Chapter Text
Despite it being the first day of the Summer holidays, like in protest the weather was very dreary today, the soft rain quietly drumming against the window outside.
Parrot sat at his bed cross legged, studying math. He knew he doesn't have to do that for another two months or so, but he was looking for a distraction.
The cool wind slipped in by the gap in the open window and hit him. It made his body shudder.
Parrot could not be bothered to close the window though.
Then there was the sudden pang of almost overwhelming sorrow.
He missed Wifies.
This time the feeling was different. It didn't leave immediately, instead it stayed and grew, a pressure to his whole body.
Parrot swallowed. He tried focusing on the numbers in front of him, the equations he always thought were way too easy to solve.
Slowly, his eyelids dropped into a blank stare.
Parrot always managed to convince himself that what has happened, happened. Just so he wouldn't spiral back into some depressive episode.
But this time he was too tired to even do that. He couldn't keep denying that he missed his friend and wished to be beside him once again.
His chest rose up and down faster each breath, it started to feel like he was going to have an anxiety attack.
No, not again...
He quickly got up on his knees and lifted his head up to the window. The air out was fresh, nice rain air. It always calmed him down.
Somewhere outside his room, his mother's voice called on him. "Parrot, the dinner is ready!"
Parrot closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled.
The pressure on his chest didn't lighten but he walked into the kitchen like nothing was wrong anyway. He sat down at his usual spot and started eating.
"So, any plans for this summer?" his mother asked so sweetly that it almost hurt.
Parrot pushed the potato around his plate with the fork. "Haven't really thought of it."
His father joined the conversation. "Well, when the weather gets better you can be hanging out with your friends all day long!" Parrot propped his elbow and buried his cheek in the palm of his hand.
"I already told you I have no one to hang out with," Parrot mumbled.
His mother smiled with pity in her eyes as she looked at her son. "Come on Parrot, last time you told me you were talking to those kids in class, no?"
A snarl created on Parrot's face as he looked to the side, away from the table. "It was just a small talk, mom," he said bitterly. "Not everybody I exchange a few words with wants to be my buddies."
The air around the table changed abruptly. Both parents stayed silent, worriedly looking at Parrot.
Parrot moved the plate away from himself. "I don't feel like eating anymore," he grunted, then stood up and left.
"Wait, Parrot, you have to-!" his father tried calling out after him but was cut off when the slam of a door echoed around the house.
Parrot threw himself into his bed, completely ignoring the math book he accidentally knocked off.
He turned on his side to be facing the wall and curled up, his arms wrapped around his legs underneath his chin.
Everything suddenly felt so overstimulating. He kicked away the blanket that was touching his foot by like an inch. It felt like the room was too cold and hot at the same time, his clothes biting him.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
Just breath the air from outside...
In a few days, the weather got better. The breeze would still smell after the rain air from time to time, but in general, the days were sunny and warm now.
But Parrot didn't feel any..better. He knew damn well it wasn't the bad weather that made his mood like that.
So far he has been spending his time inside of his room, sometimes going out when his parents encouraged him to.
He wasn't the bed rotting type, he tried doing some activities like sketching, playing his rusty old violin or even just trying out some random games he bought on Steam.
Yet, at the end of the day, he always spiraled back to the overwhelming feeling of sadness. It was tiring.
So, today he decided to go out on his own, maybe it would really help to clear his mind.
All playgrounds and the streets were full of other kids, loud and busy. Too noisy. So Parrot decided to go to the one spot he knew would welcome him in peace.
It was a bunker hidden amongst trees at the end of the street. The bunker was exposed to the public a bit, but no one was ever around so it didn't matter.
Parrot entered it. There was always this smell of pine that cleared his nostrils. Now it also felt nostalgic.
He remembered how every time when he and Wifies were hanging out they would go there and do the most random things.
One time Parrot even tried climbing the tree, but he didn't even get to the half of it because Wifies would shake the tree and Parrot got scared so he jumped down.
That was when they were little kids.
In the late years they would visit this place to play some cards or just talk, gossip, sometimes do homework together.
Parrot sat down onto the ever dusty ground and leaned against the tree trunk.
He already felt the lump creating in his throat. His hands instinctively went up before a single tear could fall, knuckles rubbing the corners of his eyes.
He buried his whole face in his hands and leaned forward. Didn't make a sound. Just but his tongue and held back whatever was trying to break through him.
"Yo," somebody said. At first Parrot thought it's just some people passing by having a conversation, but when he heard nothing else he looked up.
In the enterance of the bunker stood a guy, roughly around Parrot's age, a bit taller maybe. He was wearing a black hoodie with orange outline fur, Parrot saw these hoodies in the shops before, they were pretty expensive. He was holding three popsicles, each different flavor.
Parrot blinked, the sun rays peeking through the trees blinding him a couple of times. "..Hi."
"You good, bro?" the person asked and then stepped in sliding down to sit down on the ground as well.
Parrot recognized him a bit. "Wait, aren't you in the history class with me? Flame?"
Flame smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, that's me. You must be Parrot then, right?"
Parrot nodded. Flame examined the inside of the bunker. "So what are you like doing here, alone?"
Parrot looked down. Suddenly, something nudged his arm. Flame was holding out to him one of the packaged popsicles, this one strawberry flavored.
"You can take it," Flame said simply. Slowly, Parrot raised his hand and took it. "Thanks.." he mumbled.
"Oh, dude, I should introduce you to my friends." Flame stood up. "If you..agree," he added and offered him a hand with a bit of an awkward but warm smile. "Don't wanna let anybody waste summer like this."
Flame walked Parrot across streets and then up this smaller hill behind the houses. At the top of it was a beautiful huge willow tree.
At first it seemed like nobody was there, but as they got closer Parrot saw two other kids appear from underneath its swaying branches.
"Flame, did you get my favorite?!" one of the two asked with an excited grin. He wore black tank top with a rainbow lighting bolt in the middle.
The other kid had long purple hair, casual yellow-magenta striped T-shirt and a look of somebody who is considering becoming a serial killer.
"Yeah Spoke, bro I told you I will," Flame rolled his eyes and tossed the mint flavored popsicle over to Spoke. "There, Wem." Flame threw the other one, a Coca-Cola flavored at Wemmbu.
Wemmbu luckily caught it. "Dalriiight."
Spoke and Wemmbu only then seemed to notice Parrot as he walked up from behind Flame.
"Who is that?" Wemmbu raised a brow -not judging, rather curious.
Flame opened his mouth to speak. "This is Pa-" But Spoke's rather loud way of opening his popsicle interrupted him.
"Oops.." Spoke pursed his lips. He looked at Parrot again and as if literally something light up in his eyes. "Wait, isn't that the ner-"
Wemmbu elbowed him to his side and Spoke scowled.
Parrot started to feel a bit awkward, after all he didn't want to ruin anybody's friend group.
Flame cleared his throat and spoke again. "This is Parrot. Our new friend."
In a blink of an eye Spoke appeared in front of Parrot. "Hi! I'm Spoke. Nice to meet you, new friend!" he said and a wide smile spread across his face.
"Y-yeah, nice to meet.." Parrot glanced at Wemmbu who was standing behind for a second. Wemmbu held an unreadable expression and then looked away. "..you too."
They showed Parrot around the inside of the willow tree (Spoke did), although there wasn't anything in there beside a swing. Spoke kept pointing at random rocks or branches and calling them by names.
Parrot opened his popsicle before it would melt, then he noticed Flame was the only one who didn't have one. "Oh, wait, Flame was this supposed to be y..-"
"It's fine, bro." Flame shook his head. "I'll live without a popsicle," he added with a laugh.
Parrot smiled lightly.
They spent some time talking, it was mostly about school and teachers although they tried to avoid the topic since it was holidays after all.
Parrot's mood cheered up by this unexpected but sweet companions but..it was not perfect, obviously.
Something at Parrot's heart warmed up a bit, a feeling he haven't felt in a while. Maybe this summer doesn't have to be like the last one.
In that moment Parrot wanted to believe that.
As the days passed Parrot was having quite a lot of fun with his new friends. They were all so funny, especially when Flame and Wemmbu would start arguing while Spoke and Parrot himself would just watch and laugh at them.
Whenever Parrot came home he would just say that he stayed on a walk longer than the day before. He didn't want to tell his parents that he has found new friends, no, not yet.
His parents didn't suspicion anything, just glad Parrot is outside on the fresh air.
On one Saturday the group of four planned to sneak out of their homes past ten and meet up at the hill.
For Parrot it was a bit of an adrenaline rush since he almost got caught by his father, who was at the time still awake in the living room.
But, somehow Parrot was master at sneaking around, even though he never did anything rebellious like this before.
When he arrived at the mentioned hill everybody was already there, chatting and waiting for him.
Wemmbu was the first one to notice Parrot. "Oh, look, little baby actually made it," he scoffed.
Parrot rolled his eyes and dropped down his bag in the grass. "Alright bro. You're like, what, a year older?"
"Two years," Wemmbu corrected him. "In fact I'm the oldest one here, so I can call whoever whatever."
"Sure." Parrot rummaged through his backpack and eventually pulled out four bracelets.
"Guys, look what I have for us." Parrot lifted up the bracelets.
Spoke almost started jumping in excitement. "Oh my gosh, are those friendship bracelets?! Did you make that?!"
Flame exhaled annoyed by Spoke.
"Yep!" Parrot handed each one bracelet.
Spoke got a rainbow one with a silver cat attached to it, Wemmbu purple one with a shark, Flame orange one with a lion and Parrot himself had green-blue one with a golden feather.
"Do you guys like it?" Parrot asked a bit nervously.
Wemmbu shrugged. "It's cool." He was trying really hard to act nonchalant.
"Yeah," Flame agreed. "Thanks."
"Oh, and Parrot, by the way!" Spoke exclaimed. "I got something for you too!" Spoke pulled out a small black box from his pocket.
Parrot raised eyebrows in curiosity as he took the box in his own hands. "What's that?"
"Open it." Spoke's eyes were basically glowing as he impatiently waited for Parrot to look inside of the box.
Parrot finally opened the box. Inside was a badge. It was not really that good visible in the dark, but he could make out what it says.
'HELP! The voices are getting louder' in black on white.
"Bro." Parrot took out the badge. "What is this."
Flame leaned over to read what it says and snorted. Parrot couldn't help but laugh a bit too.
"Thought it would be pretty fitting for you," Spoke said.
"Alright bro."
Later they decided to just rest for a bit. All four of them lied in the grass, staring up in the skies, chatting from time to time.
Parrot felt at peace. Or at least as much as he was able to.
The night breeze was calming, it was not cold nor hot, just refreshing.
Beside him, Wemmbu broke the silence. "Oh by the way guys." The other three turned their heads at him. "In a couple of weeks there is this festival, and I thought that maybe all four of us could go."
"What festival?" Parrot asked.
Wemmbu put his hands behind his head looking back up at the sky. "I don't know, it's a celebration of something or whatever. But I lowkey only want to go because there will be fireworks apparently."
"Fireworks?" Spoke echoed. "Hell yea, count me in dude."
"I mean, why not," Flame said simply.
Parrot stayed quiet.
"And you, Parrot?" Wemmbu looked at him.
Parrot was not sure. He still haven't told his parents he is hanging with somebody, and didn't plan on doing so any time soon. This would complicate things a bit.
The festival was probably out of the town, and even if Wemmbu's parents would take them, it didn't feel right at all. And he didn't even want to begin to imagine what trouble he would be in if he got caught.
But despite that, he still wanted to go. This was another opportunity to spend more time with is new friends, and if he doesn't go it will make him feel left out, too.
"O-oh, uhm. Yeah! Yeah, sure."
Wemmbu raised a brow but didn't question anything.
When Parrot came back home, around midnight, his parents were asleep. He was glad they didn't care that much. Probably because it's summer and all.
But he couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he imagined the end of this summer and his chest twisted.
A horrible, horrible horrible feeling crawled at him. What if this friendship simply shatters after the summer holidays, like it never existed in the first place?
It made a single tear run down his cheek, but he quickly wiped it away, buried himself deeper into his duvet and shut his eyes closed.
Everything was going to be okay...