly noticed how close Sunny was sitting. Did he move closer? he wondered. For a moment, he looked up at Sunny. He looked into his blank stare and brown eyes and saw everything he hoped he would see. Regret.

Basil felt his fingers touch Sunny's as they slowly moved their hands closer. Now they looked awkwardly around them, at their hands, their legs, the grass, the sky, anywhere but bringing attention to what was happening.

Sunny made the first move, slipping his hand into Basil's. His hand felt on fire and his chest as if there were fireworks inside his rib cage. He saw a small smile creep onto Sunny's face.