Chapter Text
Katie had never done much of anything right in her life. At least, according to what everyone around her thinks. Her family were wealthy business owners, they never cared much for her. She was too different from them.
It's not that they didn't take care of her, no they were fine! She was fed, she was clean, and they played the role of the perfect parents.
They showed up to every event, they talked to the other parents, they encouraged her dreams.They were, from face value, perfect.
However, when it came to truly being there for her, they fell short.
The events they showed up for were the events they forced her into, ballet, violin, piano. The other parents they talked to, were the ones of the kids that teased Katie relentlessly. The dreams they encouraged were not truly hers, but their own.
Ever since Katie was young, she had wanted to open a restaurant. Unfortunately, ever since Katie was young, her parents had ignored her every time she brought up the idea. Rather, they pushed her to join the family business.
What that business was? Katie had no clue, because by the time she was twelve, her parents had lost hope of her. Katie was the exact opposite of what they had hoped for. She was painfully mediocre.
Her mom started pumping out kids, perfect kids. Kids that had big dreams, kids that strived for their parents affection.
She became a fluke in the family history. As her family often joked, the first pancake was never the best. It was raw in the middle and burnt on the outside, a disaster. Katie was a disaster.
Katie's parents gave up on her at twelve. As did the rest of the world. Nevertheless, by some miracle, Katie never gave up on herself.
Every important class in highschool that she just barely passed, every time she got glared at for smiling at someone in the halls, every minimum wage job she was constantly one mistake from being fired from. Katie never stopped smiling. It wasn't a fake smile either.
No, her smiles, her laughs, her excitement, it was all real. Katie believed if she loved the world it would love her back...maybe not now, but eventually. She was sure of it.
The world has yet to love her back at 18, so she pushed for change. The world didn't love her here, but she knew it would somewhere.
She gathered her savings, searched for something she could afford, and decided a dump was about the only thing she could afford.
Not in a literal sense, but hey, moving out at 18 on a minimums wage salary? Yea, there was zero chance of her ending up anywhere remotely suburban.
So that's how Katie, wonderful, optimistic, and painfully naive Katie, ended up here.
She hasn't planned shit. But hey! She (barely) graduated about a month ago! Shes freshly 18, and life had nothing interesting for her back home. So she chose a more interesting path.
Well, she acts like she chose it. Really, after very gently dropping the 'I'm a lesbian!' bomb on her parents, they gave her about an hour to pack her shit. As she shoved anything she could fit in the only bag she has, she decided to ignore the burning tears that welled in her eyes, pushing them down to settle in her heart.
She threw on her bright pink track suit, packed what she could fit in a backpack, and she was gone.
She smiled all the way to the train station. Even if it hurt, and her chest felt heavy with shame, guilty that she had chosen a hypothetical love over her family.
Katie has 300 dollars in savings, two outfits, and the most hopeful attitude anyone in this situation could possibly have.
She was sure she could afford rent somewhere, as long as she can get a quick job.
She bought a ticket, it went north, but she didn't really know what north ment. She was thinking of going a town over, far enough away that she couldn't run into her parents at the grocery store, but close enough that she could come back if she needed it. She was sure they would let her come back in an emergency, even though she knew they weren't that gracious.
However, life had other plans. Katie sat down on that train, humming along to some song she hardly knew the words to. She looked out the window, and the soft bumps of the train, the emotional exhaustion she felt, it all lulled her to a peaceful sleep.
She only woke up when the staff yelled at her to get off at the last stop. The sky was starting to turn a deep shade of pink, the sun barley poking over the horizon. This was definitely farther then one stop.
She didn't know what the last stop was, but she laughed awkwardly in apology to the staff, a failed attempt at seeming charming. She didn't know how to tell them she had no idea where she was. She didn't know how to tell them how scared she was. So she just stepped off the train, taking in her surroundings.
She stared off, desperately trying to make the best of this situation...because what she saw was not a pretty sight.
Far from where she had come, a small town named QSMP. At least, that's what she gathered from the broken down sign outside the train station. It looked, well...rundown, to say the least. The houses looked worse for wear and it was painfully quiet. The houses were spaced well apart, not like a city, but not quite like the countryside.
Still, Katie was who she was, so she grinned to herself, even if it was hard, and started making her way into the center of town. Which wasn't far, it was terribly small. The sign said they had a population of 'about 50'...vague.
"I got a pocket got a pocket full of sunshine...I got a...uh...something and you know that it's all mine.." she sang to herself, kicking stones as she walked. Admiring the homes that her parents would call 'shit holes', she preferred 'lived in'.
She only finally knew that people really did live here, and it wasn't some dream, when she heard a roar of exasperated laughter. It came from a place that was called 'Quackitys hat shop', but had the word 'bar' scribbled underneath in marker.
She grinned to herself, hopping along and swinging the door open, probably too confidentially.
The room grew quiet, there must be about 15 people there, which doesn't sound like a lot, but it was a small room...and everyone there were full grown men, who all looked like they wanted to kill her a little bit.
Yet Katie, ever confident as she was, waved awkwardly, yet her confidence never wavered.
"Hello, boys!" She dragged out the hello, confident yet awkward, walking through, mostly ignored by those around her, but still watched by them.
She was completely unbothered by this, nodding in greeting to those who met her eye, waving at some others. She made it to the bar and sat down. She twisted in the bar stool, it spun to let her face the barkeeper.
She checked her phone...dead, so she checked the clock, it was nearing 7 pm. She didn't exactly want to be homeless tonight. So she grinned up at the bartender, Katie looked barely old enough, and far too bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to be at a place like this.
"Hello sir! My name is Katie, you must be..." She dragged out the word as she thought back to the name on the sign, she could only slightly remember, so she took a guess. "Quackitings!"
The man burst into a laugh, a slightly manic laughter. He tilted his head as he cleaned a glass "Quackity's the name! What can I do ya for? You don't exactly look like someone who would be here!"
She brightened up more, if that was even possible. To her, he was friendly as could be. "Well I've decided I need a little adventure in my life! So I'm looking for a place to stay, you wouldn't happen to know somewhere? Preferably... extremely cheap" She flashed her big eyes up at him, tilting her head.
Quackity faltered, he wasn't one to be swayed easily, to care about others. However, she looked too pure for him to mess with...at least not too much...
He smirked to himself "Ya'know...I happen to know just the place" he whistled to another man behind the bar, signaling he was going out.
Katie lit up, practically buzzing with excitement. "Really?! At first when I came here I was honestly a bit scared, but you are-!"
Quackity interrupted, not maliciously, he was just impatient. He described the place. "Cheap as shit rent, lots of land, one bedroom, one bathroom, not falling apart too much, and just right around the corner! Plus you would have me as your landlord, and I would say I'm extremely gracious with payments." He spoke with self assurance. Hopping over the counter and making his way through the door. He wanted to make an easy buck.
He didn't look back to see if she followed, but she had.
She scrambled after him, hands gripping her backpack with antsy excitement. "Uhh..! So-...Where is this place anyway? Have you lived here for long? Are the people here nice? Do-"
He stopped where he was, holding back a laugh as he looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Katie, what do you mean 'where are we'? Did you just fucking- pop in here? Man, you are hilarious!" He twisted on his heels and continued walking.
Katie laughed nervously, choosing to ignore the lack of a response to the question, and asked another again "Are the people here nice...?". Listen, she was a positive person, she was excited for this new start(or so she chose to tell herself)...but she was just a little bit scared.
He grinned, not turning to face her this time as he turned the corner on a street of run down old houses. "Depends, if you're new, they can be assholes, they'll try to get to you, trick you. Once you've been here long enough, they get used to you. They'll treat you with respect once you earn it."
Kaytee smiled, accepting that response, because of course, she decided that she would be able to earn it. She didn't hear when Quackity mumbled to himself "They'll fucking eat her alive...".
He stopped in front of a small house. On one side of it, tons of run down, overgrown yard space. As was most of the homes here, a large distance between them all. However, the other side was a mere foot away from another home. As if it was built there just to piss off the neighbor.
The home that was so close to what would be hers, has a large 'KEEP OUT.' sign on the front, the kind you could read from the other end of the long, winding road.
Katie laughed nervously, making Quackity grin as he spoke. "Don't get cold feet now we've almost sealed the deal!"
----
The suspicion from the man was not nearly enough to scare Katie away. She was far too persistent. He handed her paperwork that she was too stupid to read through, she signed it, which declared it to be rented by her for the month.
She pulled open her wallet happily, taking out 200 dollars, before squinting in confusion. "Hey...uh, isn't 200 kinda cheap for a month's rent...there isn't like, some big catch is there? I haven't sold my soul away have I?" She was joking, but in the way her voice shook hesitantly with nerves as she handed the cash over.
Quackity pulled out a cigarette, laughing loudly as he leaned against the porch railing. He counted the cash, half paying attention as he spoke, half watching the money so he couldn't see her face when he told her. "Your new neighbor...he's kinda a dick. Hates the whole town, raging alcoholic with crazy anger issues. I like you Katie, so I'm warning you now...don't mess with him. He's gotten about 5 different tenants to move out of this place"
Katie was quiet for a moment, before she grinned and shot up. "That's it?! A buzz kill neighbor? Oh, don't worry, I'm great with people! He will love me in no time!" She had worried it would be something awful, but this? This was fine. She was a charmer, or so she had decided.
He glanced at her worriedly, holding out the keys as he pocketed the cash. "Katie I'm serious, your neighbor- shit, half the people here would love to take advantage of someone like you. Don't talk to them. Keep your head down"
She shook her head and took the keys, smiling mostly to herself "Don't you worry about me! I'll be just fine, and I'll be seeing you around I'm sure! I'm feeling at home already!"
Quackity stared at her with uncertainty, his expression wavered. Still, he gave a hesitant nod, resuming his smug expression "Alright Katie...if you've got a problem, you come to me."
He turned away, walking a few steps before he lifted a hand, not stopping, not looking back as he spoke. "Also, every late payment to me, adds 50% interest!" He left promptly after saying that. She had already signed it. He knew he had her right where he wanted her.
Listen, he liked the girl, he hopes nobody here kills her, but he loves a quick buck.
Katie was quiet for a moment, she hardly understood what that meant. The price would be increased if she was late? Well that seemed totally fair! Plus, she was sure she would get a job by the end of the month, it wouldn't even end up being a problem.
So, Katie slid the key into the lock, it made a loud clank as the rusty key turned. The door opened.
The house was run down and relatively old. It reeked of the smell of a grandma...or maybe mold. It was one floor, she walked through the living room, through the kitchen. She saw two doors beside each other, assuming one was a bathroom and the other was a bedroom. She took her pick and ended up being right.
She collapsed onto the bed, electing to shower in the morning. She was too exhausted to care about the sweat that clung to her body, the shoes that remained on her feet.
Katie had been thrown out of her home 7 hours ago. The one place she has always known. Even if it wasn't always kind, even if she had felt out of place, it was stable.
Now, she was laid on a slightly stained mattress, she could hear the so called 'terrible' neighbors TV blasting from her room, and she didn't allow herself to cry.
Katie never cried, because Katie never let anything to be wrong.
Her nose almost stung from the repressed tears, but she just swallowed them back. Today her life had been thrown out the window, but she was ready to build it back up...just not right now, first she needed to sleep.
And sleep she did, the second her head and hit the mattress. That's right, mattress, no pillows, no blanket, just the mattress. Her backpack hadn't had enough room for a pillow or a blanket.
Katie was sure it would be fine, even when she shivered through the night.
Katie was sure it would be fine, even when she heard the neighbor scream at his tv at 3 am.
Katie was sure it would be fine, even when the weight of how alone she was finally did settle in.
Katie was sure she would be fine, because she always had been, and she didn't know how to not be okay.