CHAPTER-4: The Ball Pit

"It's been years since I saw him smile like that." Madeline told Seth. She was happy that her boy's spirits were uplifted. He talked so much after he came back. He talked about everything small and everything big. It's been three days since he had gone out. The day he did, that night he threw up his dinner which left him weak. He was told to rest a few days but after he pretty much begged a lot, his parents allowed him to go after he'd have had rested for at least two days.

Peter was sitting at the table and was scribbling small drawings on the last page of his diary when Jon entered. Ever since that day, Jon would visit him daily. He sat next to him and peered into what he was drawing. He watched him as he drew cute little stick figures here and there, doing something or the other. "How do you feel now?"

"You ask me that every day. My answer will still be the same. I'm fine."

Jon frowned. He snatched the pencil from Peter and taking a fresh page in his diary he wrote- 'U lie.'

Peter narrowed his eyes at Jon and took the pencil. He wrote just below what Jon had written- 'I do NOT.'

'U threw up...'

'So what...not the 1st time it happened.'

'R u sure ur ok?'

'YES!'

'Sigh...'

'...'

'Ball Pit?'

'HELL YES!!!'

Jon put down the pencil and glanced at Peter. Peter stuck his tongue out at him. Seeing that Jon pinched his nose. "Ow! That hurt!" "Good. Let's go now." Peter jumped up from his seat and was ready to bolt but Jon draped his arm over him and leaned his weight on him, "Calm down you adult baby. The ball pit doesn't have legs to run away."

"What if it did?" Peter joked.

Jon blankly stared at him for a moment. Peter had an eyebrow raised, "What iffff?"

"Then let's run." They bolted out of room but walked when they were in the corridor because running isn't allowed. Once outside, they jogged upto the car. Peter was totally out of breath. Even more so cause he was laughing all the way. Gripping the hood of the car, he started coughing. "Here, water." Jon said handing over a bottle. Peter gulped down half the bottle and by then the coughs had subsided. He started taking deep breaths in and out. Jon helped by rubbing his back. Peter straightened up and turned to him with a smile, "I'm fine." Jon scoffed and rolled his eyes. He went over to the other side and started the car once they both were in.

"Okay listen! No more running." He said.

"Okay..."

"And no more jogging."

"That's ridiculous!" Peter whined.

"Buttt.....speed walking is okay." Jon looked at Peter. "Deal."

Peter sighed, "Okay. Now can you please press on that accelerator!"

"Ugh! How do I even put up with you?" Jon said as he took out the car from the parking lot.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

It was a colorful place. Many people were there diving into the ball pit, jumping from the trampolines. The whole place looked cute.

"Wow! This place just looks....wow!" Jon ruffled his head which made Peter scowl and swat his hand away. Jon pouted and Peter did the the same in mockery, "My head is off limits." "Does it really matter? Your bald!" Jon exclaimed. "Even more the reason." Peter said putting his beanie back on.

Jon decided to be an annoying bitch now. He crept up behind Peter who was looking at the trampolines with so much awe in his eyes and pushed him. Peter fell face first into the ball pit and disappeared inside. Seconds later he popped his upper half and there was rage written on his face. Jon was dying out of laughter, "You should have someone write- I AM ANGRY, on your forehead!" He said in between his fits of laughter. "You look so cute! Is that your angry face!"

Peter's ears were red as a lobster. He was throughly embarrassed. "You...YOU DICK!" He screamed throwing a handful of balls to Jon who was already on his knees. Jonathan was pulled in by Peter. Peter attacked him by stuffing the colored balls into his mouth which he failed at when Jon spat them out and scrambled away yelling 'psychopath'. The both of them enjoyed their time there. They took breaks in between when Peter felt that he might have another coughing fit.

"Oh man! That was amazing!" Jon said laughing as they came out by late afternoon. Both of them had their arms over each other's shoulders. "Hell yea! Sadly I have to go back." Peter replied. "Oh no darling! You're not gonna be back until past your bedtime."

Peter snorted, "What?"

"We are going to watch a movie!" Jon said. "Cool!" They speed walked to the car and drove off. 

"What movie are we watching?" Peter asked.

"Well...it's a horror. Yanno that clown movie IT."

"Oh...I've watched it's trailer. Not a big fan of horror movies with clowns."

"Why?"

"Cause the clowns are always dumb....and stupid."

They bought popcorn and cola and took their seats in the theater. Once the movie was over, both of them came out. They had regret written on their faces. "What the fuck was that?" Jon groaned. Peter ran his hand down his face, "I think I lost a lot of brain cells watching that." "I can't believe I wasted my money to see a bunch of hormonal teenagers sorting out their love lives." Jon whined. Peter snorted, "That's a way to describe the movie. Definitely doesn't belong to the horror genre."

"Oh well...that's one more thing added to my 'life choices to regret' list."

Jon had the car windows down because the cool night air was refreshing. Even though they were both drained out, Jon wanted to take Peter to one more place. "Hey!" A drowsy Peter turned to Jon. "You wanna go to one more place or you wanna call it a day." Peter thought about it for a moment, "I think I'll call it a day. Maybe next time?" He said yawning. Jon smiled softly, "Yea okay. You can sleep off. I'll call you up once we reach the hospital." Peter hummed and closed his eyes, falling asleep.

The next morning, Peter woke up in his hospital room. He stretched out and looked around. He didn't recall coming up to his room. He blushed when he realized that Jonathan had carried him up to his room.

------