Chapter Text
So I rush to my room, gravity pulls me down,
And I lie on bed without making a sound.
There's too much pain in my breathing now,
No, it's not my fault, I didn't scream or shout.
Yes, I swear with all my heart that I didn't scream or shout.
"Well, just wait for me until tomorrow",
It's what you told me yesterday,
Moments after you came to my aid
To relieve me from this heartache I borrow.
All I'm asking for is some peace of mind
That is yet to be seen or to be found
Here at my lowest and darkest hour
When everything around me just turns sour,
And I'm lost at home again, it's so quiet tonight,
The phone rang, but I didn't hear you on the line.
So today wasn't a great day, you see,
I don't know why, I'm trying to forget
All the recent places where I have been
Together with this electric friend of mine.
Yes, I know you were more than a friend of mine.
The pillow won't bother to ask if I'm doing fine
And I don't feel like saying "Hey, it's okay, it's alright.
I'm not crying, that didn't happen, it was just a sigh.
Here, have a kiss, now... Sleep dear, goodnight."
All I'm asking for is some peace of mind
That is yet to be seen or to be found
Here at my lowest and darkest hour
When everything around me just turns sour,
And I'm lost at home again, it's so quiet tonight,
The phone rang, but I didn't hear you on the line.
So I sit on a chair and I don't make a damn sound,
I'm too young and unstable to try alcohol.
Your voice leaves me thoughtless all the time,
Yet I wish you were here lying by my side.
Yes, how I wish you were here lying by my side...
"Hey, I'll be willing to wait for tomorrow",
I guess that's what I should strive to say
In case you are not here in my room to stay
As you listen to my plight and sorrow.
All I'm asking for is some peace of mind
That is yet to be seen or to be found
Here at my lowest and darkest hour
When everything around me just turns sour,
And I'm lost at home again, it's so quiet tonight,
The phone rang, but I didn't hear you on the line.
—Dess, "Driftless Nights Without You By My Side"
...
ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN
PRESENTS
A JANET WALLACE PRODUCTION
BERDLY
AND
NOELLE
AND
SUSIE
AND
KRIS
AND
DECEMBER
IN:
BEFORE
AND
AFTER
SCIENCE
A DELTARUNE FANFICTION
...
HOMETOWN, 2013
...
Hey.
It's me.
I live. I breathe.
I adjust my sliding glasses.
My face is kind of sweaty. It's a relatively warm day, not a hot day at all, and I'm at school.
It's my favorite place. Why? Heh, I learned a lot of things here.
I've learned how to count at school. I've learned how to make friends at school.
I count with my fingers and I see that I got a few friends, though.
NAH! a few friends is better than zero friends, right? Yeah, zero isn't even a number, it's just a concept, like friendship, and I... I won't let these thoughts bother me. See, I got friends. LOTS AND LOTS OF FRIENDS. Not just school friends, but the whole of Hometown knows me. Yeah, I'm famous. Or perhaps infamous, like I do here at school.
Alright, stop it! My brain does not deserve such thoughts, and EUGH! I'm sick of repeating the word "though" itself, it's not very elegant, close to being inappropriate despite not really being, but I'll stop here because eventually I'll ask myself why the language I speak, which’s english, of course, is based on repetition. Why is it, though?
Oh, not again. But whatever... Let's concentrate... Sort out the random thoughts from more concrete thoughts... Okay, the education I've been given through my life so far, yes, it follows the basic principle of information that's repeated until it becomes ingrained in one's brain.
I believe in tabula rasa, the innate potential for knowledge that we all have within us before we rely on institutions such as schools, libraries, police stations, banks, cathedrals, supermarkets and everything else that makes up society as we know it. I KNOW IT!
Okay, let's concentrate for real... It's okay... Let's write the essay. Nobody is interested in an autobiography, it's an essay I'm supposed to be writing, DAMNIT!
Yes, I got a brain. A big like my heart's brain. My heart, like the universe, is always expanding. And contracting. And... Yes, I'm breathing too, got lost for a second here, I need some water to quench my thirst, I'll reach for my bottle and... There. That's better. Much, much better.
Okay, back to the essay. There's no theme, it's free choice, and I chose to write something about robotics. One of my favorite subjects. It's not everyone's favorite, I do have a hard time finding anyone who wants to talk about it in class. As usual, I only have myself to talk about it because I am smart.
Birds are known for being smart. I am a bird, and I'm also smart. YAY! I love logic in the same way that I have the utmost respect and affection for the simplicity and, simultaneously, intricacy of the photosynthesis process. It is so beautiful and intriguing and wonderful and the whole thing makes me grateful to be alive to this day.
I'm so glad to be alive here at school! And do not expect anyone else to say that with the same mental fervor of yours, oh no. Susie is yawning, of course, how pitiful. I'll proceed to ignore her because I got better thoughts to cherish.
My name is Berdly, by the way. Not that I need to pronounce it on a daily basis, but I felt like doing so right here, right now and SEE??? That's a good thought of yours, yes, of course, makes perfect sense. I like making sense of things, it's my way of staying sane, and here at school, it's pure madness. Mostly because of Susie, but like I said earlier, I'll IGNORE HER since I got better things to do, like finishing my essay, which's already finished, but I'll take my time to revise it, improve it, polish it, sculpt the work of MY LIFE like Michelangelo but only with my words, yeah. Uh huh.
I'll drink tea with Principal Yale because this essay is very amazing. Spectacular. WONDERFUL AS I DO.
Not only is it being written by Berdly, but with this pen in hand, I'm also BERDLY THE GREAT.
Eh, that's not my surname, actually, but you can't deny you are a genius, right? RIGHT!?!!??
Is it Christmas yet? Goddess Minerva, I wish it was because I'm SWEATING. A lot. My armpits look like bayous from the south. And I don't like to do it when I'm sitting almost close to... To... No, not her... Leave it for later.
Just leave Noelle and her freckles alone, will you?
Turn your neck back to your essay, and not hers. I don't want to get caught cheating. Hah, cheating, ME?!!?? Not a chance. I'm so smart that these IDIOTS are inclined to steal my academic work, my words of wisdom, the blood of my intellectual life that flows from this pen to the paper in the form of pristine words. Yeah.
Oh. I called everyone an idiot. Not in the ancient Greek sense of the word, but in the modern sense, as in, I called everyone here who isn't me stupid.
Uh... Does that mean I just insulted Noelle Holiday?
Oh, guess I did.
Oh.... Oh. Oh?... Oh. Wait a sec... OH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Uh... It turns out I called her an idiot. Not just any her, but HER, Noelle Holiday.
No wonder my inner dialogue and facial expressions are so stiff right now, uh... I can't concentrate anymore.
Excuse me... Well... Oops. My bad. I swear I didn't mean it. No, I... I must admit that was very stupid of me.
No, please, don't remove a star from the starboard, I promise I'll behave better to earn it again, just give me something that asserts my right to be known by others and I don't want to be known as the antithesis of a gentleman I'm struggling to be. Or gentlebird, in my case, because I'm not a man, I'm just a bird.
Gosh, I feel like an idiot. How ironic, I turned out to be quite an idiot. See, I was talking about the other classmates, with the sole exception of the teacher, who isn't a classmate, and... Her.
Well, I should be glad I didn't call Noelle an idiot out loud. That's something I would never do. Not to... Yes, her.
Reiterating... Uh, no. Noelle is not an idiot. And I just... No, I didn't, but still...
It's so shitty, you know. The way I feel about Noelle... Like, she's one of my best friends. We study and we've been doing science fair projects together for who knows how long and it's hard to reminisce about the "good old days", as many say, when I want to write and rewrite this essay so badly, time is ticking and I need to hurry and I'll do the reminiscing thing for later, but right now... No, I don't need to apologize for something I haven't done. Yet, I feel like it's the right thing to do.
But right now!?!! In front of EVERYONE!??!!!????! How weird.
Yeah, it's weird. I got nothing else to say. Oh wait, I do, because I can't stop thinking. About things. About her.
It's hot like hell all of sudden. Next time, I'll ask Mrs. Alphys that I want to sit elsewhere, preferably away from the window. Only masochists and anime protagonists do that. And now I'm talking like Susie, all wit and sarcasm. Eh, it's the natural outcome that follows after listening to her, pardon my vocabulary... Bullshit. Or lizardshit, or "Susienisms", as I call it as well.
But back to me... I am here, yeah. And I exist too, of course. I do. I need to finish my essay, and at the same time, I think about how it's very noble of me to care for someone. Like, given the way I speak, I sound like a jerk, not a very subtle one for the matter, but I do care for Noelle. I would never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever... Uh, I wrote "neglrected" instead of "neglected", fine, I'll fix it... And, oh, where was I?
Oh yes. Noelle. She disturbs and fascinates me. I could probably say the same about Susie, but back to Noelle because I... I'm not feeling so well. Not after what I just said, which I didn't do with my beak, but I did it with my mind and... I need to learn how to be a better gentleman, not just a kid obsessed with robotically assisted surgical systems. Or robots in general, but in this essay, I wrote about how robots can save lives and that's, simply put, wonderful.
No, I'm not talking about Astroboy or ROM Spaceknight because they aren't real, which's a shame.
Noelle is real and wonderful too, by the way, but, uh... Let's see, uh huh... "In 1985, the Programmable Universal Machine for Assembly, or PUMA, was used to guide a needle for stereotactic brain biopsy", yes, that's great, next paragraph...
"Nuclear fusion reactors and hydroelectric facilities operated with minimal personnel intervention are considered a possibility for the future", yeah, that's a bit futuristic, but it fits the vibe of the essay, I'll keep it, uh huh...
"The further development of nanotechnology in the near future may improve our lives and prove to be a benefit to everyone", sure, that's a correct assumption...
And I just accidentally called Noelle Holiday an idiot and I feel bad about it, and also, given what I know about her, the sweet but kind of bitter life she and her older sister had in that sordid place they used to call home, the urge both had to break free from their household, the rough apartment where they are now settling in to live...
What an idiot.
I'm talking about me, in case I wasn't clear.
You know... I want to treat her well.
Even in my thoughts.
Because my thoughts reflect who I am as a person.
And I respect Noelle.
Of all classmates I know, I respect her a lot, perhaps more than myself.
And if I could, I'd dedicate an essay to her, or write a poem inspired by Calderón de la Barca. Shakespeare is a tad bit overrated, but no, nuh uh, I won't do it. Not this time. I'll... Eh... I'll postpone it for later, I promise. I've got to finish this essay, for Apollo's sake, then I... I'll do something for dear Noelle. I have to.
I... I know the other classmates sympathize with her pain, and so do I, but... I want her to know that I care about her. In my own way. It's not something I'm willing to do out of pity and only, but... I want Noelle to be happy. It's the least I can do for her. What a gentlebird must do.
Anyway, I'm bothered by many things. This essay looks good enough, but it should be PERFECT, like an iridescent mother-of-pearl. I'm tempted to compare Noelle to a, well, mother-of-pearl, but nah, I won't do it. Actually, her freckles make her look like a pumpkin pie seasoned with... Oh, I'm hungry. It's okay. The essay I got in my hands is about to be delivered, yet I refuse to do it first.
Why? Well, we all know that the kid who finishes and gives their essay to the teacher first is usually the one who has written the worst essay ever, which I haven't. Mine is the best. Followed by Noelle's, yeah. She is so smart. And so sweet. I wish I was sweet, but I'm not.
Not all girls are sweet, though. Like, just take a look at Susie. She's... Yeah, that's Susie. Do I need to explain who she is? Is there any possible way to explain who she is without getting a stroke for free? Okay, I'll try.
Yesterday, Susie complained that she could earn at least one point in every spelling bee held at school if the organizers allowed “ASS” to be included in the list of words, instead of more complicated and hard to pronounce terms such as "QUOTIENT", "RECTANGLE", "POLYGON", "PROCRASTINATION", "POLYETHYLENE" OR "VEHEMENTLY", to name a few, and to be fair, I don't find these to be hard to pronounce at all.
Hearing this, Susie pointed at me and called me a jerk and I said I wasn't a jerk and she said I was a BIG JERK and I said she was the QUEEN OF ALL JERKS for presupposing I was a jerk to begin with and she did not stop there, oh no, her brat talk has no limits, so she called me a JERKED BEEF and added that she would eat me, not my arms, or my legs, but EAT ME AS A WHOLE for breakfast if she had not already satiated her hunger with some crumbling cookies she took out of her pockets.
And those cookies were made by Noelle. With love. Which Susie just shoved in her mouth like an obese Marco eating a donut in Metal Slug 3.
Hmmm... That was too specific of a reference, but it's not like I'm talking to anybody but myself, and I DO get my own set of references.
Well, in any case, I'll think about gaming once I go home, leave it for later like everything else, but first... This essay must be finished. It's a monumental task to do so, I'm not kidding, I feel like Sisyphus pulling a large boulder up a hill only to see it fall down and he has to pull it back again, dear Zeus... For the love of the Pantheon, I want to cry, but I look ugly when I do so. Uglier than Susie does when she grins with those shark teeth.
Eh, I meant to say "sharp", but "shark" is an accurate descriptor for Susie’s teeth too.
Well, well, well... Look who's the first student to deliver their essay. It's certainly not me.
— Here it is. I'm done. I wrote a sequel for the Bible summarized in twenty-five lines, enjoy! – Susie said as soon as she left a piece of paper on Mrs. Alphys's desk. Well, that's what a normal student would do, but since we're talking about Susie, she BANGED her fist on the table as if it were a drum, scaring poor Alphys, who was reading a Sudoku book, just reading and not actually trying to solve it, and THEN Susie left the essay paper on the table before leaving.
— Uh... T-T-T-Thanks, Susie. You c-c-can return to your seat now, yes. Oh dear... Please don't do that again. – Said Mrs. Alphys, lacking some needed authority in her voice, which was full of boredom, coupled with an unamused face and a certain fright carried on both that has found its way to seep into my being.
How do I say this? It's like somebody has kidnapped the real Alphys and replaced her with a dead ringer, but I'll stick with the boredom angle instead of trying to make everything in my life fantastic as some kind of adventure, this is why I play JRPGs, they make me feel like life can be fun and worthwhile and I've been a longtime Alphys's student to know how much she loathes herself.
It isn't very healthy.
Back to Susie... Who isn't carrying an axe, of course, DON'T LET HER HOLD ANYTHING SHE MIGHT USE AS A WEAPON, and I'm not talking about her yellow pencil with evident bite marks in it... So, on the way to her seat, which is right at the back of the room, almost touching the wall, mine and Susie's eyes kind of crossed. She looks like a dumb cockroach, and I look like the sensational nosy secret agent who is about to get himself into trouble.
— What is it? Am I charming? – I said, to which Susie frowned at me. Grimaced a bit. Tempted to smile, but disguised it by widening her frown. It's like she can read my thoughts. Well, read this... My essay is BETTER than yours. Hehe.
— No, not at all, and YEESH... Your hair looks like a messy burger I found in the junk, Berdly. And I'd rather have a slice of that craptastic excuse of a burger than let you use my spit as hair conditioner. – Susie replied and then she left. I wonder if that was a compliment or an insult, but either way, I've elected to IGNORE IT and NOT offer an answer to somebody who isn't even here to listen.
Oh, whatever. This essay is more important than thinking about Susie. That cutie. Forget her. Let her go. Uh, did I just call Susie a "cutie"? Phew, thank Minerva I didn't say that out loud, otherwise one of my arms would have been yanked off. Or maybe my liver would have been ripped out instead, like Prometheus tied to a rock or something, I guess. As you can see, my thoughts are a bit all over the place, but it's okay, I've already forgotten about Susie. The other her who isn't, well, HER, and by that, I mean Noelle.
It may seem like I'm belittling the opposite sex, but I don't think so. Well, there's a certain amount of envy in my words, I can't deny it, but... I don't know, I'd rather not think about it now, I'll leave that for later.
A while passes, and another kid delivers their essay to Alphys, but unlike a certain aggressive purple lizard whose name begins with a "S" and ends with an "E", they leave it gently upon the teacher's table. No, I don't care who they are, but I admire their gesture. They are not me, though, and that means their essay SUCKS, unlike the one I wrote, which's so incredible I'll probably earn a medal at the end, who knows?
A gold medal, a silver medal, a chocolate medal... It doesn't matter, I'll take it all. I deserve everything I deserve.
Anyway, it doesn't take long for a line of students to form in the direction of Alphys's desk. I see many familiar faces and, uh... Hey, it's Snowy! And he... Yeah, he is cool, but he isn't exactly my friend. Just a classmate. A passing face that I get to see very often, but we don't talk very much. Moving on... Behind Snowy, it's that Monster Kid, sure, I'm not very impressed and I don't care. They are not my friend either. It's like I'm not even trying to expand my social web. Next...
Uh, it's a girl with mushroom hair, and for a moment I thought it was either Dora Explorer or... Is that Kris I saw right now?
No, it's not, and then I remember Kris is not a girl.
Well, they are, but not exactly, sometimes they're a boy and it's... Not complicated, but fascinating. Peculiar, I could say, but so what? I'd let Kris explain it, they know it better than I do, but then I realize they are not here.
Yeah. Unbelievable, isn't it? Kris moved to another school because they couldn't adjust here, from what I heard, or maybe it was due to financial problems in their family, which I also heard being commented in the hallways, but I don't know and I could care less about the actual reason they aren't here.
I just know that I... Well, I miss them. And I'm not the only one.
Noelle does miss them too. I don't want to delve into her pain, and I'd prefer not to delve into mine. No, I don't feel like moping around alone in my corner because it's all over, Kris and I are no longer friends, but that's ridiculous, you know? It's not true. You're their friend, you should know that. Yes, Kris is a friend of mine, it's just that they... Well, they aren't here, and it doesn't feel the same, you know? Sometimes, I talk as if they passed away, and gee, no need to be so harsh with yourself, dude.
No, Kris didn't bite the dust. That's not true. They are very much alive and kicking. Yep. But my point still stands: Kris is not here, and that's a shame. I miss them because they were one of the few people who recognized my intelligence from day one. And I recognized theirs too, which... Yeah, I am proud to acknowledge my achievement of knowing all square roots from one to twenty-five by heart, whereas Kris knows the names of the capitals of every country in the world, even though they have not left Hometown, only a few times, but still, they never went to Australia.
More specifically, to Sydney, Australia. Which's NOT the capital of Australia, this is like saying that New York is the capital of the United States, but whatever, from what Kris told me, they watched Finding Nemo with Noelle once. I mean, multiple times, it's sort of like a tradition between them, a movie night in which they get to pick at least one movie that isn't straight up a horror movie, despite Nemo featuring murder, mutilation, kidnapping, blood, claustrophobia, cannibalism, child abuse, screaming submarines, uh...
Man, Noelle's got a wild imagination when it comes to Pixar movies, maybe she mixed up a few slashers in between, but okay, let's go back to what Kris told me before I get lost in my thoughts, which are a mess thanks to this essay who has worn me inside and out, but okay, I'm still standing... And I think about what Kris said, their desire to visit Australia, go to the Opera House, walk at the Harbour Bridge, it's nothing extraordinary... The other side of the world isn't as dull as we think it is. There is light and color out there.
Kris also never went to a beach, and neither did I. To tell the truth, I can't imagine myself wearing swim trunks in front of them, but unfortunately, as much as I wish I could think about my friend whom I sorely miss all day long, I must leave these cherished thoughts for later because it's time to get up MY ASS... Well, this is what Susie would say, see how far her infection has spread onto me as I leave my seat to deliver my essay.
Speaking of which... MY ESSAY is the best one there is, it was proudly reread and revised twice by the SMARTEST KID IN CLASS, who happens to be ME.
Me, and only me.
I am smart and I should know it.
In fact... I am many things.
For example, uh... I am a good person.
I should be special. I am especially smart.
I am somebody. I am extremely special.
I am NOT a nobody. I am SMART.
If nobody else will tell me I'm smart, then who else will?
Well, it doesn't matter. I'm the last in the row, right behind Noelle, but it makes no difference as we kind of end up together side by side, rows be damned.
And Kris would stand in the middle of us. Yeah. I wonder if they have been assigned to write an essay at the new school... If they’ve managed to make new friends also. Like, it must be scary for them to be away from us. We do get to meet, but only when school is over and when the diner is open. Well, when that happens, we get to walk around town, too.
Just us and none of our parents bothering us.
— Hey, Berdly. – Said Noelle, a bit tired. I suppose everyone else's brains are melting, and so is mine.
— Hi, deer, uh... I mean, Noelle. – I said, and quite unexpectedly, I ended up proving that, in fact, my brain melted a little, because, under no circumstances, would I ever call Noelle by "deer" the way I just did.
— We were the last ones to finish our essays. – Noelle said back, smiling a bit and without paying attention to what I had just said. Good?
— Yeah. We did. – I nodded, and I wish I could smile back with such ease like Noelle does.
— Funny, isn't it? – Noelle asked, facing me as she held the essay close to her chest, maybe to hide it from everyone's view. Mine included.
— Yeah, funny. Very funny, deer. – I said again, holding my essay the same way one holds a piece of toilet paper. It's as if I don't care about it, despite the many times I've told myself how important it is, but now it really doesn't seem all that important.
Also, why did I call her "deer" again? Of course, Noelle's a reindeer, she's got a pair of awesome antlers, but I said "deer" in such a way that it sounded close to "dear". I'm not the first person to do that, mind you, but the way I just said it... Oh, it was really awkward, but kind of passionate, and she did not even notice. I was totally ignored. What a load.
— I bet you wrote a great essay. – Said Noelle as she handled her paper to Mrs. Alphys's and I'm tempted to say "YES, I WROTE THE GREATEST ESSAY OF ALL TIME AND NOBODY ELSE'S ESSAY MATTERS BUT MINE!!!", but since it's Noelle who's talking to me... And so far, she's been very kind to me... I'm forced to take a different approach in my answer.
— And I bet you wrote something great too. – I said, swallowing my pride like a rock that gets stuck in my throat. It's quite a grotesque imagery, one that does not correspond to the mundane task of handing a document to the teacher.
— We will see. – Said Noelle. Of course she said that. In her voice. Does she have any idea how sweet her voice sounds?
— Yeah. – I nodded, after a five second delay. As if things couldn't get a lot more awkward between us...
— Thank you very much, Noelle. Oh, and thank you very much too, Berdly. – Said Mrs. Alphys, greeting both of us. Well, more verbally than physically, and I also noticed that none of the pages of the Sudoku book she had been holding for a while were scribbled on.
I don't understand. Well, I'll try to understand why I feel terrible just by thinking about how Mrs. Alphys didn't even bother to at least try to solve one of the puzzles. She had plenty of time to do so while her students were writing their essays, so why didn't she? Was it a lack of interest? Is that book really hers? And why should I bother about her life if it isn't mine?
I got my own separate nervous system and she's got hers.
I also think she's too... Uh, not old, but too playful for Sudoku.
— Is there something I can do for you, Berdly? – Mrs. Alphys directed a question to me. Yeah, it's only me and her in the class, the other students have pretty much left. I got so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn't hear the alarm go off.
— Uh... It's nothing. – I said, and I felt like leaving for recess, but then I remembered I had more things in mind. I always do. – Well, actually... I wanted to know if you're feeling okay, teacher. You see, you don't seem well, and knowing that you'll be grading all the essays, well... I just wanted to know if you're okay, that's all. It's a lot of work for one person, don't you think?
— Yes, it is. – Said Mrs. Alphys, getting up from her chair after putting all the essays in a folder. – I'm fine, thanks for asking. It's just a headache, but it will pass soon. It's like a cold, or a roundabout, it makes my head spin a lot!!!... But I'm fine, no need to concern yourself.
— Yeah, I know. – I said as I stepped in front of Mrs. Alphys, then I opened the classroom door for her in the same way that I see people in movies throw their coats down in the mud so a lady can walk across the street, or something courteous like that. – It's just that Susie hit the table very hard once she delivered her essay and she startled you and... That got me worried.
— Oh, that? It's no big deal. – Said Mrs. Alphys, seemingly undisturbed by what had just happened a short time ago as she walked through the hallway and I followed her out after gently closing the door behind me, because I am not a brute.
— No big deal!? But what Susie did was very unfair! – I said, catching up with Mrs. Alphys from behind. – You don't deserve to be subjected to this amount of disrespect, least of all from one of your students, after all the hard work you've done for us.
— I know, Berdly. I know. – Mrs. Alphys said these words in such a kind way that it felt like she was patting me on the head. Or placing a gold star on my starboard, I would really appreciate that. – I will speak directly with the principal in regards to the behavior Susie displayed in the classroom. That is all I can do.
— I see. – I said, finding a sense of satisfaction in knowing that somebody like Susie will be punished for what they've done. – Well, thanks anyway. Today's class was great, and I hope your headache goes away soon.
— Have a good day, Berdly! See you tomorrow. – Mrs. Alphys smiled at me before she went elsewhere, presumably to the teacher's room, but I didn't follow her. I'd rather be on my own right now.
I am alone and I should know it.
Just me, and only me.
...
CHAPTER ONE: "I Am Who I Am Who I Am"
by JANET WALLACE