Painted Walls

Chapter 1 - Beginning of the End

"Shooooosh. They're talking, dumbass. Shut your whore mouth and listen well"

Since when Terezi had become such a bad-mouthed girl? She wasn't the kind who would use such words without a good reason. Better, since when Terezi had become all of this? She had become almost unrecognizable, if it wasn't for her appearance, but even that was falling apart slowly. Maybe it all happened in the period of time he wasn't there. Why he did even left her alone all that time? Now she was undoubtly sick, destroyed, and it was all his fault. Well, it really wasn't, but he felt like it.

It all happened about three months ago. It was actually a normal day at school, which was actually something unpleasant in Karkat's point of view. To be honest, he hated every single day. To being more honest, he pretty much hated everything. The only thing he couldn't hate was her. Terezi Pyrope always was, literally, the light of his life. He had thought so many times in giving up on everything, that nobody would miss him. Maybe nobody would miss him at all. But still, just to remember her smile, those blue-tealed eyes, that was enough to make him give up of any idea of such kind.

The bell rang and, unfortunatelly, the first class was Math. "Ugh, Math" Karkat sighed, loud enough to call attention of two of his friends. "Well KK, at leatht I hope you made that math thethon". Well... shit. He completely forgot about that. "Haha woah, I'm pretty sure you didn't even remember" Dave turned back, now facing to him. "Well who cares at all! Like it's not even the first time this happen ugh". "It seems that someone woke up as grumpy as ever" Dave teased. Karkat simply cursed under his breath. "By the way KK, where'th TZ?" Sollux said as he caught a book. Karkat looked to his left. There was an empty chair. That was wrong. Where the hell Terezi was? She never came late to classes. It's true that there's always a first time to everything but that didn't make sense at all. He would know if she was sick or someone died or something alike. On top of that, she always liked to come to school. She hated staying home, not because she would be bored but mostly because she hated her father, her stepmother and her half-older-sister. They weren't bad to her, it's just that they never understood her at all. Shit, Math class just started and she still wasn't there. Just when the teacher finished the attendance list, someone knocked on the door. It was the coordinator but as soon as the boys looked better, she was behind her, apologizing for being late. Terezi was dressed with her favorite hoodie, black tight jeans and a red converse. "Weird" Karkat thought, as he noticed she wasn't wearing her usual red sunglasses. She sat on her chair and dropped her bag on the floor. "Hey you dumbfuck, where have you been?". No response. "TZ?" Sollux looked back to face her. No response. "Oh my God Terezi, what is wrong with you?" Dave called her. No response.

"Can the quartet on the back please keep silent?" the teacher drummed his fingers on the board "We have to continue. Now open your books, I'm going to check your homework. Don't even dare to copy right now or else things will get complicated for you." he threatened. He passed desk by desk until he reached Terezi's desk. "Miss Pyrope, can you show me your homework?". She kept silent for some seconds until she murmured "I'm sorry, I didn't make it". Karkat almost thought the teacher's eyes would fall of his orbs. "You... didn't? I didn't expect it at all but... I'm still going to need your number for the annotation". She answer it with another murmur. "Woah Terezi, are you feeling well? Did something happened? Wait, someone did something with you?" Karkat hissed, already with clenched fists. "No, I'm fine. Just... Leave me alone for a while, okay?" Terezi pulled her kelly-green hood, in an attemp to cover her eyes. Karkat was about to say something but Dave pushed his shirt, as if he was trying to say that he should shut the fuck up on that instant. "Let her for a while, man. It won't be good" Dave murmured. Karkat made an angry face, but in the end he didn't say anything. Damn it, what the hell was happening after all? That wasn't even close to the usual Terezi. The Terezi he knew. Why was she like that? He couldn't understand at all. And during all day she didn't say a word about it.

Just when they were about to go home, Karkat tried once more to help her. He couldn't stand it. And why didn't she say anything? They were friends, right? Of course, he would fuck up with things usually but she never seemed troubled about it. Did she? "Hey Tez, wait a second. We need to talk" he grabbed her by the shoulder. "I'm sorry Karkat but I need to go home. I... I have a lot of things to do and I can't waste much time... There's some works due tomorrow". "Terezi, tomorrow is Saturday". "Oh... I see then... Still I mus-" Terezi couldn't finish her line. Karkat was holding her arm, making her unable to go away. He was short, not much taller than her - and she was pretty short - but his strenght compensated his size. "Please, just let me help you for once. Is it something that I done? Come the fuck on Tez, I don't want to see you sad". He felt that she was looking at him but in the end she just asked for him let go and walked away. Since this day on Terezi never was the same.

- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 14:53 -

CG: HEY SHITHEAD

TG: yo man

TG: whats up with pyrope anyway

TG: is she sick or something

CG: I DON'T KNOW SHE DIDN'T TELL ME ANYTHING

CG: I DON'T HAVE A VAGUE IDEA OF WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG

CG: I HAVEN'T SEEN HER IN DAYS

TG: thats lame

TG: what the fuck did you do for gods sake

CG: I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING SHITHEAD

CG: WELL APPARENTLY

TG: touche

CG: SHE SAID IT'S NOT MY FAULT

CG: I WANT TO BELIEVE BUT IT'S HARD TO

TG: i see

TG: well ill try to talk to her again

CG: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY *AGAIN*?

TG: shes avoiding me too

CG: WHAT

TG: yeah and sollux too

TG: but anyway if i get something ill call you

TG: or pester you

TG: i dont know whatever

TG: gotta to do some shit here

TG: bye

CG: ...YEAH BYE

- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG] at 15:28 -

Karkat hit his head on the keyboard. And now she was also avoiding Dave? That couldn't be weirder. Why the fuck she was doing that in the first place? He couldn't even remember what was the last time he saw her. Days? Weeks? Months? Well things wouldn't stay in that way too longer. He would talk to her on that instant.

Karkat knocked on the door a few times after a sleepy figure step outside. "What the heck do you want?" she yawned and gave him a severe look. "Look Vriska, I'm only here to talk to Terezi okay, if she's not here just tell me the fuck already so I can leave". Vriska Serket wasn't the type of girl Karkat would like to have around. She was always a "bitch-like", talking to people with such a superior tone and acting like if she was the best. Karkat hated it. He never blame Terezi at least once about her. Terezi didn't like her, and the few things she ever said about her never sounded any positive to him. As told by her own half-sister, Vriska had the apparent habit of getting guys in the house and make out with them. Also she would hold several loud parties when their parents weren't there. "Well Terezi..." she hesitated. That was indeed weird. "Look, to be honest I don't know" she made a signal for him to come in. "What the hell?" Karkat almost shouted. "No, really, I don't know. I'm not sure if she's home, if she's off somewhere..." Vriska sighed, as she jump in the couch "I thought she was with you or one of those dumb friends you got... But apparently it doesn't seems so...". "Yeah indeed. Nothing about your parents or her mother or something?" he was already getting nervous, feeling his hands getting a bit sweaty. "Ha, like if those two gave a single fuck" she gave a short ironic laugh "And her mother, well you know, nothing as usual. Being as distant as she is I wouldn't expect less of her". He buffed and leaned against the sofa "Hey can I go upstairs?" he asked. "I haven't heard a single noise from her room all day, do you really think she's there?" Vriska gave him an angry look. He was ready to give a long speech about how she was wrong and how she didn't care a little bit for her half-sister but instead he just got up and walked towards the stairs. "Just don't make too much noise okay? I have guests" Vriska said, and by the way she said it, he was aware of what kind of "guests" she was having.

He walked slowly to Terezi's room and knocked on her (apparent) locked door "Hey Tez, are you there?". No response. "Terezi, come on, can I come in?" he insisted. "Well fuck you, I'm coming" he sighed and opened the door. He stared with wide eyes. The room was incredibly a mess - her dragon plushies hanged, piles of clothes and books throw everywhere. Also a great variety of uncommon food was stuck the ground as well, along with several bottles of soda. He also did spotted some nail polish thrown in the ground, with such a smell that made his head dizzy for a few seconds. "Oh my fucking God" Karkat approached and saw her sleeping. No wonder why Vriska didn't noticed. There she was, curled on her bed, shaking. "Oh my God Terezi, are you okay?! Come on, talk to me!" he shouted. She didn't answer, which made him more out of control. "Please, please, Terezi wake up, come on Tez!" he shouted louder. With heavy footsteps Vriska approached, along with her "guest". "Terezi?" she shouted. "Uh, I'm going to call for help" the other guy went downstairs, in a quick, yet clumsy way. "Uh... Karkat? What the...?" Terezi stammered, her voice sounding sleepy. Shortly after she started to cough. "Terezi?" Vriska seemed to be in schock, as worried as she was with her half-sister "No Terezi, keep on!" she shouted "Tavros are you done there?!". "Uhmn yes! Let's go!" he shouted back. Everyone got in the car and they drove to the hospital.

Karkat stomped the whole time she was far away from him. Oh dear lord, what in hell could have happened? Why she was like that? And why the doctors were taking so long? "Hey Tav, you can call your friends inside" the doctor, aparently Tavros' father, said, slightly opening the door. Vriska and Karkat didn't even wait for Tavros say something before they could slam the door and get in the room. Terezi was sleeping, with a heavy breathing and God, in that moment Karkat felt he was about to cry. He had no longer doubts that she was sick and there was him - the typical asshole who couldn't do anything to help her. Shit. Oh shit. "No, don't worry, she's is not going to die" the doctor said, as if he was reading the young's thoughts "It's just that she needs more recovery... I believe she's with asthmatic bronchitis and if she gets the right treatment, she'll be okay" he showed a faint smile. "However..." he paused and took a long breath "I believe there's something more worrying right now". "So tell it!" Karkat stuttered. "I think Terezi will need to stay in a clinic for a while... Apparently..." he sighed "She got some serious mental instability. I believe she will need to stay in a special clinic for a while"

Note: HELL YES. I've been meaning to write this for a pretty while but I kind of forgot it and my ideas got a little faint. But now I'm feeling more uhhh, cONFIDENT,,, towards this (even if the title REALLY sucks, as I couldn't manage to think of anything better. No, to being fully honest everything around here sucks). I wish I manage to write everything right though. Well, and this was chapter 1, more like a faint flashback of Karkat's memories. Now things are going to begin for real and I wish you get prepared for this! I would really, really appreciate reviews, favourites, follows and all of this. So yeeeeeeeeah, see you soon? 38D