The Monsters Inside and Out (Scott Howl x Depressed Reader)

86. Calls of Disaster

You wake up the next morning tired. After almost dying yesterday, you feel exhausted. You consider faking being sick to get out of school, but end up figuring that's not a good idea. Your mom would probably stay home from work to 'take care of you', and also spin it into something that blames your classmates for it. You lay in bed a little longer than usual to give yourself time to wake up. You get out of bed and get ready for school. After brushing your teeth, washing your face, and getting dressed, you leave your house and walk to school.

Once you arrive, Scott is already by your side. He picks you up and holds you to his chest. He says, "Hi baby.. How are you?" You laugh and wrap your arms and legs around him. "I'm tired.. How are you?" He rubs your back. "I'm feeling better. I still itch down there, but it's getting better. We're still meeting 8th period right?" He smiles. You laugh and caress his face, "Of course."  You share a quick peck on the lips, and here someone say, "Ooooh." You both look over to see Vicky and Amira chuckling at you. Scott awkwardly puts you down smiling like an idiot. The four of you talk until the bell rings, and you all part your ways.

The bell at the end of 4th period rings, and everyone is dismissed. You walk to your locker, put your things inside, and walk to lunch. You are suddenly picked up again by Scott, who nuzzles into the crook of your neck. You laugh as he carries you through the lunch line, the lunch ladies also chuckling at his adorable display of affection. After you both get your food, he sits you down at a table with Vera and Miranda. As soon as you sit down, Vera says, "No offense (Y/N), but you look horrible right now. Is everything okay?" "Oh, uh, yeah. A lot has happened in the past 24 hours, so.. I'm just really tired." Scott perks up, "How bout you take a nap? When lunch is over, I can carry you to the library!" Vera smirks, "And I know your locker combination, so we can grab your stuff for you. And only for a small fee." Miranda's eyes light up, "And I shall have my serfs carry your things for you! And only for a small fee!" Scott adds, "Don't worry, I won't charge you." You chuckle. "Okay, that sounds nice.." You eat some of your food, and when you're done, you lean on Scott's shoulder. He puts an arm around you, and you fall asleep.

You're sitting on the floor playing blocks by yourself. The home phone rings, and your mother rushes over to answer it. "Hello?" She says in a panicked voice. "Yes, this her." She nods. Her face dies down and her expression turns blank with a hint of sadness. "I see... Yes, thank you." She hangs up. She stands silently, clearly thinking about something. She steps towards you and kneels down. "(Y/N).. I have some... Bad news.." You look at her curiously and ask, "What happened?" Holding back her tears, she says, "It's Grandma. She's gone." "What do you mean?" "I mean.. She died. I'm so sorry." "Oh, that's okay." You go back to playing with the blocks. "Wh-What? What do you mean, it's okay?" "She was mean." "How could you say that? She's gone! She's never coming back! She's dead. Aren't you at least.. A little sad?" "Not really." Your mother starts crying and leaves the room, and you continue playing with toys. A few minutes later, your father comes into the room. "Hey, kiddo. Your mom is really upset about what you said." "But you guys always tell me that it's best to tell the truth, so I did." "That may be true, but you shouldn't always tell the truth. Especially with something like that. Sometimes you gotta lie about your true feelings so that nobody gets hurt." "So, Mommy will be happy with me as long as I lie about how I feel?" "Only if you think it'll upset Mommy, okay? Like, say if.." Your dad looks around the room, then his eyes land on something, "Oh! Say if you broke the expensive vase by accident! Tell her you didn't do it! That shelf it's on is wobbly anyway. She'll totally believe you if you said you didn't break it. You understand?" "Yeah.." "Good." Your dad pats your head and leaves the room. Acasius walks into the room, saying, "Hey (Y/N)! It's time for Caillou." You sit with your brother to watch the show he loves, but you hate.

You are suddenly awoken by Scott moving quickly. You look around to see yourself still in the cafeteria. Vera and Miranda look up at Scott who is now standing. You look up at him too. He has a seriously scared look on his face, and some tears well in his eyes. He's on the phone with someone. He yells, "Well, what did you do?" A moment goes by as the person on the other end presumably explains whatever happened. Scott says, "Well, should I meet you there, or at home?!" He nervously shakes. He suddenly yells, "Okay!" And he darts out the doors of the cafeteria at full speed, leaving you speechless and confused. You ask, "What.. Just happened?" Vera and Miranda look nervously at eachother, then back at you. Miranda says, "W-We don't know.." Vera elaborates, "Scott just got a call, he answered it, and suddenly he started getting all worked up over whatever it was about. And then he ran off." The three of you all look out the door he ran out of. You have no idea what's happening, but it doesn't sit well with you. The bell rings, dismissing everyone. You grab your half-eaten meal, and throw it away, going to your locker, and hoping that Scott will message you about whatever is going on.