𝙐𝙂𝙃, 𝙄 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀 𝙔𝙊𝙐. - 𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙍𝘼 𝙓 𝙍𝙀𝘼𝘿𝙀𝙍 [𝙍𝙀𝙒𝙍𝙄𝙏𝙀]

#00 - Prologue

Your friends were incredibly important to you. Unlike one of your best friends, Tartaglia, you valued your close friends more than your own family. Both your parents were constantly working, you had never once seen them sleep. They were always 'too busy' to play with you, so they would drop you off at one of your friends' houses instead. Obviously this did not lead to a very strong relationship in your family, but you did not mind. You had Tartaglia, Rosalyne, and Kunikizushi instead. They're way better than my real family, you always thought. Unfortunately, you were now worrying that you would never see them again.

"[Y/N], love, come here!" You heard your mother's sweet voice call for you. You quickly stood up from your spot on your bedroom floor, putting a halt to the arts and crafts project you had been working on before rushing down the stairs.

"What is it, Mom?" Your first thought was that she had something exciting to tell you. But the moment your eyes fell upon her and your father's solemn expressions, a familiar feeling of anxiety began to bubble up inside of you. The way your parents were looking at each other told you that they were silently arguing over which of them would be the first to speak. After many tension-filled seconds, your mother sighed and began to speak.

"We're moving." Those couple of words were enough to shatter any of your remaining happiness into a million pieces. You immediately thought about your best friends and how they would respond to the news. Your young mind had not a single clue on how to process the overload of emotions you were feeling. So you did what any ten year old would do when confronted with such a thing— you cried. The tears stung your eyes and began flooding your face. But instead of feeling your parents' embrace as an attempt you comfort you, you were simply gestured to go outside. "Go let your friends know and spend some time with them. I'm sure they'll want to make the most of the time they have left with you." They're making it sound as if someone is dying...

So you did as your mother told and were able to find Kunikizushi, Rosalyne, and Tartaglia playing together on the neighborhood playground. You shouted a "hey," waving them over. Kunikizushi, the shortest of the group, was the first to sprint towards you and embrace you. The other two followed and joined the hug. Kunikizushi was the first to notice your reddened eyes and tear-stained face, as he did not let it go unnoticed.

"[Y/N], are you okay?!" He gently held your hands.

"What happened?!" Rosalyne piped in.

"Why are you crying?!" Tartaglia added to the inquiries. Still sniffling, you told your friends the news. All three of their reactions were expected, as they began crying as well. They simultaneously brought you into another hug, this one longer and more meaningful. They were your closest friends and the most important people to you, yet you had to soon leave them behind. When you separated from the hug, however, Rosalyne had come up with an excellent idea.

"What if we all got [Y/N]'s mom's phone number so we can still talk to them?" Everyone quickly agreed. You scavenged the playground for any random pen or marker to write with, and Kunikizushi was able to discover a partially broken pen for you. Rosalyne held out her bare arm and allowed you to write your mother's contact on it. After a few hours of playing and hanging out, you and your friends decided that it was time to go home since it was getting dark. You and Kunikizushi walked with each other since your houses were in the same area of the neighborhood. During your walk, you noticed that the young boy was quieter than usual.

"Kuni, are you okay?" You stopped walking and faced him. You noticed the tears brimming his eyes, and your heart somehow started hurting more than before.

"I don't want you to leave..." He looked down. Not knowing how else to comfort the poor boy, you hugged him.

"It's okay, we can still talk over the phone!" You pulled away from the hug and smiled, Kunikizushi doing the same. He nodded disappointedly and gave you one more quick hug before bidding you goodbye. 

It was abundantly clear that you valued your friends more than your family, but painfully ironic how your life with them was temporary while, with your family, it was forever.

. . .

[A/N]

What do you guys think about this so far? Any feedback is welcome.

-Avery <3