Shadow
"Shads? …Shaaaaaaadow."
Shadow let out a vague groan, trying to still hang on to the last strands of his nap.
"Hello? Earth to my brooding, edgy brother."
His eyes opening slowly, then quickly closing again at the bright fluorescent lights, Shadow turned over in his makeshift bed comprised of two stiff armchairs, pulling his jacket over his head.
"Five more minutes… or years…" he mumbled.
"Sorry, but you told me to wake you at 9:30, and it is indeed 9:30," Maria leaned over her bed, beginning to poke the back of Shadow's head repeatedly. "Now, waaaaaaaake up. Go get that bread!"
"…Is that something the teens are saying these days?"
"Well at least people on the internet do," she shrugged.
"Mmmmh… can you go get it for me," Shadow whined, curling into a ball under his blanket of a jacket.
"Yes, because what this hospital needs is a terminally ill teenager sitting at their front desk. Very professional vibes." Maria stared at the ball that was once her brother, sighing playfully at his immaturity. "And you're supposed to be the grown up one here…"
"I need a break. You can be the grown up. I bequeath my title to you, my lady."
Maria chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Thank you, my liege, but I'm afraid I must rescind thine offer, for I am but a humble maiden who would not be up to the task." She gave an exaggerated half-bow. "Now get up, lazy bones." She kicked out a foot, knocking Shadow's chairs out of their careful alignment.
Shadow's arms flailed slightly as he almost fell onto the tile below. He sat up, pulling his jacket off his head, pouting. "How rude."
"You'd be more upset if I let you be late for your shift," she responded matter-of-factly.
Well, he couldn't deny that.
"Now go obtain that grain. Grab that gluten. Procure that pan. Retrieve that roll—"
"Okay, okay, please stop with the carbohydrate-based jokes. I'm up now." Shadow gave a long stretch of his stiff limbs, finally standing from his chair.
He checked the time on his phone. At least he had enough time to get some coffee.
He let out a breath. "After this morning, let's just hope nothing too dramatic happens tonight. I don't think I can take another code coming in."
Maria gave a kind smile. "You'll have a good night; you deserve it."
Shadow let out something of a laugh. "I'll believe it when I see it." He slung his bag back on his shoulder, lingering by the door. "Alright, I'm gonna go get some filthy bean water to wake me up. You behave. And don't stay up too late."
Maria hummed. "I'll think about it."
Shadow rolled his eyes before stepping back out into the hallway and, unfortunately, back into his next shift.
Making a quick stop by the coffee dispenser in the break room, and grabbing a package of donuts from the vending machine, Shadow situated himself at his desk once more, preparing for what was sure to be a long and boring night. Hopefully.
About halfway through his fifth solitaire game, Shadow sighed, looking towards the clock on the nearby wall.
Goddamnit, it's only 11:45.
He'd already finished all his self-appointed tasks for the day during his morning shift. Organizing the desktop on his computer, cleaning his desk, getting ahead on homework, cleaning his desk again. There was only so much desk-warming he could do.
Fixing his gaze to the television across from him. A movie had been playing for some time; a period piece from years ago—Jane Hare, if he remembered correctly.
The titular bunny character stood silhouetted as her rich, handsome love-interest took her hand in his as he confessed his feelings in a monologue of old-English prose.
As much as he despised the genre, he did find himself gravitating towards these silly romance films more often than not. He would blame it on a young Maria's influence, but that would be something of a lie.
Watching these movies always left him with a vague sense of melancholy afterwards, a feeling he'd always shoved back before he had the time to examine it.
He shook his head, tearing his eyes away from the actors' passionate onscreen kiss.
No time to concern myself with superfluous thoughts like this.
He glanced down towards his phone beside him, an unopened text notification still sitting on the lockscreen.
The Miscreant
"hey, hope works not too rough on ya, shads! i'm gonna go run real fast ;D"
Shadow had considered replying some hours ago, out of some sense of courtesy, maybe, but quickly fought that urge back.
What would he even say?
'Thanks'?
'Please stop texting me; we're not friends'?
Or even worse, 'good luck'?
He sneered at the thought.
It wasn't class-related, so he didn't have to dignify it with a response.
Though… it was a nice gesture, he supposed. The fact that Sonic took the time to text Shadow something so trivial bewildered him.
But, given the track star's seemingly endless attempts to be friends with everyone, he figured he shouldn't be too surprised.
He flipped his phone over face-down. Out of sight, out of mind.
A voice that sounded too much like Rouge giggled in his head. You're still trying really hard to not like this guy, aren't you? Even you can't keep this cold, distant, disaffected act up forever, you know.
Shadow crossed his arms, leaning back into the desk chair. He had learned to deal with some of Sonic's more...grating traits, sure, but he definitely wasn't trying to be chummy with the guy either.
It wasn't his fault that Sonic had no concept of boundaries. Everytime Shadow was around him, he'd always end up disheveled and uncomposed. He hated not having control, and Sonic was just too chaotic for him to handle.
No, I just need to be cordial. Then I can graduate, and I'll never have to see him ever again.
Resuming his game of solitaire, Shadow quickly finished organizing the cards into their proper spots, triggering the chiptune victory music and the 8-bit fireworks blooming across the screen.
The sound of the automatic doors sliding open startled Shadow.
"Help!" A voice shouted between rasping breaths, "My little brother. He's—"
Shadow snapped his head towards the sound, jumping up from his seat, meeting the wild eyes of a shaking Sonic, cradling a small vomit-stained fox boy in his arms.
"Please! I don't—" Tears lingered unshed at the corners of his eyes, as he struggled to string a sentence together in between hyperventilated breaths. Shadow's stomach dropped from the sheer look of terror painted on Sonic's face. "I don't know what to do."
