The Unlikely Trio (High School AU) [Unfinished]

Healing Music

The next day, Clover couldn't contain his excitement, and ran to find Chili Pepper with his guitar in hand. "Chili Pepper! You won't believe what happened yesterday!" he called out. He stopped and looked around. Cookies were giving him weird stares and it made him feel kinda silly. He scurried away to the end of the hall where the nurse's office was. He peeked inside to see Chili Pepper sitting in a chair. Worried, he went inside to see if she was okay. "Chili Pepper? What're you in here for?" he asked her. "Oh, hey Clover Boy... I uhm... accidentally hurt my arm" she said, showing him the small crack on her arm. "How'd that happen!?" Clover exclaimed. "Well, I was escaping from... something, and I tried to parkour from a wall to a roof, but I ended up missing and I fell on my arm" Chili Pepper explained. "My my, you really are reckless..." Clover sighed. Chili Pepper chuckled, knowing he was right. "Anyways, I was looking for you to tell you about something wonderful that happened to me yesterday, but I don't think now's a good time" Clover said. "Nah, don't worry 'bout me, Clover boy, spill it" Chili Pepper said. "Well, alright. I was practicing in the forest yesterday and I got a little better, but it attracted a bunch of animals, so I started playing more and more and then more animals came to listen, until I had a whole audience! I wish you were there to see it, it was amazing!" Clover smiled. Chili Pepper felt a bit skeptical about his story and chuckled a bit under her breath. "You... don't believe me, do you?" Clover sulked. "No! 'Course I do, I uhm... s-say, why don't cha hit me with with some tunes? I'll probably feel a little better afterward" Chili Pepper smiled. "Well... alright" Clover said, lifting his guitar up to his chest.

As he started playing, he noticed Chili Pepper slowly swaying to the music, just like the animals. "You're telling me you learned how to play just yesterday?" Chili Pepper asked. "Apparently so" Clover chuckled. "It's like a miracle" Chili Pepper said. "That was the same thing I was thinking... I... uhm... maybe it's because I finally adjusted the strings right" Clover said. "Well, whatever the reason, that music made me feel better" Chili Pepper smiled. "Aw, I'm glad!" Clover smiled. "No, no... I mean, literally, I feel much better, like I never hurt my arm in the first place, I..." she then looked at her arm. The crack was gone. The both of them went silent. "Huh...?" Clover muttered. The two of them stared at her arm in silence. "I think the music did it" Chili Pepper then said, laughing. Clover laughed with her. "Nah, I doubt it. Well, atleast you're better now... somehow" Clover said, pondering what just happened.

Later that day, Chili Pepper was sent to the Principal's office. The nurse didn't believe their story about how the crack just disappeared on its own, or so they thought. Instead, she was convinced Chili Pepper faked it by drawing on herself, even though she didn't. Clover walked around in the halls, feeling alone. Without Chili Pepper or Licorice around, he felt bored. He decided playing a little music would make him feel a little less bored. As he took out his guitar, he noticed two Cookies in front of him. One of them had a big bruise on their cheek and the other one was comforting them, trying to get them to stop crying. Oh no... that poor cookie... Clover thought, feeling bad. Looking down at his guitar, he started to play a little tune. Just then, he noticed the Cookie's bruise faded away. "Your bruise! I-It's gone!" the Cookie comforting them exclaimed. The two of them were so confused, but yet so happy. Clover was flabbergasted. Is it really the music? Clover thought. It's probably just a coincidence.

Later that day, Clover sat on the bleachers again, playing his guitar more. He looked down to see Licorice walking by. Then Clover's heart stopped. The crack on Licorice's cheek was worse than the last time he saw him. He jumped down and ran to him. "Licorice! The crack! It's gotten worse!" Clover screamed. "I-I told you, I'm fine, I just need another bandage..." Licorice mumbled, visibly woozy. "You're loosing too much jam, please, lemme help you! You need help!" Clover yelled. "I told you, I just need another bandage..." Licorice mumbled. "Licorice! You're losing so much jam, you're not even thinking straight! A bandage isn't gonna fix this! You should've just listened to me and got help instead of being an idiot!" Clover yelled, practically tearing up at this point. "But... I was also an idiot for listening to you and trusting you'd be okay instead of getting you help..."

Clover sat down on the bleachers with him in his arms and laid him on his lap. How hard did your mother even slap you...? Clover thought. He then looked at his guitar and then had an idea. He picked up Licorice, and put him on his lap with his head over his shoulder. He then picked up the guitar and thought I dunno if those sudden healings were just coincidence, but I have to atleast try... He took a deep breath, and started playing. "Please work..." Clover mumbled with tears streaming down his cheeks. Once his finished playing his song, he mumbled to himself "Oh Licorice, how could you be so stupid...? How could I be so stupid...!? I-I... I love you, you... stupid, dumb dumb!" Clover yelled out. "...I... gotta get you help..." he reached into his backpack to find his phone, but then he felt Licorice slowly getting up. "Huh...? Did I... pass out?" Licorice mumbled and then quickly sat up after seeing he was laying on Clover. "Oh Licorice! Y-Your cheek is... y-YOU'RE better!" Clover exclaimed, hugging him tightly. "You erm... didn't hear the stuff I just yelled out, did you...?" Licorice shook his head. "Oh good... anyways, LICORICE, YOU GODDAMN IDIOT, YOU COULD'VE DIED FROM JAM LOSS! But... I'm also an idiot for not getting you help in the first place..." Clover cried out. Licorice stayed silent. No one had ever hugged him for this long. "I... erm... I'm sorry for that..." Licorice stammered.

Once the two of them stopped hugging, Licorice noticed Clover's tears. "Were you... crying... because of me...?" Licorice asked. "YES. Yes... yes I was" Clover firmly wiped away his tears. "I never thought anyone would care for me so much, that they'd cry..." Licorice mumbled. "Well, I DO!" Clover yelled at him, pulling him in for another hug. "I... didn't mean to make you cry" Licorice mumbled. "Shut up... I'm just glad you're alright" Clover said. The two of them had a long, silent hug, until a voice shouted "Hey! Clover!? Licorice!? I'm back from detention, now show yourselves—" it was Chili Pepper and she caught Licorice and Clover hugging. The two of them pushed each other off, and turned bright red. "I-It's... not what it looks like..." Clover stammered. Chili Pepper smirked. "I erm... anyways, y-you won't believe what just happened..." Clover said, changing the subject. "I probably won't, Clover boy" Chili Pepper chuckled, sitting on the bleachers with them. After Clover told his story, Chili Pepper was right: she didn't believe him. But Clover didn't care, as long as he knew Licorice was alright and that his guitar was not only a musical instrument, but a literal life saver.