AN: 16th of December! Whoo! That is when the game gets released and I will look forward to it. Though, the trailer is freaking scary and you probably don't want to see it for those who haven't! Might not play it, but I'll see how it goes since it is already one of my priorities.
I am finally back in the game and I have this chapter to release. So far, I made nine chapters ready, but the rest will be on hold or in writing development so that I could see the game and decide how it will go out in this story on whether it will be canon or not. It will be a hard choice, but it will be worth it!
I am surprised by how many people read this. Reaching at 1,765 views so far and nearly every month, I kept seeing hundreds of views. I am stunned by this, so I'll try to keep going with this story. However, don't get too attached because it may not be what you expect it to be.
This is probably going to be the first story I made that will be genre-busting and a new experiment I am working on. I nearly forgot to mention to you all that this story will be a Horror-Comedy, Musical, Action story.
Yep, it is going to be a musical! So, in reference to I.M. Rally's and MasterClass60's Trolls stories, there will be musical scenes with original music songs mostly written by me.
This is something I've never done before and I want to try it out for Security Breach for its neon, 80s-styled theme. It will be more lighter and breezier than my first FNAF story 'Raging Wind', but it will still have dark moments! This is going to be a crazy journey and I love it!
Like last time, I'm including characters made by other authors on FanFiction! So here, we introduce I.M Rally and MasterClass60 since they have became good friends of mine. You will see some elements from their stories similar to here. I will also be using an old character created by AzureStriker60 in addition and another character made by newcomer King Halloween from Wattpad. They will be introduced as the chapters go on.
I like to give thanks to my best friends I.M. Rally and MasterClass60 for being good sports in helping out this story and introducing their characters to me for this occasion. This story is for them.
Just to note that this story takes heavy inspirations from Security Breach and some elements to FNAF 2 (in which you will see soon). This story also takes inspirations from Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey...and a lot of movies where I find high action sequences.
I do not own FNAF: Security Breach and only made the plot and songs. Some of the OCs are made made by I. M. Rally, MasterClass60, AzureStiker60 and King Halloween.
We are good friends and I want to help him. I gave him the idea of Augustina because I can't use the name Agatha or Aggie again, so I made something different. It's fun with Cheah and as his best friend, I'm very happy to work with him. - I.M. Rally
Suggested Songs
[1] Apache (Jump On It) - The Sugarhill Gang
Chapter 2 – I Rather Do It Solo
"Phew! Much better. Nice bringing Vanessa's story up first, Elena. So…hi, everyone! My name is Augustina Cruz."
"And the name's Elena Chaser."
"I'm Melody Aria Song. We are the three members of Unique Radiance."
"Who are we? Well…glad you asked. Just an ordinary trio. We knew that our lives would turn into a music career. We play by our own rules, our own passions and do whatever we want to what we desire."
"But sometimes, life is not always easy. That path took a lot for us to stay together. Especially from the beginning. I mean, getting ghost powers, fighting hostile animatronics and confronting a crazy near murderer is just a day in the office."
"We have our own backgrounds before we came into this mess. This mess brought us together, but it is important to tell what happened before. How we got there. So, quick history lesson!"
"So, with me, Augustina, I don't usually fit in with other girls. I'm happy, bright and full of ideas. But there are just…people who don't see mine seriously. I was treated as the outcast. The black sheep. The 'girl who never grown up'. So, I put myself into work and when I went into this messed-up concert, I actually got to the top spot. But it didn't change the fact that I didn't have that much friends. Just doing something to make me feel as if I'm a great person is really hard to find."
"With me, I am always the one worried about people's judgements. Throughout life, you would always hang around with the cool guys but they were known as the 'bad guys'. It's just tricky for others to find that out. Oh, I learnt a lot, but I wasn't the 'always-agreeing' gal. Eventually, when I joined a criminal gang, I decided to give them a taste of their own medicine. The first step for me to raise my voice about my concerns. But finding a voice in the world can get hard at times."
"At a young age, I lost my father to that stinky Freddy F***bear restaurant. And ever since, my life crumpled down. My family made the wrong decisions and I was forced to face them without giving me a reason why I should. I lost my true feeling of home, buried right beneath the surface. However, a friend showed me to lose myself into art. Go through places of imagination and fantasy. I found home, but I found freedom. But I needed to face reality. It is real and here now."
"If we wanted to break free, we needed to think further. So, all three of us moved to good old Canada. Not a bad place in America."
"I like the food there. Including the sweet pancakes."
"Ugh…don't drool now. Let's concentrate, people. I want to go on a toilet break soon."
"I went to a university to continue my art career, Melody and her family just arrived and Elena had to babysit."
"Wait. Elena said her family just stayed at someone's house because they couldn't find a good home!"
"Erm…"
"And that's when we all found out about the opening of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Plex. A new Freddy restaurant…or would I say a huge grand mall?!"
"Wow. I feel so intimidated now."
"Heh, heh. As soon as we all heard that it was opening soon, that was the moment when we met each other…discovered why we had to face the nightmare."
Augustina's POV, Augustina's University, Vancouver, Canada, 8/8/17
I never thought I would be doing this in the first time of my life. While the concert show I did years ago go haywire, I thought that would be over. But you know. Story of my life!
My family moved to Vancouver because there was a university that could help me with my grades and my careers. It wasn't so bad as my classes went well and I was nearly one of the top students. However, the whole 'cool kids and losers' concept? Yeah, it always sticks around in every part of the world.
I tried my best to stay aloof from the rest of the students. Don't try to interfere with their life. Hide behind shadows. Don't make a fool of yourself. The only things that can make you be known for some time are to be 'special' or just screw over and make yourself an idiot. However, there are some people who would look for ways to mess with you.
There were some people who think that targeting me was the easiest thing to do. They think that I was easy to handle. I was feeling overwhelmed because I didn't know why some people like to pick on. However, no matter how many times they approached me, I manage to get away from them.
It might be dumb luck, but at least I got out before any harm. But the only thing that hurt me was that a lot of people think that I couldn't stand up for myself.
Just…running away like a coward.
I got unlucky one day when one huge, brutish jerk went over to mock me. I…won't go into detail of what happened, but what he did took a whole new down for me.
He destroyed one of my art paintings. When the teacher went out of class, he casually went over to my painting and simply destroying it. One complete rip and he gave me a look before walking away as if it was nothing. By the end of class, he pretended that he didn't do it and the teacher believed in him. And when he went out, he whispered to me…
"Dumb slut."
I wasn't happy to hear this. I didn't want to give up just like that. I wanted to bite back, but I couldn't find the strength to do so.
Fortunately, one of my classmates offered to help. Galileo felt sorry for me despite never talking with me. He told me that he 'owed' me for covering up his tracks when he forgot to bring his homework in. That might have been cheating, but at least the teacher didn't notice and I didn't know he would use my copy! The way he said he had an 'excellent idea' scared me a little due to his many trips to detention in the past. However, I wanted to get this off my chest, so I decided to let him take care of things.
A few minutes later, I arrived at where he wanted to meet me. I leaned against a wall in one of the dorm hallways, waiting to see if Galileo would arrive.
That was when I saw the blonde boy himself, holding a present in his hands.
"OK," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Now what?"
"You see this little trinket?" he said. "Just wait until he opens it."
"What is exactly inside that present?"
"I don't think I should show it to you. Just watch and wait. Don't worry, I'll be careful."
So this was a prank, huh? I thought of reconsidering my decision, but if we were going to send a present surprise to that brute, then I might as well wait and watch. I peeked my head around the corner, seeing Galileo knocking on one of the dorm doors.
It opened and a large shadow covered all over Galileo's body.
"Good noon, Zog," said Galileo with a cheeky grin.
"What do you want?" grunted the brute.
"I heard that your birthday is next week, right?"
"Yes? Next Tuesday. Why?"
"A little bird told me to make an early birthday present for you, so that you can cherish it with all your heart early before the finals begin."
"I don't need a birthday present. I have already got what I want."
"But not all you deserve."
"Huh?"
Galileo dropped the present and a tan bulky hand grabbed it.
"I like to stay and talk," said Galileo. "But I must return to my little bird. So, I like you to open this present and I prefer you to do it behind your door because it shouldn't be something teachers should see."
There was a sigh from the brute. "Fine."
"You're welcome!"
Slamming the door, Galileo chuckled and ran towards me.
"Who is this little bird you're referring to?" I asked.
"My pet bird 'Pepe'!" he said.
"Does he talk?"
"Well…I just have a connection with him."
I glanced back at the hallway. "So how this going to play out?"
"Just wait for it," said Galileo. "In 3, 2-!"
KABLAM!
The door suddenly blew off its hinges as pink and magenta paint punched out of the room, spilling all over the floor. Students nearby halt and ran over to see the scene. It appeared that Galileo's early birthday present immediately painted the brute's entire room!
"EEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"
The way that brute screamed sound like a little girl screaming at the first sight of her new dog. I couldn't help but burst into laughter at the sound of this. Galileo followed along, slapping his thighs. Now, that is the PERFECT comeback when you are faced with a bully.
Maybe this prank wasn't so bad after all.
"What is that goo you placed in?" I asked.
"Nothing too harmful," said Galileo. "The only thing harmful is that it has a lot of sugar and boys hate sugar."
We continued laughing for a while, still unable to believe how the brute screamed. In fact, it was so hilarious that our laughs were the only things I could hear.
But, that meant the rest of world was silent around me.
"HEY! What's the meaning of this?!"
Nearly silent.
We stopped and turned around. Right there, the brute all covered in pink dripping goo. And he looked REALLY mad.
He stared at me. "Were you the one behind this?!"
Quick! Play dumb!
"Eh…" I said nervously. "I was just…cleaning…the…gums under the table…I think?"
Yeah. Real smart, Augustina.
"There's one thing I have to say," muttered Galileo.
Before I could think, he tackled the brute down by the legs.
"RUN, AUGUSTINA! RUN!" [1]
Turning on my heel, I broke into a run. I nearly tripped over my own feet, but I kept running. I didn't dare look back. I felt like I should help Galileo, but he wasn't the one the brute was trying to kill.
"Are you f***ing kidding me?!" snarled the brute, pushing Galileo away.
It had been a few seconds ever since my payback and that bully wasn't going to lose that badly. The satisfaction was already gone and I was in the mercy of a brute known to crush the skulls of rats. And like always, those kind of people would try to chase me, in an attempt to get 'even'. What kind of school would allow students to use each other as their tennis ball in a match of no points?! And technically, I wasn't the one who did the prank!
They say that bullies can be a nuisance, but for people like me, we see them as threats. And that incoming brute looked like a charging bull ready to shove his horns right into my mouth.
I looked behind to see him practically GROWLING at the sight of me.
Sliding around the corner, I spotted a group of girls behind a couple of tables, holding a fundraiser. It looked like they were selling necklaces and handmade jewelry. Some of them seemed to be pearls. You know, those shiny white balls.
And those balls were really slippery.
I quickly grabbed one of the pearl necklaces, took out my wallet and pulled out a random 10 dollars note.
"Huh?" said the seller. "Wait. I haven't given you your-"
"Sorry, ma'am," I said hastily. "Got to go!"
That was when I heard the sound of a lion roaring.
The brute crashed into the wall, but he didn't stop and charge towards me.
I immediately broke the necklace and threw the pearls all over the floor. As they rolled around, the brute slipped on them, falling onto his back.
The seller gasped.
"Sorry!" I said, throwing two more 10-dollar notes to her. "Here's the rest for the damage. Got to go! Bye!"
Before she could say anything, I ran off, leaving the seller speechless. The brute screamed in anguish, so I knew this wasn't over. I had to hide. There was no point in making a dash when I was chased by an incredibly fast bully. Luckily, because I was slightly fitter and more skinner than him, I could run faster than him. Trouble was that I wasn't sure where I was going anymore.
I was just running blind. While I know how the university is and where is where, I didn't know where to go. Going back to my sorority wouldn't work. I would need to lose him.
I took a quick glance behind. The brute was already red in the face, clearly angry from all the running and hating my guts. It wasn't fun to see this guy chasing after me. Especially when his cheeks…and…muscles…were wobbling around like crazy.
At least I was getting some exercise.
I burst through another door, but I found myself on a high balcony. Ahead of me was the railing which presented the entire cafeteria room. The whole place was crowded with almost every student in the university. Most of them were sitting at their tables, but some of them were standing around or playing with each other. Some played on their computers, some did their homework while others ate a lot of food.
There was a long line, lining up at the ordering station.
I nearly lost focus, because despite the adrenaline-running and the smell of the brute's BO, I felt hungry.
And besides, there wasn't an emergency exit nearby on the balcony.
I looked back at the brute, nearly catching up.
There was no way I could get to the other side without getting ring through the middle of the students.
Oh well, it had to be done.
I leapt off the balcony and landed onto a table, ending up landing on a bowl of cheesy nachos and tomato sauce.
"My nachos!" screamed a boy in the most ridiculous accent.
"Sorry!" I said.
I began to run through the cafeteria, trying my best to get around without bumping into anyone. However, the brute also jumped off the balcony and landed on top of a food tray cart. He was fine as he landed on his feet, but I couldn't say the same for the cart that crashed and squashed under his weight.
In a panic, I started jumping over tables in a straight line.
"Excuse me!" I said as I skipped over several tables. "Oops, sorry! My bad! I'll pay you later! Don't worry about me! At least you won't have to eat that junk!"
By the time I made it to the other side of the cafeteria, I destroyed three pizza pies, two burgers, a couple of ice cream cups, uncounted cups of French fries, one bowl of dumpling and a burger with a happy face. At least I think it was a happy face since I was moving fast.
While I managed to upset and anger a wave of people, the damage the brute did was no better than what I did. The whole time, he shoved empty tables aside and pushed people, sometimes punching them in the face when they were in the way. He even landed onto one table so hard that it BENT in half. I guess that meant I wouldn't need to clean the cafeteria.
Pity there weren't any teachers watching this.
Running through the hallways, I accidentally crashed into another one of my classmates.
Or at the very least, one of the jerks who like to pick on me.
"Asshole!" she shouted before noticing that it was me. "Oh. You again, Augustina."
I would have ignored her, but I looked behind to see the brute screaming at the top of his lungs. Still after me. Like that man would give up on slapping me in the face!
The girl raised her eyebrow. "What the-?"
I'm not one for hurting other people, but at least I got a little payback with this one. I grabbed her and used her as a body shield against the charging brute.
"OH WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! WAIT-!"
SMASH!
As soon as the brute collided, I let go and watched the two zooming across the hallway before ending up in a janitor's closet. I ran up to it and slammed the door, placing a chair on the doorknob to block it.
And then, there was the unmistakable sound of smooching.
And gagging.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"Sorry!" I said, running away.
Sprinting off, I ran around the corner, hoping that the brute wouldn't come after me. Eventually, I ran into a nearby gym room…where there was a play going on.
I ended up being backstage by accident, nearly running into a few crew members watching by. When I stopped, I saw through the gap that there was a group of boys acting. They seemed to be performing Macbeth, one of the fighting scenes of the play. There was a crowd of people in front of them, looking nearly bored.
I got to admit that being behind stage once again was nice.
And there were a lot of places to hide.
Shrugging, I turned around to leave the place.
"YOU!" shouted a voice.
Oh no.
The brute appeared, slamming the doors so hard that they fell right in front of his feet. At that moment, I was so screwed. Not only he was going to tear me apart, but right in the middle of a room filled with people. That would be embarrassing when there was an important play going on.
He looked so pissed already. His hair was messy, his pants were gone to expose his blue underwear and there were ugly veins popping out from his arms and legs.
"I'm going to make you wish that you never gave me that damn present," he snarled. "I'm going to make you wish that you never came to my class. In fact, I'm going to make you wish that you were never born!"
He let out a banshee scream like he was a barbarian warrior. Without even thinking about the place we were in, he charged forwards, pointing his head forwards. I screamed as I jumped out of the way, resulting in him running through the curtains. [1s]
CRASH!
SMASH!
CLUNK!
There was a series of screams, shouts and gasps as I slowly got up on my feet. Several crew members ran past me, losing their minds over the disaster. Hiding behind the curtains, I spotted what really happened on stage.
The brute had pushed nearly everybody off the stage, so there were a lot of actors scattered all over the floor with broken costumes and swords. Most of them nearly looked as flat as pancakes, like they didn't have any bones. Some of the props were tipped over. The damage even extended to the front row of the audience.
Almost everyone was out of their seats and the brute landed on one unfortunate watcher. Worse, that poor guy's head was right under…the brute's groin area.
"Ooh!" he said. "I got a boner."
The brute was knocked out, exhausted from all the running.
Uh oh.
Gulping nervously, I made a move to get the hell out of there. If anyone saw me, then I would be in real trouble. Maybe I should get back to Galileo first.
I sighed as I brushed my bang out of the way. I hadn't seen Galileo for the rest of the day. The brute was already sent to principal's office, so that meant I was out of the way. But there was the possibility that someone could rat me out. Not everyone was stupid to not notice me.
I feared that somebody might try to catch me and send me straight to the principal's office. I knew that one of them would leave me to be the one everybody gets the shots on. I didn't want that to happen. Too many call-outs and I had to tell the truth fully too many times. Would this be the end of me? Would that mean I might have to leave this university?
I was already growing nervous ever since my escape from the bully. A few hours had passed ever since my class finished, but I was still met with stares from other students or hearing their whispers. Two girls tried to ask me what happened at the canteen, but I refused to answer their question. I told them I was done with telling crap about things. Or crap about what that brute did. Or…whatever.
When I walked out, I was still nervous. My body was jittery from energy and my mind was still racing. Paranoid that somebody might attack me. The fear of the unknown. Felt like my heart would explode as if I drank too much coffee. Knowing that I had to calm down, I chose one way to do so.
- Make Me Cold -
I took out my headphones and plugged them into my phone. I would have chosen a normal song, but I randomly pressed onto an instrumental song. The intro instrumental came in, filled with a solo repetitive piano piece. It kept playing on the same key before there was a rising bass.
I started to sing myself, closing my eyes.
Augustina: Been feeling down lately
Been hoping someone will save me
And maybe things won't go blown up
As I sang the somber melody, I spotted a few people talking with each other. In their hands were their graded tests. Smiling and laughing over their grades despite getting so low. That looked really bad, so how come they feel fine when I couldn't seem to get over my own problems?
Augustina: Running till my feet are sore
Not my fault I'm rotten to the core
An antidote far too high on the top
Playing pretend a little, I leapt onto a pole and swung around, looking at the entire university. As the piano suddenly disappeared and replaced with a speeding trap beat, I muttered to myself. I was nearly mimicking half-rapping and half-singing.
Augustina: Been looking at the mirror
I can't see myself clearer
My eyes look so too dimmer
Like I'm one who's the sinner
I hopped out, spinning around.
Augustina: But I should not be your toy to play with
I'm not blind to know what's manipulative.
The drop where the chorus started came in. But nearly at the start, I spotted a group of girls walking by. Clenching my fists, I closed my eyes and tried to ignore them while singing to myself. An electro house beat played in my headphones, backed with a powerful bass, ticking Trap beats and a kick drum rhythm.
Augustina: Just go leave me alone
Let me pour out my soul
You know that you should think twice when you try to make me cold
Know I won't leave this alone
Trying to always stay in stone
Why can't I think twice when somebody is trying to make me cold?
I accidentally bumped into one of the girls. She dropped her book while the music in my ears simmered down a little to bring an echoing sensation to it. I tried to pick it up, but she snatched it and glared at me.
"Wipe that smirk off your face," she snarled.
I rolled my eyes as she and her friends left.
As soon as I made good distance away from everybody, I hopped into the second verse, thinking back to the words people tell me before.
Augustina: 'Are you good enough?
Are you really that tough?
If you are smart enough
Won't feel pain in your guts'
They are the same stories
Over and over again
Keep dragging me down to the wrong keys
I looked up to see a kite flying in the sky. It looked so beautiful, free and nearly touching the clouds. It reminded me of when I reached the top, whenever I had enough and took actions in my hands. Just when could I have that same feeling again?
Augustina: But I just want to be myself and free
Yet you don't want me to see
What I can show you what I can do tonight
I shook my head. I shouldn't be thinking like this and I should feel alright by now. But the sunshine couldn't light up my day.
Augustina: Been looking at the mirror
I can't see myself clearer
My eyes look so too dimmer
Like I'm one who's the sinner
I jumped onto a long wooden bench that stretched on from one end to the other.
Augustina: But I should not be your toy to play with
I'm not blind to know what's manipulative
As the chorus came in again, I started to dance to myself. I only pretended that I was slow dancing to myself with no partner. Sliding my feet across, swaying my hands around to keep my balance and making sure that every move was gentle and well-timed.
Augustina: Just go leave me alone
Let me pour out my soul
You know that you should think twice when you try to make me cold
Know I won't leave this alone
Trying to always stay in stone
Why can't I think twice when somebody is trying to make me cold?
There were a few people watching by, nearly amazed. As I hopped up, they clapped a little. I smiled a little, but I looked away. I wanted to keep things to myself.
The song slowly faded out with a solo whispering synth. It made things sound a little haunting and nearly quiet. However, it nearly felt…hopeful. Why did it sound like?
Augustina: What will make me sober?
Drowning out my pain
It's trying to take my name.
Can I find a way to break me free?
Drowning out my pain
And taking my own name…
- End of Song -
By the time I managed to get back to my sorority, it was already 4 pm. That meant the rest of my roommates would be back already after their classes. I could already see the girls getting changed or placing their books on their personal desks from the windows at the top level. I knew that I was going to be the one late, so they would ask questions.
The sorority house we stayed in at the university is a two-level house, painted in white and it sticks out from the rest of the brick buildings around us. This house 'represented' the purest of the university. One of the main girl clubs of the place and they claimed to be the best.
I had forgotten why I joined them when I first arrived. Maybe it was because I wanted to fit in, but I had second thoughts because of the activities they do and how quirky they appeared. Some of them were rude and some of them were strange. Maybe it was because I was out of options. However, they were fairly popular at the university, but they didn't try to go against it.
Climbing up the stairs to the top level, I bumped into the leader of the sorority Cassandra. You know, one of those popular girls in school? She fits that image. Though, she can be rough. Long red hair that is tied in a ponytail and she didn't have a stray strand of hair sticking out. Tan skin and brown eyes, but she never tells me where she comes from. Mostly wears a red leather jacket, a black sports top, a pink belt with two golden chains on her hips, black ripped jeans and black boots. She wore a lot of golden jewelry; golden loop earrings and three buttons on her ears, three golden necklaces, a black strap around her bra and golden zippers all over her jacket. She gave me a quizzical look as she approached me.
"Cruz is finally back here," she said flatly. "Give her a round of applause."
The other girls clapped. Half of them had the same blank look while half didn't understand Cassandra's sarcasm and looked a little excited to see me.
"You girls saw what happened in the cafeteria?" I asked.
"Yep," said Cassandra. "Your little chase with Zog spread all over the place. Everyone was talking about it. I'm surprised you jumped from a balcony. That takes a lot of guts."
"Hey. I was being chased by a basketball guy who is taller than me. You can't blame me for not being fearless at that time."
"I like to ask. Why get Galileo to do the work and get yourself into trouble with him? That guy isn't worth being around with."
I sighed, rubbing my arm. "I know. I just…I've been feeling a little upset about today."
"Did Zog picked on another person?" asked Dinah, a blonde girl.
I nodded. "On me. Galileo felt sorry for me and I was more than happy to accept his offer."
"I know that your heart wants what it wants," said Cassandra, straightforward. "But stay out of trouble like this one. Everyone saw what happened. If it ever come out again, then you're going to make yourself look bad."
"The only way that will happen is if a teacher calls on me."
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Augustina Cruz!" called a voice outside. "Can I talk to you please?"
"Speak of the devil," I muttered.
Telling the girls to not watch, I made my way downstairs and opened the door. It was my year coordinator teacher, Mr. Low. He appeared weary like he ran the whole way here.
Gulping, I closed the door behind me.
"Anything wrong, Mr. Low?" I asked.
"I'm afraid so," he said, putting his hands on his hips. "One student from the cafeteria told me everything about what he saw. Zog came in to tell me what happened and then Galileo admitted the whole truth when he was called."
Uh oh. This didn't look good. Galileo must have mentioned me and Mr. Low was already on my back.
"I'm sorry, sir," I said. "But it wasn't me who did the prank!"
"But it's what you did when you were chased by Zog," said Mr. Low sternly. "You have partially created a mess in the cafeteria, trapped two students inside a closet and worse, you leapt off a balcony! Don't you know what might have happened if you fell off one by accident next time?!"
"Please, Mr. Low-"
"Don't interrupt me here. You could have told me or the other teachers."
"The teachers at this university barely do anything!" I exclaimed. "They just want to take things gentle and try to solve them another time, but no! They just want to push it aside and go on with learning! All they care is getting the students to move on immediately."
"That is really rash, Augustina. You don't hurt other students like that. That is just going to make things worse if you choose the aggressive way."
"Look, Mr. Low!" I said, throwing my hands up. "I don't know how to explain this to you, but these kind of things happen. Things that you don't take responsibility of. Any school or college like this is going to have conflicts between students. I mean, maybe you can try to teach children to not get into trouble.
He was unamused. "Trouble? There had been at least 10 bins destroyed, at least half of Gym 2's sporting equipment needed to be replaced, broken pencils and papers that were obviously thrown, some injuries from people who caught up in your antics and that room you willingly vandalized."
"There are about 30 jerks in the school who won't leave me alone!" I said. "Blame it on them."
"That's true. They had to pay up for most of the damage, but you even broke some of the school's property without taking care of them properly."
He waved his hand, gesturing to the entire university.
"This university builds itself into one huge community. And why is that? Because we are family here. We never want any fights here. You see? But so far, I don't know where everyone's attitudes came from, but nobody is taking responsibility for what they did wrong. And someone needs to take those responsibilities."
"And what is my responsibility?" I said angrily. "For not being a good victim who can be cleared?"
Mr. Low shook his head. "Augustina. I know that you don't like it around here. I know how you don't get along with the other students. But your never-ending list of run-ins with them has grown too long for even you to catch up with. You never told any of us about this. That is what upset me."
"What upset me the most is how your actions are often ineffective for me," I said quietly. "You don't really care for me."
"Listen. You're one of the three students now I have to take care of. I'm trying to do my best to make this university a good and safe place for you. But you got to understand that if there is a problem, you must do the right thing. Even if it gets painful.
He sighed, not in disappointment but in concern. "You're just trying to run from your problems and I can't let that happen. We all have to face them."
I stared at him with sad eyes. "If you were in my shoes, then you would want to run away as well."
"But that doesn't make things better, does it?" he asked before pulling out a slip of paper. "Now, we called Zog's parents and we are expected to meet them to discuss about paying the damage. For now, I think you need to pay a small amount for it."
I took the slip from him. It read '$150'. Didn't look that much, but maybe.
"One problem though," I said with a sheepish grin. "I'm broke now. I don't have any money with me."
"Augustina," said Mr. Low. "You have until the end of this term to pay up which will end in one and a half weeks. You still got a lot of time, but you have to get money to pay for your debt."
"Look. You can try to make me give money for this. Failing to not do so won't affect my grades. They can't actually shut me down unless…"
I paused mid-sentence. Remembering that Zog's parents were called over, I could suffer the same thing as well.
"…unless the university calls my parents and they come here in person."
"Which they will in one and a half weeks," said Mr. Low. "Please try to pay the debt before the holidays arrive, Augustina. Don't think you can get away with it or you will need to manage a new kind of trouble soon."
Ending the conversation, Mr. Low walked away, leaving me with the debt payment slip in my hands. I looked down at it, staring at the '$150' numbers. I was suddenly filled with frustration, angered that I need to pay something that I was only innocent in. This wasn't really fair. I nearly crumpled the slip if it wasn't for remembering what he told me.
"You're just trying to run from your problems and I can't let that happen. We all have to face them."
As if you know how much it hurts.
I stomped back inside the sorority and marched right back to the top level. The other girls were still in the same spot as they were, apparently silent.
Too silent.
"Well?" I growled. "You lot heard what happened?"
Cassandra nodded. "We can't help it."
"Ugh. Every inch of this university is contagious! How am I going to get away from all of this?"
"Wow," said Claire, a girl with black hair. "Someone has a lot of issues at this university."
"I just don't get why I'm a magnet for such jerks around me. It isn't fair and now I have to pay for what I did."
"Get over it," said Cassandra, rolling her eyes. "At least you aren't blamed for what really happened. I once tried to smuggle a watermelon by putting in under my shirt and Mr. Low took me to the sick bay."
"Maybe that is because you are trying to look like you are pregnant," I said.
"Can we all agree that some teachers here are dicks?" said Liu, stroking her blue hair.
"How can we blame Mr. Low?" asked Opal, a girl with brown hair. "He has been here for so long that he is feeling overwhelmed by what is happening."
"Let's not feel bad about him," said Ross, a girl with pink hair. "He's a teacher. It's us we also need to take control of."
Cassandra looked at the bill in my hand. "150 dollars?"
"Yeah," I said. "And I spent up all of my savings I brought here. If my family knows about this, I'm done and I don't think I would be able to come back to this university."
Opal bit her lip. "Now that's just complicated."
"Why don't we give you money?" asked Apple, a girl with orange hair.
"No," I said, sitting down at a chair.
All the girls gasped in unison.
"No?" repeated Cassandra.
"Mr. Low isn't all wrong," I said. "I…need to take responsibility. I have dirt on my hands for ruining the property here and never bother helping people try to fix them. Letting someone else do the work is just wrong."
Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "You know that it's going to be hard to be independent. Girls like you don't start off that easily."
I glared at her. "Nobody asked you."
"In any case, how are you going to make money?"
I shrugged. "I thought of selling some of my stuff, but I don't have anything I do not want. And I need my books for my classes."
"Why not bake something and sell it to the university?" asked Cassandra.
"I don't think that would work," said Elsa, a girl with silver hair and wore glasses. "Cooking requires ingredients and ingredients require money. And we are only allowed to sell stuff at the university if we are doing a fundraiser. It would selfish if we keep the money."
"Good point," said Liu. "What about calling one of your relatives to give you money? You know. They would more likely do that on your birthday."
"I turned 18 a few months ago," I said bluntly. "That is an incredibly lame idea."
"How about turn to a life of crime?" giggled Ross, taking out a balaclava.
"It's not that serious!" shouted Dinah, slapping Ross across the face.
I groaned. "Then what?"
A lightbulb went over Apple's head. "How about you get a job?"
I blinked. "Really? That's your idea? All my classes are in the afternoon and you think a job would be a good idea?"
"The only downside is missing breakfast and your beauty sleep," said Claire. "Most of us have to get up early for our classes. We even wake up really early like at 4 am! It is a rush for us to put on make-up, brush our teeth, comb our hair and clean our clothes before going!"
"Let's sort out the morning bits for later," said Cassandra. "What jobs should you take?"
"I don't really know," I admitted. "I was only planning to get one when I'm done with my classes."
"There are still jobs you can take without a certificate," said Opal. "Even some students got jobs before they finish high school!"
"That sounds like too much," I said. "But if I have to rely on a job, then what should I be?"
"Maybe you can be a janitor!" said Liu.
We all stared at her.
"What? My workplace is really known to be very clean at 5 stars! All because of me!"
"Oh, that makes sense," said Apple.
"Yeah…no," I said, cringing a little. "I don't want to do that type of dirty work."
"What about helping out at a car wash?" asked Dinah, raising her hand like a kindergartener.
"Who cares about car washes?" said Cassandra. "People do them themselves."
"Maybe you can be a cashier at a shopping store," said Ross.
"And stand there for 1 hour and slowly get your brain cells fried from sorting out different amounts of money and discounts?" I said. "Sorry. I'm not one for doing that kind of job."
"Maybe help out at an art studio?" asked Claire. "You like doing art."
"That's true," I said. "But most art studios require professional artists. I'm not one yet. Especially for being a volunteer."
Claire pouted a little. "Aww. I thought you're ready to become an artist."
"Let's not joke on that," said Elsa. "Why not settle for telemarking?"
"That's nice," I said. "But people would just hang up the minute I call them."
"How about being a model at a fashion show or at a bar?" asked Opal. "Like a strip dancer?"
Everyone gasped at that.
"Opal!" screamed Cassandra. "What the f***?!"
"What?" said Opal. "It's a common job."
"For being gazed at, assaulted and being sexually mistreated in all ways?"
Opal raised a finger to defend her point, but dropped it down. "Oh."
"Maybe you can be a chef at any restaurant," said Apple.
"That might work," I said. "But I don't really like being around in fast food restaurants."
Cassandra sighed and took a newspaper. "Instead of coming with ideas, why not look through available jobs? This newspaper just came in today and I found an ad that caught my attention."
She flipped over to the 'Help Wanted' section and I was presented to two pages of different advertisements. They were all in different pastel colors with phone numbers and small details about the company. However, there was one that stick out from all the jobs. Right there was a dark background with neon lines and a neon sign that read…
"Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizza Plex?" I read. "A mall-based pizzeria restaurant? Huh."
"Ooh!" squealed Elsa. "That place! We know about that place!"
"You do?"
"It's like the coolest mall in Vancouver!" said Opal. "Anyone who doesn't know is a dummy. From the long-going Freddy Fazbear franchise, they built this large mall that would have multiple rooms and entertainment. While it's for kids, it's said to be for everyone and the world's most extreme family fun center! And it's going to have its grand opening tomorrow!"
"Tomorrow that is?" I said, looking back at the newspaper. "They say that they are looking for a security guard to work the night shift. Twelve to six. The money looks close, but it looks like I can pay the bill in less a week."
"Hold on a minute," said Cassandra. "Not responsible for injury/dismemberment. That's…weird."
"Weird enough," I said. "I might as well take it."
"Wait," said Dinah. "You're actually going to stay the night at that place? Being the security guard?"
"Positive," I said. "I can try to sleep during the day. And since my classes are in the afternoon, I won't have to worry if my sleeping patterns get in the way."
"On the bright side," said Opal. "You get to have the whole place to yourself. Well, that is if you are allowed to. Not sure if the security cameras will see you screwing around."
"That place better pay you good," said Liu. "They did a lot to build it."
"I think you are forgetting the main concern about taking the night shift," said Cassandra dryly. "During the day, you can pretend that you can be safe by being in the light. But at night time, you have to watch out for anything that is waiting for a moment of weakness to strike."
"Don't worry about me," I said with a grin. "If anyone can stay up for that long, then I'm your gal. Once, I stayed up on two nights during a youth camp since I was on watch duty and I drove a bear away from our tent. Not only that. I'm capable of spotting things unusual in the dark since I'm a good observer. That's how I'm nearly good in my arts class."
"Yeah!" agreed Ross. "That even explains why you were able to figure out why I had a sore throat. You figured out where the pain came from and we immediately targeted that spot to sooth it."
"Yep," said Apple. "You know, I once worked with my mother in a restaurant and we stopped a criminal stealing the money by throwing one of our glasses at him. We got more money ever since that day. I think you can handle this job since you are really strong, Augustina."
I smiled, blushing a little. This was probably the first time any of the girls encouraged me like this.
I nodded. "Thanks."
"I'm not sure about it," said Cassandra. "This is almost suicidal. You can get hurt from anything. I mean, did you break your leg when you jumped from that balcony?"
"Do you have an easier job I like?" I asked.
The redhead started to open her mouth, but closed it. She was thinking of asking me why I couldn't find another job at the Pizza Plex or choose the day shift instead. She changed her mind, shaking her head.
"You're going to need a resume for this," said Elsa.
"Don't worry," I said. "I already have one. It's a practice I'd made for my Careers class. I will edit it and give all my achievements. Besides, it's just walking around the mall. What's the worse it can do?"
"Wow. What's the worse it can do? Real smart."
"I didn't know there would be haunted animatronics or stuff like that!"
"Let's not dread on that. There are some things we don't mean to say."
"So yeah. It is I who decided to find a job. A job that would help me to get enough money and hopefully some good experience of learning how to take of myself."
"The only problem is that people need a team and guess who comes rolling in into the plot."
AN: What a wild goose chase! I want to do something like this and I think I did a good job. Poor Augustina though. The chase scene takes some inspirations from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and Just Doomed! book. I believe that it is somewhat similar to the chase scene in The Spectacular SpiderDom's story 'The Ballin' Pranksters - Issue 1: Pranksters Exposed'.
Augustina Cruz is made by I.M. Rally. Oh, you'll see the similarities of her and Aggie. Due to planning, we made the change to have her name be 'Augustina' (the name 'Aggie' will actually be use for another story!), but she is pretty much the human counterpart of Aggie. This version of Aggie will be different to I.M. Rally's as we will see her go through a realistic, grounded plot while exploring her insecurities and how this version of her copes with it. However, this isn't an accurate depiction of Aggie and Augustina is only a character we made and I ask for all of you to respect the original character. Augustina is going to be fun for me to write because she is loveable, but she has a more cynical and blunt view on life. This contrasts to Katelyn in 'Raging Wind' who tries to keep her head up and who just found out about the murders at Freddy's...also, if Augustina has a voice actor, it would be now Hilary Duff (previously China Anne McClain).
That said, Augustina doesn't know what will be in store for her at the Pizza Plex.
The first song 'Make Me Cold' would be described as a folk pop ballad song, inspired by Rain by grandson and Jessie Reyez and Soap by Melanie Martinez. It captures the melancholy and struggle of Augustina in this new environment she is in.
Cassandra and her girl posse are based on I.M. Rally's Troll characters Scarlet the Rock Magic Musical Troll. Cassandra is similar to Scarlet, but she isn't what you will expect her to be. And you see that she is dry, sarcastic, paranoid and a little wary of what Augustina is doing. She doesn't talk her down, but doesn't come too soft around her. And as for all of you Scarlet haters, you might be in a treat for what Cassandra will face.
Thanks for reading the first chapter! The story is still in-progress, so be ready for more updates. If you enjoy this story, be sure to follow or favorite this story, so you can get updates about this story. Make sure to review this chapter on what you think about this chapter. I'm OK of hearing improvements from you (please no flames).
Until next time, keep on rocking!