Work Text:
The first time Susie enters the junior classroom of Hometown’s school is with a bang. Literally. The noise is enough to send Noelle jumping in her chair, elbows falling back on Jockington’s desk. Everyone chuckles at Noelle’s little overreaction, Kris included. After all, everyone knows each other in this classroom; they’ve known each other since elementary school.
With the exception of the girl in the doorway. She was tall, taller than anyone else in class; she’d probably dethroned Noelle by a solid three inches. Her clothing hung limply off of her, giving little suggestion of the frame underneath except through the pockmark holes in her t-shirt and the rips in her jeans. From what Noelle could see, though, she certainly wasn’t opposed to seeing more.
“Hey, um, is this the right classroom…? ‘m Susie.”
The girl’s—Susie’s—voice is softer than Noelle had expected, but still has a rough, gravelly edge to it, the sort that reminds Noelle of a long-lost somebody. It’s the sort of voice she could drift off to, but also the same sort of voice that could knock her out of her seat.
Literally. Noelle had fallen backwards onto the floor, hooves dangling over the top of her desk. She’d just… frozen, and it’s with some relief and some jealousy that she registers Susie is staring down Kris instead of her.
“N-Noelle, are you… okay…?” Ms. Alphys whisper-asks, glancing curiously between her and the new arrival.
“U-um, yes, I’m fine, thanks,” Noelle replies, wobbling to her feet. Angel, her knees are literally weak. What an embarrassment. Maybe Susie was the sort of girl who could sniff out that weakness, who’d zero in on Noelle and pick on her until she couldn’t bear it—
“Hey. Uhh, chair girl.”
It takes all of Noelle’s force not to jump for a third time as Susie approaches her, hands in her pockets, half-smile on her face.
“N-Noelle.”
“Noelle. Nice to meetcha. You got a pencil, or what? I kinda forgot mine.” Susie’s snout is right in Noelle’s face, blasting her with hot breath, and in a miraculous feat Noelle manages to fumble enough to grab her pencil case and feel around for her spares.
“U-um, yeah, did you… want the light-up one? Or t-the candy cane one?”
Susie takes the one with the red and white spiraling design, smiles as her claws come within a centimeter of Noelle’s furred fingers. “…Thanks.”
“N-no problem, keep it!!!!” Noelle squeaks, before slumping down onto her desk in exhaustion. This was going to be a long, long year.