Chapter Text
“He wants to go back to the world he destroyed. It was he who pushed everything to its edge. It was he who led the world to its destruction. But he cannot accept it. He thinks he is above consequences.”
—Elinore, Niamn, On The First War In Canaan , Ghammora State Literature and Education Branch, 21 BBE
“Chaaaara” A sing-songy voice rang high pitched behind a lone schoolgirl as it approached. Chara kept her head down and took a bite of her sandwich, feeling the harsh heat radiating off the metal lunch table she was sitting at. It was unbearably sunny in the late Summer. Chara tracked the sound of Amy and August’s footsteps as they neared, and prepared herself.
“Hey dumbass!” Amy started, cheerfully. There was a distinct paradox between Amy’s words and tone which somehow made her even more annoying.
“Do you have the history book? I think I left mine at home.” Amy’s companion asked with exaggerated innocence as she snatched Chara’s backpack and began to systematically dump the contents onto the floor.
“August, please just fuck off.” Chara sighed, taking another bite of her lunch and ignoring the mess.
“That’s not very nice of you to say.” Amy jeered, walking around the table so Chara couldn’t avoid eye contact. Chara set down her sandwich and looked down at the table.
“Hey, look at me when I’m talking to you!” Amy grabbed a handful of Chara’s hair and tugged her head up. Chara slapped away Amy’s hand and stood up.
“It goes for you to, Amy. Fuck off and take your lakey with you.”
“Oh, shut the fuck up we can be wherever the fuck we please.”
August chimed in from behind Chara. “What are you gonna do about it, complain to your mom? Oh, wait, I forgot. Your broke as fuck parents don’t give a shit about y–”
Chara whipped around and hit August across the face, hard. She stumbled back, startled, and nervously touched her hand to her bruised face.
“What the hell!” Amy ran back around the table, checking to see that her friend was okay. August recovered quickly. It had only been a slap. Amy turned back around to face Chara, who had been watching her bullies’ pain with smug pleasure. Suddenly, Amy jolted toward Chara and kicked her in the shins, causing her to grab her leg and hold it in pain as she hopped twice.
“Ow!”
“That’s what it feels like!”
“You guys are always bullying me! You deserve it!”
“We don’t deserve shit!”
As they yelled at each other, Amy started to get a little too close for Chara’s comfort. Chara shoved Amy back violently, knocking her to the concrete at a startled August’s feet.
“Cut it out!” Amy said, her tone starting to let slip a little more fear than before.
“Next time I tell you to fuck off, fuck. off. ” Chara jabbed her heel into Amy’s foot for emphasis, but it wasn’t necessary. Amy pulled back her foot with a squeal of pain and scrambled back before taking off jogging after August. Chara watched them run a moment before walking back to her lunch table and gathering up the dumped contents of her backpack.
“Woah. Don’t you think that was a little much?” Chara looked up in response to a new voice. It was Eric, late to lunch as always, probably after chatting with his teachers for a while after class. Chara never understood why he cared so much about school. Regardless, she was happy to see him.
“Wanna give me a hand?” Chara asked, knowing she didn’t need to. Eric was already stooping down to help his friend pick up the last of the dumped items. Chara zipped up her refilled backpack and set it down next to her as she sat back down at the table. Eric sat down across from her.
“Seriously, what did you do to her?”
“You’re always telling me not to let Amy push me around.”
“Yea but… you kinda beat her up.”
“What else was I supposed to do?”
“I dunno.”
“…”
“How’s life?” Eric shifted the conversation, pulling out his lunch and handing Chara the apple his mom always made him bring. Chara bit into it, no longer feeling hungry for the sandwich she’d brought in her own lunch.
“Fucking hell, as always.”
“Still that bad, huh?” There was a pause. Eric didn’t really need Chara to say anything for him to guess what was bothering her. “How’s your mom?”
“Um…” Chara usually hated talking about this stuff, but with Eric it was different. He never really said much in response, and she knew he would keep sensitive conversations to himself. The two had been there for each other for as long as Chara could remember. Eric was her best friend after all, and she was his.
“She’s not gonna make it.” Chara began, her voice cracking slightly. Her hope had been fading slowly as month after month passed since her mother was hospitalized.
“Don’t say that.” Eric tried his best to comfort Chara. “The surgery will help.”
“I don’t think there will be a surgery.”
“If your jerk dad won’t pay for it, then my parents can always donate.”
“They don’t have to do that.”
“Just promise me you wont give up hope, okay?”
“Okay.” Chara wanted to pretend Eric was right, that everything would be fine and that there was reason to hope. Even so, the sense of doubt gnawing incessantly at the back of her mind didn’t show signs of leaving any time soon.
“I’d kill him, you know. My dad, I mean. If I didn’t need him.” Chara started again as her thoughts suddenly turned from fear to resentment.
“…I know you would,” Eric said with a sigh. This wasn’t the first time Chara had shared her violent plans.
“He’s always drunk. It’d be easy. 'Next time he tries to touch me I'll just...” Chara trailed off, flipping through all the different ways she'd thought about retaliating, most of which ended with bloodshed.
“Chara, I understand you’ve thought about this a lot and… you’re right, he probably does deserve it. But… this isn’t healthy. Violence can’t always be the solution. Especially when it puts you in danger.”
“I don’t care. You know the things he’s done. He’s a psychopath. Letting him live would do more harm than killing him.”
Eric sighed. “Let’s talk about something else.”
“Yes, let’s.”
Chara and Eric chatted for a while then about unimportant things, finishing their lunches and trying to distract themselves from the problematic lives they had to go back to after school. Eventually the bell rang and the friends parted. Chara turned to look over her shoulder as she headed to class, catching a glance at Eric just as he turned a corner.
If mom dies, you’ll be all I have left.