summary: everybody had had secrets. some more than others. and it'd been time for those secrets to be unearthed. too bad for Xavier he hadn't been privy to any of them.
pairing: Wally Clark x fem!reader
warnings: smutty smut smut. mad spoilers. and obvious Canon divergence. very involved, very dense plot.
bon reading, frens
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OCTOBER MOON pt.10
Aurora didn't know what she was doing. Read: She knew what she was doing, but hated herself a little for it and kept repeating in her head that she was going crazy. Nothing was wrong. It was a reaction to discovering Dave wasn't who she'd thought he was and now her brain had a hard time deciphering who was friend and who was foe.
Totally rational.
Despite how often she told herself this was confirmation bias or a side-effect of her paranoia, she couldn't shake the feeling that Austin Baxter was hiding something. How the hell had he known the missing ingredient in her tea?
She'd foregone drinking it after she'd remembered how nonchalantly he'd reminded her of the passionflower. Poured it down the drain and tossed the bag of ingredients in the trash. Aurora hadn't forgotten how you'd asked her not to drink it. How weird you'd been about the tea and Dave and, huh, Aurora wondered if you knew something she didn't. Say, about what was actually wrong with the tea or about Austin and his new gift of knowing things he reasonably shouldn't...
As she followed Austin's cruiser around the corner from a safe distance, she made a mental note to interrogate you about it later. For now, she passed the cruiser as it turned into an abandoned factory parking lot, pulling up down the street to stay out of sight. This was the stupidest thing she'd ever done. Seriously. Apart from marrying Dave, that was. She'd never been a Nancy Drew fan, wasn't about mysteries and sleuthing and stalking people for clues that probably didn't exist because there was nothing wrong.
"Whaaat~ the hell am I doing?"
Except her gut insisted there was something wrong.
Her intuition had crashed back in like a tidal wave after getting twenty-four hours out from under the tea's tranquilizing influence. She had brain fog for days, but was alert enough to crouch and dash across the barren stretch of unkempt tar after Austin, wearing Andrew's Black Sabbath sweater and a pair of black leggings. Seriously, what was she doing? She questioned herself again as she ducked and peeked around the corner of the building.
The building was dark inside and out, illuminated only by haphazardly installed emergency lighting, yet Austin didn't seem deterred. He disappeared through a side door that Aurora opened a crack and slipped through after counting to ten. Hoped that was enough time for Austin to put distance between himself and the door so Aurora would remain undetected.
As soon as she was inside, she felt it. Felt them. The cold air that displaced and resettled as bodies she couldn't see moved about. That icy chill and sense of desolation that clung to earthbound ghosts no matter their temperament. Only the emotion that lingered was more potent. Denser, somehow. The way she remembered it being whenever she felt Janet Hamilton or Rhonda Rosen back in high school. Established.
And, fuck, there were so much of it.
She heard footsteps echo further down the corridor and, as silently as she could, she followed the sound into a large, open space filled with machines that had been used to produce ammunition during the Second World War. There'd been another factory where Split River High now stood, thank you 8th Grade History, but it'd been reduced to brick and ash in 1952 after an explosion.
The factory she currently stood in had been shut down around the same time despite America's fascination with guns. It'd been cheaper to move production away from Split River, leaving the town's economy to steadily deteriorate over time. The one functioning factory that remained was owned by Molson Coors Beverage Company and even then, there'd been talk about relocating to another town closer to Milwaukee.
None of that explained why she felt about to two dozen ghosts haunting the space. Had they died homeless, escaping the winter? Frozen to death one night or one at a time? Perhaps that's why Austin was there, to do a walk-through and ensure there weren't any unwanted squatters. Or perhaps there'd been a sighting of Dave in the area.
No, her gut told her, that wasn't right. It astonished her how vibrant her empathy was after it'd been diluted for years. Weakened by that fucking tea she couldn't remember the reason behind. She hadn't been that stressed in New York. Certainly not to the level she'd needed sedatives to function. So, why the hell had she depended on it like oxygen for years!?
She peered around a machine and watched Austin trail down an aisle between conveyors, his head swiveling from side to side as if he was looking for something. Or at something, Aurora's mind quipped since, in the silence of the large space, his whispers were loud enough for her to hear. He was counting.
"...Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen..."
What the hell?
She wanted to slink further down the same aisle, however, in that moment, she heard Austin's footsteps double back.
Aurora made herself scarce, raced back to her car as quickly and quietly as she could. Slid behind the wheel and dropped her seat back until the cruiser had driven by. Readjusting her seat, Aurora decided, fuck it, she was already playing P.I., why not keeping going.
"What could possibly go wrong?" She murmured incredulously to herself, giving the factory one last glance before she started her car and drove after Austin.
âââââ˘ââââ
After long seconds staring at the photograph of the class of '60, you breathed deeply and said, "There's a ledger. Only Ginny has access to it, but if I can find it, I can compare the names from the yearbook to the names under our Circle."
"What for?" Ajay asked as he folded his arms and leaned his shoulder against the wall, peered at you through an expression that conveyed how nervous he was to let you out of his sight now that things were coming to light.
You pulled your gaze from the photograph to look at him, "Anyone with connectedness is registered with a Circle. Even if you actively try to avoid it, your name will show up in the relevant ledger, complete with the bloodline and I swear to God, if you call it magic, Ajayâ" You warned when his face did that thing that suggested he was about to call you out on it again.
He pressed his lips together and locked them with an invisible key.
Wally tightened his embrace around you, stating, "So, you think it was Anabelle and Amelia."
"Wouldn't more students have had to die if they did the ritual?" Charley asked, "There was only Janet and Mr. Martin. Plus the two students they stole the bodies from. That's four. And they didn't even use Janet and Mr. Martin." He glanced between everyone, trying to gauge whether anyone else was as lost as he was.
"Wouldn't have mattered if they'd had other ghosts." You murmured, deep in thought, before you took a grounding breath. "We also know that the symbols siphon in the energy from elsewhere. The farmhouse, for sure, but there must be other places."
God, you needed Ginny to wake up. Of everyone, Ginny would know if there'd been a cluster of ghosts in any particular place around town, including the school. While you weren't familiar with her and Nanna's upbringing, you could assume that they'd had to follow the same rules you did. That included vigilance and awareness of what ghosts residually haunted where.
In a low, wary voice, "Does anybody else feel like this town should be a lot less populated than it is?" Charley uttered, taking a step back to rest against the desk that held the microfilm reader.
Rather than answer his question with a resounding yes, "When we get you guys unstuck, we should all move. Just. Leave and never look back," you suggested, closing the yearbook and placing it back on top of the stack. "Everyone's leaving the state for college anyway."
"Ooo, we should go to the beach first." Charley smiled at Wally.
Wally shook his head, "Nah, first thing I'm doing is taking this beautiful thingâ" Hand under your chin, he tilted your head back a fraction to kiss you quick and hard, "âsomewhere with a massive bed. And room service."
You giggled and blushed at the same time Ajay snorted, "You're dead, bro, you can't get room service."
"Yeah, but she can," Wally grinned as he swept your hair back and stamped kisses across your brow. "You guys could use the spa or use another suite or something. Then we'll take a trip to the beach."
"I want somewhere walkable." Ajay outlined, clearly fantasizing about it. "I want to walk for hours in one direction without being knocked back to Autoshop. Then Mina and I can find our own accommodations." He smirked at Wally. "But, honestly, I just want to touch a fucking tree. Be somewhere that doesn't smell like mildew and bleach."
"Yesss." Wally and Charley agreed in unison.
As fun as it was to imagine, "Alright, boys, focus," you said, though you were smiling, "We need to find Amelia first and get her to remove the barrier before we start planning roadtrips."
"You saying there isn't something you've imagined yourself doing with your very own hottie ghost once you spring him from school property?" Ajay smirked.
You scoffed, "Oh, absolutely. I'm with Wally. I want a bed and room service and we're only leaving when he's made sure I can't walk straight."
Both Charley and Ajay cringed, unhappy at how easily you'd painted that picture for them. Wally, on the other hand, radiated joy as he turned you by your hips and lifted you under the thighs. Kissed the tip of your nose as he held you, his dark eyes sparkling.
"That's my girl," He beamed, but before he could add anything else, Ajay intervened, complaining in run-on sentences:
"Alright, yep, we get it, you guys love each other, it's gross and we hate it. Can we please investigate the fallout shelter before Charley and I throw up?"
"Or gouge our eyes out," Charley muttered as he grabbed his jacket and followed Ajay into the hall to wait for you and Wally. "Or our eardrums. Or both."
"Gory," You snickered.
Ajay deadpanned, "Necessary."
You rolled your eyes playfully, but acquiesced, taking Wally's hand in yours as had become the habit. You glanced between the boys and wondered aloud, "Should we get Rhonda? She's part of Team Parabnormal. She might wanna help."
It was Charley who answered with glum disposition, "She wasn't interested when I asked her earlier," his shoulders raised and eyes on the ground. He didn't say anything more, but you could tell he wanted to.
"She's been kissing Mr. Martin's ass lately," Wally explained what Charley must've been thinking, because Charley's head shot up and he nodded at you enthusiastically.
It seemed everyone was in agreement, Ajay in particular.
"I've been watching them. It's like a cult leader and his first student." He shuddered, "I'm getting real Marshall Applewhite vibes. Minus the potential for a suicide pact."
"Unless Mr. M is planning to obliterate us like Amelia wants to. In which case, total potential for a suicide pact." Wally's hand tightened around yours, his jaw set and eyes hard. "Maybe he's working with her. Amelia's inside man."
"Shit, bro," Ajay's eyebrows shot up, "Say you don't trust him without saying you don't trust him."
Wally didn't skip a beat, "I don't fucking trust him. Not anymore. Not after how he grilled Maddie about talking to the living." He looked at you, his eyes softening, "He looked right at you when you were doing that Mock Trial thing. I didn't like it," He returned his gaze to Ajay, "Something about it sets my teeth on edge, man."
"Someone's coming," Charley announced, and before you could react, Wally pulled you into his arms and hid you and himself behind end of a row of lockers, winking at Ajay and Charley as they continued down the hall to steer the person in another direction.
As you waited for the all-clear, you peeked up at Wally, felt it was time to admit, "So... I actually found the fallout shelter the night Dave was sneaking around."
Wally gaped, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Honestly? I forgot. I was a lot more freaked out about telling you that Zav kissed me." And then, at the expression on Wally's face, "Don't look at me like that, Maddie was there, too. And Simon."
"Does Zav know?" Wally asked, lip curled in displeasure.
You pulled back slightly, brows knitted, "No. Why?"
"No reason."
But Wally appeared marginally less upset than he'd been seconds ago. Because of course he did. It was no secret how he felt about Xavier. That Wally despised someone you considered your platonic soulmate. A sentiment made worse after Xavier's rash decision to kiss you.
Wally flinched whenever Xavier's name was so much as hinted at, never mind mentioned and it fucking s u c k e d. These were two people you loved to your marrow; you wanted them to get along, had hoped that they'd eventually see eye-to-eye, but it didn't look like that was ever going to happen.
Xavier wasn't terrible; at least triedâwith gritted teethâto remain neutral where Wally was concerned. Wally, on the other hand, stubbornly refused to give Xavier the same respect.
Annoyed, "It's not a competition, you know," you muttered. You didn't pull away, couldn't, not from Wally, but this weird dick measuring contest had to stop.
"I know," Wally said as he gave you a funny look, as if his grip on you hadn't secured like Xavier had appeared to snatch you away.
"You sure about that? Because it feels like you're lying to me."
"Or," Wally countered, "Maybe I just forgot to mention it. Like you forgot to mention the fallout shelter."
And that time, you did pull away, wrenched right out of his arms. As you opened your mouth with a comeback, Ajay returned, cautious. He'd obviously heard what Wally had insinuated since he clarified that he, too, had known about the fallout shelter and hadn't disclosed it to anyone. For years.
"Buddy, calm down." He put a hand on Wally's shoulder, "It wasn't some big secret. If I'd known it was important, I would've brought it up sooner. How was anyone supposed to know?"
"Does it matter?" Wally soured. "You said that's where Mr. Martin hides out. Therefore it became important the second we suspected something was off with the guy." He took a breath, two, turned his head for a moment to get himself together before sighing and catching your gaze with his own again. Taking a step forward, he held out his hand, a somewhat pleading expression on his face, "Let's just go see what's there. We can talk about everything else after."
You wanted to protest. To ignore his hand, give him the cold shoulder and stomp by him just to make him regret pissing you off.
You couldn't bring yourself to do it. After a moment of letting him believe you'd refuse, you took his proffered hand. Allowed him to reel you in and tuck you into his side. He kissed your head, whispered an apology that sounded like a band-aid, and guided you down the hall to the stairwell with a hand on your hip.
"Trouble in paradise?" You heard Charley whisper to Ajay who responded with an equally as quiet, "The tea is hot..."
"What does that even mean?" Wally grumbled and squished you closer to him.
You couldn't contain it, you snorted, "I'm still mad at you, but...you're cute when you're clueless."
Wally scoffed, kissed his teeth, panned around so you wouldn't see the glimpse of affection in his eyes, but you caught it anyway. After a beat, he repeated:
"No, seriously, what does that mean? Are you talking about Aurora's tea or what?"
And you laughed along with Charley and Ajay, the latter of who patted Wally's shoulder and said, "You were getting so good at Gen Z slang, what happened?"
"A magical murder mystery!" Wally defended himself as he pouted adorably. "Why won't anyone tell me what it means?" And then, "Is it dirty?"
Traipsing ahead, "Nobody tell him," Charley commanded with a cheeky smirk, opened and held the door for you, Wally, and Ajay. "I want to see what he comes up with."
"You guys are the worst." Wally grumbled bitterly, "I'm totally not saving your asses when Amelia vanquishes your souls for her stupid ritual." Except he once again sealed you to his side, stamped a kiss to your temple and stage-whispered, "Not you, baby. I have a different punishment in mind for you."
He pinched your ass cheek so hard you squealed.
Together, "TMI!" and "Face!" Charley and Ajay scolded.
âââââ˘ââââ
Xavier hadn't intended to enter 4916 Quebec Street. It was meant to be a simple, relatively safe stakeout, just as he'd promised you. But Nicole and Claire's bickering had driven Xavier to the edge. From the moment they'd crammed into his truck, it'd been nonstop. Catty jabs that hadn't quit until Xavier lost his shit, made an impassioned speech that he was, yeah, a little proud of, and abandoned the girls for the peaceful refuge of a so very creepy house.
He was going to regret his decision, he just knew it.
Claire remained in the truck while Nicole boldly trailed behind him into the darkened house, muttering under her breath about fair-weather friends who shouldn't help if all they wanted was a redemption arc.
"So what if she does?" Xavier asked, turning on his flashlight as Nicole did hers.
"She can't make up for everything she didn't do for years." Nicole insisted, paused halfway through the front door. "Claire abandoned Maddie. And now she thinks she can swoop in and save the day? I don't trust her."
Xavier see-sawed his head, "But...you trust me?"
He couldn't quite make out Nicole's face in the dark, yet Xavier could tell she was embarrassed. Maybe because he'd pointed out the hypocrisy, or maybe because she felt just as outside of the whole SimonandMaddie dynamic as Xavier always had and was desperate for someone to relate.
Either way, she surprised him by admitting, "Yeah. I do."
That. Felt really good to hear, actually. Xavier's chest swelled as he looked bashfully away. "Thanks."
They stepped further into the house, the wind whistling eerily through the cracks in the windows. This house was even creepier than the old farmhouse or the house on Lasher and 10th. There was an impression in the air that chilled Xavier to the bone. That same supernatural prickle he felt around the ghosts at school, only more persistent. He couldn't be sure, but it meant something.
Before he could announce that he had a really, really bad feeling about this, Nicole spoke.
"I just wanna state for the record, this is basically my worst nightmare come true."
Xavier briefly wondered if Nicole felt the same close, icy aura he did, but immediately brushed it aside to comfort her. Placed a hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eye.
"But I'm here," He said, "I got your back. Just look around and see if you can find anything." He continued at her lost expression, "Clothes, food. Stuff someone might have left if they were squatting here."
His leadership seemed to rouse her determination. They split up, Nicole doing a tour of the main floor while Xavier found the door to the basement. The chill thickened as he descended the stairs. God, he wished you were with him, but you'd told him in no uncertain terms that you intended to do research with Wally at the school.
Ugh. That guy.
Look, Xavier didn't hate Wally the way Wally seemed to hate him. He was honestlyâreally, trulyâhappy that you'd found your perfect person. Dead, sure, but Xavier could tell that you two had some kind of cosmic bond. A golden thread that tied you and Wally together. In fact, he could literally see it, not that he'd told you.
It was so new, in and out like bad reception; something he'd only noticed over the last couple of days. Different colors for different connections. He didn't know what they meant, or why, all of a sudden, he'd gone from simply seeing ghosts to being able to track who meant something to whom, but, hey, guess he was officially part of the family now, huh?
Yeah, he needed to talk to you about it. For sure.
And he would.
Just...not while a fucking semi-transparent hippie was standing in the middle of the empty basement, smiling at him like a long-lost friend. What freaked Xavier way the hell out wasn't so much the mysterious ghost staring at him. It was the thin, loose green thread that stretched from Xavier's heart to the ghost's, evaporating and coming together again and again like a tendril of smoke.
It clicked like common sense as soon as the ghost shifted forward.
"Holy shit, you're Dead Grandpa John." He wheezed, eyes the size of dinner plates.
"And you're my granddaughter's best friend." Dead Grandpa Johnâno, Xavier was not doing thatâGrandpa John said. "The troublemaker. Always into mischief." He smiled wider, laughed as if he'd been there for every caper you and Xavier had pulled as kids. Jesus, he probably had been there, Xavier realized with a gulp.
"I didn't flood the bathroom, I swear, it was all her!" And he didn't know why he felt compelled to confess, but he did anyway, a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Grandpa John raised a bushy brow.
Xavier instantly caved, "Okay, so it was my idea, but she helped..." and he stared shamefully at the floor.
And Maddie and Simon had really thought he was a good liar? Wow.
"I'm not here to judge you," Grandpa John assured and shifted closer. Unlike the ghosts at school, Grandpa John glided like water over rocks in a stream, despite how his feet did, in fact, move. One and then the other. Heel-toe, heel-toe. A person walking normally. Just...not quite touching the ground.
While Wally and Ajay appeared solid, as real as you or Claire or Nicole, Grandpa John was exactly the kind of image Xavier would've pictured if someone had told him to close his eyes and imagine a ghost. Silvery. See-through. Other. Unconsciously, Xavier took a step back, although part of himâa big partâalready trusted Grandpa John as if he'd been aware of Grandpa John's existence the whole duration of his friendship with you.
"She was looking for you the other day," Xavier found himself saying, dropping the glare of his flashlight to the ground. "Have you been here the whole time?"
Grandpa John shook his head, "No." Then a strange look came over his face, "I'm here to apologize to you for what has to be done."
Xavier blinked in confusion, "What's that mean?"
"It means, this is going to hurt."
The next thing Xavier was conscious of, he was flat on his back. The ground was cold and everything hurt, his head especially throbbed. He heard the screech of tires against pavement, Nicole and Claire shouting, the noise distant as the world slowly faded to black.
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PART NINE - PART ELEVEN
note: not exactly where i'd planned to end this chapter, but it felt right đ¤ˇââď¸ who am i to argue with the characters? anyway, because of this, the next part is basically halfway written đ hopefully i'll be able to deliver it a lot sooner, but no promises beautiful frens đ
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ABOUT THE TAGLIST: we're not about that life around here (â˘ÂŻ â ÂŻâ˘) things got too outta hand and i'm still cleaning up the mess left behind by the demons i accidentally summoned trying to get the damn thing to work đłď¸đš......there's a dustpan over there if you feel like helping đ§šđ¨ or, if you just wanna stay up to date, please FOLLOW ME and TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS
been waiting all year to say this shit
this has probably been done before but this idea has been stuck in my head for a while
Sex, Drugs, Ect.
pt.5
Warnings: Talk of drugs/Drug use. Possible smut in the future. A lot of plot. EXTREME Canon divergence. Before Maddies time. Set in 2022. Hearing Voices. Talk of a Dead Body. Self Deprecation. Angst. Arguing.
2k words
pt.4
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The sight of the tall jock made guilt creep up on you. Asshole, youâd baled on him yesterday with no explanation. He hates you, he was the first person here to actually try and make you feel comfortable and you tossed him to the side, for what? A fucking book.Â
âHeyâ You were sapped out of your thoughts by the boy, he was walking over to you and⌠Smiling. Why was he smiling? He didn't owe you a smile, hell if anything you owed him an apology. âWhat's wrong?â Oh god he wasn't making this any better, he looks worried. Youâre making him worry because youâve decided to randomly wear your heart on your sleeve, fucking selfish.Â
âNothing, um-â Might as well tell him what happened, heâs gonna find out eventually, everyone is. âSome girls found my body.âÂ
âOh shitâ It was clear he didnât know what to say to that. It was easier to comfort someone when youâd actually been given the chance to know even a little bit about them other than their obsessive drug use.Â
âYeahâ You didnât really know what to say either, leaving an awkward silence. âSo um basketball?â Really, basketball. That's the best save you could come up with? Small talk definitely wasn't your specialty.Â
âUh yeah.â He let out a small chuckle. âI practice every Monday through Thursday morning. Even though I donât change, it still helps to pretend to stay in shape. Makes things feel more normal.â Was he trying to offer you advice?Â
âCoolâ You gave him a tight lipped smile. Nothing felt normal, waking up, going to bed, hell even the halls felt weird. Haunted, not just by you but by all the other students that had lost their lives here. How the hell was this school still open? You didnât know the statistics for school deaths but youâre pretty sure this isn't normal.Â
âYou wanna give it a go?â He gestures back to the gym or as he would probably call it âthe courtâ.
âBasketball?â There was clearly a bit of a shocked look on your face. âOh no i don't play.â Sweaty bodies bumping into each other while passing around a ball sounds like literal hell. Still not as bad as being stuck in high school forever but definitely not a pastime activity.Â
âOh come on. Itâll be fun, I swear.â Why's he being so nice? He doesn't even know you. What the fuck does he want?Â
âI don't know if it's really a good idea.â You gave him a tight lipped smile. âI'm not exactly what you would call coordinated.âÂ
âYou don't have to be coordinated, just throw the ball around.â You couldnât tell if he was trying to get you to loosen up or if he was just lonely, needing someone other than Charley to practice with.Â
âIâm not the greatest with balls.â You cracked a fake smile. If he wanted you to act like everything was normal what better way to do it than with dirty humor. Now that was a specialty. The slightly stunned look on his face almost made you genuinely laugh. It was only there for a split second before he let out an awkward laugh. You couldnât tell if you were making this better or worse, either way you were already here, talking to a dead guy. One of the most normal things that's happened in the last few days.Â
âA smile looks good on you.â The past few days have been filled with nothing but self loath and deflection. Not allowing your brain to process your situation. You know youâre dead, you know how but not why. That's the clarity you've been running on. But hey, at least he couldnât see through the plastered on smile youâd spent years perfecting, right?Â
âShe only comes around every once in a while when I'm in a good mood.â Again with the lies. Tell him it's fake, tell him it's all a performance for everyone's entertainment.Â
âMaybe I should try to put you in a good mood more often.â Before you could reply he threw the ball towards you, out of instinct you caught it with two hands, an unimpressed look on your face as his smile grew. âSee? Youâre a natural.âÂ
You forced out a small laugh. âA natural or traumatized?âÂ
âBad dodgeball experiences?âÂ
âOlder brother.â He let out a hum of recognition. You threw the ball back to him and watched him catch it with precision. âYou havenât lived until you've had a box of cereal fly past your head. Had to learn how to catch.â He gave you a bit of a side eye. âSorry, was âlivedâ a bad choice of words?âÂ
âNah, but why a cereal box?â The smile on his face was real. It made you feel guilty for having to fake yours. Youâd been needing so desperately to just be around someone and now you are but you still feel empty. Why isn't it enough? Fucking greedy.
âI don't know, guessing it was the first thing he saw.â The memory was oddly comforting. You still remember the confusion you felt when a box of cereal just barely missed you before smacking against the wall of your kitchen. It broke out into a shadow boxing match.Â
âI never got that experience, only child.â There was a mixed look on his face. Almost sad but the smile was still there.Â
âConsider yourself lucky. Me and him would beat the shit out of each other, steal each other's snacks, and I would steal all his hoodies.â
He laughs. âSounds about rights.â Your conversation was interrupted by the sound of sirens approaching. Both your heads turn to wear there coming from, though it was useless, you were both staring at a wall.Â
âFuck.â This is it, everyoneâs gonna know. Nothings ever going to be the same. Youâre officially dead.Â
âYou probably shouldn't go out there.â You didnât look at him but in your peripheral you saw him turn back to you, concern and sympathy written all over his face. It doesn't make sense, he has no reason to feel bad for you. So why does he?
âI wasn't planning on it.â Itâs your fault, youâre the reason youâre here and now youâre making some poor sweet boy feel bad for you. You donât deserve his empathy. Even in death youâre fucking selfish, just get over yourself and suck it up. âShut up.âÂ
âExcuse me?â It took you a second to process what just happened. You finally look back at him but heâs not mad, heâs smiling and a little confused. You know there's sheer terror all over your face. You canât remember the last time youâd accidentally talked to them out loud in front of someone. This really isn't helping the asshole allegations.Â
âNothing.â The fake smile on your face is completely gone. How do you explain that without looking like an asshole or a lunatic? Fucking stupid.Â
âItâs fine, I just wasnât expecting it.â He's laughing, whys he laughing? Is your insanity funny to him? Youâre suffering and he's laughing. Who cares? Heâs not offended so just take it as a win. At least you didnât slip up in front of some one like Rhonda, she would have chewed your head off.Â
âUh-â Change the subject. Something, anything. Fuck just pull together something. The familiar tightening began to form in your chest. Fuck Fuck Fuck. Without a word you ran to the door, pushing it open full with all the strength you could muster. What the fuck was that? He probably thinks youâre crazy. You just had to go and ruin a moment of peace by opening your big fucking mouth. You could hear the sound of his hurried footsteps following you into the almost empty halls.Â
âHey, wait up.â He was approaching fast and you couldnât bring yourself to run away from him. Your legs felt numb, you didnât understand why. What the fucks happening? Itâs not the first time youâd slipped up in front of someone but this felt different. This is a stranger youâre being forced to spend the rest of your existence with. There's no escape, no wear to run. That little group is all you have now and you already fucked up.Â
You felt his hand touch your solder but didnât stop speed walking. He kept up a steady pace as he began to walk beside you. âWhat happened?â You stayed silent, knowing if you spoke it would come out wrong. âCome on, it's okay.â Okay? Nothing about anything is okay. Itâs all fucked, your entire existence is fucked. âItâs not a big deal.â Your movements came to a halt. âIt is a big deal Wally!â It came out angry, not angry at him but at yourself. When the hell did you get so soft? You let it slip out so easily without a second thought. Such an amateur move.Â
He looked taken aback by your tone. âOkay, I donât know why youâre mad but I'm sorry.â He thinks he did something wrong because of you, because you couldn't control your anger. You could feel the guilt grow on your face, features distorting with your fucked up emotions.Â
âNo, no, don't apologize. You did nothing wrong.â Stupid, so fucking stupid. You just couldn't stop yourself, could you? Itâs not that hard to keep your mouth shut and be normal.Â
âI donât know exactly what's going on in that head of yours but you can talk to me. You can talk to any of us, weâve all been there.â He tried to give you a comforting smile but it just made you want to break down in tears. What did you do to deserve this kindness?Â
âThat's really sweet Wally, but I have to go.â You pointed behind you down the hall. Truth be told all you want to do is curl into a ball and forget the world around you. There's probably a gurney dragging your dead body out of the locker rooms right now. Soon you will just be a memory to those you care about. An example for your future nieces and nephews about the dangers of drugs. A whisper in the halls. A ghost.Â
âOkay, but um, movie night?â He had a hopeful look on his face. You didnât understand why everyone was so adamant about you being involved in group activities.Â
âYeah, I'll be there. You can pick out the movie, I know I'm supposed to but I'd prefer if you just did it.â Great, now you have to drag yourself to group later too.Â
âPerfect, see you later I guess.â He clearly wanted to say something.Â
âYeah.â You gave him an awkward tight lipped smile. As you turn to walk away you can still feel his eyes burning into the back of your head until you hit the corner, finally away from his watchful eyes.Â
Thereâs a bathroom on this hall that you run to, needing somewhere to be alone with your thoughts. Itâs funny, you were praying to be around someone earlier so you wouldnât be able to think so much yet here you are. Hiding away, alone again.Â
You paced around, still trying to wrap your head around everything. Your brain never even gave you a chance to process. Youâre dead, what the fuck does that even mean? You were basically a zombie before that fateful day in the locker room, so why does it matter? Invisible or not you still have no purpose. Nothings changed, youâre still you. Still you, those words would normally comfort someone in your position but they made you want to vomit, to scream, cry, break everything in sight. Being you isn't a good thing. Youâre broken, a mess, lostâŚ. So what the fuck does being dead even mean?Â
You let out a frustrated cry as you tuned, delivering an angry punch to the wall beside you. For a split second you couldnât move your fingers, presumably breaking them before they reset. It didn't even hurt, you were shaking with anger and fear, to the point where you couldnât feel anything else.Â
Nothing made sense, it was all just distorted in your mind as you let your back hit the wall, sliding down on it so you could sit on the floor. Two broken fingers got you into this mess in the first place. Funny how history repeats itself.
Pt.6
Summary: Wally's reunion brings past regrets and unwelcome visitors. Word Count: 2.7k Author's Note: So, I got sick and I got depressed and it took me a little while to get here, but thank you to everyone for being so patient with me waiting on the next update!
Read On AO3 // Fic Masterlist
The aftermath of visiting your scar still weighed heavily on your mind days later. Wally had done everything in his power to help you, but you knew there was only so much he could do for you. The only person who could help you come to terms with what you suffered was you. Â
And you just werenât ready yet.Â
It didn't help that Mr. Martin had found a way to jump into a body and escape the school. Now, there was no way to know if he would ever be back or if he was going after Janet. Maddie was worried about her friends and if she would ever manage to get her body back. All of you were worried about Janet and Maddie, since Mr. Martin posed the greatest threat to both. Everyone had been trying to theorize what Mr. Martin wanted with the keys and the scars, but no one knew enough to try to fit all the puzzle pieces together yet. Â
Now, you were sitting at a table that had been set out for Wally's reunion. He was so psyched about it that you hated you were having a hard time pulling yourself out of your misery. Even though Wally had assured you over and over and showed you just how much he cared about you, you still couldn't shake the insecurity you felt every time you saw Wally and Maddie interact. It also didn't help that your mind was consumed with what happened in your scar. Â
The others had been careful around you. It wouldn't have been so weird if Rhonda hadn't been practically gentle with you. Rhonda was usually the type to not sugarcoat anything. The fact that she was trying to comfort you felt odd, but you didn't know how to tell Rhonda that she was freaking you out. She was a good friend, and you knew she would always have your back, but you didn't know how to handle a different side of her. Â
You had also managed to catch the end of an argument between Wally and Rhonda not long after you sought out the others once you were ready to leave the tech booth. Charley had pulled you aside, asking if everything was alright. Quinn had surprised you with a hug and Maddie had wondered why you went into your scar. You couldn't tell her it was because of how jealous you got seeing her with Wally, so you only shrugged your shoulders and returned the nod of solidarity Yuri aimed at you.Â
As you walked back towards Wally and Rhonda, you overheard what Rhonda was telling him. Â
"--you have any idea how that feels? She went into her scar because you ran after Maddie."Â
"I know, I know," Wally assured Rhonda. "Don't you think I feel terrible enough about that without you here busting my ass over it?"Â
Rhonda pulled the ever-present lollipop out of her mouth and pointed it at Wally. "Just think about what you're doing next time. Maybe instead of running off and playing around in the pool with another girl, you bring your girlfriend with you."Â
"Maddie and I were just blowing off steam," Wally defended himself. "I would never do anything to hurt Y/N."Â
"And yet you did," Rhonda pointed out with an arched brow. She brushed past Wally, leaving you to finally finish approaching him. Â
Wally's eyes lit up once he noticed you. "Hey, how about we get out of here, huh? I think we've earned some time just the two of us. They've had enough of us for now. I want you all to myself," he told you before he tugged you forward into a kiss. Â
It didn't take you long to realize that Rhonda's words must have struck a chord, because he was practically glued to your side after she spoke to him. Â
You thought maybe Rhonda was being a little too harsh on Wally. But once the adrenaline had faded, you found it hard to stay positive. Quinn said you were in a funk, but you just felt downright depressed. Reliving your death had been hard on you and you were having a difficult time shaking all the negative thoughts and feelings that had risen since confronting it. Â
Now, you were sitting in the library where the reunion was being held and trying to find the energy to be excited for Wally. Â
Rhonda and Quinn were off to the side, talking about something you couldn't overhear. Charley was sitting on the stairs leading up to where the DJ booth had been set up while Wally flipped through records that had been left in a crate. You didn't know where Yuri or Maddie were, but you figured they would show up eventually. Â
You listened to the others talking, not really paying enough attention to discern what they were speaking about and even managed to bring up a reluctant smile hearing Wally sass Rhonda after mentioning something about a girdle. Â
"Oh, shit!" You heard Wally exclaim, abruptly forcing you out of your thoughts as he pulled a record out of the crate. "No way," he breathed as he brought up the record to show it off. "David Bowie. Y'all! We are so back," he said before he bounded up the stairs towards the turntable. Â
You met Rhonda's gaze and caught her rolling her eyes, but you noticed the hint of a smile on her lips. Even when she was annoyed with Wally, she couldn't quite resist his infectious enthusiasm. Â
Wally put the record on, letting Bowie's 'Let's Dance' fill the room. Wally's routine was something you had grown accustomed to over the years. Usually, you joined in, finding joy in Wally's excitement and letting yourself get easily roped in to the dance. But this time, you just weren't feeling it and that only made you feel worse. Â
Still, Wally tried, pointing at you and pretending to try to reel you in, but you stayed in your seat, refusing to move. You felt a pang of guilt when you noticed his obvious disappointment, but he turned towards Charley, silently respecting your wish to be left alone. It didn't take long before Charley was going through the moves Wally had coached you all through years before, a delighted grin on his face as he danced. Â
While Wally worked through his routine, you noticed the way his attention kept straying back to you. It was like he was checking in on you and the thought brought a slight smile to your lips. Even when he was having the time of his life, he was still worried about you. Â
You were content to sit at the table, your chin propped up on your hand while you watched him dance. You werenât surprised that it was lifting your spirits to see Wally so in his element. You couldn't help but think that if he hadn't been thrown into football, then maybe he would have enjoyed being a theater kid. Â
You watched Rhonda and then Quinn join the dance. Rhonda never missed a step, but while Quinn was new to the routine, her eagerness to be part of the group more than made up for it. Â
Any sense of lingering despair was swept away when you watched the way Wally spun away from the group. He was still moving to the music, but he had deviated from his usual routine. He threw in a slide where he usually had a hip thrust and a shoulder shimmy where he would have moonwalked. He threw a smirk and a wink in your direction, and it was then you realized that this year Wally wasn't dancing for himself. Â
He was dancing for you. Â
That more than anything had you finally getting out of your seat. You caught the delighted grin on Wally's face before he reached a hand out towards you. You let yourself put your hand in his, letting out a surprised laugh when he immediately reeled you in only to spin you out again. He kept his grip on your hand tight, like he was worried you would try to leave, before he pulled you back towards him. Â
His lips met yours, the kiss turning desperate and intense within a moment. All you could do was hold on, your fingers digging into his shoulders, as Wally poured everything he had into the kiss. Â
It was fear and despair and joy and want. It swept you along with everything Wally had been trying to show you for days now. Â
It was love. Â
"Fuck," you gasped when you turned your head to the side to break the kiss. Â
You felt his smirk against the side of your face. "Later," he promised, hiding a kiss against the skin beneath your ear. Â
"That was awesome!" Quinn exclaimed, drawing your attention. "You do that every year?" She directed at Rhonda, a grin on her face. Â
"Every year," Rhonda drawled, shooting a look at Wally that was equal parts annoyed and fond. Â
"We should go again," Quinn decided, already bounding towards the DJ setup to restart the song. Â
âQuinn,â Rhonda groaned, following her like she was thinking about stopping her. Â
Later, you dressed up for Wally's big night and met him at the doors of the library. Â
"Damn," Wally sighed, looking you up and down. "How'd I get so lucky?"Â
You rolled your eyes, resisting the urge to tell him that if anyone was lucky, it was you. "Sap," you accused, because you didn't know how else to respond. Â
Wally grinned at you and held his arm out, letting you hook your hand around his elbow. "Before I forget," he said, reaching out to open the door. "We're playing wingman for Charley."Â
"Charley?" You asked, surprised that he was finally making his move. "Yuri?" You guessed, thinking of all the times Charley blushed around Yuri and how he couldn't keep his eyes off him. Â
"Yup," Wally answered, leading you into the library. "Promised not to let him embarrass himself. So, I might need your help running interference later."Â Â
"Got it," you agreed, offering him a tentative smile. Wally's dance and the promise of a date night had gone a long way towards lifting your mood, but you were still trying to shake the last vestiges of sadness that still clung to you. Â
Wally leaned over to press a kiss to your temple before he led you into the library. Â
You let Wally get you a glass of punch and watched him reunite with some of his former classmates. He looked so happy to be remembered by the class of '84 that you almost didn't realize anything was wrong at first. You had been in the middle of talking Charley up to Yuri, even though you were sure from the way Yuri looked at Charley that it was completely unnecessary. Â
It took you entirely too long to realize what the two guys were saying about Wally. Wally's crestfallen expression was enough to get you at his side. You also didn't miss the way Charley was carefully not looking at Wally. Â
"Look, it's alright," Charley told Wally when he tried to apologize. "It was forty years ago. You don't have to be sorry."Â
"But--" Wally started, before Yuri placed a hand on Charley's shoulder. Â
"How about a dance?" He asked, nodding towards the couples who had taken over the space in front of the stage. A slow song was playing and the couples were all swaying along to the melody. Â
"Okay, yeah, I'd love that," Charley answered, handing you his drink before letting Yuri lead him towards the dance floor. Â
Wally kept glancing at Charley and Yuri, as if he was worried something bad would happen. You knew that Wally had been a different person when he was alive. But the Wally you knew now wasn't anything like him. He had grown and started to accept that he didn't have to only see himself as the guy he was before he died. The fact he was obviously so torn up over his past actions was testament to that. Â
You were briefly distracted by Mr. Anderson showing up to wreak havoc on a reunion full of people who couldn't even see him. When you glanced back at Charley and Yuri, it was to see Charley putting distance between them. Â
You weren't sure why Charley looked so distressed, but when he pulled away from Yuri and walked away, you tried to find out what was wrong. Â
"Hey," you called, turning to look at Charley as he passed you. "What's wrong?"Â
"It's just...," he sighed before he shook his head and walked away. His jaw was clenched, and you noticed how tensed his shoulders were. Yuri looked just as lost as you felt when you glanced back at him. Â
Wally watched Charley leave the library. He looked worried, but he stayed rooted to the spot, even though it was obvious he wanted to go after him. Â
"Wally," you whispered, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder. Â
Wally turned to look at you. "Babe, I'm not like that anymore," he promised, gesturing towards the guys who were now commenting on the woman who was announcing something onstage. "I would never hurt Charley. I would never let anyone hurt him. I'd beat the shit out of them for laying a finger on him."Â
"I know," you assured him, letting your hand find his to hold onto. "Charley knows that too."Â
"But, I guess," Wally continued, glancing again at the guys who had brought up Wally's past. "I guess I was that guy. And that's how they remember me. I was no better than the people who hurt Charley."Â
"You've changed," you reminded him. "You're one of the best people I've ever met and that's for a reason, Wally."Â
Wally nodded his head, but he still looked like he was struggling with himself. Â
"Go find Charley," you urged him. "I think you two need to talk this out." You knew that Charley would need a friend now more than anything and Wally needed to prove to himself that he could be that friend. Â
Wally looked unsure and still didn't budge. Â
"It'll be fine," you promised him. "Trust me," you added, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Â
Wally nodded his head, offering you an unsure smile, before he left in search of Charley. Â
"You're good for him," Yuri observed. Â
You startled, glancing at him over your shoulder. "You're good for Charley," you shot back. "He just gets a little nervous. Give him time."Â
Yuri nodded his head, looking thoughtful. "I've got time," he assured you before taking Charley's drink back from you. Â
You watched Yuri take a sip of the drink. "You know if you ever hurt him, though, I'll kill you. Forget that, Wally will kill you."Â
It wasn't much of a threat when you were all already dead. But Charley was your friend and you would do anything for him. He deserved happiness and if Yuri was the one who could provide it for him, then you wanted to make sure it stuck.Â
"I know," Yuri claimed, "but he won't have to. I only want what's best for Charley."Â Â
"Good," you told him. "Keep it that way."Â Â
You were going to ask Yuri if he wanted to see how Wally and Charley were doing when your attention was caught by someone across the room. She was leaving the library, slipping out of the room with a quick look over her shoulder. Â
 It took you a moment to recognize her, but when you did, you felt like the whole world had stopped. Suddenly, your hands were shaking and you felt like everything was collapsing around you. It had been years since you saw her, but you knew you would never forget that face.Â
You felt your mind race in several different directions as you found yourself rushing to follow her. Yuri called your name, but you ignored him. You didnât know why she was here, but all you could think about was figuring out the reason. You wanted her out, gone, but there wasnât much you could do about that now that you were dead.Â
As you left the library in pursuit of her, there were really only three questions you desperately needed answered on your mind.Â
Why the hell would she come back? Â
How could she show her face here after what she did? Â
And lastly, did she feel any remorse for killing you? Â
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I'm trying to prove something.
Sex, Drugs, Etc.
pt.2
Warnings: Talk of drugs/Drug use. Possible smut in the future. SH. A lot of plot. EXTREME Canon divergence. Before Maddies time. Set in 2022. Almost panic attack. This is NOT meant to romanticize addiction or mental illness.
2.4k words
Enjoy :)
Pt.1
-
It was like any other Friday night. A crowded living room filled with loud teenagers, music so loud your brain went numb, the strong scent of booze and grass filling the air, kids pissing on the carpet and throwing up in the backyard, the perfect party⌠well almost perfect. There was something missing, something no amount of alcohol or smelly plants could fill.Â
Your head was spinning, not from the shots of vodka some girl you just met brought you, but from the people. Parties were supposed to be fun, a chance to drink and dance but the overwhelming crowd left you short of breath. No one forced you to show up, hell you weren't even invited, but youâd take any chance to get out of the house.Â
âHey Iâll be right backâ You say to the random blond girl, not giving her enough time to respond before you walk away. Weaving through the drunk teens to get to the back door, you frantically fiddle with the handle, air becoming something almost non-existent. Swinging the door open you step outside, taking deep breaths of air. To anyone walking by it just looked like you were calming yourself down from a bad trip.
âHey you alright?â The sound of a familiar voice fills your ears. âYou look like you've seen a ghostâ (I'm so funny) It was Josh, youâd buy weed from him sometimes, though you haven't really talked outside of small talk to make your interactions feel less illegal. Â
âUm yeah. I'm great.â Your breath was still ragged, words coming out rushed despite how hard you tried to make them sound casual.Â
âCome on, sit downâ He grabs you by the shoulder gently, leading you to a coach that had been pulled out into the backyard. A chick with black hair sitting on the far end of it and a dude passed out on the ground in front of it. You sit down awkwardly, Josh comes over and sits between you and the girl, holding two beers and hands you one.Â
"Thanks" You take the beer, your original plan of getting some air and going home ruined.Â
"You're a little young to be here, aren't you?" This is the first time anyone has questioned you on your age. Normally they'd give you a weird look but leave you alone.Â
"I'm old enough for you to sell me bud." He let out a little laugh, 14 was probably too young to be drinking and partying but who's gonna stop you?Â
"Got me there" He takes a sip out of the glass bottle. "You don't look like you're having fun."Â
âNot reallyâ The only fun thing about parties was getting too drunk to even remember where you are, something you didnât get the chance to do.Â
âYou know I'm in a good mood, I got something for you.â He reaches into his pocket, holding out his hand waiting. You look at him confused and after a few seconds he rolls his eyes, but his smile grows. âGo on, take it.â You reluctantly put up your hand for him to drop whatever he has into it. When he does you realize what it is, a little pill.Â
âWhat is this?â The confusion is clear on your face, never having shown any interest in taking pills before.
âIts percocet, 10 milligrams.â You recognize the name, your grandma used to take them. What you didn't understand was why he was handing you a pain pill.Â
âOh um, I don't have any money.â Which wasnât a lie, but also a good excuse to get out of this awkward situation. He laughs again, clearly high out of his mind and way too friendly.Â
âDonât worry about it, it's on the house.â Now that was what really concerned you, taking a free pill from someone who you barely knew sounded like a death sentence. âYou look like you need it.â
The girl sitting next to him scoffed. âSince when are you interested in giving out free shit?â She clearly wasn't in as good of a mood as he was.Â
âCome on Gina, the poor girl looked like she was gonna pass out earlier.â That doesn't help with the bitter look that grows on her face.
âOh so your girlfriend has to pay but you'll give it out to this random kid?â The tone of her voice clearly pissed off, to be fair it was kinda fucked up.Â
âGina-â She doesn't give him a chance to speak before getting up and walking away, mumbling to herself. You sit there awkwardly, pill still in your hand.Â
âShould you like, go after her?â Wanting to get up and walk away too, not knowing what to do after accidentally being involved in a potential break up.Â
âNah, sheâll be fine.â He seemed calm, not worried at all at the fact that his girlfriend just stormed out on him. Maybe this was a normal occurrence, either way you decided it's none of your business and opted not to ask any more questions.Â
âSo what do I do with this?â You gesture to the hand with the pill in it. This was probably in the top 10 most confused youâve ever been in your life. No one has ever handed you a random pill before.Â
âTake it?â He looked at you like you were dumb, like this was the most normal thing in existence.Â
âI donât- I donât think that's the best idea.â It wasn't the idea of taking a perc that scared you, it was the fact that he could have easily been lying. Youâd seen enough true crime to know that this is how you end up on the news. âHereâ You hold up the pill, trying to hand it back to him. âIt's late, I should head home.âÂ
âKeep it, I got plenty.â You give him a small nod, sliding the pill into your pocket as you stand up, looking down at the guy passed out on the ground.Â
âUh-â You were gonna ask if he was okay but decided not to, looking back at Josh. âHave a good night.â He ghost (hehe) cheers his beer at you as you walk away, going home confused.Â
(â1 fish, 2 fish, this flashbacks been too long bitchâ - My Brother, 2024)Â
The sound of the final bell rings as you head to the gym where Mr.Martin was planning for tomorrow's movie night. You open the door and see him writing in a notebook as he sits on the edge of the stage. He looks up noticing you as he slides down onto his feet. âHey, is that your obituary?â He points down to the folder in your hand, a sickeningly sweet smile on his face that feels somewhat intimidating. Â
âYeah, Wally helped me write it.â You hand him it, watching him open it, eyes gazing over the pages. A smile still on his face as he closes it.
âI figured he would, he's such a little helper.â He puts the folder on the stage beside him. âI will sit down and read that later, but for now how are you feeling?â Like shit, but you couldnât tell him that.
âGreat actually, I think this helped.â If anything it made the hunger worse, apparently even death couldn't silence the craving. You made the fake smile on your face look as convincing as possible.Â
âAny plans for today?â Another attempt at getting you to talk to the others. He's already suggested several âbonding activitiesâ in the two days youâve been here.Â
âYeah actually.â The way his face lit up like a christmas tree was almost comical. âWallys gonna teach me how to swim later.âÂ
âOh well, isn't that lovely?â Something about the old fashioned way he talked reminded you of your grandpa. The familiarity brings an odd sense of comfort.Â
âI should probably um-â You gesture to the door on the other side of the gym, hands in the pocket of your hoodie, a habit you picked up to keep you from picking at the delicate skin that covers them.Â
âYeah, go on. Have fun.â He waves you off, smile turning more cheesy like a supportive father watching his daughter leave for her first date.
âOkay, greatâ You turn awkwardly, making your way out.
âI expect to see you tomorrow.â He yells as you're halfway across the gym.
âOf course.â You yell back without turning around. Reaching the door you step out, entering the now empty halls. You weren't supposed to meet up with Wally until later but needing some alone time you opted for the library where you spent most of your day already. A quiet place where you can escape your own thoughts with a simple little book.Â
Going the same route you did earlier, except you were alone this time. Something about the quiet school halls felt almost uncanny, somewhat unnatural. You attempt to brush off the uneasy feeling as you reach the library. It was one of your favorite places in the school during your life other than the old locker rooms, but that wasn't really an option anymore.Â
The cool air hits your face as you open the door, the sweet librarian Gilinda always kept the ac on specifically for you. Kinda funny to think about the fact that she doesn't even know you're gone, nobody does, how the hell has nobody noticed? I mean isnt it fucking obvious? Do they even care? The silent tear dripping down your cheek snaps you out of thought, rubbing it away with your sleeve quickly. Emotions were always so weird, feelings were something you always tried to hide away into the farthest parts of your mind, leaving you completely and utterly numb. It was the safest option.Â
You made your way into the fantasy section, easy and simple. You look around for a little bit before one catches your eye âMiss Peregrineâs Home for Peculiar Childrenâ A token you had read years ago. The graphic story probably wasnât appropriate for your 12 year old self but something about it sparked something within you. (Ooooh so edgy) There was this little corner you always sat in, it was quiet and not a lot of people came near it, not that it really mattered considering the library was empty but it was your little spot.Â
It had been a while since you got to sit down and read a book, your brain being either too wired or too relaxed to concentrate so this was a good feeling. A simple little book, in a simple little corner, in a simple little weird ass situation. What a fucking life⌠well death.Â
The spine was worn down from years of being passed around by different messy highschoolers, pages somewhat torn, leaving the sweet smell of old paper. You read through the first chapter, then the second, then the third, until you forgot about the world around you. Completely immersed in the weird fucked up tale. It was like time didn't exist, nothing did except the little images you created in your mind. It was the only way of escaping, forgetting about life, about death, about cravings, descending into a different world like nothing else matters. It wasn't until you reached the last page that you realized how late it was, though you didn't feel tired. It was like the times you did adderall, nothing could put you to bed.Â
âOh shitâ You whispered quietly to yourself when you realized you were only supposed to be there for an hour, your plans with Wally had been completely forgotten about. You stand up, rushing out the library, not bothering putting the book back where it belongs. The halls were dark, no light from the windows filling them, you didnât know what time it was, just that it was late and way past when you were supposed to meet up. What a great first impression.Â
You made your way to the pool room only to find it empty. Of course it was, no one in their right mind would wait hours for someone they didn't even really know. Well this was shitty, he probably thinks you're a total asshole. Who could blame him? He spent his entire afternoon helping you write your obituary and you accidentally blew him off. Asshole behavior.Â
It's not like you could find him and apologize, he was probably asleep right now. Something Mr.Martin had advised you to do when you first got here. It was probably a good idea. You couldnât remember the last time you had a good sleep, normally getting woken up by nightmares or stomach pain. A side effect of pills that they fail to mention.Â
You doubted that there were any empty couches, but Mr.Figueroa always kept blankets in his classroom in case someone got cold. His classroom was just down the hall, one of your favorite places to be during c block. He always let you hang out in there even if you were supposed to be in class. The door was locked, but if there was one thing you learned at this school it was that all you had to do was slide your id through the crack and it would pop right open, an important life skill. Charley was sleeping peacefully on the little couch in the corner of the room. You were careful not to wake him as you snuck over to the closet. It was filled with board games and little props heâd use to teach, at the bottom was a pile of folded up blankets. A fuzzy gray one at the top that you always used, it even smelled like you.Â
As you made your way out the classroom, blanket in hand, you tried to figure out where you were going. That's when you saw her, a red haired girl sleeping on top of the lockers. Youâd seen her before but never introduced yourself since she wasn't in group. It wasnât a bad idea, seemed peaceful. You walked down into a different hall, not knowing if there was sleeping territory. It was probably the safest option to go where your locker was.Â
It wasn't too high up, a little hard to climb but you managed. The medal was a little cold and you didnât have a place to rest your head so you took your hoodie off, scrunching it up so you could use it as a makeshift pillow. It wasn't the most comfortable option but it would have to do for now, at least until you fingered out the rules of the afterlife.
(Had to conjure up my inner edgy teenage self for this one, and yes the flash back did in fact happen to me. It was really awkward)
Pt.3
bi, I like horror and art, I write sometimes when I feel like it, she/her, 18
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