A/N – sorry for the wait, I have a limit to my computer time now :/ I went to upload the other night but guess what, I CLICK COMMAND H BY MISTAKE. Fuck the command h, it deleted my whole story -.- so I'm spending the weekend updating everything. And yay! No more writers block :D
{∆}
The next week is spend with Karkat, hugging, kissing, talking, everything. You just love the angry little tr- former troll to bits and you make sure he knows. He makes sure you know just how much he loves you too. It really is the best thing ever. Being with him seems to make everything easier.
The guys that used to tease you don't come near you again. They tried to get Karkat kicked out by telling the owners that he had weapons, of course they never found anything and it just made them look crazy. After that they pretty much run from the room, or to the furthest place in the room that's away from you, every time you and Karkat walk into a room.
{}∆{}
One thing you have been trying to hold off for as long as possible is going back on pesterchum. Though you know you have to. Now that you're laying on your bed starring at the ceiling with Karkat snuggled next to you, its probably the best time to go online because there is no way you're getting back to sleep. Not after another nightmare.
You sigh as you pick up your PDA, its 12:03am, great. The second you log on Rose pesters you.
-technicalTherapist [TT] began pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 00:04-
TT: John!
TT: John answer me!
TT: John!
EB: rose!
EB: calm down, you need to at least give me a chance to answer.
TT: I apologize, but you have not been on, I've been worried.
EB: sure you have.
TT: I have John, I didn't know if you were okay.
EB: rose, i already know karkat told you.
TT: Oh.
TT: Well then, your online sarcasm makes quite a bit more sense.
EB: yep.
TT: Then please, do tell me why?
EB: its just… well, hard.
TT: Everyone has it hard John.
TT: Not just you.
EB: i know, but it really is.
EB: with all the bullying and the foster homes.
EB: i didn't know what to do anymore.
TT: We've all be bullied, and not all your foster parents were that bad.
EB: but most of them were, and I still came back either way.
EB: and i thought karkat was dead, or didn't exist or something.
TT: You are not the only one who fell in love with a troll John.
TT: I did as well; I have yet to see Kanaya as you have Karkat.
EB: oh, right.
TT: Exactly, and Jane has experienced some bad bullying as well.
TT: She was almost beaten to death.
EB: what? when?
TT: Quite some time ago. I don't know many of the details.
TT: And Roxy was placed in a mental hospital as well.
EB: what?
TT: yes, she happened to let something slip about the game and was classified crazy.
EB: why don't you guys tell me this stuff?
TT: We already knew you were going through a hard time.
EB: and not telling me things helps that does it?
EB: it's the same as lying to me.
EB: i hate being lied to!
EB: you know that!
TT: …It had something to do with David, didn't it?
EB: what? don't try to change the subject!
TT: So it did.
EB: I never said that!
TT: But I am still correct.
EB: …yeah.
TT: I hope that you know he did not want to break his promise, he had no choice.
EB: how do you know?
TT: He was able to talk to me yesterday while you were offline.
EB: WHAT?
TT: He was online for a small amount of time.
EB: and he told you why he hasn't been on, and why we haven't heard a word from him and dirk in years?
TT: Yes.
EB: tell me! please! i need to know!
TT: I cannot.
EB: why?
TT: I promised David I wouldn't tell you, unless you had already figured it out or he told you.
EB: figured what out?
TT: John, you remember that man your second foster parent sold you to?
EB: of course! how could I forget?
EB: but how does that relate?
TT: Try to think, you said you felt like you'd seen him before.
TT: Figure it out John.
-technicalTherapist [TT] ceased pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 00:10-
You frown slightly and wonder what Rose meant. You're mind instantly wanders to the day Dave and Dirk were adopted.
{}{∆}{}
Dave, Dirk and yourself walk in to the orphanage after a day of hanging out. You were out at the town for most of the day but had to return because it was getting close to curfew, which sucked. As you walk in you are greeted by one of the people who work there. She has a man next to her; he looks in his mid-thirties and is wearing a drench coat, which hides his top, and a pair of black jeans. He looks pretty normal, average height, not skinny, not fat, but something was off. You study his face, grey eyes, a crooked nose and a menacing smile. Its that smile that unhinges you.
"David-" The girl starts, only to be interrupted by Dave.
"Dave." The Strider corrects her.
"Oh, right, I'm sorry. Dave, Dirk this is your knew foster father. His name is George." She finishes, motioning to the man next to her.
"Why, aren't you a pair of handsome young lads, your friends not that bad looking either, I hope I'm not leaving a broken heart or two by adopting you both." The man says, it seems to be in good humor but after so long on each because of the game you developed this sense of knowing when someone, or something's, dangerous. This man, George, gave you that feeling.
"Yeah, well, we are Striders." Dave says, as if that alone should clarify everything.
"And don't worry bout the broken hearts, they were gonna break eventually anyway." Dirk adds.
"Oh, does that mean you both have already set your eyes on someone then?" George asked, smirking a little more creepily then is probably normal.
"What no way!" Dave denies, a bit to quickly.
"Yep." Dirk answers, poker face and empty tone the same as always.
"Oh~ Dave's got a crush!" You tease, the slightest tone of unease in your voice.
"What? No way Egbert! Shut your buck tooth mouth!" Dave says, you can tell he's blushing though. It makes you giggle uncontrollably.
"Watch out Bro, your face is getting almost as red as your eyes." Dirk smirks at him, and Dave blushes more.
"Fuck you guys I'm going to pack!" Dave says, flash-stepping out of the room.
"Oh, isn't he fast." George comments.
"Yes, both the Strider boys are very fast." The woman says and, as if to clarify her point, Dirk flash-steps away too.
"Hey! Guys! Wait up!" You yell, running after them and using the wind to give you some extra speed.
When you reach the room Dave and Dirk are already packing and your face drops because they're leaving and you're not getting to go along.
"What's wrong with your face Egderp? You're not smiling." Dave says, poking your forehead.
"I just… I'm gonna be all alone again." You mumble.
"What? You plan on going somewhere?" Dave asks and you look up weirdly at him.
"No, but your being adopted." You reply.
"So? Who said we weren't coming back?" Dave says, smirking at you.
"But George adopted both of you, wasn't that your condition thingy?" You ask.
"It was, but he didn't adopt you. Can't really leave you alone, can I Egbert?" Dave says and you smile wildly.
"So you guys are coming back?" You ask, just to confirm.
"Hey Bro, how long do you reckon it'll take to get this guy to send us back?" Dave calls over his shoulder to Dirk, who's smirking at Dave while he finishes packing.
"Don't know, maybe a week at most. That's if we be nice." He says back. Dave turns back to you.
"See that, one week. Then we'll be back, got it?" He says and you nod and hug him.
"One week." You reply.
{}{}∆{}{}
It hadn't been a week of course; it had been a lot longer then a week.
{}{}{∆}{}{}
2 weeks later. It was 2 whole weeks. You were starting to doubt Dave and his promise. You sit on your bed, trying to figure out what could be keeping them from leaving; maybe George was harder to piss off then most people.
Your thoughts are halted by the sound of your name being called over the school-like stereo system and you get up to go to the office. Standing there is one of the other workers; this one's a guy, with a very baggy looking man next to him. The man smells of drugs and looks as though he lives on the streets.
"John, this is your new dad, his names Bill." The man says. You stare at him as if he's joking.
"…You're kidding me, right?" You ask.
"Wait? Joking? Of course not. Now go, pack your things. Bill doesn't have all day." The man shoos you off and you go do as he said, however long you're with this person is going to be hell. You just know it.
Its maybe 3 days before Bill brings gives you something that makes it really hard to think, you're led to some alleyway and you don't try to stop it even though you know you should, you know you should run, but you don't. You can hear two men agreeing over something, but it doesn't register in your head. Then the next thing you know you're in a room, its only got a bed, four walls, a floor, a ceiling, a door and a light. That's all. The door creaks open and you have the worst headache ever as you try to recall what happened before. You try to go over what the two men were fighting over, it takes you forever just to realize that the two men were your foster father and some other guy. The next thing that you remember is that it had something to do with money. A price. Oh god, you were just sold.
"Oh look, blue eyes is awake." A chuckling voice calls. You look towards it and see a menacing face looking down at where you are sitting on the floor. A face that looks familiar, but why... why… why… why… why?
{}{}{}∆{}{}{}
Your eyes widen as you realize why he looked so familiar, the man who almost raped you was George.
The realization makes you figure out what happened to Dave and Dirk and why they never came back and why they were never online and you have think you've forgotten how to breath because here you were being mad at your best friend when your best friend was suffering.
"John? Are you okay?" Karkat asks, wiping the sleep from his eyes. You realize you've been repeating 'oh god' over and over. You quickly hug Karkat tightly and, though he seems surprised, Karkat hugs back comfortingly.
{}{}{}{∆}{}{}{}
It's a whole week before you hear anything from Dave, apparently the place he was 'working' was uncovered a little while ago and he's been in the hospital for a couple of weeks. The instant he goes online you start pestering him.
-ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 15:35pm-
EB: dave!
EB: are you there?
EB: are you okay dave?
EB: please tell me your alright and not hurt!
TG: geez egbert, give a dude a chance to reply
EB: oh right. sorry.
EB: I did the same thing rose did to me.
TG: what happened to you
EB: nothing! i'm fine! its not important!
TG: rose already told me about your suicide attempt
EB: what? oh, well. then i guess you already know.
TG: yep
EB: i should probably tell you i already know what happened to you as well…
TG: what
TG: …rose told you, didnt she
EB: no, I figured it out.
TG: figured it out
TG: how is that even possible
TG: you just guess and reckon you got it right or something
EB: no… it kinda, almost, happened to me too.
TG: …what
EB: i was adopted 2 weeks later.
EB: my foster father sold me to george.
TG: shit dude
TG: what do you mean 'almost'
EB: just before things got… bad, the police showed up.
EB: they found bill trying to buy weed and he told them that he sold me for the money.
EB: so it didn't out of hand.
TG: shit bro.
EB: it doesn't matter really; it was a long time ago.
EB: are you okay?
TG: ive been better
TG: but im out of that hell hole now so im better then ive been in years
EB: where are you?
TG: a hospital, why
EB: because i want to see you is why.
TG: im at the hospital in the same town we were at the orphanage in
EB: i'll see you in a little bit then.
EB: no disappearing acts, got it?
TG: heh, ill try dude
-ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 15:42pm-
"So Dave was on?" Karkat asks. You nod.
"Yep, come on." You answer, grabbing his arm and pulling him up with you.
"Where the fuck are we going?" Karkat asks as you lead him out of the orphanage.
"To see Dave." You answer. The hospital is on the other side of the city so you have to take a bus. You're lucky though because you only have to wait a few minutes before the bus arrives.
The twenty minute bus ride is silent, neither you nor Karkat talk. He holds your hand as you step off the bus and head for the check in at the hospital.
"Good afternoon." The lady behind the desk greets you.
"Hello, could you please tell me which room Dave Strider is in." You request, the lady looks you up and down.
"I was informed that the Striders were orphans, so you can not be family members of the two.
"No, I'm Dave's best friend, John Egbert." You say.
"Is there anyway you can prove this?" She asks. You're about to open your mouth to say something when your PDA beeps.
"Sorry sir, but no mobile phones are allowed to be turned on in the hospital." She said.
"Its not a fucking phone. It's a PDA." Karkat retorts, obviously annoyed with the women. You check the message on your phone.
-turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 16:05-
TG: oh yeah, the lady at the front is pretty bitchy
TG: tell her to look though the computer
TG: i told them to put you on the visitors list
EB: thanks dave!
EB: see you in a minute or two!
TG: whatever, cant wait to see you too egderp
-turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 16:06-
You smile and turn your attention back to the women.
"Check the computer, I'm on the visitors list." You say. The lady checks the list and nods.
"It appears you are. Mr. Strider is in room 413." She says.
"Thank you." You smile. "Come on Karkat, let's go." You add, pulling your boyfriend towards the elevator.
It takes a whole of five minutes to get to the room Dave's in. When you do you realize that Dave and Dirk are in the same room.
"Dave!" You call happily, hugging the blonde instantly.
"Sup Egderp." Dave says, but he hugs you back.
"Are you okay?" You ask him.
"Better then I have been for a few years." He replies, you pull away from the hug and smile at him. "Who's the kid?" Dave asks, pointing at Karkat who is leaning in the doorway.
"Huh? Oh! Hehe, I'm pretty certain you've already met Karkat." You giggle. Dave raises an eyebrow at you.
"Vantas? Dude, what happened to your horns?" Dave asked, though he smirked slightly at Karkat.
"I'm fucking human now Strider, deal with it." Karkat said, though he was smirking too.
You spend the next few hours talking with Dave. You tell him of Jades plan to send you all over there once you turn 18, which is in a few weeks. Everyone else is already 18 but you and Jane and apparently Rose went there this morning and quite a few of the trolls have already arrived as well. You keep talking until visiting hours are over, and then you walk out happily, in a few weeks this'll all be over and you'll be safe and on Jade and Jakes island. You only realized after you left that you forgot to mention you and Karkat are dating.
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A/N ~ hey guys, guess what I just did
Fucked up my arm. The doctors think it's broken.
So much for netball tomorrow, so much for quick updates too.
Oh, and I might add another chapter later. :)
...but maybe not, i dont know *shrug*