Author's note: A Happy Tree Friends story from Flaky's point of view. The action takes place during high school and most characters are teenagers, except for Lumpy, Mole and Pup, who are adults, and Cub, who is a kid, obviously. Due to the fact that they are all humans, I have decided to change their names to an extent, but they will still resemble their original names, anyway.
Their human names will be:
Cuddles-Cody; Giggles- Ginger; Toothy- Thomas; Lumpy- Liam; Flippy- Phillip; Flaky- Florence;
Petunia - stays Petunia (is human enough); Handy- Hayden; Sniffles- Stanley; Nutty- Nathan; Mime- Mike; Mole- Malcolm;
Pop- Porter; Cub- Corbin; Lifty and Shifty- Luke and Shane; Russell- stays Russell; Disco Bear- David Brian; Splendid- Spencer;
Lammy- Lana; Cro-Marmot- Cormac;
Warning: This story will contain some violence (Flippy is in it, really). I will rate it T/M, with more on the T part, but it will have some M parts, as well.
...
Florence Thorn wasn't strange. No, not at all.
In fact, she might have been the most grounded person in the entire high school. Her friends liked to tease her about being odd, but they were wrong. If anything, they should have been more like her—more aware of the world around them.
Florence was always alert, maybe too much so at times. But life was unpredictable, and staying sharp was just part of surviving.
It wasn't paranoia. It was vigilance.
"Miss Thorn."
Her name sliced through her thoughts, pulling her back to the classroom. She jolted in her seat, her wide brown eyes darting to the Math teacher. He was staring at her like she'd grown a second head. Around her, the other students snickered, and her stomach sank.
They were laughing at her. Again.
"Pay attention," the teacher said dryly, "I'm not here to admire you."
Oh, great. Now the teacher was mocking her, too. Her cheeks burned as she looked down at her desk, mumbling an apology.
"Yes, sir. Sorry."
As she shifted uncomfortably, she cast a quick glance over her shoulder. The familiar smirks and grins greeted her, mocking her silently. The only exceptions were Stanley and Phillip. That was no surprise—Stanley had been infatuated with her since their first year of high school, and Phillip... Well, Phillip was Phillip.
Phillip Phren.
The name alone sent a shiver down her spine. Florence wasn't shy about admitting she was easily scared of many things, but Phillip? He was something else entirely. A living, breathing nightmare. Her friends—especially Cody and Thomas—always laughed at her for her "ridiculous" fears, but even they kept their distance from him.
No one wanted anything to do with Phillip Phren.
He was always alone, sitting by himself at lunch in the farthest corner of the cafeteria. In three years of high school, Florence had never seen him with a friend. Not once.
It wasn't always like that, though. She remembered their first year, when he'd been almost normal—or as normal as Phillip could be. He had spoken to Cody and a few others back then, even shown a hint of sociability. But that had changed abruptly. He'd withdrawn into himself, and as the rumors began to spread, any attempts to connect with him stopped cold.
The rumors.
Florence shuddered at the memory. Even now, the stories haunted her, creeping into her dreams on the worst nights. Phillip wasn't just an outsider. He was an outsider to the outsiders—a pariah even in the shadows.
It baffled her how anyone could be so utterly alone.
Not that she cared, of course.
It was just... curiosity. That was all.
Florence suddenly realized she had been staring. Phillip's gaze shifted, locking onto hers, and the faintest shadow of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. She squeaked in surprise and whipped her head around, her cheeks burning as a cold shiver crept down her spine.
God, she was such a coward.
She sucked in a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Focus, she told herself. Stop thinking about nightmares. Stop imagining the worst. Concentrate on the lesson.
By the time the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Florence was a bundle of nerves. She grabbed her things and practically bolted out the door, avoiding eye contact with anyone. The hallway buzzed with noise and movement, but she didn't stop until she reached her locker at the end of the corridor.
With shaking hands, she yanked open the metal door and started pulling out her English and Chemistry books, shoving them into her bag. That's when a hand landed on her shoulder.
She gasped, nearly dropping her books, and spun around in alarm. Relief washed over her when she saw Ginger, Cody, and Thomas standing there.
"Flaky, you need to chill," Thomas said with a grin. "One day, you're gonna give yourself a stroke."
"Yeah, Red Flakes," Cody chimed in, smirking. "You're even jumpier than usual today. What's got you so spooked? See a ghost or something?"
"Ghosts might be scary," Thomas cut in before she could answer, "but not as terrifying as you-know-who." He widened his eyes theatrically, leaning in close as if expecting Phillip to appear out of nowhere.
"Flippy," he whispered in an exaggeratedly spooky tone.
Both boys burst into laughter, the sound echoing down the hall and startling a group of first-years, who shot them annoyed looks before scurrying away.
Everyone at school called Phillip "Flippy" behind his back. The nickname came from his unpredictable outbursts in class. One moment, he'd sit there quietly—almost normal, by Phillip standards—and the next, he'd snap. Sometimes it was at the teachers, sometimes it was muttering something bizarre or inappropriate, like he was teetering on the edge of a meltdown.
His behavior had earned him a permanent spot in detention and probably explained his low grades, even though he clearly wasn't dumb. He seemed smart—sharp, even—but his temper and antics made people wary.
A few brave students had said the nickname to his face, but Florence doubted Phillip realized just how many people mocked him behind his back.
She almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
Ginger frowned and gave both Cody and Thomas a sharp slap on the back of their heads.
"Will you two cut it out? You're embarrassing," she scolded.
"Aww, come on, Ginge, you've got to admit that was a pretty good joke," Cody said, wiggling his eyebrows mischievously.
Ginger rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. She was a rule-follower at heart, but she was also fun to be around—practical, sharp, and often the voice of reason in their group. Her closest friend, Petunia, shared many of her qualities but had an undeniable star quality that made her one of the most popular girls in school. Petunia had won the "Queen Bee" title three years in a row and had a steady stream of admirers, whereas Ginger was more modest.
Still, Florence had her suspicions. She couldn't help but notice how often Ginger and Cody gravitated toward each other, always finding excuses to spend time together after school.
"A-actually," Florence stammered, cutting into their bickering, "Thomas is r-right. Phren s-scared me today." She hesitated, shifting her eyes nervously. "I… I think he smiled at me."
That got their attention.
All three of them gaped at her, their jaws practically hitting the floor.
"What!" someone behind them exclaimed, loud enough to make them all jump.
They turned to see Nathan standing there, a bag of candy in one hand, his expression one of utter disbelief. He had been so busy stuffing his face with sweets that no one had noticed him eavesdropping.
"You mean Phillip Phren?" he asked, his voice dripping with excitement.
Florence nodded hesitantly.
Nathan's eyes widened, and he lunged forward, grabbing her shoulders in an overly enthusiastic grip. She winced and flinched, backing away instinctively. She hated being touched, but Nathan was oblivious, his hyperactive energy in overdrive.
"Phillip Phren? As in Flippy?" Nathan asked, shaking her slightly.
"Y-yes," she stammered, trembling slightly.
"How did he smile? When? What kind of smile?" Nathan fired off his questions like rapid gunshots, his enthusiasm fueled by a dangerous combination of sugar and curiosity.
"I-I was staring at him, i-in the first p-place—"
"You stared?" the boys chimed in unison, their voices a mix of disbelief and teasing.
Florence recoiled, horrified at her accidental confession.
Ginger quickly stepped between them, shooting the boys a withering glare.
"Okay, that's enough," she snapped. "Leave poor Flaky alone. You're all acting like a bunch of geese."
For a few moments, her friends continued to stare at Florence in stunned silence. Then Ginger reminded them that half of lunch break had already passed, and they hurried toward the cafeteria, the discussion seemingly forgotten.
Or so Florence thought.
The subject resurfaced the moment they sat down at their usual table, this time drawing the attention of Petunia and her boyfriend, Hayden. Nathan wasted no time retelling the story, his voice brimming with excitement.
"—and then Flippy actually smiled at her. Can you believe that?" Nathan snickered, clearly relishing the drama.
Petunia, ever composed, flipped her long, dark blue hair over her shoulder and patted Florence's hand sympathetically.
"You poor thing," she said in a soothing tone.
"Man, that must have been pretty terrifying for you," Hayden added, his brows raised in mock concern.
Florence didn't respond. Instead, she frowned, staring down at her lunch tray. It had just been a smile—if she could even call it that—and yet her friends were treating it like some kind of supernatural event. By tomorrow, half the school would be buzzing about it, all thanks to Nathan and his big mouth.
Her friends were blowing this way out of proportion. She didn't understand why they cared so much. Maybe it was just a teenager thing. And if that was the case, maybe she wasn't really a teenager after all.
"And what do we have here, Luke?" a mischievous voice interrupted, cutting through her thoughts.
"I don't know, Shane," another voice, nearly identical to the first, replied. "Looks like Miss Cowardice got a glare from the mighty freak."
Florence tensed.
"Oh no, not the Trouble Brothers," Cody groaned, his tone dripping with annoyance.
She felt the sharp gaze of the twins behind her. They were Luke and Shane, the school's resident troublemakers, notorious for their biting remarks and penchant for chaos.
"What's the matter, blondie?" Shane sneered, fixing his smirk on Cody. "Did your mom forget your leash at home?"
Cody's fists clenched under the table, his knuckles whitening. Ginger turned a bright shade of red, clearly uncomfortable under the twins' scrutiny.
Nathan let out a muffled snort of laughter but immediately shut up when Petunia shot him a warning glare that could've frozen lava.
The twins pushed past Thomas and Hayden, forcing themselves into the seats on either side of Florence. She stiffened, shrinking back instinctively as their identical, piercing eyes locked onto hers. The way they stared at her made her feel like a trapped rabbit under twin beams of light.
"You're his next victim, Red Flakes," Luke sneered, smirking as he looked down at her.
"His n-next victim?" Florence stammered, her voice trembling with confusion. She glanced at her friends, noting their uneasy expressions. A sinking feeling settled in her chest as realization slowly dawned on her.
And then, like a truck slamming into her, it hit her. She froze, her mind racing, her breath caught in her throat.
"Come on, you idiot," Thomas cut in, though there was a faint hesitation in his tone. "You're just trying to scare her."
Luke and Shane laughed, their voices cutting through the tense air. Their sharp gazes scanned the group, lingering on each of them in turn.
"You all know it," Shane said ominously. "When that freak looks at you, it's over. You never know what he's planning. And then…"
"Bam!" Luke shouted, snapping his fingers with a grin, making everyone jump in their seats. "You're dead."
"I don't believe it," Hayden said firmly, breaking the heavy silence. "These are just old rumors, and they're obviously fake. There haven't been any deaths in over a year."
"Exactly," Petunia chimed in, backing up her boyfriend. "If he were actually dangerous, the police would've arrested him by now. Just because he's strange doesn't mean he's a killer."
The twins shook their heads in mock disappointment, crossing their arms.
"They're right, you guys," Nathan muttered. His face was unusually serious, a rare sight that made Florence's stomach twist. Nathan wasn't the type to take things seriously unless he was genuinely scared—or sick, and she doubted it was the latter. "Think about Cormac—Ginger's first boyfriend—or Lana, the girl with schizophrenia who used to talk to that pickle she carried around. They were the only ones who ever really interacted with Flippy after our first year. And both of them were murdered, gruesomely, just a few months later."
The table fell silent again, the tension thick despite the chatter of students around them. Slowly, their eyes shifted toward Flippy's table. As always, he was sitting alone. His head was bent over something, apparently reading, but they couldn't make out what it was.
"I bet he's reading a guide on how to kill people," Shane whispered conspiratorially.
"Yeah," Luke added, leaning in. "And what's that on his plate? Looks like organs."
"Dude!" Cody snapped, visibly irritated. "It's just red beans! That's what we're having for lunch today!"
The group collectively glared at the twins, their patience worn thin. Luke and Shane just shrugged, grinning as if they hadn't said anything outrageous.
Still, their attention drifted back to Flippy, and this time, Florence saw them stiffen and nervously shift in their seats.
"He's staring at us," Thomas whispered, his voice tinged with unease.
"Uh-oh," Shane muttered, his bravado evaporating.
"We're outta here," the twins said in unison, scrambling to their feet and disappearing into the crowded cafeteria.
Florence blinked after them, then let out a shaky, ironic laugh. "And they c-call me a coward."
"They're just jerks," Ginger said firmly, though there was an edge of anger in her voice. Florence noticed her friend's jaw tighten when Nathan had mentioned Cormac.
"And liars," Cody added grimly. "Don't believe a word they said, Flaky. Those deaths were coincidences."
"I don't know," Nathan muttered, scratching his chin theatrically. "He is suspicious..." He trailed off with a sly grin when Petunia's glare burned into him again. He raised his hands defensively. "Fine! I'm just trying to make our lives more interesting, that's all."
"You're as bad as the Trouble Brothers, you spaz," Thomas teased, giving Nathan a playful shove.
They shifted the conversation to the dreaded Philosophy test coming up next week, but Florence couldn't focus. Her mind kept circling back to the rumors and the unsettling stories that had haunted the school since her first year.
Her friends wanted her to move on, to dismiss it all as baseless gossip, but a small, nagging part of her couldn't shake the feeling that there might be a shred of truth to the rumors.
She glanced over at Flippy's table again, hoping to push her fears aside. But her breath hitched.
He was smiling at her.
...
Florence gazed out the window at the heavy black clouds gathering ominously above the city. Resting her chin in her palm, she sighed deeply. The muffled voices of her classmates reached her ears in fragmented snatches, their words jumbled and indistinct.
She tried to focus but failed. Florence was known for being an excellent student, often topping her class. The only one who consistently surpassed her was Stanley, a genius in Math, Physics, and pretty much everything related to science.
"Psst. Flaky."
A small piece of paper landed on her shoulder. She turned and saw Stanley seated two rows behind her, gesturing to her in sign language.
"Do you want to be my partner?" he asked silently, a hopeful smile spreading across his face.
"Part-ner?" Florence started to respond but stopped when Mr. Porter, their Biology teacher—nicknamed "Pop" for his fatherly demeanor—cleared his throat loudly from the front of the room. His stern expression warned that today, he wasn't feeling particularly paternal.
"I will be assigning partners for this semester's essay projects," Pop announced, his voice cutting through the room like a whip. "Each essay will focus on a different subject."
A hand shot up from the middle of the class. Mike, ever the eager questioner, stretched as high as he could from his seat.
"No, Mike," Pop said preemptively, not even waiting for the question. "You will not be choosing your own partners. I will pair you according to your grades. The highest-performing student will work with the lowest-performing one, the second best with the second worst, and so on. Got it?"
A collective groan rippled through the class, prompting a sharp glare from Pop. "Quiet!" he barked, rubbing his temples as if warding off a headache.
He began reading out the pairings.
"Nathan," he called, pausing just long enough for a ripple of laughter to spread through the room. "You will be paired with Stanley. Your topic: the Excretory System."
The room erupted in laughter. Nathan leapt to his feet, his face a mixture of indignation and disbelief.
"That's not fair! Why do I have to be with Nerdie? And the most pathetic subject ever?!"
"Silence!" Pop snapped, his patience thinning visibly. "The grade on this assignment will contribute to your final results, and frankly, Mr. Gobbet, your grades are already abysmal. I'd suggest you focus on improving them."
Still fuming, Nathan reluctantly slumped back into his chair, clutching his stash of candies protectively. Pop sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before continuing down the list.
"Florence," he called, glancing at her before scanning his clipboard.
"Yes?" she answered, already dreading the outcome.
"Your partner will be Phillip."
The room seemed to inhale sharply as whispers erupted all around her. Florence froze in her seat, the weight of a dozen stares pressing into her back.
"P-Phillip?" she stammered, her voice barely audible over the hum of shocked murmurs.
"Yes, Phillip," Pop confirmed, pointing toward the back of the classroom. Her stomach dropped as she turned, her movements stiff and mechanical.
Phillip sat slouched at his desk, his face frozen in an expression of mild surprise. For a fleeting moment, he looked just as taken aback as she was.
"Your subject," Pop continued, oblivious to the mounting tension, "will be the Circulatory System, with a focus on the heart and blood."
Florence noticed a subtle but alarming change in Phillip's demeanor. The initial surprise melted away, leaving his face eerily blank, as if his mind had emptied entirely.
Then, like a sudden storm rolling in, his features darkened. His brow furrowed, and his lips twisted into a grin so unsettling it sent a chill down her spine.
Her heart pounded furiously, each beat reverberating in her ears like a drum.
She was dead.