justprompts - Shock To The Heart
(picture prompt. Ben = poorlil_richboy, used with permission.)
"Did you ask Gina to Prom yet?" Ben asked, hitching his backpack over his shoulder. Sunny walked beside his friend as they made their way inside the high school. He was in a pretty stoic daze and had been since Ben picked him up. "Dude, wake up." Ben elbowed Sunny. Sunny blinked and looked over.
"What?"
"What's up with you?"
"Nothing," he shook his head. "What were you saying?"
"Prom? Gina Hayes? Second hottest girl in the school?"
"Hottest being..."
"My date," Ben replied with a grin. "C'mon, these girls don't like waiting until the last minute. If you want a hot date, and one that'll get you laid, ask her now."
Sunny nodded slowly. "Yea, I know. I've been meaning to."
"But?" Ben stopped at his locker and yanked it open. Sunny leaned to the locker beside Ben's and shrugged.
"Weekend got away from me."
"Something happen?" Ben glanced over. "Your old man giving you shit again?"
"No. No, I..." Sunny sighed and waited a moment, before pulling his backpack around to his front. He dug through it and pulled out an envelope, holding it out to Ben. Ben took it and looked at it with a frown.
"It's got your name on it."
"I know," Sunny replied quietly. "It's...Tori's handwriting."
Ben glanced up at his friend in concern. "Oh..."
"It, uh..." Sunny bit his lip and looked to the floor. "It got sent up with her things...seems my parents didn't think I could handle it two years ago and..."
Ben nodded slowly, taking that in. "And...you think..."
"There was never a note," Sunny shrugged. "Mom said...the cops found the envelope on Tori's counter."
"Did you read it?"
"I can't."
"It might make you feel better. Instead of just not knowing," Ben offered.
"I know."
Ben sighed and glanced around, before looking at Sunny again. "C'mon. We'll cruise out of the city for the day. Open it when you're ready."
"Yea?" Sunny looked over at Ben.
"Yea, come on." Ben turned for the doors and Sunny thought for a moment, then followed.
***
Ben was in the front seat of the car listening to the radio and tapping the steering wheel lightly. Sunny was stretched out in the back seat holding the envelope in his hands. They had just driven for a long time, sat around a restaurant, and were now in the parking lot of a rest stop - waiting.
Sunny took a deep breath and opened the envelope. He shook it, having felt the odd thickness of it all weekend. A silver chain fell into his palm and he looked down at it. A necklace with a little sun charm. He chewed his lip and pulled out the letter. He opened it up and his eyes traveled to the top of the paper.
Hey Sunny,
You know I love you, little brother, right? More than anything. I wish it was all easier, you know? I wish-
Sunny folded the letter shut quickly and closed his eyes. Ben glanced back at him in the rear view mirror briefly, then unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car. He shut the door and moved to sit on the hood so he could give Sunny privacy.
Sunny pushed the letter away as the pain started to rise in his chest. He let his head fall into his hand as he tried to breathe and keep back the tears that wanted to start. He couldn't do it. He couldn't read some letter Tori wrote for him before deciding to off herself.
592
"Did you ask Gina to Prom yet?" Ben asked, hitching his backpack over his shoulder. Sunny walked beside his friend as they made their way inside the high school. He was in a pretty stoic daze and had been since Ben picked him up. "Dude, wake up." Ben elbowed Sunny. Sunny blinked and looked over.
"What?"
"What's up with you?"
"Nothing," he shook his head. "What were you saying?"
"Prom? Gina Hayes? Second hottest girl in the school?"
"Hottest being..."
"My date," Ben replied with a grin. "C'mon, these girls don't like waiting until the last minute. If you want a hot date, and one that'll get you laid, ask her now."
Sunny nodded slowly. "Yea, I know. I've been meaning to."
"But?" Ben stopped at his locker and yanked it open. Sunny leaned to the locker beside Ben's and shrugged.
"Weekend got away from me."
"Something happen?" Ben glanced over. "Your old man giving you shit again?"
"No. No, I..." Sunny sighed and waited a moment, before pulling his backpack around to his front. He dug through it and pulled out an envelope, holding it out to Ben. Ben took it and looked at it with a frown.
"It's got your name on it."
"I know," Sunny replied quietly. "It's...Tori's handwriting."
Ben glanced up at his friend in concern. "Oh..."
"It, uh..." Sunny bit his lip and looked to the floor. "It got sent up with her things...seems my parents didn't think I could handle it two years ago and..."
Ben nodded slowly, taking that in. "And...you think..."
"There was never a note," Sunny shrugged. "Mom said...the cops found the envelope on Tori's counter."
"Did you read it?"
"I can't."
"It might make you feel better. Instead of just not knowing," Ben offered.
"I know."
Ben sighed and glanced around, before looking at Sunny again. "C'mon. We'll cruise out of the city for the day. Open it when you're ready."
"Yea?" Sunny looked over at Ben.
"Yea, come on." Ben turned for the doors and Sunny thought for a moment, then followed.
***
Ben was in the front seat of the car listening to the radio and tapping the steering wheel lightly. Sunny was stretched out in the back seat holding the envelope in his hands. They had just driven for a long time, sat around a restaurant, and were now in the parking lot of a rest stop - waiting.
Sunny took a deep breath and opened the envelope. He shook it, having felt the odd thickness of it all weekend. A silver chain fell into his palm and he looked down at it. A necklace with a little sun charm. He chewed his lip and pulled out the letter. He opened it up and his eyes traveled to the top of the paper.
Hey Sunny,
You know I love you, little brother, right? More than anything. I wish it was all easier, you know? I wish-
Sunny folded the letter shut quickly and closed his eyes. Ben glanced back at him in the rear view mirror briefly, then unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car. He shut the door and moved to sit on the hood so he could give Sunny privacy.
Sunny pushed the letter away as the pain started to rise in his chest. He let his head fall into his hand as he tried to breathe and keep back the tears that wanted to start. He couldn't do it. He couldn't read some letter Tori wrote for him before deciding to off herself.
592