Hi there! c: I've been getting busy lately, with school having started again. I still don't know what happened, when I hadn't updated in over a month on the previous chapter! So sorry about that! Anyway, there was something I would like to say before continuing, about a suggestion I got in a review! To Josiefeathergirl, Thank you oh so much for the review! I'm always open to suggestions on how to improve! Though the reasons I use the quirks in the dialog, are:
1. I just felt something was missing.
2. I have read fanfiction that can get confusing, because the author either did not put the quirks, or sorta changed it up, like indicating Sollux's lisp by replacing his S's with Th's. I don't hate it, I just find it a tad confusing to read; on some words I have to try to sound it out.
3. Just so you can tell who is speaking, so I don't need to go all, Sollux said, Aradia said, Sollux said, Aradia said... Blah blah blah. Because they do talk quite a lot, and there is going to be much more dialog in later chapters. ;)
I think I will keep the quirks for now, but if it becomes a true problem, just let me know! Thanks! :)
...
Your name is Sollux Captor, and you are tired as hell.
After an awful day at school courtesy of your idiot move, standing up to Vriska, you arrived home. You had been stupid, if you thought that just maybe Vriska would leave Aradia alone for a while. Things just weren't that simple. You can only imagine how relieved AA must be right now, that this day is finished. Even after Vriska covered Aradia in spaghetti, she by no means toned the evil down. She enjoys getting people in trouble. Thankfully though, the worst she tried after lunch today, was to pull out the chair Aradia had been preparing to sit down on. Aradia had fallen over on her behind, and you had leaped up to help pull her up off the floor while Vriska cackled with pride. That snide little bitch...
You chuck your school bag onto the carpet floor of your bedroom, and flop down into your leather computer chair. Something occurs to you, and you slip your cellphone out of your jean's pocket. When you slide it out of the case, something flutters out and rests on the floor. It's a piece of paper, but not the same piece you left inside intentionally with your name and address, it's larger. You peek inside the case to see that the before mentioned piece of paper, the one you had put inside before the whole Vriska-stole-your-cellphone fiasco, is gone. You reach down to pick up the slip of paper on the floor, and hold it up in front of your face to read. In cursive, it has Aradia's name and below it is her phone number, followed by a cheerful, call me! :)
No. No way. At least try to not be so desperate.You're trying to fight the strong impulse to dial her number right now. What would you even say? Would you have to nerve to actually... Ask her out? You can answer that question with a big fat no.
As idiotic as it sounds, maybe you should ask Karkat what to do. Though he may be the most infuriating son-of-a-bitch you've ever had as a friend, he does know is way around relationships. Due to hours upon hours of romantic comedy movie garbage, one could call him an expert on everything sappy, mushy or downright disgusting, on the subject of romance. You scoot your chair closer to the desk your laptop rests on, and open up pesterchum. Before you have a chance to see if Karkat is online, he opens up a chat with you.
- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began pestering twinArmageddons [TA] -
CG: SOLLUX
CG: WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED AT LUNCH TODAY.
CG: HEY ASSHOLE.
CG: ANSWER ME.
TA: kk you 2aw what happened already along wiith the re2t of the 2chool.
TA: what the fuck do you want from me?
CG: I MEANT *WHAT* THE EVERLOVING FUCK DID MINDFANG SAY.
CG: HOW MUCH BULLSHIT DID SHE THROW AT YOU?
TA: ju2t a month of detentiion, 2tarting after break.
CG: YOU LUCKY LITTLE FUCKER.
TA: 2hut up kk.
TA: we both know how much 2he hate2 you.
CG: I SWEAR TO GOD, THAT WOMEN WILL SUSPEND ME FOR BREATHING.
TA: ye2 ii know kk.
TA: we are both well aware that you hate her gut2.
TA: you have made that very annoyiingly loud and clear, mo2tly due two the fact that you are iincapable of 2hutiing up.
CG: FUCK YOU.
TA: wa2 there an actual poiint two thi2 conver2atiion?
CG: FUCKING FINE.
CG: I WILL NOW GIVE AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY WE ARE CURRENTLY SAILING ON OUR OWN FUCKING SHIT FILLED TITANIC UPON THE GROTESQUE OCEAN OF MOODY AND DRAMATIC ABSOLUTE HORSEHIT IN THE GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM OF THIS POT SMOKING ASSHAG WE CALL OUR EXISTENCE.
CG: BECAUSE ITS PLAINLY FUCKING OBVIOUS
CG: THAT YOU ARE SWOONING OVER THAT NEW GIRL.
TA: what the hell are you talkiing about.
CG: YOU KNOW VERY FUCKING WELL WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT, IDIOT.
CG: SOLLUX DONT YOU DARE PLAY RETARD WITH ME.
CG: YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON HER, DONT YOU?
TA: why do you a2k...
CG: WHY THE ALMIGHTY FUCK DO YOU THINK IM ASKING, CAPTOR?
CG: MUST I WRITE IT IN GODAMN SHARPIE
CG: ALL OVER THE MYSTAKE OF NATURE THAT IS MY FACE
CG: THAT I AM THE LIVING *GOD* OF ROMANTIC ADVICE.
CG: DO YOU HAVE A FUCKING CRUSH ON HER.
TA: ...ye2.
CG: THEN HIKE UP YOUR SKIRT AND ASK HER OUT SHITHEAD.
TA: ii hate you kk.
- carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased pestering twinArmageddons [TA] -
Well, it looks like that takes care of that. It seems like Karkat is more cheerful today than usual. You decide to close pesterchum again, and you push your chair back a bit. You look back down to the cellphone still in your hand. You start to chew the inside of your cheek thoughtfully, trying to silence the turmoil in your mind. Should you try to ask her out? You've only known her for less than a week. Maybe it should wait. But will you still call her? You suppose you're okay with just calling her for now. You pick up the slip of paper on the desk and nervously dial her number.
What's the worst that could happen?
...
Your name is Aradia Megido, and you are feeling horrible.
Every part of your body is painfully sore, and you feel like a zombie due to the way you are stumbling around. You have your fingers massaging your temples, in a desperate act to lessen your throbbing headache. You shake off your book bag onto a wooden dining room chair and slip through the hallway to the room you chose as your bedroom. You push open the door and choose to leave the lights off, practically floating to your soft bed. You grip the covers and lean back, guiding them up and over your head. You just lay there in the warm darkness for a little while, letting thoughts drift through your mind. You pull the covers away from your face a little to take in some air.
You don't want to be thinking about Vriska right now, but you are. She hates you so badly. You honestly want nothing to do with her, but she will never give up on tormenting you. You know that. What is it she wants from you? An apology? To give up? You just don't understand why she is so bothered by you. If you knew what you had done or said, to make her so angry, you would gladly apologize or take it back. As much as you dislike what she has done to you today, you don't hate her for it. Why does she want to hurt you?
You felt the tears coming, but it was too late to stop them. You don't make a sound, and simply let them come. They fall down your cheeks onto the white pillow beneath your head. That's when you hear the front door open and close, and your mother's voice calls your name. Her footsteps can be heard clearly from the hall. They stop outside your door. She turns the doorknob slowly to open the door a bit, and peeks through the small space it makes. You can see her squint to try and get a good image of you in the dark room.
" Is something wrong sweetie? "
All you can manage in response is a pitiful whine. Your mom flips on the light, and you close your eyes to the pale brightness. You can hear her step closer to you. She sits down on the edge of your bed and tugs on your arm gently, gesturing for you to sit up. You comply, and she wraps her arms around your shaking form without a word. You let yourself sob into her shoulder. Your mom is patient and quiet. She rubs your back with one hand, waiting for you to calm down.
The only sound in the house is your sobbing, until you hear your cellphone go off in the kitchen. You remember leaving it on the counter earlier this morning. Seeing as you're still in an unbalanced state, your mom stands up, still wiping your tears away, and goes to the kitchen to answer it for you. You can hear your mother's side of the conversation when you quiet down.
" Hello?... Oh, no I don't think you have the wrong number. I'm her mother. Yes... Well, Aradia has just had a hard day I'll bet, I just got home and found her crying in her room, so... Yes, she's still there now, she still hasn't told me what's the matter... I see... What's this girl's name?... Vriska?.. Okay, I was just trying to make sure, you have a bit of a lisp. "
You pull yourself together in record time. There's no doubt in your mind now, Sollux is the one who called you. You slide yourself out of bed, running your hands over your face to remove any remaining moisture. You race out into the hall, straight to the kitchen. You signal to your mom to give you the phone.
" Oh, well it turns out she wants to talk to you. She's looking bit better. Thanks for telling me about that girl Vriska.. Here you go.."
Your mom passes the phone to you. You give her a quick smile and raise the cellular to your ear, while you run back to your room and close the door once again. You clear the lump in your throat and finally manage to say something.
" hell0."
" hii."
" h0w are y0u?"
" iim okay, but ii think ii 2hould be a2kiing you that que2tiion.."
His voice sounds full of concern. It's actually very sweet of him.
" i think im 0kay.."
" good..."
You're both silent for a little while.
" s0, what did y0u want t0 talk ab0ut?"
" ii know ii really 2houldnt 2ay thii2.. but could we talk a biit about vrii2ka?.."
" 0kay..."
" ii.. ii ju2t want to 2ay that you are not alone.. iive been vrii2ka's target for year2. 2even year2 two be exact.."
" that s0unds awful..."
" iit wa2.. mo2tly iin miiddle 2chool. iin miiddle 2chool, 2he u2ed two call me 2tupid 2pity 2ollux, becau2e when ii wa2 younger my li2p cau2ed me two 2pit when ii talked. 2he 2tiill call2 me that 2ometiimes when 2he want2 two get on my nerve2. ii really 2tarted two hate my lii2p, ii 2tiill do. whenever vrii2ka 2aw me 2he would punch me, kiick me or pu2h me on the ground, whiile yelliing that mean niickname.."
" 0h... but y0ur parents must have been w0rried right?"
" well, my dad diidnt really know what two do. ii mean, how would you react iif you found out that your 2on wa2 beaten up by a giirl every day? my mom u2ed two help, but.. That diidnt la2t long..."
" what d0 y0u mean?"
" my mom, ii2 2orta... gone.."
" g0ne?.."
" yeah... 2he.. pa22ed away two year2 ago."
" 0h my g0d. im s0 s0rry!.."
You have a hand clasped over your mouth now. Why did you have to ask him what he meant? All you've done is made him uncomfortable! You can't believe he lost his mother though, and he must have only been thirteen years old. What happened to his mom?.. There is a bit of curiosity eating at your thoughts, but it will only push him farther out of his comfort zone if you ask about her death. You're really starting to realize how much you don't know about Sollux. You suppose you could call him a friend, because he is so incredibly nice to you, but you do want to learn more about him.
" no, iit2 okay. you diidnt know... ii could tell you more about iit... iif you really want two know what happened..."
" n0, n0. its 0kay... i sh0uldnt have asked."
" alriight... anyway2, where wa2 ii?.. okay, well.. my poiint wa2, ii may not have 2ome huge 2uccess 2tory.. but ii do know what vrii2ka'2 torture ii2 liike. ii gue22 what iim 2ayiing ii2 that you may have two face vrii2ka bullyiing you, but you dont have two face iit alone."
".. thank y0u, s0llux."
" no problem..."
You honetly don't know how, but Sollux Captor was able to make you smile today.
...
Your name is Sollux Captor.
You're feeling pretty nervous that you've just said the cheeziest thing you could have ever said. Ever.
" alriight... anyway2, where wa2 ii?.. okay, well.. my poiint wa2, ii may not have 2ome huge 2uccess 2tory.. but ii do know what vrii2ka'2 torture ii2 liike. ii gue22 what iim 2ayiing ii2 that you may have two face vrii2ka bullyiing you, but you dont have two face iit alone."
But, you can't believe your luck. She thanks you, and she actually sounds genuine. You dont actually know why the hell you just spit out all the info on what Vriska has done to you over the years, but you think it may have her helped somewhat to feel better. In that case, you suppose it was worth it. Well worth it. But some little voice inside your head is yelling at you, that you should have asked her out, that you could have listened to Karkat... But you know deep inside you, your common sence knew it was not the time.
Someday... Not yet.
Someday, soon.
... 3
...
Someday, soon... I will update faster XD
Slow writer is slow, I guess. c:
Thank you reviewers! You all get hugs you BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE. :) 3