Chapter 3: Report Trouble
Chara couldn't wait for school to end. It was Friday and it was only about 20 minutes until the bell rang and she could be released from the miserable place people called 'school'. The minutes ticked by slowly and Mr. Segel was talking about my history. Chara hated history. One because she didn't really understand it, and two because of the day before when everyone laughed at her. Not to mention her teacher grabbing her clothing and pushing her to the ground.
Chara wore a double yellow, short sleeved striped shirt with long dark green jeans and of course her locket. Her short hair was put up into two ponytails on either side of her head. She decided that she was going to wear something that the teacher couldn't hold onto her with.
She thought it would be best if she had the upper-hand on the last day of school before the weekend. All she had to do was wait another 15 minutes and she was home free.
10 more minutes. She thought.
5 more…
Chara was getting excited. She could finally go home and not worry about anything for two days. Just a few more minutes. Chara watched the clock tick minutes after minute until there were seconds left.
Chara closed her eyes as she heard the loud bell ring and everyone grabbed their belongings. Chara gave a sigh of relief as her teacher didn't call on her again. This time, she wanted to get out before her evil teacher could hold her back again.
Chara but on her backpack and hurried out the door. As she thought she was safe she heard the horrible voice of her teacher calling back in. Chara froze in the middle of the hallway. Her hand holding the straps of her backpack, Chara didn't want to go back. She wanted to go home. She heard her name being called again and she knew she had to listen.
She slowly turned back to face the teacher she hated so much. She walked forward slowly as he guided her back into the classroom and closed the door behind her. Chara felt very scared now. He had closed the door. That was never a good thing. Chara walked over to one of the desks in the front row distancing herself from her creepy teacher.
Chara breathed in and out. She tried to stay calm. She had to.
"So Chara," Mr. Segel started "Do you know why I called you back in here?"
Chara really wasn't sure. But whatever it was it could be good.
"I left my textbook in the class?" She said trying to act like innocent and unaware of what was happening.
"No." He answered strictly.
Chara bit her lip. She looked up at the clock quickly. She was going to be late for her bus. I hope this doesn't take long...
"I wanted to remind you that your report card has been sent home today. Your parents will find out how bad you've been doing Chara. You won't be able to hide it any longer."
Chara knew she wasn't doing well but she never thought she was doing really bad. Yesterday he told her she was failing and it must be true. Chara never did any of the homework. Whenever Toriel asked her she needed any help, Chara would say no and never do it. Mom must think I'm super smart or something! When she gets that report card, she's going to get really angry at me!
Chara didn't notice that Mr. Segel got very close to her very quickly. Chara almost had a heart attack by how close he was.
"Now Chara," he said trying to act sweet but Chara knew otherwise "I don't want you to tell anyone about what happened yesterday."
Chara knew she hadn't. She didn't want to. She didn't think anyone would believe her even if she showed someone her bruises on her knees. She could have easily tripped and fallen on her own.
"And I don't want anyone to know what I'm about to do right now."
Chara tensed up as she saw his hand raise up and come swinging toward her face.
Chara stumbled out of the classroom with giant hand marks on her face. She tried desperately to hold back her tears but she was afraid she had run out of them already. She walked out into to open to find her bus and her brother hoping they didn't already leave.
She didn't even notice the sounds this time. She just wanted to go home. Asriel was calling her name as Chara followed the sound of his voice to the bus. When she saw Asriel his happy face of seeing her quickly turned into a frown of concern.
"Chara! Oh my stars! What happened? Are you okay?"
Chara didn't say anything and got onto the bus and sat at the back. She didn't want to talk about what happened. She was still processing if it had really happened or not. Chara was not okay.
The bus ride felt like hours to Chara. She waited for her stop so she could get off and go home. She needed to get her report card before her parents could see it. When the bus stopped, Chara grabbed her bag, stood up and walked down the aisle of the bus. She could hear the kids on the bus whispering.
"What's wrong with her?"
"Did she get in a fight?"
"Serves her right to get that mark. Freak!"
Chars tried to ignore the chatter as much as she could. She stepped off the bus with Asriel who had waited for her on the sidewalk.
The way back home was quite. Asriel tried to talk a few times to get a conversation going but Chara wasn't interested in talking. She just wanted to go home. She felt safer at home. There was no one to call her out. Or hit her. She wanted the peace and quiet of sitting in her room.
Chara was looking at the sidewalk beneath her feet as she was walking. The newer looking sidewalk fitted with the new houses on the street. Chara knew they had just built these houses for monsters and there were other neighborhoods that added extra houses on their streets to accommodate the monsters. New houses were still being built on her street and it was noisy.
Banging and screeching were noises that Chara hated to hear on her walk home. They'll be gone soon. Chara thought as she looked up at the almost finished houses across the street.
Chara turned her head back to the sidewalk that was newly paved as well. She could tell it was new because where the bus stop was it was near the end of where the old street used to be before the monsters came. They had paved a new road and sidewalk for the houses that the monsters would live in.
Chara was now walking up to her house with a red sports car in the driveway. Great. The bone bag is back. Chara rolled her eyes as she saw her mailbox. She ran up to it hoping that her report card would still be there. Please still be there! Please let be there!
Chara opened up the mailbox and frowned as she saw all the mail was gone. Shit. She said in her head because heaven forbid she was supposed to say it out loud. She turned to the house where she knew she was going to be bombarded with questions from Papyrus like
"How was your day?"
"Do you want me to take your lunch bag for you?"
"Would you care for a snack?"
Chara thought Papyrus was the better brother of the skeletons. He hated Sans' puns. That was what Chara liked about him most. Also the fact that he was just so innocent and happy all the time. She envied that.
She turned the door handle to be, just as suspected, almost scared by Papyrus saying
"Welcome home human Chara!"
Chara walked into the house as Papyrus asked if he could take her bags for her as usual. Chara wanted to know if Sans was her as well. She wasn't in the mood to see OR hear him today.
"Papyrus?" Chara said softly to the tall happy skeleton
"Yes child?" He said back looking down at her with a genuine smile unlike Sans' painted one.
"Is….um...is your brother here as well?" Chara asked clearly avoiding saying Sans' name.
"Sans? No. He didn't come over today. Why do you ask?"
Chara froze for a second. She wasn't how to answer. She could just say 'I wanted to because i don't like your brother.' or 'He think I killed people so I don't want to talk to him'. Definitely not the latter. Chara had to think quick.
"Oh! Um...beeecaaaause I….um...I.."
Chara tilted her head down not looking at Papyrus. She really didn't know what to say. She was lost for words.
"Let me guess." Papyrus said catching her attention back up at him.
"You don't to hear his awful puns? Right?" Papyrus said looking proud that he thought he knew what she was going to say.
"um...yes. Chara said hoping that the skeleton would believe her.
"You didn't want to sound impolite correct?" He asked her again.
"Yep." Chara sounding boring from the conversation and started looking around the front hall the the mail.
Chara still had her mission. She needed to find her report card. She HAD to find her report card.
"Human." Papyrus said in a puzzled tone. "What are you doing?"
"Looking…" Chara said trying to walk away from Papyrus. It's not that she didn't like Papyrus, she just wasn't in the mood for talking.
"Oh alright. Well I'm starting to make dinner. So call me if you need help finding what you are looking for? Nyeh heh heh!" he said with his signature trademarked laugh.
Chara didn't have time to respond. She looked up and down the house. It isn't here. Chara turned to Papyrus who was starting to make his 'famous' spaghetti. Did he already get the mail?
Chara walked up to Papyrus. Although she wasn't in the mood for talking, she HAD to get that report card.
"Papyrus?" Chara asked a bit shyly
"Hm? Yes human Chara?" Papyrus said having his back turned
"Did you get the mail before you came here?"
"hmmm….Yes! I did. Why is that what you were looking for?"
Chara almost froze. How did he know?
Papyrus was great at that. He had no idea. He was oblivious to things until he says exactly what's wrong. It's weird.
"Y-yeah..was there..um...an big brown envelope in the mail?" Chara said a bit freaked out that Papyrus said what she was looking for.
"Well yes I there was!" He said continuing to work on his pasta dish.
"Well where is it?" Chara said a bit harshly.
"Um...oh my! I forgot!" he said almost cheerfully.
Chara's jaw dropped. He forgot?! How do you forget where you but a giant envelope?!
Chara scoffed, rolled her eyes and continued looking. That was a huge waste of time! Chara thought as she looked under pillows and chairs. Where did that pasta loving skeleton put my fricking report card?!
Chara lost track of the time. She knew her mother wouldn't be home before dinner. She always worked late at her school. Yeah. she ran a school. It was a monster and human school where they could all get along together. At first it did great, lots of monster and human children got along in a safe environment. Than a rule past and monsters were allowed in all public schools. Toriel's school still had lots of attendants but lots of students went to other schools. Chara and Asriel were going to go to their mother's school but they all thought that it would be weird to go to a school where your mom is the principal.
Chara tried desperately to search the whole house for that damn report card. She looked literally everywhere. By dinner she was so tired. She was so sure Papyrus had lost them blow in the wind outside. It was hopeless. She never the report card before her mother got home. She was doomed.
After dinner, Chara went to look through the entire house again. But still couldn't find the mail. She wanted to scream. Cry. Anything that would help get anger out. She would stomp up and down, throw a temper tantrum like a child. Sadly, she didn't get to let her anger out. Why?
Because her mother just got home.
