A/N: Time for the possibility of Riley bonding with Fear and Sadness, providing all goes well! :)
Fear and Sadness both agreed to the idea for Joy and Riley to come visit, though Fear still sounded a little nervous.
After bringing up the plan to her mother (who declared it to be a great idea and hoped their bonding experience would go well this time), Joy drove herself and Riley over to the hospital. Though Riley sat in the backseat like usual, she kept peeking over the seat as Joy worked on driving. How in the world did she keep track of all those buttons and dashboard dials?
After stopping at a shop to get some brilliant yellow flowers for Sadness (which Joy had to practically drag Riley away from after about 20 minutes since she kept wanting to smell everything), eventually they reached the hospital and went up to Sadness's room. Before opening the door, Joy looked at Riley and gave her an encouraging smile.
Riley only smiled halfway back.
"It'll be fine," Joy said, hoping that indeed her words would be true. She then opened the door and saw both Sadness and Fear there. "Hey, Sadness! How ya doing?"
"A lot better," Sadness admitted, actually smiling despite her stitches. "The doctors said I could probably go home later today."
"That's great!" Joy exclaimed as Riley hesitantly came into the room.
Fear tried very very hard not to flinch. Sadness, however, didn't seem very bothered. "Hey, Riley."
Riley was relieved that at least Sadness was responding well to her. "Sadness, I'm really sorry about what happened—"
Sadness waved her hand. "Riley, it's okay. I know it was just an accident.". She smiled a little, a real, genuine, friendly smile that caused Riley's heart to surge with hope. "You know, you're pretty good at soccer. What other sports have you played?"
Part of Riley couldn't believe Sadness was asking this question. She thought she might as well ban herself from sports forever, and yet Sadness was asking like she wouldn't mind her playing sports again.
"Catch, softball, and basketball," Riley said, glad that she was feeling more comfortable.
"So you haven't tried football or hockey yet?"
"No."
"I think you'd like them. Especially hockey," Sadness advised with a sincere smile. "We've all played it before, and Joy pretty much comes from a hockey family."
Hearing that, Riley actually decided to consider the thought. Out of all of them, Sadness was giving her a calm, honest opinion that did not trample her self-esteem. She felt really happy about that, actually.
Her eyes glazed over the mark left from the impact yesterday. She could hardly see it, and Sadness was doing so much better since being brought in that ambulance. Guess Riley didn't have anything to actually worry about since coming here.
She then glanced around. "Oh, I thought Anger and Disgust would be here too..."
"They had other things to do," the blue emotion explained. "So it's just me and Fear."
Riley secretly felt relieved she didn't have to interact with the two most evenly tempered of the group. She was still emotionally raw from Anger's comment, and Disgust wasn't exactly sensitive so far. She was satisfied enough meeting just Sadness. And Fear...
Joy decided to further the conversation by adding a new subject. "Hey, you know I'm taking Riley to check out our old elementary school."
Fear's eyes rose. "Epiphany Elementary? That's where you're planning to have Riley attend?"
"Well, of course," Joy sad cheerfully, "what better place for her to go to school than the one we used to attend as kids?"
Riley nodded at this, feeling a little nervous. "I have to take a placement test to determine where I'll be put. Joy says I should be able to be placed in 5th grade, but I don't know..."
Sadness offered a delicate smile. "You'll do fine. Placement tests are easy. It's handling waking up early in the morning and going to school, continuing the routine five days a week."
"It's...it's different when you're in college," Fear mentioned, trying to enlighten the conversation. "You have any time you want, and can choose whether or not you want to."
When Riley looked at him, he actually managed not to flinch. She gave him a small, timid smile. But that was good enough. Had Anger been present, it would have been complicated for her to even look him in the eye. Fear kept his father's advice in mind, and mentally kept telling himself that this was for Joy. And also remind himself that he was a really good person.
"That's...cool," Riley murmured understandably.
Fear felt slightly intrigued by this. He actually even returned a smile!
"So, Sadness," Joy began, glancing over at the blue emotion, "how's the hospital food treating you?"
"It's fine, I guess," Sadness sighed, "Disgust still thinks it's gross and stuff, but I like it anyway."
"We brought you something to make the room a lot nicer," Joy said sweetly before motioning to Riley.
Both girls pulled out the yellow bouquet of flowers they had bought earlier. They smiled as Sadness's eyes enlarge in awe. Even Fear was quite touched by the gesture. Joy hurriedly placed them in a nearby vase on the table next to Sadness's bed. It's wonderful smell and overall appearance really did bring some beauty to the white and depressing room.
"They're great, guys," Sadness said happily. "Thanks."
Riley nodded. "So what'll you be doing once you get home?"
"The usual," the blue emotion said nonchalantly, "watch TV, eat real food, and probably do more fanfiction."
The blonde raise a brow at the last one. "Fanfiction?"
"It's like a book," Sadness explained, "except it revolves around the stuff you're a fan of, and anyone's can be an author. I miss my laptop, and I get wait to see it again when I get home."
She offered Riley another smile, one even more gentle and inviting.
"I'd be happy to show you some if you want to hang out with us."
The offer was almost too good for Riley to believe. This was the kind of stuff she never would have expected from any of the emotions. Yet here was Sadness actually asking her for a simple day of hanging out! And Joy didn't even have to say anything!
While fanfiction was yet another term for Riley to look up later on, she nodded vigorously. She felt her optimism begin to rise.
"S-sure!" she stammered, trying to contain her excitement. "I'd love to."
Sadness nodded at this, her blue eyes ever innocent and kind. "Great, maybe sometime after you start school. You already know Joy is going to college, so I wish you luck with your class."
The words exchanged between his friend and Riley was something Fear began to envy. Here Sadness was able to speak to Riley on a whole new level, while he himself was struggling to even find the right words. Even more he counted more smiles than either he, Disgust, or Anger, had even brought out of Riley! As much as he still felt nervous around her, he wanted to try and reach out again. Wanting to put yesterday behind them, he hoped maybe he would earn some sort of plus conversing with Riley.
"You think they'll put Riley with our old 5th grade homeroom teacher?" Sadness asked Joy.
Now this was something Fear could add his two cents to. "Oh, yeah, I remember Bing Bong! He's, um, he's still teaching there."
"I hope so!" Joy beamed. "Bing Bong's the best! And I know he and Riley will get along well!" she added, grinning at the blonde.
"I got to believe that," Fear added, trying to include a chuckle. "He's been nominated one of the top teachers by the administration itself."
"See, Riley?" Joy assured. "School will be great for you!"
The other girl could only smile and nod at this. She still felt nervousness bubbling in her belly, but she hoped that they were right.
"So," Sadness piped up, drawing Riley's attention, "what have you been working on?"
Thinking it over a moment, Riley tried to go over everything that Joy had taught her. "Science, reading, math..."
Fear winced a little at the last one. "I-I never liked math," he admitted, trying to at least spark up a conversation without flinching. "I mean, i did well in it, but long division was a pain. I remember once on a test I—"
"What's long division?" Riley asked in confusion before Fear could finish his sentence. "I only know addition and subtraction so far. Is there a short division?" She tilted her head, her expression turning a bit unnerved. "Is there a long and short addition and subtraction?"
Sadness sat up a little. "Do you need help?"
Riley looked up at her, admittedly surprised at the offer. "You'd help?"
Joy's face literally lit up. "That's a great idea, cousin!" She practically squealed as she turned to Riley. "Sadness is a whiz at math, she'd be a great tutor!"
"Well..."
Joy understood her friend's hesitance: Sadness wasn't Joy, and Riley only really felt comfortable with working with her yellow emotion friend. But working with Sadness would be a start at a new potential friendship. "Sadness is better at math than I am, she could help with the tough stuff when you get there!"
Riley, anxious as she was about the idea, offered Sadness a smile of gratitude.
"Oh, Fear!" Joy exclaimed, a further idea coming to her. "You did great with history, right?"
Fear paled. "W-What?!" He looked rapidly at the two. Him? Teaching Riley?! What was Joy thinking?!
Still, seeing the hopeful look on Joy's face caused him to cave. If it were anyone else, he might have refused. Or tried to talk them out of bringing them into it, maybe use some sort of stalling tactic.
But he'd do it for Joy. And to try to make up for what happened earlier.
Fear was hesitant on speaking up, but he blurted out his words before his courage failed him. "W-Well I guess maybe, um, I could someday help with h-history...". He cringed, as if expecting Riley to strike him for the idea.
Riley was baffled. Even Fear was agreeing? Joy and his dad must have really talked him into being nice. She smiled and nodded a little. "I'd like that.."
"Great!". Joy pulled Riley and Fear close and danced over to Sadness, hugging all of them. "Group hug!"
Fear shuddered at suddenly being so close to Riley. But Joy was hugging her, and so was Sadness. Preparing himself for disaster, he hugged her too.
He shut his eyes, waiting for the inevitable sensation of his flesh burning from her touch, or her nails becoming claws and digging into him, or lasers being shot from her body and disintegrating him on the spot...
But after several tense moments of nothing catastrophic happening, he opened his eyes again.
Riley didn't seem hostile at all. She seemed mostly calm, stunned but happy, and though she stayed closest to Joy, she welcomed the embrace of the others.
Fear blinked. He stared in disbelief.
... Maybe Riley wasn't actually going to kill him after all.
Once the hug was over and Riley stood a small distance away from him, a smile actually crept on on Fear's lips. Maybe this was really going to be the start of something.
True, he still thought Riley was strange. But maybe if he held the positive energy Joy always had, he could overlook that in due time. Especially since now he was going to be one of her tutors. It seemed like a good enough first actual step. He only wondered how Anger and Disgust would react.
"So after you get out of the hospital you'll come over to my place?" Joy asked. "Mom baked cookies!"
Sadness chuckled. "Sure. Right Fear" She glanced in the other's direction.
He gave a silent nod, wringing his hands a little. He managed to look Riley in the eye while doing so.
"S-sure."
Riley was still blown away that these two were actually agreeing with helping her out. The first time they met, it had been little progress, save for Sadness having been able to open up to her the most out of the four of them. Now Fear, the one who was afraid of her the most, was willing to teach her history. That was a huge step, and it bot excited and terrified her.
But if Joy was right, then it was a good deal. Maybe there was hope for something bigger between them. Of course, she had serious doubts with Disgust and Anger, especially the latter. She doubt he could teach her anything...unless losing one's temper was a vital subject in school. But she was thankful for what she already had at this moment.
Joy beamed, thankful for how things have turned out. Fear was especially being sweet about this, and she felt she owed him one for being so brave and heartfelt. She was so happy she could just kiss him!
But she doubted he would want that as a reward. True, it was one of the things she had fantasized about herself for a good long while, but the poor anxious nerve might freak out. Not to mention Riley was in the room right now.
Maybe a burger meal or getting to choose the next movie would be better.
"Well, Riley and I need to get going," she announced, wrapping an arm around the young girl.
"Really?" Fear asked, his heat deflating at the news of Joy's impending departure.
"Yeah, I want to us to check out the school before it gets late," she explained. "And they only allow public access at certain hours, so we better hurry."
"It's fine," Sadness brushed it aside. "You and Riley have a good time. We'll see you as soon as I'm out of here, okay?" She smiled at Riley. "Hope you'll like your future school, Riley."
The blonde gave her a tender smile, her heart lifting even more. "I will."
Joy bid goodbye to them as she and Riley began to head toward the door. Riley turned to look over Fear.
"Bye, Fear," she said to him, anxiety being pushed away in her tone.
This surprised him, but he returned the best smile he could make.
"Y-yeah," he stammered, "b-bye..."
As the two left, he turned to Sadness. She gave him a sly smile.
"What?" he asked.
"You didn't wet your pants," she observed. "You're getting more used to her than I had hoped."
He frowned. "I do not wet my pants!"
"What about that time we went camping and you thought there was a bear going near our tent?"
Fear blushed at this, gripping his sweater. "How was I supposed to know park rangers would look that hairy?"
Sadness rolled her eyes. "You were lucky Joy always packed extra clothes."
"Oh, like I was proud to even wear girl's underwear!" he retorted, his face red at the memory. "Anger would not let me live it down for a week!"
"Still," she concluded, "you didn't freak out as much as last time. They're actually might be a chance for you and Riley. And then Joy won't be upset with you anymore."
"I would never make Joy upset!"
"Exactly," she said, "which is why you better do a great job teaching Riley."
Her tone darkened when she said that, and for a moment he thought he was being threatened. But Sadness's mellow and calm nature was like that sometimes. And she was usually right about these sort of things. Although he had just forgotten about the camping incident until she brought it up...
Riding in Joy's car, Riley peered out the window as the city went by. Soon they were driving through a complete different area they hadn't visited before. And soon enough she spotted what appeared to be the entrance of the school Joy was talking about.
"There it is is!" Joy exclaimed brightly. "Epiphany Elementary!"
Riley's eyes widened. The building reminded her a little of Joy's house, but much more elaborate. The building was structured almost like a star, the horizontal points on either side overhanging like balconies. The point at the top, rather than being a direct point like the others, was spherical, as if it were like a dome.
"What's that on the top?" she asked, pointing but squinting in the sun's light.
Joy glanced up and shot her friend a wide grin as she turned into the parking lot. "That's the observatory!". She practically squeed. "3rd grade is where you first get to go, and seeing the stars and planets at night is just about the most amazing thing in the world!"
She noticed the look on Riley's face. "Oh don't worry, 4th and 5th graders get to go too! Just kind of an intro, ya know! But I can show that to ya soon, come on!". She got out of the car and waited for Riley to exit as well. "There's so much I have to show you!"
A/N: Yay, friendship progress! And next chapter we'll see Riley's future school, and the return of a familiar character from the IO-verse!