💙Analogical Oneshots Because Yes💜

Secret Pond [Children AU]

I cannot believe that is ACTUALLY how you spell secret it looks wrong af.

Unedited

So let's set this little Drabble of a oneshot up with some crappily written exposition, okay? So there's this forest behind the school's back gate by the playground and inside the forest there's a creek leading out from a pond. There's a load of roads and dragonflies that make that little back pond their home.

And Virgil is a kid who his parents never pay attention to. And he's also a third grader. School is boring in third grade. So at recess, since nobody pays attention to him, he sneaks off to hop the fence and hang out at the pond for the rest of the day until his older brother, Janus, or babysitter, Patton, comes to get him. So Virgil is basically the king of the pond. 

With that exposition over, cut to Virgil sitting on the edge of the pond, swirling the silt with a short stick Virgil picked up from the ground. There were two toads vibing with Virgil. Virgil likes to pretend they're twin brothers. Virgil's not that creative, so one's just Ro and the other is Rem. They're quite honestly Virgil's only friends other than his older brother and babysitter. Virgil has a slight pout as some floaty water plants got stuck on his stick. He lifted it out of the water and hurled it out into the murky water. There goes that stick.

"Hey Ro, wanna lead me to a new stick?"

The smaller of the two toads with a cool birthmark on his back that looked like a crown looked away from Virgil. Of course he'd say no. Ro is such a stubborn toad. Virgil sighed and stood up. 

"Come on, let's go find a new stick."

Virgil didn't care that his pants were wet from the damp ground. He's used to it. He went swimming in this pond before. Rem decided to follow Virgil as he walked around the lake perimeter, looking for fallen branches from the birches and pines that filled the area. The trees have a nice smell.

Virgil knelt down to pick up a stick Rem found. The larger of the toad brothers found a twig and just kinda sat on it until Virgil noticed. Virgil picked up the stick, sliding it out from underneath the toad. Hey hey, this is a pretty good stick. It can probably reach to the bottom and kick up some more dirt to stir around in the pond. Nice. 

"What are you doing out here?"

Virgil felt his entire body go cold. That's not a voice he recognizes. Virgil whipped around to see another kid his age. She had a Brunette ponytail and was the first girl Virgil had ever seen not wearing either a pastel color or a skirt. Parents with their little girls, man. Everything had to be hyperfemminine in primary/elementary school.

"Who are you?!"

"I'm Logan."

"Your name is Logan? That's a boy's name."

"Does that make me a boy?"

"Uh... I dunno. I guess if you want it to I dunno."

"I see... interesting.... pleasantly interesting..."

This kid was weird. Logan? Weird kid. Virgil kinda likes her. Him? Them? Virgil doesn't know. Virgil was ready to just turn around and go back to the pond, forgetting this creepy weird kid ever existed. But he didn't. He didn't know why, but he didn't. Oh hey, now Ro's here too at his feet. That's neat. Logan looked down at Virgil's feet.

"They seem to like you. The toads. How peculiar."

"You're weird."

"Is that a compliment or an insult?"

"I have no idea what those words mean."

Weird kid Logan started laughing, trying to cover their mouth as they did so. They almost knocked their glasses off their face. Virgil felt shame rise in his cheeks. He was being laughed at. He's stupid. He's so super stupid. He doesn't know what a compliment or an insult is. Was he supposed to know what those mean? But Logan didn't look mad or mean. They just kinda looked happy. That's weird. It kinda reminded Virgil of his babysitter.

"A compliment is good, an insult is bad. Is weird a good thing or bad thing."

Oh. Okay. Uh... Virgil didn't say anything. He just kinda stared at this kid. Rem made a noise. Virgil looked down at him as rem hopped towards the weird kid. Ro stayed close towards Virgil's feet, making his angry face and puffing up his little chest at Logan. Ro clearly didn't like them. Then again, To doesn't like a lot of people. Virgil still doesn't think he likes him.

Logan crouched Down when Rem was right in front of him. Virgil gasped as Rem let Logan stroke to top of his head. Ro and Virgil shared a surprised look. Weird kid Logan was apparently worthy to see the pond. Virgil took a deep breath and tightened his grip on his stick. He whistled at Logan I gain there attention and nodded towards the way he came.

"Follow me. Rem wants to show you something."

"Rem?"

Virgil looked at him as though he was stupid.

"The toad. Now follow me."

It wasn't far at all. Just past a tree or two, but Virgil slapped the leaves hanging low enough to be a head above the two nine year olds with his branch. Logan followed behind Virgil silently. Logan was really close  it kinda creeped Virgil out but whatever. Two trees later and Logan could see the pond. Ro and Rem followed behind, but at a distance as Virgil showed this new kid his sacred place.

Virgil waited for a reaction out of Logan. They just looked out at the pond with no real expression to go off of. Now Logan is starting to remind Virgil of his mom and dad. Gross. Maybe stirring up the dirt will excite them or impress them or something. So Virgil bent down and kicked up some dirt with his new longer stick, swirling it around as if it was a magical potion. Virgi, plopped his butt down, not caring that his pants were getting wet. 

"What are you doing?"

"Stirring. Cool, right?"

Logan folded their legs underneath them, watching the dragonflies hover over the water sausages on the rims of the pond, away from the two of them. Logan pursed their lips together before letting a quick smile out. Virgil felt his cheeks flush again, but not in shame.

"Yeah. Very cool."

Virgil likes Logan's smile better than everyone else's.

1069 Words

~Rem. Sweetgum