Chapter Text
Spring 2020
‘Pick up…pick up…god, please.’
…
*”Hello, this is Sky. I’m sorry but I’m not at my phone right now, leave-”*
“Damn it!”
…
‘God…what happened…’
Wind barreled through the air, moving the tall grass in a chaotic pattern, lashing at his legs and fox tail. He looked back at the old, unkempt house he grew up in. The grass was overgrown and uncut, giving a paradise to the small insects and critters. A single interior lamp highlighted a window to the kitchen. There’s one car in the small driveway, an old cheap hunk of metal that’s good enough for getting from one place to another and having a functional AC.
‘What did he do…’ A sudden rage boiled within him, pulling him to grab his keys from his pocket and jump in the car, slamming the door shut upon his entry. The rumble of the engine echoed against the house as the car reversed out of the driveway, almost hitting a mailbox.
‘What…the FUCK did he do!?’ Almost on autopilot, he drove a familiar route he’d gone many times before. Stop signs were more of a suggestion as he gave only a glance before speeding through.
“Please, god. Let him be okay.” Tears threatened to burst from his eyes, but he rubbed them away before they could fully spill. His grip on the wheel caused his knuckles to turn white as his friend’s house came into view. Steering the car into the driveway at a sharp slant, he didn’t bother having a good parking job or taking the keys out of the ignition.
The house he parked at was a definite step up from his own, having a mowed lawn and freshly painted walls. All the first floor lights were on, and the TV in the living room was visible through a window, playing some historical documentary.
Not bothering to lock the door, he stepped out and sprinted up to the door, practically pounding his fist on the white wood surface. “Mr. Hartfield! Come ou-“ before he could finish, the door swung open to an older bunny, who looked to be in his early forties.
“Quit your shouting, I heard your loud ass car drag itself into my driveway.” His voice was stern, with a hint of anger behind it. A scent of cheap alcohol violated the fox’s senses, causing him to scrunch up his face in disgust.
“Where the hell is-“
“If you’re looking for Sky, he isn’t home.”
The younger boy stood in disbelief and annoyance. “Where is he, then?”
The bunny rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. “Hell if I care. And why do you? Sad that Sky ditched you for some other disappointment?"
“Shut the fuck up! What the hell happened to him? Tell me the truth, damn it!”
The bunny sighed, but it came out more as an angered groan. “Dunno. A bunch of his stuff from his room is gone. His cowardly ass probably ran.”
Silence filled the scene. The fox’s hands ball up into fists as they shake with rage. “What the fuck is your problem!? Your son just ran away and you’re sitting here drinking away watching TV, not giving a shit if he’s ok?”
“You can go now, kid.”
“Shut up! Has it ever crossed your mind why he ran? Could it be, I don’t know, the fact that you neglect him?”
“Should’ve manned up and dealt with it, then.”
“You’re a terrible person.”
“Get out.” The bunny’s voice was cold and precise, forcibly ending the interaction.
And without a word, the fox stormed back to his car, slamming the door shut once again. Taking one final look up, he saw the older bunny take a long sip from a bottle before closing the door to the house. “Drunk piece of shit…” Putting the car into reverse, he took off into the night. By this point, the initial anger and rage had temporarily faded into a deep sadness. Slow tears began to run down his fur, weighing it down in vertical lines as they dripped onto his shirt. He didn’t know how long he’d be on the road, nor did he care. He drove from place to place, searching areas he’d been in countless times with someone else. Now, it was just him. Just him and the endless, starry night sky.
Him and the unending uncertainty of the truth and the future.
Finally, upon stopping at a park he used to visit frequently, reality came crumbling down upon him. Resting his head down on his steering wheel, he screamed out his sorrows. He screamed in anger, frustration, sadness, and most of all, betrayal. His bond with Sky, a bond they'd built for years all came crumbling down in one night.
He wanted answers.
He wanted closure.
Turning around once again, he began to drive (now in a slower and much more legal manner) back to his house, defeated. There’s nothing but the hum of the car’s engine as he looked at his house from the driveway, not knowing what to do. “Sky…”
Childhood friends, separated by one,
Seem to no longer meet under the rising sun.
When unknown feelings beg to be made,
Fate plays its strangest games.