"Vriska. This isn't how you make friends," she said, her voice more resigned than scornful. Her face usually seemed tired whenever you walked into the office.

"So?" You retorted, not meeting her gaze. You were currently busy seeing how many times you could kick the desk in front of you before she finally gave up talking. Not enough to dent the stupid desk or break your toes, just enough to make a "thump" noise each time. It was calming. Last time you had gotten to eight three times.

"Don't you want to have friends?" She asked.

You paused for a moment before shaking your head and scowling. "Don't need them. I've got me." And I'm the best, you thought.

"That's not really the same thing," she continued, frowning. "Don't you want someone to talk to? Friends you can pass time with?"

"Time passes whether you're alone or not," you said. "And besides, I used to play with them, but then we grew up. We don't play games anymore because we're not babies. We're going to start high school next year." Speaking of time, you wish she would stop wasting yours. Usually you had some kind of notice that you were getting dragged into Miss Fakey-Smiles office. Or, "Miss Lawrence", as you had been reminded last time you called her something more fitting. You had irons in the fire, the last ones of the school year, and here she was throwing you off schedule. Them's the breaks, you guessed, annoyed. God, you couldn't wait to be out of middle school. The only thing you were looking forward to was walking across the stage tomorrow and maybe-oh-so-quickly flipping off this stupid place as a way of saying goodbye.

"I see..." She said, making a note in one of the folders she always kept on a shelf next to her desk. This one was obviously yours, but you couldn't help but notice that it had suddenly gotten a lot thicker. If she would leave the stupid room for a minute you could find out why. Or maybe you could come back tomorrow and pick the lock a little...it would be the last day of school, for students at least, and Miss Nosy-McNaggerson didn't work on Fridays.

"Vriska?" She asked, her voice raising a bit. "Were you listening to me?"

Damn. You got distracted by your plan. Not that she needed to know that, of course. "Maybe," you shrugged. "Maybe not."

"Vriska..." she sighed. Definitely more resigned this time. Good. That usually meant you were done here.

"I asked you if the games you mentioned were the ones you played with Tavros. Tavros Nitram?"

You froze. "That was an accident," you said, trying to keep your voice level. "We were all playing a game and Tavros had an accident."

"I know Vriska, I'm simply asking you if the games you mentioned were the ones you were playing then," she said, her voice suddenly even and calm. Like the calm before a big fucking storm. You shifted in your seat a little before answering.

"Yes, it was a make-believe game," you said, choosing your words carefully. The more childish it sounded the better. That was what She had told you.

"I see," she said, her eyes boring into your skull. You still didn't look her in the eyes. It's not like you were SCARED or anything. Fear was for the weak. But She told you to stop staring at people. It made them uneasy. That was why you'd started doing it of course, you wanted people to know not to mess with you. You wanted them to know that they couldn't scare you. You were stronger than that.

"Vriska," she said again. "You mentioned before that you don't need people to talk to because you have you."

"...Yeah?" You replied, suspicious. Your stomach was starting to feel cold. Something about this wasn't right.

"Does your voice ever talk to you to keep you company?" She asked you.

"What do you mean?" You asked. "That doesn't make sense." Except that it did. You knew what she was asking. But you're weren't crazy, so she can fuck off.

"Do you ever think to yourself," she reiterated, "like you're having a conversation in your head?"

You were done with this. She didn't have any reason to be asking you these questions. "You got me," you said sarcastically, holding your hands up in mock defeat. "I just outright chat with myself 28/7. There's no shutting me up, not matter how often I tell myself to be fucking quiet."

"Uh-huh," she said, writing something else down. You couldn't believe this.

"Oh my GOD! You're not actually writing that down, are you? God, it was just a joke!" You sneered.

She frowned at you. "What happened to Tavros was no joke, Vriska. He was very seriously injured."

"I know!" You exclaimed. "Do you see me laughing? It was bad, I get it, but why are you harassing ME about it? We were all there!"

"That may be true," she said slowly.

"Of course it's true!" You responded.

"But you were the last person anyone saw with Tavros," she finished calmly.

"Hold on, anyone? You just doubted me on whether there was even anyone else around!" You shout. This is wrong. This shouldn't be happening. You already talked to the police; that was two weeks ago. You said everything She told you to. So what's this lady's deal?

"I know there were other people playing the game with you and Tavros, Vriska," she continues. "But the last time anyone can remember seeing Tavros before the accident, he was with you."

"That doesn't mean I had anything to do with it!" You yell. "You said it yourself, Tavros had an ACCIDENT. He FELL." He's always been clumsy; it's not that hard to believe.

"Is that what happened, Vriska?" She asked.

"Of course it is," you say. She was staring at you even harder now, you could feel it. It was like being under a magnify glass. Did she know something the police didn't? Was that it?

No. How would she? She was just a school counselor; she wouldn't have any information the police didn't. They'd already decided it was an accident. You were in the clear. Weren't you? You did everything She told you to, She said it would all go away-

Oh.

Oh god, what if She's getting rid of you? What if this is what She meant when She said it would all go away? Did that include you?

No. No that can't be it. It CAN'T be. It can't. You just need to get out of here, and everything will be fine.

"Since when are so interested in this?" You sneer, trying to divert the attention from yourself. "The police already took care of everything."

"Yes," she agrees slowly. "They did."

"Then are we done here?" You snap, suddenly feeling like you could jump out of your skin. You're leaving NOW. Whether she tells you you can or not.

"Not quite," she says. You stand up anyways.

"Why? What did you have me dragged in here for?" You ask, fed up. "It's the second-to-last day of school for Pete's sake!"

"Do you know what Tavros said when he woke up in the hospital, Vriska?"

"I don't know," you reply. "Hey, I can't feel my toes!' You already know he didn't say anything; he hit his head when he fell. It was in the case records.

"He said he didn't remember anything," she answered for you. Well DUH. Thanks for the shocking news!

"Yeah?" You say, taking a step towards the door. "That tends to happen when you hit your head."

"True," she agrees. "But sometimes lost memories are only gone temporarily." You freeze.

...

"I went to visit him in the hospital yesterday," she continues.

Creep.

"How's he doing?" You ask, forcing your tone to remain casual. Did he say something?

"Alright," she answers. "He's quite upset, naturally. Anyone in his situation would be. Though he's quite the trooper."

Yeah right, you think. Tavros has always been weak... Maybe you should have gone to check on him...

"He was too tired to talk for long, and his memory really is quite spotty. He may even have permanent memory loss."

If you have nothing, then why are you fishing?

"But sometimes, even if our mind doesn't actively remember an event, our subconscious does," she finishes, looking at you. You realize then that you've been staring her in the eyes. So why do you feel like she's the one whose got you pinned with her gaze?

"That's interesting," you say, walking the last couple of steps to the door without breaking eye contact. "Thanks for the psychology lesson." She says nothing for a moment, and you finally turn to leave.

"He flinched when I said your name," she says, but you're already walking away, pretending not to hear.

The last period has already ended, and the hallways have emptied of all but a few stragglers. They see the look on your face and quickly find a reason to turn away. You walk to your locker and pull out the few items you have stored there. You'd planned to clean out your locker tomorrow, but now you doubt that will be possible. Not once She finds out. This was far too close.

You sling your blue beat-up backpack over your shoulder and head back towards the main doors. You've got a long walk ahead of you, since She wasn't picking you up today. You pass several posters on your way out, all reminding students of the time of tomorrow's graduation. Too bad. You walk through the school's doors for what is more than likely the last time without looking back. There's nothing here for you.

The next afternoon though, as you and Her drive through the town pulling a U-Haul behind you, you can't shake the feeling that maybe not everyone in this place feels quite so ready to let go of you.

...

You wake up slowly, your mind still muddled with old memories. You blink, and groan as you push yourself into a sitting position. Your make-shift curtain has fallen down, and sunlight is pouring into your room. You take a deep breath, put on your glasses, and accept that the day has started. As you go about your morning rituals, you can't help but remember. You never did get to cross that stage.

AN: Happy Valentine's Day. :::; )