Chapter Text
Evan had developed a skill out of being unnoticed.
Weaving between crowds at school, sticking in the back of the class, never making a commotion- it made his, and everyone else's lives easier.
Evan dodged between teenagers, light on his feet as he made his way to his locker. He was adjusting to high school life, if slower than he would've liked. But if everything went according to plan, it should've gone smoother than middle school did.
So long as he didn't stand out, and stayed out of trouble, he'd be fine.
Evan opened his locker to a flash of bright yellow, and nearly slammed it shut out of panic.
"Fredbear!" he hissed. "You're supposed to stay home!"
Evan's Fredbear plush stared back at him.
"I got bored."
Evan used one hand to lift Fredbear, and the other to grab the book he needed from under him. "It's not any less boring at school than it is at home."
"Yes it is! Do you know how much drama you can listen in on here? Do you know how unbearably silent it is at the house?" Fredbear argued. "Plus, I get to hang out with you this way!"
"You're gonna get me in trouble!"
"Your teachers don't care if you carry a plush around."
"Even if they didn't, my classmates very much do!"
Fredbear made a dismissive noise, and Evan sighed. Then he shoved the plush into his hoodie, as quick as he could.
__
Over four years ago, Evan's Fredbear plush had started talking to him. At some point between then and now, Fredbear gained the ability to move on his own.
It was never when anyone was looking. If Evan tried, no matter how hard he focused, he would eventually blink, and Fredbear would be somewhere else. It was convenient in some cases, and highly inconvenient when he was at school.
Fredbear sat in Evan's desk now, distracting him from class.
"Ew. Why do people keep talking about their middle school boyfriends?"
Evan tried to copy notes from the board, and found himself accidentally writing the word boyfriend instead. He scowled, and erased it.
"I don't know why any of these people are dating anyone," Fredbear continued, "it seems like such a hassle."
Evan didn't know where Fredbear was getting any of this dating talk from, considering most of his classmates were focused on the lecture, and not discussing what Fredbear was trying to.
"Evan, be honest. If you dated, you'd be smart enough to avoid all these drama queens, right? The ones that cause problems on purpose?" Fredbear interrogated. "I mean, I'd obviously prefer it if you didn't date at all, but-"
Evan did his best to ignore the plush.
"Heeey. I asked a question," Fredbear whined. "Will no one give an ounce of attention to the poor, lonely Fredbear in his desk?"
Evan gave up. With a huff, he scribbled on a page, tore the piece out, and shoved it in his desk.
I'm trying to FOCUS. + I'm not dating. Scary.
"Ugh. I thought the whole point of sitting in the back was so the teacher didn't notice you!" Fredbear complained. "He's not gonna care what you do!"
At the desk beside Evan's, a girl glanced towards him. Evan shoved Fredbear further in his desk. Out of the corner of his eye, Evan thought he saw the girl give him a weird look.
"People are gonna think you snuck in something weird with that attitude," Fredbear noted.
Evan sighed.
__
The middle school wasn't too far of a walk. A few minutes treading along the pavement, and Evan was outside its doors, where Ellie was waiting for him.
Ellie had been incensed that Evan would only be in middle school with her for the one year, before moving on to high school. So the agreement was that they walked home together every day instead. She skipped up to him, and bumped against his shoulder.
"Successfully baited the teacher in talking about his childhood," she bragged. "No english homework for me!"
"You're just gonna get the homework later," Evan noted.
"Yeah, but that'll be later! Do you have Fredbear today?"
"Why would I bring Fredbear to school?"
But Ellie was already in his backpack, fishing the plush out.
"You forgot to ask," Evan scolded.
"My bad," Ellie handed the toy back to him, putting on a sweet voice. "Fredbear, may I hold you today?"
"You may," Fredbear relayed to Evan.
He sighed, and handed Ellie the plush.
Despite Evan's best efforts, it never would've taken Ellie long to notice something strange about Fredbear. Enough time of trying to talk in secret, and Fredbear's pinprick eyes moving when they shouldn't have, and Ellie was interrogating him on what was up.
Evan had never been able to explain it. He wasn't sure he wanted to. It had been a hard conversation, getting Ellie to believe him.
But now Fredbear and Ellie liked to act like they were best buddies, despite the fact that Evan was still the only person that could actually hear Fredbear. So any talking they did always had to be through him.
"Evan, you need to warn her," Fredbear said. "When she gets to high school, and these preppy girls start talking about boys- tell her to run as fast as she can."
"Fredbear says don't date boys," Evan said.
"Okay!"
__
It was a bit of a surprise to find Evan's dad already there when they got home. It was less of a surprise that he had a request.
"Evan, I need you to run an errand for me tomorrow."
"Mhm?" Evan was already halfway to his room, expecting to be asked to pick up groceries or something.
"I need you to pick up something from Fredbear's."
Evan stopped.
How long had it been since he'd been to Fredbear's? A year?
He turned to face his dad, who he had initially only given a passing glance. He was leaning out of the hallway to his office, apparently unbothered by the weight of his request.
He was becoming more reclusive again lately. It made the ask even more odd.
"Fredbear's?" Evan asked. "I thought you didn't own- didn't really have anything to do with it anymore."
"No but I like to check in," his dad explained, casually, "Last time I did, I left something of mine there. It's important for my work."
From Evan's backpack, where Ellie had returned him before going inside, Fredbear whispered, "Say no, say no, say no."
To Evan's credit, he did briefly try to think of a way out of it. He even dared to wonder why his father couldn't do it himself.
"Sure, I'll drop by tomorrow."