Chapter Text
School could fuck off, actually.
At least, that's what Susie thought. And for good reason. Why would she want to spend multiple hours daily with people who hate her?
Sure, there was Kris, but they weren't exactly the best conversationalist. Neither was she, really.
The best she could do for now was just try to get through the day. Maybe she'd actually bother showing up to class on time, who knows.
--
She ignored the other students scattering off while she rummaged through her locker. No, she didn't have any actual school-related things in there. Mostly old, crumpled homework she got sick of. Plus a first aid kit, and a picture taped to the locker door of a much younger Susie. Ah, back when she cared enough to keep her mess of hair out of her face. Those were the days.
Yeah, she was running even later thanks to staring at every nook and cranny in her locker.
She huffed, tugging the sleeves of her jacket down and walking to class, her footsteps echoing behind her.
She opened the door, a bit too forcefully, and there it was. The weird looks she always got when she came to class. Ms. Alphys nervously thanked her for being at least somewhat on time, then resumed the lesson once Susie sat down near the back of the classroom.
At least the attention was off of her. Well, save for the occasional glances from the deer girl. What was her name, anyway? She was fairly well-liked, but she didn't particularly stand out.
She quickly looked away when Susie caught her eyes. Huh.
--
The rest of the class was uneventful, and if it was, Susie didn't notice. Honestly, the entire rest of the school day was uneventful. She made her way back to her locker, cracking open the first aid kit and putting the little roll of gauze wrap in her pocket. It was supposed to be a quick in and out operation, but someone was watching. She turned around, slamming her locker shut.
As with any day, she wasn’t able to just get the whole school thing over with without running into trouble. In a small school in a small town, being weird isn’t as easily overlooked. With nothing else interesting enough to talk about, most gossip was, unfortunately, about Susie.
Behind her somewhere, Berdly and Catti were muttering something about ‘that beast’. It was kinda scary how good she was at figuring out that insults were about her.
She glared at Berdly across the hall, dragging her claws across her locker door. Sure, the noise was awful, but it scared the little asshole off. Of course, she was only solidifying the idea that she was actually a feral beast, but if it shut them up, well…
She didn't need their input. That's what she meant.
She felt another pair of eyes on her. Ready to actually kick someone's ass, she turned to face whoever was staring at her.
Oh. Her again.
Noelle blinked. She was in the middle of putting something in her locker.
The second Susie made eye contact, she froze.
“Um. Hi. I, uh… gotta go!” she stuttered, closing her locker and scampering off.
Whatever Noelle was messing with before Susie scared the shit out of her was now on the ground. Picking it up, it turned out to be an envelope. It smelled like scented pinecones. ...Gross.
She stuck it in her pocket for later. It was probably best to just hang onto it until tomorrow. If there was anything important in the letter, letting some random kid snag it and find out Noelle's dark secrets would suck.
Susie wasn't a random kid. Well, she didn't know Noelle personally, but she hardly cared about her weird letter.
She left the school, walking vaguely homeward as the sun set, turning the town orange.
Honestly, going home didn't seem like such a superb idea right now. Maybe she'd wander around, or vandalize something. ...Nah, that's too much rebellion, she thought.
Well shit, she had to do something. The night is young and so is she. It's time for fun! Unscrupulous activity! Teenage stuff!
She headed towards the cemetery, the sun almost completely beneath the horizon. She wasn't going grave digging, of course, but maybe it'd be like… spooky, or something. Above her, the stars began to come out. It probably would have been more spooky if she didn't live in such a small town and didn't interact with any of these people at some point.
Yeah, this sucks. Moving on.
Susie decided to actually start walking home before she got in any real trouble. There was absolutely a curfew, and officer Undyne was an unstoppable force. As much as coming home late sounded like a nightmare, staying out would just get her in more trouble.
Rules could fuck off, too.
--
Well, she sure did get an earful from her parents.
Susie didn't bother arguing with them, instead quietly apologizing and holing herself in her room for the rest of the night, watching the moonrise through the window.
--
Early that morning, Susie got a call. It was Kris, mumbling near-incoherently that they were sick, and asking for some company. Susie paused. She was going to go to school to give Noelle her letter back, but… She could hold her horses for one day. Besides, maybe she could talk it over with Kris and get a second opinion on the whole mystery letter thing.
“Sure, dude. I'll be right there.” she said, then hung up.
First she had to deal with her little… situation. She didn't mean to, honestly. The stress of yesterday weighed on her. She pulled the gauze bandage from her pocket, wrapping it around her wrists and the entirety her forearms. Not too tight, not too loose.
The envelope was at the foot of her bed. She swore the wax seal was staring at her. What was in there, anyway?
Who cares? she told herself. She put on her jacket, tugging the sleeves down so the bandages didn't stick out. After that was done, it was off to the Dreemurr house.
--
Kris greeted her at the door, inviting her in. They looked pale, and a little more off-balance than usual.
Susie gave them a hug, then the two hustled upstairs to Kris’ room. It was interesting, the decor of the place. Kris didn't seem to have a problem with their barren side of the bedroom.
“So, uh… can I tell you something?” she asked.
Kris shrugged, sitting on the floor beside their bed.
“Noelle dropped this yesterday.” Susie explained, showing Kris the letter. “I was gonna give it back to her today, but… you know the rest.”
Kris stared at her nonchalantly. Even though she couldn't see their eyes. Whatever.
“It's starting to drive me crazy. You think I should open it?”
They shook their head. Kris may be weird, but they're still a good kid. They're only chaotic when it's necessary.
Susie sighed. “Yeah. Nah, you're right. Privacy and whatnot.”
Before she could get too disappointed, she felt a little tug on her sleeve. Oh.
She put her arms behind her back.
“H-hey! Quit it!”
Kris frowned at her, but scooted in for a hug anyway. Susie leaned away, but set a hand on Kris’ shoulder. Of all the things Kris was supposed to know about her, this wasn't one of them. Still, they rubbed her back comfortingly.
And here she was supposed to be looking after them.
"...Sorry." she mumbled.
They gave her a reassuring pat in response.
"Yesterday was just a lot, y'know? With school and my parents and this fuckin' thing." she gestured vaguely towards the letter. "I can't catch a break."
Kris made a little sound of pity.
"It's nothing, though. I'll be alright. Besides, you're the sick one."
They nodded, then sniffled, still hugging her.
"Speaking of which, you look dead. You want some water, or a nap or… something?" Susie asked.
Kris yawned, but frowned. They were tired, but they didn't seem like they wanted to sleep so soon.
Susie picked them up with ease, setting them down gently in their bed and tucking them in and closing the drapes on the window.
"I'll be right here if you need anything." she told them, curling up on the floor beside their bed. Not the most comfortable place to sleep, but she's had worse.
Her biggest concern right now was Kris. Both their illness and the fact that they knew she had relapsed.
She tried to forget about it, focusing on literally anything else as she fell asleep.
--
The sun slowly but surely began to set, and Susie said her goodbyes to Kris before she left for home. Toriel had thanked her for taking care of Kris, and with that, she left.
A day skipping school is a day well spent, she thought to herself. She already felt way better since the fiasco that was yesterday. No annoying classmates, no parental lectures, no weird letters…
Well, the letter was still a factor in her anxieties. She's working on that part.
Susie made her way home and safely inside her bedroom, skillfully dodging any scolding. Rummaging through her pockets, she found the envelope again.
It was so obviously a love letter. Anyone with functioning eyes could tell that much. Why else would it be closed with a heart-shaped wax seal?
She's seen the animes. This was a confession, meant only to be seen by… whoever Noelle is pining after. Probably someone ugly and stupid. God, what if it was Berdly? That'd be good for a laugh.
She put it back in her pocket and sighed. She hoped Noelle wasn't freaking out over this. But how would she feel knowing Susie had it all along? She'd probably be horrified and never look at her again.
Susie barely kept track of her thoughts after that, letting her mind wander as she fell asleep on her own bedroom floor this time.
Noelle would get her letter back. The mail never fails.
--
The day had come. Kris wasn't able to make it to school today either, but that was fine. Susie would probably mess this up even harder if they were watching.
Class had just ended, and Noelle was retracing her steps to her locker with a hopeless look in her eye.
Taking a deep breath, Susie approached her. Try not to look murderous, she told herself. It didn't really work.
She towered over Noelle, and the poor girl spun around to face her, shivering.
"Hey." Susie said casually. She tried her hardest to radiate a chill aura.
Noelle swallowed hard. "H-hi."
"You uh… you drop this?" she held out the envelope, which was a little more crumpled up than the last time Noelle saw it.
She took it in her hands, then let out a sigh of relief when she found it unopened. "Oh, thank you! I've been looking all over for this." she paused, as if remembering who she was talking to. "W-well… I should get going. Thanks again."
With that, she scampered off, blushing furiously.
Susie felt a little peculiar too. She didn't know if it was just the ol' anxiety acting up, or something else. She decided not to think about it.
So… that was the end of it, then. No more letters, no more mysteries. What an anticlimactic end to an annoying ordeal. At least it was over.
Her heart was still racing, for some unknown reason. Why did the thought of Noelle liking someone make her feel so upset?
She left the school in possibly one of her worst moods yet. All she wanted to do was go home and bury herself in her bed.
It wasn't like she wanted to be the one that…
Wait. Oh fuck. Oh no.
Susie stopped in her tracks. The sun seemed to wait for her, not yet daring to go beneath the horizon.
That can't be right. That could never in a million years be right.
"That's why I…" she said to nobody in particular.
This was going to be a fucking catastrophe.