Broken (Cecilos - Welcome to Night Vale)

Broken

Hey guys. This is my first story separate from my others, so I really hope you enjoy. Expect some angsty teen!Cecilos and understand that this is not set in Night Vale.

***

"Well, this is it! Home sweet home!"

Cecil gestured proudly toward the tiny house, a wide smile on his face.

House was probably too large a word. The structure was basically a shack. A dilapidated, half-collapsed, hollow little shack. Carlos bit his lip as he surveyed the front lawn, a mess of twisted weeds scattered with broken glass and beer cans. It was ringed by a tiny picket fence, the rotting planks plastered with messages like 'Fags' and 'Kill Yourselves'. Where there had once been windows there were now only boards, also covered with graffiti. The roof was caving in, the paint was peeling, and the exterior piping was coated with rust. All in all, it was a terrible and desolate little place. The buildings around it only added to the general sense of neglect, as they were normal and well taken care of.

Carlos thought for a moment, and then turned toward Cecil with a strained smile. "It's beautiful."

Cecil's eyes widened, gleaming with a mixture of surprise and indescribable joy.

"R-really? You aren't going to run away?..." He whispered, a small smile pulling at the corner of his lips.

"My first friend..."

Time must have skipped a beat, because there was no way Cecil could have moved as quickly as he did. Before Carlos could blink, Cecil was latched onto his arm, dragging him towards the front door. He was surprisingly strong for a boy so small and scrawny.

"Come on Carlos! We've got to introduce you to everyone! Oh holy Glow Cloud, I can't believe this! An actual friend!" He rambled on in disbelieving excitement while Carlos struggled to keep up behind him.

***

"Mom! Mom, come here! Hey, Simon! Mom! Guess what! I made a friend!"

Cecil shouted up a rickety set of stairs, jumping up and down and clapping his hands together.

"Come on! Come say hi!"

Carlos smiled sadly as he watched his new friend, thinking back to his first day of school. Cecil had been the only one willing to talk to him, the new kid in town. Anyone else that had even given him a second glance had done so just to warn him away from the little ball of energy that was Cecil Palmer.

"He's not 'right in the head' that kid. None of them are."

"They must be serial killers. Nothing that goes on in a house like that can be legal."

"The father? A runaway deadbeat. The mother? A mental case alcoholic. The kids? Well, it's your funeral..."

And yet, despite the whispers and warnings, here he was. After getting to know him a little bit in class, Carlos had accepted Cecil's invitation to come over, hang out for a while over the weekend.

There was nothing even remotely threatening about him. Cecil was shy, easily excitable, and basically the most adorable person Carlos had ever met. He wore bow ties and vests, a cute old fashioned kind of charm that perfectly suited his personality. His hair was dyed blonde, and marker scribbles covered his bare arms, apparently signifying future tattoos.

He stood at the stairs a while longer, Carlos admiring him from afar, before turning away with a sigh.

"They must have left for the weekend..." he muttered, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his purple skinny jeans.

"Left?"

"Yeah. Whenever they get mad, or annoyed, or just need some time alone, they leave for a few days."