ʚ🍓𝐅𝐀𝐔𝐗 𝐊𝐀𝐓🍓ɞ

But should it really be enough to attract this sort of attention? Enough to spill blood?

Yes.

Strangely enough.

You didn’t think simple acts of kindness were enough to twist someone’s mind but reality had to take charge, cracking their knuckles to put in the work.

You should’ve left when you got the chance.

Boris was your first problem. He was a childhood friend of yours that drifted apart since you had to move away because of your father’s promotion and having his work transferred to another city. He was quite shy and kept to himself  for what you’d first expect from a wolf. But he was quiet enough you found him at the small local playground where a bunch of kids were ganging up on him, pulling his fur and ears while calling them names. Little you was quite feisty and frankly, blunt back then according to your parents.

“Even if we were to put you on a leash, one look away and you’d still be off somewhere.”

“I wasn’t that bad…”

“Honey, we had to come get you from school because you asked your elementary teacher how many months along…”

“It was an innocent question…”

“He was a male.”

“Still innocent.”

You almost made your mom faint when you came home with some scrapes and bruises after that incident. However, she let it go with a sigh after hearing the full story, not that she was still fond of it of course given how she glared at your dad when he gave you a thumbs up. But good on her for coming to your defense when the bullies came up to your door trying to get reparation for those kids.

You supposed that’s how you both came to be friends because the next time you were able to go to the playground, under your mother’s supervision, he came to you in full-on blubbering and apologies based on what you can remember. You waved it off of course and your mom invited him over for lunch.

You came to learn about him while you both were playing with your toys, you even showed him your prized horse toy that your dad won at a small carnival that went on to become your most treasured possession. Your dad shed a tear at the sight even if he was initially skeptical of the boy of course when he came home.

“You don’t have any friends?”

Perhaps, you were too blunt.

If you haven’t witnessed the devastating combination of puppy eyes and droopy ears it seems there was a first for everything…

“Then, you can be my friend…”

“...Really?”

“Yeah, Elmer likes you.” You held out your horse toy to him with a bright smile, allowing him to hold it.

“Oh…”

You never knew why you decided to name your horse after a glue stick.

Boris was still shy around others from what you noticed at the playground. Even if you were around other toons who you were also around with. He was quiet and stayed in the background while you go play with them at the slide or the swings for an hour or two before heading back to your place for your own hang out sessions, waving goodbye to the other kids.

Perhaps you should’ve seen it back then as they made a comment about how creepy he was.

“I don’t know how you can hang out with him, he keeps staring like a creep…”

“But he’s my friend…”

The other kids exchanged uneasy glances.

“But, whenever you’re with us he…” They hesitated. “He just keeps looking…

However, it became such a weekly routine that your parents prepared an extra meal every time expecting his visit. Also he had the cutest puppy-eyes whenever he seemed lost which stood out the most to you, melting your heart and becoming a weakness whenever you were frustrated with him.

“Hey…” Boris softly called out your name. “Why do you like being with me?”

You paused from playing with your horse toy to look at him and gave him the same answer. “Because Elmer likes you.”

“...Is that really it?” He drooped down.

You hummed sweatdropping at his sudden raincloud, thinking it over.

“Because I think you’re a good wolf, Boris.”

“You think so?” He lifted his head up to gaze at you, eyes shining.

“Yup!

“Will we always be friends…?”

“Of course, we will! Best friends forever, right?” You raised a pinkie.

He was practically family.

Which didn’t really help your case.

A few months later though, you came home from school to see piles of cardboard boxes scattered around the living room and your parents carefully packing things up, explaining that you’re going to move in a few days for work reasons.

“I’m sorry, honey…”

Of course your little mind raced to only one person.

 Of course you were horrified and completely panicked because it happened so suddenly and you had no way of reaching Boris because you didn’t know where he lived. Not to mention, it was days before your weekly hang out so there was no point in running to the playground to check if he was there.

So little you did the only thing you thought would be right that time. You went to your neighbor under sniffles  and asked them to keep your most valuable item in case he ever came by wanting to see you wondering what happened. 

Your horse toy.

You lost contact with him as soon as you moved away. Your mom offered to check in, curious about what happened to the little quiet wolf herself . She reached out to some former  neighbors with a few calls but all led to the same dead end. It was like he vanished without a trace. None of them has seen him and the kids from the playground just shrugged it off and shake their head, claiming they haven’t seen him either. It was as if he didn’t exist at all and false memories were planted in your head the day you left, growing hazier and hazier as years passed by.

That was, until you moved back home for a top college after your father decided to retire. You wanted to live on your own and pleaded with your parents for more independence, making them reluctantly cave in and  hand you the old house keys under strict rules.

You didn’t really expect to see him first day of school, saving you from a bunch of stereotypical jock bullies after bumping into one of the girlfriends with them who was holding a matcha latte.

And you gotta say, green did not look well with her pink.

“They apologized, let it go.”

They scrambled away with their tail between their legs after one look from him. He wasn’t the same young skinny wolf toon you remembered as he now had quite a larger and more towering figure compared to when you last saw him.

Then again, it was a long time ago.

Now, it seems his current appearance made him apparently a silent delinquent around campus.

“I heard he beat up ten seniors at a rival school all by himself.”

“I heard from a classmate that he punched some guy for even looking at him…”

“That’s not what I heard. Someone said he punched them with just one touch of his bag.”

And they were talking about the same wolf? The same wolf that used to have snot in his nose when you didn’t come to the playground one time because you had chicken pox?

That same toon?

“You’re quite the figure over here, Boris. You’ve really changed.” You hummed as you walked alongside him in the hallways towards the guidance office. “I remember us only being a couple of inches apart and now here we are, you’re all bulky and apparently a rebellious one too. What happened to the droopy eared teary wolf that I used to know?”

“And you’re as blunt as I remember.” The wolf toon sighed as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his school jacket. “They’re all made up. But, maybe it should be for good reasons…”

‘Hm?’ You turned your head to raise a brow at him.

“It’s nice to see you again.” He mutters. “But, you shouldn't be seen talking to me. I’m not exactly popular…”

You should’ve listened to him back then and went your own way. But, your conscience decided it wanted to stick by him since he was one of the only people you knew during the first week of school. 

So, how could you not?

You sat by him during lunch, surprising him at first but eventually he caved in with defeat and you both sat together in silence. It wasn’t awkward per se in fact you found the silence quite calming.

If anything, it was comfortable.

The kind where the space didn’t demand to be filled.

You figured he found the quiet peaceful as well since after days of this continuous lunch routine, he shyly offered you an earbud he took out of one ear.

“...Do you want to listen with me?”

Now, how could you say no to the familiar puppy eyes you remember?

It was a small gesture.

But coming from Boris, it felt like a big one.

As time went on you went to introduce him to some of your friends you made in your classes. They were wary of him of course, given the rumors but sat with you both once in a while during lunch. Boris wasn’t exactly unwelcoming to the newly add-ons to the small group you brought along at lunchtime but he did stay quiet most of the time during the conversations only giving short “yes” and “no” answers to some of their questions.

They only come once and a while, about once or twice a week, give or take claiming they had some assignments to catch up on or a club activity they had to do. They seemed to have calmed down when he saw he wasn’t exactly like the rumors say he was. But, it didn’t stop them from expressing their concerns to you.

“...It’s not like we don’t like him. We know that anything could just be hot gossip.” One of your friends said worriedly as you were seated at one of the benches waiting for the next subject. “But, you can’t deny he’s got that look in his eyes…”

“What do you mean?” You blinked. “His face is just like that. He means well…”

“He looks like he’s going to bite our heads off.” Your other friend interrupts. “Like we interrupted the little lovey-dovey moments you guys have during your little lunch dates.”

“We aren’t like that, you know that.” You sighed, shaking your head as you pulled out a notebook to study for an upcoming quiz. “Boris and I are  just childhood friends.”

“We know, we know. You told us a million times that you’re becoming a parrot.” They hesitated for a few minutes before continuing . “But, I heard something from my older brother who’s a senior and he says it’s true because it’s coming from a friend.”

“You know those  could still be rumors right?”

“Still, I thought I should let you know.” They lowered their voice to a whisper with your other friend listening in. “Apparently, a couple of months ago, one of the jocks decided it’d be funny to mess with him, stealing his bag from him in some empty classroom. My brother said he pummeled him until his face was unrecognizable and his fists were bloody. Someone said a teacher had to call for an ambulance.”

“Really?” You raised a brow, seemingly unfazed.

That didn’t sound like Boris.

He never was one for violence.

“It sounds ridiculous, I know.” Your friend sighed, shaking their head, looking around before leaning over. “But what makes it even more bizarre was that even after all that he didn’t exactly go after the bag. My brother’s friend claimed that he saw him kneeling on the ground and cradling something in his bloodied hands.”

“What was it?” You murmured, looking like you weren’t paying attention as you scanned your notes.

They frowned. ”Not sure, he said it looked old…”

That didn’t sound like Boris at all.

“He said it was some kind of horse toy?”

At that moment, your blood ran cold.

For a brief moment you saw your childhood flash before your eyes.

“Yeah, Elmer likes you.” You held out your horse toy to him with a bright smile, allowing him to hold it.

“Elmer…” Your breath hitched at the once faded memories coming back, pausing you from your studies. How you showed it to him. How you left it with your neighbor if he ever came looking for you.

“Hey, you doing alright?”

That should’ve been your first clue.

And it should’ve ended there.

Your next problem was Bendy, the student body president himself and Boris' older brother. He was also one of those black and white shaded toons in the form of a demon. Compared to Boris however, he was the complete opposite of him. While Boris was silent, Bendy was outgoing and fairly popular with the student body. He had his own charm and was quite charismatic. You suppose his friendliness with people was one of the qualities you admired about him.

Then again, maybe it got too much at one point.

“Hey there! Been a long time, huh?”  You remember him pulling you aside after your first day of class. “Not to worry my darling doll, I’ll be showing you around here! Try to keep up!”

You didn’t know him as much as Boris when you were younger but he has hung out with you two at the playground. You weren’t that close based on what you can remember, however each time you played, he always left after a couple of hours. You also offered each time to play at your house with Boris, but he shook his head and gave his usual signature grin and said that their foster parents are coming to pick him up for acting classes.

You suppose that was the first you learned that they were orphans and were adopted under someone named Henry.

Boris never talked about his family when you two first hung out and every time you asked there was a slight hesitation behind the answers, making even your parents curious about their family background. But for an extrovert like Bendy, you expected at least a few words about them.

However each time they were mentioned, you noticed how the demon’s grin became more rehearsed.

Maybe it was the performer in him.

And you saw how convincing it was for the others.

But it never reached his eyes.

“Thanks for saving my brother, little missy!”

Even when you first saw him.

So you stopped asking, learning that some questions weren’t meant to be answered.

That silences are kinder than answers.

“Not to say I don’t appreciate a tour around here, Mr. President…” You trailed off, raising a brow at his happy-go-lucky demeanor while noticing the dirty looks you were getting from the other students as you walked beside him. “But, shouldn’t you be off doing more important business?”

‘Geez, remind me not to poke at these fangirls…’ You  thought.

The counselor said there will be someone showing you around campus since you weren’t able to attend the orientation due to a later application, but you didn’t expect it to be him of all people. Not to mention, he was some big-shot campus figure so shouldn’t he be busy with y’know…

Paperwork?

“Don’t be silly, doll! I volunteered.” He grinned, glancing at you as walked through the hallways. 

You wrinkled your nose at the familiar nickname. “You’re still calling me that?”

“What? It just fits.” He shrugs, ignoring your face. “Also, call me Bendy, same as always. I’m as ordinary as every student here y’know?”

“Right…” You murmured under your breath, sweatdropping as you try to tune out the heated glares drilling into your back. “Ordinary.”

“Or Andy for old time sake?”

A flicker of surprise crosses your expression for just a millisecond.

“Ann and Andy, eh?”

You didn’t expect him to still remember that.

“You’re playing Raggedy Andy?” Your eyes sparkled in awe.

You were waiting for Boris, wondering why he wasn’t showing up as usual. He wasn’t exactly the type to be late. Some kids invited you to play with them but it wasn’t the same without him. So you told them after a while that you felt tired and that you were going to take a break at the benches to wait for your friend. You waited there all afternoon, and by the time you knew it, it was already sunset and the kids began to leave.

However, just as the last of the children left the playground, Bendy showed up.

But brought bad news.

It appears that Boris was sick with the flu which made sense why he wasn’t able to hang out today.

“Will he be okay…” You asked worriedly.

“He’ll be fine!” Bendy waved it off, reassuring you. “Must be from the weather. He might be quiet but he’s still a tough cookie. Some little cold isn’t gonna kill him so don’t you worry, your pretty little head.”

You sighed, a small sense of relief washing over you since he didn’t seem all too concerned about it so it must be minor.

But you were still worried either way.

An awkward silence settled between the both of you. You supposed there wasn’t any point of staying since Boris wasn’t coming. And you did stay here all afternoon patiently waiting for him, making you miss lunch. Your parents must be worried sick why you weren’t home yet.

“I guess I should be heading home then since he’s sick today. Sorry for making you come all this way for the trouble,” You stood up and  bowed before straightening yourself back up to leave. “Please tell him that Elmer and I will be waiting when he’s all better.”

However, just as you were about to walk off, Bendy stopped you.

“Hey, wait a minute! Are you saying you don’t wanna hang out with little ol’ me?”

You turned back to find Bendy putting on a playful pout for dramatics. You tilted your head in confusion, wondering what he was even trying to suggest.

You weren’t exactly close with him. In fact, you both kept a respectful distance between the both of you even when you were with Boris. He was friendly towards you and held dramatic shows with you and the other toons that either made you laugh or gaze in awe at his performances.

Yet somehow, he still felt distant.

Like there was an invisible wall between you.

So him wanting to hang out with you alone was a little out of the ordinary. 

“...You want to hang out with me?” You trailed off.

“What do you think I’ve been saying?” He clicked his tongue with his signature smile. “Remind me to cast you as my parrot if I ever get the role of a pirate.”

You deadpanned at his words before sighing and letting it go.

“Why? Don’t you only hang out when Boris is around?” You blinked, not realizing how your words might come off.

“Wow, Boris was right about you having no filter at all.” He sweatdropped at your straight face.  He folded his arms for a second before he walks up to sit at the bench right beside where you were standing. “And that’s because I had drama lessons, but I’m free now. So nothing wrong with a change of pace, eh?”

“...But I haven’t eaten since lunch.” You mumbled to yourself unaware that the demon’s ears were sharper than you thought.

“You mean to tell me, you’ve been waiting all day for Boris?” He stared at you, completely dumbfounded.

“I was worried.” You answered sulkily.

He burst out laughing, belly filled with laughter before calming down after to wipe a tear from his eye making you feel silly and flustered out of embarrassment. “You’re a real hoot, y’know that?”

“What’s that supposed to mean…”He calms down, still grinning before he goes to unzip his bag to pull out some snacks. “Tell you what, hang out with me for a couple of hours, and I’ll give you these snacks. You must be starving! I’m not exactly planning to get eaten alive right now.”

“Hardy, har, har.” You said dryly. “Are you trying to bribe me?”

It was at that moment, your tummy decided to grumble in protest.

Another awkward silence echoes through the air as you shut your eyes to escape the embarrassment for one moment before deciding to sit back down right next to him as you took the chocolate he held out.

“...You’re lucky I’m hungry.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Despite the humiliating setback of being bribed to stay, you and him actually made good conversation. You asked him some questions about himself and he would answer and ask you in return. He was playful with his answers that made you wonder if he was actually being entirely truthful but paid no mind as you were happy enough to be able to talk to him. Topics switched from school, animals, games you both liked to play that you both ended in giggles.

Yet he still felt out of reach.

Then the topic of dramas and movies came up.

“You’re playing Raggedy Andy?” Your eyes sparkled in awe. “

“Yeah, at this next show.” He grinned from the sight of your amazement. “Teacher wanted to test out the class’ skill so he split us into small groups and gave us some topics for us to play.”

“I love Raggedy Ann! My mom bought us the tape but it got destroyed after watching it so many times!” You said, all giddy. Just saying it was just your favorite movie was a complete understatement. “I even had my dad drive all the way to the toy store just for her doll!”

“You really love the movie that much, huh?”

“Absolutely! Most definitely!” You said with such a gleam in your eyes.

“Sadly, you won’t get to see me in action since this is more on checking our skills.” The demon chuckled. “Think of it like some kind of quiz.”

“Aww…” You slumped down.

What a pity. It would’ve been nice to see it all in action.

“Maybe next time, doll.”

You paused, sticking out your tongue at the nickname. “Yuck. Don’t call me that,”

“It just fits.” He shrugs before pulling out a smile. “Don’t blame me.”

“Whatever.” You dangled your legs out the bench, allowing them to sway back and forth. “Acting must be so much fun…”

“Yeah…” He replied. “It is…”

There it was again.

His smile didn’t touch his eyes.

You opened your mouth to say something, pausing for a second with hesitation before swallowing once more to speak. 

“...You must be tired of smiling.” You muttered softly.

You shouldn’t have said anything.

You shouldn’t have stayed with him to begin with.

Your words didn’t escape his sharp hearing as he looked at you with a raised brow while still wearing a smiling expression. 

“Excuse you, I’m told that my smile is the most angelic.” He answered, dramatically placing his hand to where his heart is, acting wounded. “He always said that you aren’t dressed if you don’t wear a smile!”

You rolled your eyes and stood up, pulling him along with you. “C’mon…”

“Uh, what are we doing…” He questions as you move a few spaces away from the bench before halting your steps. “If you want to take a walk, you only need to say a few words.”

You take a deep breath, controlling your humiliation within you before deciding to open your mouth.

“I’m just a rag dolly, happy and smilin’ all day~” 

You sang, letting go of his hand to do a small twirl and lifting up your skirt  like you saw in the movie. “A little rag dolly, wishing your worries away~”

Bendy watches you with wide eyes under the sound of the familiar song.

“I stop and say, “Golly, this is too good to be true.”~” You grinned as you pulled out familiar actions from the movie. “A little rag dolly, plain as can be, has a friend who’s as lovely as you…”

You finished with a little curtsy.

Your little shenanigans made him grin with amusement for a few moments  before making his move, deciding he wanted to play along.

“She’s just a rag dolly, happy and smilin’ all day~” You smile as you watch him go behind you singing his role’s familiar lines as he leads you to a little dance routine. “A lovely rag dolly, wishin’ your worries away~”

He was truly a performer at heart.

“And I get so jolly, knowing it’s funny but true~” He sang. “A little rag dolly, sweet as can be, could be friends with a dolly like you~”

Just as you were about to follow along, one little step sent you almost crashing down if it wasn’t for the fact Bendy caught you wrapping his tail around to steady you.

“Whoa! You alright there, doll?”

You laughed brightly at the situation you were both in. You still had two left feet after all, you’re surprised he even went along with this sudden whim. As your laughter faded, you saw it.

A genuine smile.

“You’re finally smiling….” You grinned, happy to see that you accomplished your true plan. 

The air was silent between you, but compared to the awkwardness from earlier, this time it was filled with warmth even as a small gust of wind blew your way.

“You…” You never thought this would be the first time you’d see Bendy completely run out of words.

“You really are a strange one, doll…”

“Doll? Yoohoo~ Anyone home?” You flinched, blinking rapidly out of your state as you saw a hand gently flailing in front of your face.

“H-huh?” You replied confused as you saw Bendy raised a brow at you.

“I’ve been calling your name for a while now, doll.” He chuckled. “You looked so distracted ever since we started this tour that you’re starting to turn into a pigeon.”

You shook your head. “It’s nothing, just thinking…”

“If you say so.” His signature grin found its way onto his face once more as the two of you headed toward the small building beside the main school. “Must’ve had way too many midnight snacks, eh? Cookies and milk?”

That sentence caught you off guard for a second.

It wasn’t really a secret, but you don’t exactly go telling people you wake up in the middle of the night with a craving especially when you were little. Even your parents didn’t know, And to name cookies and milk specifically of all things…

‘Is it a coincidence…?’ You thought, biting your lip anxiously. ‘Am I just overthinking…?’

That sentence sounded so simple yet you can’t help the shiver that ran down your back.

“Here we are, we saved the best for last! The theater room!" He interrupted your thoughts as you heard the sound of jingling keys. “Usually, transferees, freshmen don’t get to see the inside till the activities, but for you? I’ll make an exception.”

“Of course, you of all people would save the theater for last.” You rolled your eyes as you watched him unlock the doors.

“I like to think it’s what the school’s known for!” He winked as he opened the doors and walked in. “Just don’t go telling on me to the rest of the council.”

You shake your head playfully as you follow him. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“This here, doll? This is where you get to see me in all of my glory!” He said as he jumped on stage wearing a large grin as he looked towards you.

“Figured.” You smiled softly at the familiarity of the scene. A wave of nostalgia gently washing over you. “You were always one for the spotlight, Andy.”

You watched how his expression subtly shifted. He was still all smiles yet something about his gaze seemed different this time. Your eyes drifted down as you saw how he held his hand out. You were filled with a sense of uncertainty but hesitantly took his hand allowing him to pull you up to the stage.

“...You remember how we played at the playground?” Bendy questions you all of a sudden.

“Uh, yeah…” You wondered why he was asking. “I was Ann, you were Andy. Sometimes we made Boris act like the camel…”

“He was so confused when we started calling each other Ann and Andy.” He chuckled. “Those were the good ol’ days…”

You watch as his expression changes into something unreadable.

“Sometimes, I pretend you were always in the crowd…” He murmured softly. “Sometimes, I pretend we were back to those days of our small roleplay…”

“...What do you mean?” You asked, feeling unsettled. Yet, he didn’t seem to be listening.

“No one else can be you Ann…” You heard him mumble. You felt his hand tightened around your wrist as he brought it upwards. It didn’t hurt but there was certainly a grip to it that raised some alarms.

He gently pressed a kiss to your knuckles. It was gentle yet there was something behind the gesture that made your skin crawl.

“But, I don’t want it to be just Ann and Andy anymore…”

That was the second clue.

You should have read more in between the lines.

The third was Shelly. She was a really nice toon and in fact you considered her to be one of your best friends as you settled in more in this school. She was the one who convinced you to join the YSD cheer squad in the first place. She was warm and bubbly and completely hyperactive that you couldn’t but say yes from both pressure and curiosity at the same time. It was worth a try anyway. School required you to join at least one club, and although Bendy tried to persuade you to join theater, you made an excuse that you were scared of the limelight and that it creates conflict with your schedule, letting you go with a dramatic sulk.

So you compromised and told him you’ll come by and watch if he wasn’t busy.

He was happy enough with that.

“YIPPEE! I’m so glad you want to join the squad!” Shelly jumped around with her pom-poms in excitement before grabbing your hands. “I can’t wait for you to meet everyone!”

The shell toon  taught you the ropes in cheering. You were surprised yourself that you managed to even pass try-outs let alone cheer but here you are. You thought your movements were shaky and completely bad.

‘I have two left feet…’ You shed a tear. ‘How the hell did I manage to pass…?’

“You have potential!” Shelly gave you thumbs up as she pulled you along to practice. “You still manage to keep up! All you need is some practice around the rough edges!”

“If you say so…” You said tiredly with a smile as she taught some moves.

Safe to say from there she became one of your most prominent friends as you navigated through different friend groups, hanging out with you during sleepless nights, complaints about deadlines, and hectic projects. She was a complete chatterbox but you didn’t mind it all. In fact you were thankful that she fills the space when you run out of conversations.

“...Say, what do you look for in someone?”

You momentarily stopped writing. You invited the shell toon to your place for a hangout under the guise of a small study session. Then, she happened to stumble upon a  small stash of trashy magazines you forgot you even had in your closet.

“Really, Shelly?” You turned your head to glare at her playfully. 

“Hey, they happen to have great advice here. You never know.” She was over at your bed, flipping a page in giggles.

“Besides, I really want to know!”

You thought nothing of it.

It was an innocent question, nothing more.

“Hmmm…” You hummed in thought, leaning back onto your chair. “I guess someone who’s kind, makes time for me. Remember the small things about me. I think that’s sweet…”

“Huh…” Shelly stares at you.

Then you chuckled, shaking your head. “Then again, hard to think about those things when you’re too busy planning a career.”

The room grew oddly quiet for a few seconds.

“The small things….” You heard her mumble under her breath. 

By the time you glanced back at her, she was smiling to herself as she went back to reading.

Perhaps it was then your friendship with her started becoming strange. The change was subtle at first. It was harmless. The little things you thought were out of friendship. She would bring you little snacks, send you a text saying good luck before an upcoming exam. She would even buy you little trinkets, saying they reminded her of you. One of them you loved the most was this little keychain with a little chocolate bar charm.

“Don’t lose it~”

You thought she was being thoughtful as usual as she was with the rest of the cheer squad.

But, eventually, the coincidences became harder to ignore.

Your favorite flavor.

The fragrance you used.

The exact date when you decided to go to cheer try-outs.

The little interruptions when talking to someone else during cheer.

One day, one of your friends from the cheer squad pulled you aside after class as Shelly and another student were in charge of returning the laboratory materials. They participated with you during auditions but you both didn’t hang around much due to your best friend sliding into your conversations and dragging you away. They looked frantic as they pulled you towards a hallway where most students don’t go. They looked around checking if there was anybody watching you before looking at you and lowering their voice to a whisper.

“Where did you get that?”

You blinked and looked down to what she was pointing at. It was your little keychain from Shelly that you attached to your bag. You blinked, filled with confusion at the sudden interest in your trinket.

“Oh this? It was a gift from Shelly.” You replied casually, tilting your head. “Why do you want one? I could ask Shelly-”

“No!” They bursted out making you flinch. They sighed, taking a deep breath before  clicking their tongue. “Look, I’ve been handed this sort of thing by my parents. Called me a rebel and needed control. They sell these online in Amazoff.”

“This thing tracks your location. Doesn’t matter where you are, they'll know. I bet Shelly hasn’t even told you.” They clicked their tongue once more. “I always had an odd feeling about that shell.”

Your fingers unconsciously traced the chocolate charm attached to your bag. You found it hard to believe that an adorable accessory could be used for such a thing. It looked the same as always. 

Cute.

Harmless.

‘So why didn’t she tell me…’

But, you still couldn’t help the uncomfortable knot settling into your stomach.

“Yeah. So don’t be fooled just because it’s cute.” They narrowed their eyes at you. “Look, I don’t know how your relationship with her is but even you should know it looks creepy. You better watch-”

“Watch what?”

It was amazing how well you were keeping your composure as you turned around to see Shelly walking towards you both with all smiles. Her smile looked warm and bubbly as usual, like she didn’t know anything. Yet, the air felt different with her now.

“Just discussing the experiment earlier.” Your cheer friend responded coolly, clearly experienced with these types of situations. “Lab partner I got was confused with the whole thing and I wanted to ask for notes for a quiz next meeting.”

“Oh!” The shell toon blinked and went to unzip her bag, clearly digging for her notes. “I could also help! I’ve been taking notes during the experiment if you want some extra.”

They shook their head, turning their body to head off. “Nah, it’s all good. I trust them that these are enough. Gotta run now, parents are coming to pick me up.”

They gave one last glance to you before heading off.

“Bye!” Shelly waved at them, watching their figure disappear.

“Bye….” You replied absentmindedly, clearly still processing info.

Later at night before some small late-night study, you heard your phone beep and opened it to find a link sent to you from your cheer friend. Pressing it led you to the Amazoff site and there it was, the keychain.

That also happened to be a tracking device.

“Well, what do you know…” You murmured, your heart sinked to your stomach with a small sense of fear.

Under that link, they left you a message.

How else would she have been able to find us quickly?

A few days later, you heard there was an accident with that friend as you were out sick, from the late night study, making you miss the quiz. You heard they were taken to the hospital and was lucky they didn’t break their neck from that high up the ground when they were trying out for a pyramid.

In the back of your head, you knew who did this. But, you decided to still send a message anyway.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll be okay.”

And here comes the third and an “accidentally” broken keychain.

It’s hard to think your best friend of all toons would do all this.

Then comes Cuphead, he makes the fourth. You happen to see him in most of your subjects but never paid attention all that much as you were too busy taking notes.  He was one of the sport jocks and you would’ve been more scared based on flashbacks if it wasn’t for the fact he was also the class clown.

During one period, you were seated next to him, writing notes down while listening to the discussion when you heard a snore coming from beside you. Your eyes drifted to the cup toon next to you, finding him faced down snoozing in the middle of class with a few drops of liquid leaking from his cup.

‘Uh…’ You raised a brow at this situation. ‘Should I do something…?’

In the end, you didn’t really need to since the teacher was practically screeching at him.

“CUPHEAD KETTLE!”

“FIVE BURGERS WITH A SIDE OF LARGE FRIES PLEASE!” You watched as he completely jumped out of his seat at the noise, clearly just woken up and a bit disoriented as he looked around. “Huh?”

‘Must’ve had one hell of a dream…’

The class was practically snickering as they watched his face shift into a confused look. As it was the same daily occurrence with the sport jock. The teacher let out a deep sigh, clearly tired at the common instance.

“Sleeping in my class again, Mr. Kettle?” He huffed as he pointed to a problem in the board. “Clearly, you must know the lesson then. Very well, surely, you can answer this question then.”

“What is the derivative with respect to x of (x + 1)³  - x³ ?”

You could clearly see the gears shifting in his head just to come up in smoke a few seconds later, making you feel a bit of pity again when you heard the small chuckles and whispers of your classmates.

You will admit that it is pretty funny though.

‘Just this once…’ You thought as you wrote it in your notebook and slowly shifted it towards his view, tapping your pen to get his attention.

Which seemed to work as  you caught his eyes drift to your table and widened before clearing his throat.

“I believe that would be 6x + 3, sir.” 

“Seems you do know. I hope to see you look like you’re properly listening next time, Mr. Kettle.” You let out a breath of relief when he didn’t ask any further questions.

It would’ve been more difficult explaining the solution without him fully reading from your side after all.

After the bell rang, you bolted out of there to get to your club since there were play-offs coming up and the team needed to practice. You were unaware until later by one of your classmates that he was looking for you.

You didn’t think much of it until later when one of the English professors called you over to his desk after class. You initially thought you were in trouble, that you forgot to pass an assignment but it seemed it wasn’t the case when the teacher assured you that wasn’t it.

“Not at all, in fact you are one of the most excellent students I have in this class.” He waved away your worries. “However, I’m hoping to ask for a bit of your assistance.”

“With what, Sir?” You slightly tilted your head in question.

“A student of mine has been getting failing scores in this class.” He replied. “He’s in need of a tutor because at the pace he's at, he won’t be able to move up next year.”

“I’ve asked his brother who’s also an intelligent student but he refused.” He continued. “He said it was hopeless. Compared it to giving a calculator to a rock...”

You hummed, sweatdropping at the analogy.

‘If that’s the case, what makes him think I can do it…’ You thought.

“I at least want you to try.” He replied, clearly could see your thoughts written on your face. “If he could manage at least a C then he has more of a chance to pass this semester. If you could do that, I’ll consider this your extra credit.”

Well, with that in mind, it is worth a shot.

“...I’ll try my best, Sir.” You answered hesitantly.

“That’s good.” He nodded his head. “He should be waiting for you in the library as per instructions for your introductions if you can start as soon as possible…”

“Yes, sir.”

It was quite the coincidence to run into the cup toon once more for tutoring.

‘Shit, he must’ve been waiting for a while now since teach told me.’ You thought, panicking as you sped to the library which was at the other side of the school. ‘Why couldn’t he have at least started with that!’

Except your two feet decided it was time for them to shine.

“Woah! Watch where ya’ step!” You stumbled onto someone’s arms, catching you before you fell. “Wouldn’t want you to fall over and crack your head open! HAHA! That was a joke.”

You slowly opened your eyes to find yourself face to face with Cuphead staring at you with a cheeky grin.

“O-Oh dear!” You took a few steps back. He was a jock after all who knows what eyesight the girls have right now. He was one of the popular figures on campus since he was into sports  after all besides his class clown status. “Sorry, my bad!”

“No biggie.” He waves it off. “What’s got you in a hurry?”

Realization dawned on you as you almost forgot what you were supposed to be doing. 

“Sorry, have to head to the library to tutor someone. Professor instructed me that someone’s waiting for me there and I don’t want to keep them waiting. So see ya— ” 

“Hang on!” He grabbed your arm before you were about to dash off. “To think my little savior would be the one tutoring me.”

What.

“Was just on the way to him checking what was the hol’ up.” He chuckled. “Never got to thank ya’ for the save.”

“You’re the one I’m tutoring?!”

Well at least you know him, sort of. 

Now, you’d expect when at least knowing a bit of the person you’re tutoring, things would become a whole lot easier.

No, it wasn’t.

“Hey …” You started. English wasn’t the hardest subject when it came to college but it does have its twists and turns here and there. But you thought it was easy compared to the major subjects. But this…

His writing was dogshit.

But you didn’t have the heart to say it out loud.

“...I never thought you’d be having a hard time in this subject.” You tread carefully as you look over his test scores in the library.

“You could say it like it is, toots.” He laid his head on the table. “My brother told me already like it is. Been like this since I was little but I manage to get by…”

“But if I don’t manage to pass the upcoming exams, Coach will have ta’ put me off the team.”

You blinked before letting out a small sigh. Feeling a bit of your guilty conscience taking hold of you as you took a seat beside him. You pulled out your notebooks and papers.

“Doesn’t mean you should give up though. People aren’t good at things even if it takes a long time.” You gave a few pats on his back awkwardly. “We'll take it slow, start from the basics. And we’ll see from there.”

He lifted his head up, clearly skeptical.

But at least he seemed motivated.

So, it all started from there. A few times a week, you both would meet in the library after class. Shelly was worried whenever you planned to stay behind but you told her you would be fine and managed to convince her to go on ahead. She bought it though as she said that she had to order you a new keychain since it felt right for her to replace it.

You winced at that.

Genuinely, he was lazy at first, but honestly you kind of understood cause it is hard when you struggled to understand something for a long time and just gave up.

Still though you had to try.

"A period means stop. Comma means slow down. Question mark means..."

"...Coach questioning the referee?"

"...Close enough." You tossed a chocolate bar over to him. “Here, reward. Have a chocolate bar.”

“Toots, I’m not a dog, y’know.” He pauses. “Unless…”

“I’ll stop you right there, Mr. Kettle.”

Not everyone could be on the same level. And not everyone can learn everything all at once, but it’s the basics that makes everything else click, you thought. So, you stayed patient with him throughout even though there were times he leaves you completely dumbfounded. But you instantly shook those thoughts away, reminding yourself that he isn’t you.

There were also times where he tends to get distracted.

While looking over your notes, and multitasking in checking his recent scores in his English. You felt something bump against your foot beneath the table. You ignored it at first, thinking it was an accident.

Then came another nudge.

You looked down only to see a shoe quickly retreat from its spot.

“Really?” You looked across the table to the cup toon with a blank face only for him to look completely innocent.

“What?”

You sighed and looked at your notes once more.

Then, a few more taps on your foot cause you to groan and look up to see Cuphead wearing a roguish grin.

“If this is a way to tell me you’re done, Cuphead, then I can check y’know.” You deadpanned.

“Aw, don’t be a sourpuss, can’t be a study bug all the time.” He leaned his head onto his hand. “Where’s your sense of humor?”

“Battery’s drained.” You answered wittily. “Get back to work, hotshot.”

“You think I’m hot?”

You nudged his foot. Well, tried to.

“Hey, watch the pants!”

“You started it!

Soon, he came to improve slowly.

And you grew closer.

You were waiting in the library, waiting for him at the usual time whilst writing notes for a pop quiz coming up when the sound of the library doors slammed open, the loud bang echoing through the library that it almost made you jump out of your seat.

“I GOT A C!”

“SHHH!”

You couldn’t help but snicker, covering your lips behind your hand at his enthusiasm being halted by the grumpy head librarian. You watch him quickly apologize with his head down before quickly speedwalking to your table.

“Could you be any more louder?” You whisper-yelled even though you were clearly wearing a smile. “You almost gave our poor librarian a heart attack.”

Completely proud of him.

“Please, look at her, she’d be clearly living past her hundreds with how healthy she is for her age, toots.” He grinned, before winking showing you his paper. “‘Sides, pretty sure it’s “any louder” not “any more louder.”

“Well, look at you, Mr. Smartypants.” You replied sarcastically as you gently took the paper from him to scan it. “Since you seem like you know it all, does this mean you’ll be able to tell me the difference between “there, their, and they’re?”

“I swear who came up with that…” He pouted but paused when he saw your shoulders shaking, before bursting into such laughter that it made the librarian look over with such a glare.

“SILENCE IN THE LIBRARY.”

You quickly cover your mouth, desperately trying to hide your giggles unaware that the cup was watching you with an unreadable gaze until you look up again, wiping a tear from your eye.

“Sorry, sorry.” You quickly apologized, explaining yourself as you calmed yourself down. “You had such a look on your face that I couldn’t help it.”

“But, I’m proud, really.”

You really were.

And you hope your expression says it too by the way he was gazing at you.

Time seemed to slow as the silence stretched between you, until Cuphead’s voice cut through it. 

“Say…”

“Hm?” You hummed.

“If I pass my English midterms exams…” He grinned, sitting beside you.

“Will you give me another reward?”

It sounded innocent.

You didn’t think much of it.

“What, you want another chocolate bar?” You answered playfully as you went back to writing.

“Nah, I wanna change the bet.” Cuphead chuckled at your face. “Bigger things, bigger rewards? Don’t I deserve that much coming from my beloved tutor?”

You rolled your eyes in amusement, placing down your pen to look at him. “Alright, I’ll bite. What do you want? And nothing that leaves me completely bankrupt after.”

“Ya’ think that lowly of me, toots?” He gasped  dramatically causing you to snort at his actions. He cleared his throat. “But nah, that ain’t it….”

“W-What do you say to some burgers and fries after?” He looked rather hesitant as you both stared at each other. “My treat?”

You stayed silent for a few seconds to process before tilting your head in skepticism.

“...Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of the reward?” You remarked, raising a brow. “Shouldn’t it be my treat?”

“Well I haven’t thank you yet for saving my butt during Calculus.” He said with a lopsided smile, his confidence coming back. “It’s the least I can do, right?”

You hummed, thinking about it for a few seconds.

Nothing harmful about it, right?

“Sure, I’ll take it. But since you seem quite motivated to pass, I should put something of  my own.” You gently smirked. “Professor wants you to at least get a C this upcoming exam, right?”

“I expect a B at least, then I’ll go.” You gave an impish grin of your own. “You’ve improved this much, right?”

“...You’re the most ruthless tutor I ever got, toots.”

He still took the bet anyway. You didn’t think much of it at first as you were happy enough he got a C. A miracle in itself. But two weeks later after the exams, the results were posted. And as soon as the results came out, you didn’t exactly expect yourself to get lifted up off the ground in a twirl when you exited the library.

And you most certainly didn’t expect him to get an A.

“WHOA— ”

“Doesn’t this mean I win, toots~?” He laughed, spinning you in a triumphant circle.

You swatted at his shoulder the moment he finally put you down, trying and failing to hide your own smile.

“I swear you’re going to make me dizzy.”

“Worth it.”

You couldn't even argue with him.

He'd done it.

He'd actually done it.

However, even though you were proud you couldn’t help but notice the heated glares  digging on the both of you just outside the library.

‘Man, these fangirls…’ You sighed with a sweat on your brow.

But just how motivated was he?

So here you are, 7pm at McRonalds having a small celebration to congratulate him on a job well done. Even though you were glad he passed you would at least expect him to bring his brother along or a couple of his jock friends.

“Nah, they had some stuff to do on their own. Still wanted to practice some ball.” The cup toon waved it off. “And my brother? Wanted to do some studying. Even after exams.”

“Huh…” You hummed as you finally noticed the orders arrived. “Oh well…”

“Six burgers, three large fries, and two milkshakes for Table 13?” A waiter came by and placed a large tray on your table before heading off.

“I cannot believe you have the room for five burgers and large fries.” You sweatdropped as you watched him down two burgers in a minute while you only took a few small bites in comparison thinking back to how he woke up in class screaming the exact same thing.

“It’s my go-to, helped me passed exams, eh?” Cuphead shrugged. “Thank the food.”

“Sure, right.” You snorted. “Not the tutor assigned to you huh?”

“Hey, I’m bein’ serious!” He grinned as he gazed at you. “Still, can’t forget about the best tutor who taught this guy.”

You snorted again.

You spent the next few hours talking about different things from games, college gossip, hobbies and you began to lose track of time. Somewhere along the way, the conversation drifted from school to childhood memories, then to embarrassing stories neither of you had expected to admit out loud. You found yourself laughing far more than you ate. He had a way of turning even the most ordinary stories into something worth laughing over.

You found your time with him quite fun throughout all this.

But it was also this same night where there was a subtle shift, and you began to feel a sense of fear.

Funny, isn't it? 

You'd expect the class clown to be the safest person in the room.

Instead, he was the one who unsettled you the most.

“Y’know I was initially scared about you at first.” You said casually while stirring in your milkshake. “But you’re not that bad.”

“Me?” He pointed to himself.

“Nothing bad really, just remembering some things during my first day.” You chuckled and shrugged, looking back. “Bumped into one of your guys' girlfriends I think. Made her spill her coffee all over her clothes. He got so mad even when I offered for damages, I thought he was asking for a beatdown.”

“And no one came to help ya’?!”

You jumped a little from his raised voice. “To be fair, I really wasn’t looking where I was going, so, couldn’t blame him. But, someone did come to my rescue.”

You took a glance at him and caught him staring off into space, mumbling under his breath.

“...Why wasn’t I there?””

You waved a hand in front of his face to snap him from his state which seemed to have worked as he was looking at you. But, now his happy-go-lucky expression shifted into something different.

Unreadable.

Unnerving.

“Hey, hey., not like we knew each other that time.” You tried to lighten the mood, nudging him before making a small joke. “Besides, I would’ve pummeled myself since he  tried to ask me out for one of his buddies to some party to make it even. I was about to punch him but someone I knew had to come dragging me away.”

Slowly, you saw him put on his smile again. “...You got some fire of your own, toots.” 

His grin is exactly the same.

But, this time it felt more deliberate.

“If I was there, I would’ve knocked his lights out.”

You chuckled, thinking nothing of it.  Assuming it was another one of his jokes.

Looking back, you wish you hadn’t said anything.

Maybe things would’ve ended more differently.

Because sometimes, a joke is just a truth disguised as laughter.

Three days later, you ran into a familiar sports jock. The same one who cornered you over coffee the first day you were here.  You saw him while talking to Shelly in the hallway by your locker. But this time, you noticed he wasn’t the same smug hot-headed guy you remembered. He wasn’t surrounded by his friends or his girlfriend making vulgar jokes. 

One of his eyes was bandaged. An arm was in a sling, and a cast surrounded his leg causing him to limp and rely on a crutch.

He froze the moment he saw you. As soon as your eyes met, his one good eye darted around in fear causing a strange unease to settle in your chest.

As if he wasn't afraid of you.

But afraid of who might be watching.

“Hey, toots!” Cuphead’s voice cuts in, causing you to turn and see him walking towards you. 

But for a brief moment you caught the jock’s face turn into fear and quickly limp down the hallway, disappearing into the crowd.

“Hello~” He waved a hand in front of your face to catch your attention.

“Hey! They might still be worried about the assignment yesterday.” Shelly tried to cut in.

“What’s done is done.” He shrugged.

You blinked and sheepishly scratched your neck, thanking Shelly in your head for coming up with an excuse.

“Yeah, sorry. Still worried about yesterday since I was in a hurry…” You answered with a small sweat. Absent mindedly, your eyes drifted down and caught sight of worn bandages on his knuckles, a faint trace of dried blood staining the fabric.

“If I was there, I would’ve knocked his lights out.”

Your stomach tightened.

“Hey, what happened to your wrist?” You asked softly.

“Oh that?” The cup  said with his signature grin. “Some stuff happened at practice sometime ago.”

“Seriously? The team should be more careful.” Shelly scolded him while he looked sheepish. “How are we supposed to cheer if most of you guys are down before the games begin?”

Their voices began to blur, your mind completely filled with thoughts of fear.

The way the jock ran as soon as he appeared.

The bandages…

You glanced at Cuphead.

He was laughing at something Shelly said, his usual bright smile back on his face.

The same smile everyone knew.

A chill ran through you.

Wondering if the same person who made you laugh could be the same person who made someone afraid.

Which should’ve been the fourth clue.

The last but not least is the valedictorian himself, Mugman. Who also happens to be Cuphead’s brother. This happens to be strange for you because if you have a nickel every time you happen to make friends with a brotherly pair.

It would be two.

Which isn’t much but it is unusual for it to happen twice.

“Oh, it’s you. Shouldn’t you be in class by now?”

You were standing outside the classroom finishing your chocolate bar when he passed by you, narrowing his eyes, looking you up and down before proceeding inside.

To the Chemistry Laboratory classroom.

‘Did I do something…?” You thought with a sweatdrop, looking at your chocolate bar.

You just wanted to have a small snack before class started.

Compared to the previous four however, he wasn’t exactly the nicest person you’ve ever met. In fact, he was quite hostile when you first met him. You don’t even share that many classes with him besides Chemistry, Biology,  and Calculus so you weren’t even sure what you did to cause him to give you such a venomous glare across the room when you weren’t even sitting beside him.

Well, not anymore at least.

Screw it, “nicest” was an understatement.

He was an asshole.

You slide into the last open seat you could find just before the professor arrives with a breath of relief when you check the time.

Which happened to also be the seat right next to the mug.

“You’re forty three seconds late.” 

‘Him again…?’ You thought with a sweatdrop, turning your head to find him next to you pulling out his notebook and pen,

“You’re late.” He murmured in a plain tone.

"Class hasn't started..." You trailed off.

"It almost did.”

And that wasn’t the only time that happened.

You let out a sneeze during Biology period. You covered your mouth politely with a tissue, following common courtesy.

Seated right beside you, you could clearly see Mugman’s face wrinkle and brows knitted together as you sneezed.

Without even looking at you, he slid a hand sanitizer to your desk.

Which made you blink before sighing under your breath and whispering a thank you as you opened the small bottle.

“So, you won’t infect the other students.” He remarked as he flipped a notebook page, making you stare blankly at him.

Wow.

And you don’t even get a bless you?

He just seemed annoyed by every little thing you do that you were starting to wonder if it was your existence that was the problem. The next class period you had with him, you came early and took a seat in front of him this time.

“Alright, class, to check who were the students paying attention to yesterday’s lecture…” Not even a few seconds after the professor writes a few problems on the chalkboard, the whole class groans and sigh in unison. “Who can find the derivative of this function?”

f(x) = 3x⁴ - 5x² + 7

The room falls silent. A few students glance down at their notes while others avoid eye contact. You looked over your notes for a few seconds to check if your answer is correct before raising your hand.

“f(x) = 12x³ - 10x…” You answered.

“That is correct.” The professor smiles at you before looking back to the chalkboard. “Now proceeding to the power rule, for a small recap…”

As you jot down notes during the discussion, you hear a faint voice coming from behind you.

“...Lucky.”

Really? Your face slowly shifted to a deadpan when you overheard him.

It was from then on, you decided to try not to sit near him.  You’ve asked Cuphead if you’ve done anything wrong but all you got back was him shaking his head and saying that it just sounded like his usual mood.

‘Usual mood?’ You thought with a sweatdrop. ‘But, why does it still feel like the animosity is still aimed at me…?’

You’ve tried to ignore it, but it seemed like the universe was also out for you as well, as it seemed to have woken up and decided that it wanted to cause havoc on the whim, specifically targeting you, a student that just wants a career and a high-paying salary. Because, a few days later, the professor thought to pair you and the mug up for a presentation in two weeks time.

And it was 60% of your grade.

Which needed 100% cooperation from the both of you.

You were tempted to just peel off the tape holding his glasses up and calling it a dat

‘How did it come to this…’ You thought, sulking into your chair, turning into a puddle as soon as the professor called both of your names. It didn’t help that you could feel his gaze digging into your skull from afar.

You sighed to yourself again.

“This will be quite the doozy…” You whispered softly to yourself.

After class period, you found yourself face to face with the one person who seems to hate your existence, staring at you with a neutral expression. Just looking at him, you found yourself growing tired by the minute. 

And you had cheer practice to get to.

“We need to get started as soon as possible.” Mugman remarks with that tone of his and suddenly you feel a headache coming on. “The first draft of research information should be done by tomorrow tonight and we still  have to split up the work. Unless you’re deciding to procrastinate and use cheer practice as an excuse-”

Oh fuck no.

You felt something in you crack. With a twitch of a brow, you grabbed his school tie and pulled him down to your eye level causing him to let out a yelp. You stared him down with a glare that was enough to kill and opened your mouth.

“Look, I had the patience of an angel these last few weeks ever since I had the pleasure meeting you. A complete ray of sunshine. I have no idea what I did, but you’ve been acting like a complete jackass whose pen is clearly up his butt that it’s making me pray and thank the celestials above for making the day brighter each time we aren’t in the same room together.” You took a deep breath.

 “And I’m not even religious.”

Ah, that felt good releasing all that anger.

You let him go, making him stumble back for him stare wide-eyed and completely gobsmacked like a squirrel at you. You mumbled under your breath as you pulled a small random piece of paper from your bag and clicked a pen to scribble on it before grabbing his hand and placing it on his palm.

“Here, my number.” You grumbled, before zipping up your bag and turning to walk away. “We can talk about the details later. But, right now, I’ve got cheer practice.”

You then walked off only to sweatdrop and stop when you found Boris waiting at the end of the hallway for you.

“Shelly asked me to come and get you.” The wolf grunted softly. “At least it wasn’t a one way fight this time.”

You groaned again, exhausted, dragging a hand down your face before proceeding to walk past the wolf before he followed behind, tail softly wagging.

By this time, you weren’t aware of Mugman gazing at his palm where scribbled on the piece of paper was your number.

That night as you got into bed, legs and arm sore from practice, you found yourself blinking at a message coming from the smart mug.

Are you available to meet at the library tomorrow to discuss our project?

He sounded more reasonable when it comes to texting, you thought, quickly typing yes, before placing your phone beside you.

The next day, you quickly ran to the library, just barely making it before your meeting time. You took a minute to catch your breath before opening the door, still slightly panting from all the running. 

It didn't take long to find him. Mugman was seated at a table by the window, completely absorbed in whatever he was writing. Scribbling away without a care in the world, he didn't notice you appear until you pulled out the chair and sat across from him causing him to look up.

“You’re here.” 

You were expecting at least a small comment about how you were late once again as you gazed at the clock at the far wall behind him. 

You still apologized anyway.

“Sorry, if I kept you waiting.” You muttered with a small sigh, as you pulled out your laptop and a few papers. “Had a small errand to run by a professor.”

“You weren’t late.” He cuts in all of a sudden causing you to blink. He cleared his throat and slid a paper towards you which was filled with his own research. You blinked again in confusion, feeling a sudden change of air coming from him before letting out a sigh of relief and went to look over his paper.

However, as you were scanning in silence, his voice pops in again.

“I’m sorry…”

You almost flinched, looking up to find him staring at the notebook instead of you. His grip around his pen tightened ever so slightly. 

What.

"...For my behavior."

The words came out stiffly, as though he'd rehearsed them a dozen times and still wasn't satisfied with how they sounded.

What.

‘Where the hell did this come from?’ You stared at him, completely stunned.

Was this the same toon that was onto you just for eating a chocolate outside the classroom?

“Behavior is an understatement.” Words instantly slipping from your lips

You and your big mouth. You wanted to slap yourself.

He winced at your words, shoulders slightly sagging by the smallest fraction.

“I guess I deserved that.” He sighed, as he fixed up his glasses. He paused as if he was trying to search for the right words before looking at you with such an intense gaze that you were almost taken aback.

“How’d you do it?”

You squinted your eyes, a puzzled look appearing on your face. You didn’t understand what he was saying.

“...Do what?”

“This!” He flailed his hand about causing you to jump. “You managed to tame my brother, a literal rock for brains, into sitting down and studying. And, English, his absolute worst subject that I spent years, haggling down just to get him to look at a simple word. And he got an A in his midterms. An A? It’s completely absurd!” 

He stood up from his seat, pointing at you. 

“I thought that was a miracle itself.” He exclaimed. “Then the midterm results came piling in, and I found that I didn’t get the top scores! You managed to get the highest  with Chemistry and Calculus of our entire grade! Scores that I was supposed to get! A complete danger to my GPA!”

‘I did?’ You were completely dumbfounded. You didn’t even know.

“I didn’t even look at the rankings…” You muttered to yourself.

You swear you saw him pop a vein.

“What.”

Also the only toons you know who would have access to the grades would be the professors and the student council according to what Bendy told you, because he offered you if you ever needed a change in the system…

Which sounded completely illegal and made you highly refused.

You didn’t really need it. 

“Actually, how do you even-”

“Doesn’t matter!” He blurted, placing his hands on the table. “How did someone like you, someone who thinks chocolate bars are a sustainable part of a healthy diet, manage to lay low and grab the top scores with my top subjects? What secrets are you possibly hiding?”

He finishes, taking deep breaths from his whole speech as you stare at him blinking astonished and definitely speechless.

“This is what the whole thing’s about….?” You trailed off as you watched him drop down to his seat, face completely red and steam rising from his cup from what you assume came from humiliation before promptly burying his face in his hands. “That’s why you’re mad at me?”

“That is the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard.” You put it bluntly.

You swear you saw an arrow struck through him.

You cannot believe this was the whole reason you felt daggers all over your back these last few weeks. It sounded utterly ridiculous that you couldn’t help a snort escape you. Then, it turned into giggles.  Before you know it , you couldn’t help but throw your head back in uncontrollable laughter causing him to sink further into his chair.

Unfortunately, the librarian wasn’t all too fond of the noise.

“SILENCE!”

“You thought I was plotting against our dearest valedictorian’s GPA?” You wheezed.

“It sounded viable at that time…” He muttered. “Can we get back to our project now?!”

“No way, this is way too funny.” You wiped a tear from your eye. “I should save the date.”

“COULD YOU STOP?”

Things became way smoother after that. You suppose he was one of those overachievers who wanted to do all they can in college. You understood where he was coming from but you weren’t exactly planning to stretch yourself out with that kind of pressure.

Also, it really wasn’t your thing.

“So you weren’t aiming for my spot?” He questioned, squinting his eyes at you as if unconvinced when it was time for the library to close.

“Celestials, no!” You waved it off as you zipped up your bag, walking out together. “That wasn’t the goal. It’s just a matter of survival for me when it comes to those subjects. I’m surprised myself that I, of all toons managed to get first.”

“Unbelievable. And I was about to consider you my rival.” Mugman muttered. “You’re way too relaxed for this.”

“I like to read in my spare time and catch up on a bit of studying.” You shrugged as you pushed open the doors, letting him out first. “Didn’t think it was enough to get me top.”

“But, how did you deal with Cuphead?”

You hummed, placing a finger on your chin to think about it carefully the times where you had to tutor Cuphead. 

“Patience. And the basics. Also placed a bet with him as well, like a reward system.” You caught him  staring at you with a blank expression. “What? It’s true.”

“That’s all?”

“The basics are enough to get you through. I wasn’t expecting him to get an A overnight but he slowly improved.” You nodded your head and sighed at him. “Not everyone is going to be the same level as you are. Everybody’s got their own learning  pace. Doesn’t mean we should push them to do something. It defeats the purpose of wanting to learn and pressuring them only brings them down. I’ve tried to learn how to bake many times but I’m still bad at it, seeing as the brownies I bake are almost always burnt black.”

Mugman’s face wrinkled from that.

“But that’s why you gotta have some patience.” You continued, glancing at him with a small smile. “Think about it.”

As you walked outside the school, you jabbed a thumb towards one direction. 

“I’m gonna go through here, that’s where my car is parked. See ya!” You gently waved before going on your way.

“Right, bye...”

Soon after that, you began to notice the change of tune with him. He was still a bit of the stern, tightwad, smart mug you came to know but it looked to you he calmed down. He still scolded you for being late to class once and while even if the professor wasn’t there yet. But this time, it sounded less sarcastic.

There were even times you found yourself surprised by him.

“You forgot your notebook.”

You froze as you watched him placed a familiar notebook you thought you lost a couple of days ago placed in front of you. You looked at him in question as he took a seat next to before Chemistry started.

“Oh, thanks…”

And there was a time he offered you his umbrella when it started raining which made you completely puzzled.

You stood beneath the covered walkway after class, watching sheets of rain batter the courtyard just as most of the students went home when you heard footsteps coming from behind you.

“Here, I don’t need you catching a cold before presentation.” He dropped his umbrella onto your hand but before you could even say anything he was already off.

‘Doesn’t that mean he also had a chance of catching a cold?’ You sweatdrop as you watch him run into the rain.

“I thought he hated you?” You flinch from the familiar voice, looking behind you to see Bendy standing there with his impish grin.

You sighed, feeling a chill go down your spine, deciding not to question how he even knew. 

“So did I…”

It was getting weird. It was like he was everywhere. But you managed to think nothing of it, moving past it as the two of you slowly finished up your presentation. He had been relentless with finding references, checking sources, and gathering information that you eventually had to physically drag him away from the library table. 

“We need to finish…” Mugman  groaned as you dragged him out to a burger joint. “This is delaying our progress.”

“No, we need to eat.” You pushed open the door to McRonalds. “Look, you may be a robot but I need sustenance. My health is in danger.”

“Your whole diet is a warning.” He muttered as you settled him into a seat. “I swear you’re  turning into Cuphead.”

You sighed, shaking your head at him. “You need to learn how to tone it down. Relax. Relentless studying is going to get you nowhere. You’re only gonna wear yourself and get the opposite effect. Now, what do you want?”

He stayed silent for a few moments  before grumbling. “French fries and a soda…”

You smiled at him causing him to look away.

“Just…go order.”

He was learning to relax at least. Maybe, he wasn’t all that bad.

It became routine for you to go eat together every once and while after working on the project, even if he kept complaining about finishing work. Soon after, he became the one dragging you out to eat, especially a few days before the presentation.

“C’mon.”

You blink blearily at the sight of him getting up as you were still typing into your laptop.

“You need a break.”

You stared.

Those words coming from him felt almost unnatural. A few weeks ago, he was the person who looked offended whenever you suggested leaving the library before closing.

Now he was the one shutting your laptop.

“Get up, you need to eat.”

Despite you both being at each other’s back about it, he now seems less of the tightwad you used to know. Even Cuphead blinked, speechless when Mugman came dragging you away, mumbling about work to do while you were still talking to him. But you noticed how the tension in his shoulders seems to have lessened or how he smiled more as you managed to get him to talk while you finished up designing the presentation.

“Never knew you liked romance novels.” You commented from behind him. You were just coming in after cheer practice when you found him reading instead of his usual writing, completely absorbed.  He looked like he was scared half to death as he almost jumped out of his seat, clutching his book to his chest.

“I-It’s not what it looks like!” He said completely flustered from being caught.

“Hey now, I didn’t mean it like it’s a bad thing.” You blinked, taking a seat beside him, noticing the book title. “Jane Eyre? It’s been a while since I’ve read that.”

“You have…?”

You raised a brow before smiling. 

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”

“Quite the quote, don’t you think?” You looked up at the ceiling , feeling exhaustion taking over for a few minutes as you shut your eyes unaware of his eyes on you.

“I will admit though, that the romance between Rochester and Jane is rather morally grey.” You said after a few minutes. “Hiding the truth of his wife, locked away? That’s difficult to look in my eyes.”

“...I disagree.” 

You hummed, cracking an eye open to glance at him. 

"It was wrong." He answered as he looked at the book. “But his fear was understandable.”

“That would be an excuse.”

"But people rarely make rational decisions when they're trying to get the future they want…”

You sat up from your seat, leaning your head on your palm, sweatdropping. That was surprising, you would’ve thought he would come up with something more logical.

“....That’s strange coming from you.”

“It’s my opinion.” The mug toon shrugged before placing his book down and going back to researching.

Perhaps, it should've been here that you realized opinions had a habit of revealing far more than facts ever could. 

That opinions are more than what they are.

When presentation day finally arrived, everything went about as smoothly as you thought it should be. He was surprisingly composed in front of the class, delivering each point with the same quiet confidence he carried everywhere else. All you had to do was match his. There were a few moments where one of you stumbled over a transition or skipped a detail, but the other would seamlessly pick it up without missing a beat.

And you both ended up with an A and one impressed professor.

“Well done, you two.” They clapped as you finished the presentation. “Of course, coming from my best students.”

However, you thought when everything was finished, things would go back to the way they are. But, things started to become even more strange. Something about the mug toon changed. He became more competitive as if there was some kind of rivalry between you.

 In fact, it  got worse.

He kept challenging you when it came to quizzes, essays, lab reports, the small things.

Even your deadlines.

You were beginning to get tired.

He became more aggressive.

A few days later, after one Calculus period, one of your classmates came forward to ask you for some notes on the lesson. You explained to him based on what you understood and showing him your notebook how you solved a difficult problem the professor wrote on the board.

“What are you doing?”

You looked behind you to find Mugman standing with an unreadable expression that almost made your heart drop in fear. It was strange.

You’ve never seen him like that.

“...Helping him?” You trailed off, confused. Even the guy next to you was scratching his head, wondering if he’s done something wrong.

“Why?” You swear you saw him gritting his teeth.

“He needed some help.” You looked at the toon next to you and handed him your notes with an apologetic look. “Sorry, here. You can look over this and return it to me later.”

Not even a second later, you were immediately pulled out of the classroom into an empty hallway where he slammed against the wall next to you that made you dare not to escape.

The toon  standing in front of you was the same one who always spoke calmly, complaining about what you do, always had an answer to your comments, always looked like nothing could shake him.

His jaw was tense.

“Why are you wasting your time with him?”

“He needed help, Mugman.”

“He could’ve asked the professor.”

“Perhaps, it was too late-”

“WILL YOU JUST STOP?!” The sharpness of his voice echoed through the empty hallway that it made you jump back from his raised voice. You can feel yourself trembling, scared to your wits. You weren’t sure what to do.

“Mugman…”

He looked almost angry.

Almost desperate.

His eyes were unfocused, as if he was seeing something entirely. Looking way past you, and arguing with a different thought.

“...I should be the one.”  You heard him mutter. The words were barely audible.

 “I should be the only one who understands you…”

You froze, clutching your hand to prevent yourself from shaking. You didn’t know what he was saying. Yet, everything felt so wrong. You took a deep breath and slowly placed a hand on his arm, gently easing it down.

“It’s…” You muttered softly. “It’s time to go home, Mugs…”

From the sound of your words, he seemed to have calmed down and you gently stepped away, saying you two could hang out tomorrow at the library which was enough to reassure him.

As soon as you got to your car, your head slumped down on the wheel as you finally noticed how you were shaking. You took one look at your hand and saw how it was trembling from earlier.

How there was another mark.

Right beside Bendy’s.

You let out a slow breath, trying to calm yourself down.

“What was that…?”

You whispered as if the empty car could give you an answer.

This was the fifth and the last clue you remember.

Maybe the most rational person is the one you should question the most.

If only you'd seen everything sooner, maybe you could’ve prevented everything that happened.

Maybe you could’ve saved student after student from being expelled.

Maybe you could’ve saved the accidents from happening.

Maybe you could’ve saved the student who decided to end himself from a failing grade.

Maybe you could’ve saved the one who mysteriously decided to fall from the building. You could still clearly see her corpse in your head, the same girl whose clothes were stained from matcha.

None of them deserve this.

No one deserved it.

And most of all maybe you could’ve saved yourself from this madness.

But, here you are, stuck in this room like a empty doll, becoming your own Bertha Mason.

𝙰/𝙽: 𝚂𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝙸 𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚊 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚝. 𝙱𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚙𝚢 𝚊𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚗𝚘 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝙸 𝚐𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚜, 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚜, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕. 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚞𝚗𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚐𝚘 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎. 𝚆𝚑𝚢 𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎… 𝙰𝚗𝚢𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜, 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚢𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢 :)))

𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙴 𝙳𝙸𝚅𝙸𝙳𝙴𝚁𝚂: @anitalenia @pixopix

If you’re talking about repayment for emotional damage however, I’d say they work.

“OW! Ow, ow, ow, ow….” I hissed and clutched my cheek with a hot towel to smoothen the “new” dent.

He got me.

Sadly.

And I just recovered from the one from a week ago.

Despite that good hit, he decided to pay me back by saying sorry and letting me have the rest of the leftover tomato shaped butter cookies we still have in the fridge back at home yesterday.

Well, minus the apology.

“You can have my half of it, not hungry.” He murmured when we finished our shift and got home, closing the fridge door after taking a peer at it, before walking back to the bedroom. “You’ve already pigged-out with the macarons so no doubt you’d do the same with these. Besides, I can always buy more on Monday.”

“Really? OW—” I held my cheek, wincing from pain.

I still had to work even with the dent.

But as it turns out a swollen cheek was surprisingly good for business. Betty was right about one thing, customers couldn't resist tossing in a little extra out of pity. 

Plus, some good info to go right along with it.

Quite the bonus, I must say.

He was a terrible liar as always.

What hurts more right now, is that the little Birdie is the owner of the bakery he’s been lovesickly pining over and spending his little getaways at. To think that it’s the very same woman from the marketplace that aimed that very same kick to this face.

"That's some move you got there..." I whistled.

I remembered her face vividly in those few seconds.

That fierce gaze of hers.

And those sharp eyes without a shred of doubt when she moved.

I was so caught up on it that I almost forgot to block her altogether. If I hadn’t, no doubt she’d leave a crack on my cup unlike Mugs calculated hits. Not to mention that precise kick, rough around the edges but got some spirit in it.

Not a waste of movement.

And all this for a feathered pompom.

But this brings me to my next problem.

After this whole thing, that bird’s been eyeing my every movement.

“Cuphead, do you mind if you and dear Mugsy clean out the storage room later? The manager’s been on it for a while…”

“On it, doll!” I called back with a grin from the bar.

And just when I was about to go and tap my brother on the back, at the corner of my eye, I noticed a spot of yellow outside of one of the windows. I turned my head to glance at it and saw a familiar yellow birdie watching me. Without moving my gaze, I tapped on Mugman a bit quicker this time to catch his attention.

“Hey Mugsy, isn’t that your beloved Baker’s pet?”

“Your little tricks aren’t gonna work on me, Cuphead.” Looks like he was still a bit touchy from yesterday. “Her birds are either with her or at home. Plus, from what she said, they’re too responsive to food that they haven’t flown this far in this area.”

Well, how the hell would she know?

“But, it’s right there.” I turned to him. "Just look!'

However, when we both looked back, it wasn’t there anymore.

“Have you been sleeping lately?’ Mugman faced me again with a deadpan. “Or did you have one too many midnight snacks again?”

“But it was just right there!”

That wasn’t the only time.

In the bathroom…

“Man, why’d those drunks keep destroying the lightbulb…” I mumbled, irritated. It’s the same thing, same task cause of those regulars. 

I was standing on a small ladder, huffing as I replaced a lightbulb. Every night one of ‘em is bound to knock this thing down after one too many drinks with glass everywhere.

I got assigned to deal with this today.

I saw that thing again out of that small glass window, that yellow fluffball staring at me from a tree branch as if it was only some kind of coincidence.

“You…”

It tilted its head and chirped at me.

I lost my balance on the ladder, and my butt hitted the ground with a sharp pain and yelp. By the time I gained my bearings, that little shit disappeared.

Must’ve flown away after I caught him looking at me.

“Hey! You alright in there?” Someone called out from outside the bathroom.

“All good!” I responded.

As great as I could be from a little stalker.

That bird also followed to where I live.

Because this very night, I swear I heard small pecks on the glass window while I was trying to sleep.

Without a word, I got up, tryin’ not to wake Mugsy and went downstairs to the kitchen to open the fridge and placed a few cherries in a bowl that he bought to bring to the bar tomorrow, and walked out.

"It's one of the Three Great Mysteries between my birds." 

I could only hope this will make it leave me alone.

“Alright, you little shit.” I muttered to myself, standing outside in the cold in a shirt and pair of pants not even wearing shoes. “Is this some kind of payback from your owner? Cause this sure has been pissing me off, that Mugs thinks I’ve gone off the deep end. But I’m tryin’ to be nice here so Mugs won’t strangle me as much as I wanna turn you into some chicken leg.”

A gust of breeze then came in causing me to blink from some dust. I should probably head in soon if it doesn’t appear because I wasn’t really planing to get a cold . However, as soon as I looked down at the bowl I had in my hands, all I saw were a bunch of little stems causing my eyes to go wide.

A small chirp came from my shoulder causing me to almost jump only to see the little Baker’s pet on my shoulder tilting its head at me.

“...Is this your owner’s plan or yours…” I muttered.

It only gave another chirp as an answer.

“Not really the answer I’m lookin’ for.” I scratched my cup. “Think you can tell your owner sorry?"

It tilted its gaze.

“Didn’t think so.” I sighed. “Look, I’m not trying to make enemies here, but me and Mugs ain’t normal people. She shouldn’t even be near us.”

“I just hope he knows what he’s doing.”

The bird tilted its head to the other side.

“Does this mean we’re all good now?” I questioned.

The air was silent for a couple of minutes when the bird chirped and flew off, going who knows where.

“Hoping that was a yes.”

The next morning at breakfast, Mugman yelled at me why some of the cherry stems looked empty while I was collapsed in bed from last night.

𝙰/𝙽: 𝙸 𝚜𝚙𝚞𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚊 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚡𝚝𝚛𝚊 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕, 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎. 𝙰𝚗𝚢𝚠𝚊𝚢, 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢 :))))

𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙴 𝙳𝙸𝚅𝙸𝙳𝙴𝚁𝚂: @anitalenia @feldiesgraphics