bill awoke, a bright light of the morning sunrise shining in through the window as he grabbed his bedsheet, giving him leverage to sit up in his bed. he glanced next to him, hoping to find stan, but he had already left.

his notebook was opened on the ground, and he picked it up, seeing an unfamiliar handwriting. "i had to leave, got to go to the synagogue. i didn't want to wake you. -bird boy"

bill smiled at the note, pressing his hand on the writing as if stan was the writing. a sudden noise came from his window, almost as if a small rock had hit it, and bill stood up, examining the window.

he found stan at his window, on the first floor of his house, making bill have to look straight across to see him. he had a little shelf of plants covered mini rocks outside his window, and bill smiled at the boy, opening his window.

the bird boy had on one of those jewish hats bill didn't bother to learn the name of, and his hair was slicked back perfectly, but bill could see a little curl in the front peeking out.

"hey bill." stan smiled, his face gushing, making bill blush with him. bill waved awkwardly, and stan had almost forgotten bill couldn't speak.

"i'll catch you at school."

and that was the last thing bill heard from stan before school started the next day, and bill left his house, locking it, and walking with georgie to the end of the driveway.

the elementary school bus was unusually late this morning, which would only mean bill would have to rush into school and straight to class if he wanted to make it on time, after all, he only had a bike to ride.

"bill!" he heard from behind him, and saw the curly haired boy approach the two of them, georgie squealing and hugging the jewish boy, as if he had known him his whole life.

"whatcha guys doing?" stan asked, and georgie answered, for bill.

"waiting for my bus. i'm in fourth grade, so i can't bike to school yet." georgie finished, and bill nodded at the small boy. before stan could reply, the bus had arrived, as if on cue, and georgie gripped bill around the waist.

"bye billy." georgie said, and stood there in front of bill, and stan gave him a confused look, but bill only pulled out his phone, and opened up a certain note, titled, "georgie."

he pressed on it, then turned it over to georgie, in which it read, "stay safe. be careful, and i'll see you later. love you."

georgie smiled, before heading onto the bus, the bus driver saying hi to the boy, before driving away.

"you have that saved?" stan nudged bill's shoulder, and bill's face reddened with embarrassment. "it's cute." stan added, and bill's face flushed white as he looked up at him, knowing stan was the only one that could get bill's face to change colors so easily.

stan didn't speak of last night at all, and nor did bill, so it was left at a mutual, only to be thought of.

"need a ride?" stan asked, fiddling with the car keys in his hand, and bill shook his head, beginning to walk towards his bike.

"bill, c'mon." stan rolled his eyes, grabbed bill's hand and bill froze, looking back at him. stan immediately put his hand down, making out a small apology.

bill grabbed stan's hand seconds later, stan blushing, and they both approached the car, leaving one thought left in bill's head.

is it normal for friends to do this?

☼ ☼ ☼