My Beautiful Bus Boy

Neighbor (Part One)

It was springtime. All the snow has finally melted away, leaving behind a final crisp, fresh chill in the air.The birds were out and chirped loudly against the soft beam of the sun, their whistling songs floated in the gentle breeze.

Noon had just struck and the family of four had just arrived to their new home not too long ago. 

Down the narrow street and hidden by trees, the heart of the small neighborhood beat. Maybe just short of another dozen houses sat around in the quaint, quiet abode, just enough people to not feel lonely.

The large moving truck sat in front of the house, its back open as the parents moved heavy boxes inside the new home.

The small brunette hopped around the small, stony pond he had found in a small green space that separated his new home from the next. He loved the way the water glittered in the sunlight.

He basked in the warmth from the sun, forgetting any traces of the cold, harsh winter just before.

He felt safe as he jumped out into the middle of the small pond, landing on a large stone. The top barely above the water's surface.

The pond was surrounded by tall broadleaf cattails that looked as if they reached the sky.

He squatted down and hugged his knees, eyes concentrated on the small ripples in the water and the slim fish that darted away from the shadow he cast.

His old home was nothing like this. It was smaller and no one else lived nearby. He was alone and had no friends to play with. Busy roads were what kept him up at night and woke him each morning. There was no pond he found comfort in and no open space of grass for him to catch with his father in.

This new place seemed like a dream and he was beginning to like it already.

He felt his fingers twitch as he stared at the small school of fish, their bodies were long and thin and the fins fluttered non stop. They had bulging bug eyes and gaped mouths. If it weren't for their flapping fins, one may think they're dead, the lifeless glint in their eyes only adding to the chilling thought.

He pressed his lips together and reached out with one hand, his curiosity getting the better of him. He so badly wanted to feel the fish that swam below him, his brows arching as he watched them dodge his protruding fingers. He immediately felt irked at how avoidant the fish were. His eyebrows furrowed and his lip jutted out in annoyance.

When he tried again, he only failed again.

"Stupid fish..." He mumbled, recoiling his hand, fingers dripping with warm water. He pouted as he pressed his lips against the skin of his knees, his khaki shorts caught the water, soaking it in.

He only watched with an unavailing gaze as the narrow fish darted aimlessly around.

"Baekhyun!" An all too familiar voice called out from over the cattail. The green stalks shimmered in the sunlight and waved against the soft blow of wind.

The brunette snapped his head in the direction of the voice and peered out through the dancing plants, he rose from his squatting position and looked out towards the person looking around frantically.

"Baekbeom..." He whispered amongst the shallow breeze. He followed the beckoning of his name and jumped over the pond from the rock he had just settled on. He squeezed himself through the heavy, thick stalks of the waving cattail.

Once free from the inner circle, his skin immediately absorbed the full beam of the sun. 

He ran up to the boy standing dumbfounded, his back now to the smaller as he looked around desperately. The small brunette made his way up to his older brother and smiled before reaching up and tugging on the boy's sleeve.