Chapter Text
Bang Bang Bang.
Susie groaned, dragging her pillow over her head. The early morning sun shone through the living room windows, kissing her scaled purple cheeks that she was desperately trying to shield. The early fall draft sent a chill up her spine through the base of her tail, causing it to curl inward as she grabbed the thin blanket she had used for warmth. She hoped that if she simply laid down and pretended nobody was home, the stranger would simply go away.
Bang Bang Bang.
"HomeTown PD. Open up please."
Shit…
Susie sighed, throwing the blanket to the ground, sitting up from her makeshift bed on the couch as she stretched. She looked over and noticed the boxy TV still on from last night. The DvD menu of her favorite horror flick was flickering across the screen, no doubt burning into it. She looked down, and noticed that she was still in her pajamas, which were just a way oversized sports jersey and a pair of men's boxers. They had bones and tennis balls all over them.
Whatever. If the cops didn't wanna see her boxers, they shouldn't have come at the ass crack of dawn.
Bang Bang Bang!
"I hear you!" Susie barked, head snapping towards the front door as she threw herself off the couch. Her feet and tail dragged behind her as she trudged over to it, clicking the lock over and opening the door.
An adult fish-monster stood in the hallway outside of her apartment. Her scales were a bright blue, almost shimmering in the light of the sun beaming through the window to the left. Her red hair was tucked underneath a policeman's cap, ponytail sitting across her shoulder. She was clad in her uniform, with the dark navy blue resting proudly upon her shoulders. She looked proud of it. It gave Susie a bad taste in her mouth.
Susie narrowed her eyes, meeting the cop's stern expression. She felt her scales shifting along her spine as she instinctively blocked the view of the apartment behind her.
"What do you want?"
The fish-woman cleared her throat, taking a small step back. "Good morning, miss…" She paused, trying to place a name to the face, yet finding none. "Uh, what should I call you, kid?"
Susie snorted. "Your mom."
The cop's polite demeanor fell almost instantly. "Really? That's how you want to start this off? Come on, kid. Work with me, okay?"
Susie grinned, her sharp pointed teeth catching the light. "Or what?"
"Or," The cop crossed her arms in front of her chest. "We take you down to the station and make you cooperate. Don't play games with me."
Susie's grin faltered almost instantly. She definitely did not want to spend the majority of her day in a jail cell.
Susie sighed. "Fine," She braced her forearm against the door jamb, pouting as she looked at her clawed feet. "It's Susie."
The cop tilted her head. "Come again?"
"Susie," Susie repeated, voice raising slightly as she tilted her head up. "My name is Susie. Are all cops as deaf as you?"
The cop sighed, pinching her brow between her thumb and index finger. "Six thirty in the morning and I'm already dealing with this shit…" She mumbled under her breath.
"Look," The cop sighed, relaxing her shoulders and slipping her hands into her pockets. She leaned back a little on her right leg, increasing the distance between her and the younger girl. "You're not in trouble. I don't want to cause any problems. I just have a couple of questions. Is your mother home?"
Susie stiffened, refusing to meet the cop's gaze. "Who wants to know?"
"Concerned neighbor, let's leave it at that," The police-woman bit her lower lip in thought. "There's been talk of a child who's not been enrolled in any sort of school."
Susie's eyes snapped up. "I'm not a child."
The cop sighed heavily through her nose. "I meant a minor. Someone who's legally supposed to still be in school," She looked down to check her watch, before putting her hand back in her pocket. "Figured the informal speech would make things a little easier."
"It doesn't do dick," Susie spat. "A cop at my doorstep at six thirty in the morning isn't exactly comforting."
The fish-woman shrugged. "I can understand that. But I promise, I don't want any trouble. Just checking in."
Susie visibly tensed, like she was expecting a blow to the face at any second. Her brows were furrowed beneath the messy shaggy bangs that hung in front of her face. Her claws were digging into the door frame, no doubt leaving marks which her mother was sure to chastise her for. Her tail twitched behind her.
"Well," She huffed. "Don't bother. She isn't home."
The fish woman raised a brow. "Is that so?"
"Don't believe me?" Susie barked, pushing off the door frame and gesturing to the apartment behind her. It was bare for the most part, with barely any furniture besides the couch and floor TV. "Feel free to come in and take a look around. Maybe take a look up my ass too while you're at it."
The fish-woman groaned, shaking her head as it began to dip down. She crossed her arms, tapping her foot against the ground as she bit her lip in thought. Susie just watched, eyes lingering around her hands, watching them claw at the fabric of her uniform before reaching towards her side. Her heartbeat quickened, fearing the worst. But she relaxed when she only reached for a notepad and pen.
"Well, when she comes back," The woman began, scribbling something down on a piece of paper. "Let her know that you were supposed to be in school over two weeks ago. We'll let you off with a warning, but she could be facing some pretty hefty fines if she doesn't get you set up with something."
A rumble resonated within Susie's chest. "I'm homeschooled."
"Then your mom needs to enroll you online. We need to know you're still following along with the standard curriculum, meeting all the requirements you need for graduation, etcetera, etcetera." She scribbled down her signature, before tearing off a piece of paper, and handing it to her. Susie hesitated, before taking it, staring down at the yellow parchment in her hands. On it were two phone numbers, and a web-URL.
"What's this?"
"Some folks who can help you get settled," The woman responded, tipping her cap. "That's the schools phone number, along with a local group for parents that homeschool. On the bottom is the number for the HomeTown Welcoming Committee, for helping newbies get settled."
Susie tightened her grip, the paper crumpling audibly in her grasp. "We don't need your help."
The cop shrugged. "It's there if you want it. But the school thing is non-negotiable. Tell your mom she has till the end of the week to get you enrolled, or she'll have to pay a fine and we'll put you in school ourselves."
Susie didn't say anything in response. Her lips thinned, one of her pointed fangs poking out from her top lip as she averted her eyes.
The cop sighed, shoulders drooping a little as her stern expression softened into a more sympathetic one. She took her policemen's cap in between her fingers, and took it off, revealing her frizzled ponytail of red hair that hid beneath it. "I'm just doing my job, kid," She spoke calmly as she held her hat in front of her. "You know that, right?"
Susie, still refusing to meet the officer's gaze, nodded.
"You just moved in, I get it," She sympathized, blowing a loose strand of hair from her face. "We're not judging. Just want to make sure you can get access to a proper education. We care for our own in this town."
Our own. Hilarious.
"Uh huh."
The officer in front of her rolled her bottom lip between her teeth, like she wanted to say more, but propriety and rules held her back from doing so. She quietly slipped her hat back over her head, flatting her ponytail as she stood up straighter. "Well, I'll leave you be. Let your mom know that if she has any questions, she can call up the station and request to speak with me, Officer Undyne."
Susie's tail curled around her feet. The paper crumpled more in her fist. "Okay."
"Alright," Undyne tipped her cap once more, straightening it on her scalp, before turning to head back down the hall and toward the elevator. "You have a good rest of your day now."
Susie huffed, and shut the door in Undyne's face. She took a moment to click the lock back in place, before throwing the note onto the kitchen table, and flopping back onto the couch.
It was way too damn early for this shit.