It Wasn't That Way

Chapter 1

It was early in the morning, so early that the sun had just barely begun to rise. Slowly, it eclipsed the soft light of blue hour, and colored the sky with its brilliant orange rays.

It was midway through Cake's last year of middle school and he lay warm and snuggly, ensconced in the thick blanket on his bed. He floated in a pleasant but absurd dream, blissfully unaware that unless he woke up soon, he was going to be late for school.

A small boy his age opened his door and it creaked so loudly that it would've been enough to rouse most people, but when Cake slept, he slept hard. And only one person had ever been able to wake him up.

"Cake, wake up!" Eiw screamed in his ear.

Eiw was Cake's cutesy nickname for Seeiw, his next-door neighbor. His mother owned the Dim Sum shop next to Cake's mom's bakery, and both boys lived in apartments above their mothers' businesses with their respective families.

Their families had been close since before they were born and as a result, Cake quite literally couldn't remember a time without Eiw. Eiw was just a couple of months younger than him, and by the time they were able to waddle around together as toddlers, they were already the best of friends.

Cake's dream splintered around him as Eiw launched himself on top of Cake. Even though Eiw was small and skinny for his age, he still knocked the wind out of Cake every time he jumped on him to wake him up.

Cake grunted as a small rocket shaped like his best friend shook him awake. Eiw woke him up every single day, and every single day, Cake put up a fight. Eiw had always been an early bird, but Cake was the exact opposite. Left to his own devices, he could sleep until well past noon.

"Cake, Cake, Cake!" Eiw called in his squeaky little voice. "Wake up, wake up!"

"Nooo." Cake groaned, tugging the covers up to his chin.

His bed was so comfortable and he'd been sleeping so deeply. It was unfair how early school started!

Eiw pulled his blanket away from him and sunlight streamed onto his face. Cake tried to snatch the covers back, but Eiw dumped them on the ground, always too quick for him.

"But I don't want to!" Cake cried petulantly.

He probably shouldn't've stayed up so late last night playing video games, because the way that the world was too sharp and too bright promised a groggy morning.

Cake had slept through every alarm he'd ever set, and his mother had given up on waking him years ago. He suspected that unless Eiw jumped on him, he'd just sleep straight through the whole day. Even though Cake was kicking up a fuss about wanting to sleep in longer, he was still happy to see his best friend first thing in the morning.

Even as early as five years old, it became apparent that Cake and Eiw couldn't be more different. Cake was rambunctious and vivacious, the natural center of attention, and Eiw was gentle and placid, more timid and reserved. But nothing could get in the way of their friendship.

Growing up and even now Eiw was Cake's favorite playmate, his best little buddy. When they were little kids, they played together constantly. They played elaborate games of tag and hide-and-seek, with the littler Eiw always stuck being "it", and struggling to catch up to Cake's wider strides. As they got older, they skipped rocks together at the canal that ran in front of their houses, and Cake kept Eiw company while he read his books and Eiw struggled to keep Cake out of trouble after school. Cake had fun with Eiw in a way that he was unable to recreate with any of his other friends.

Eiw had always been more sensitive and delicate than the other people Cake hung out with and he treasured that about him. Even though Cake bounced off the walls with unbridled mischievous energy and was prone to playing rough, he treated Eiw with a tender kindness he didn't show to anyone else.