dumb skeletons in a dumber highschool

Dust's friends do care about him

Killer just walked into Nightmare's dorm. He didn't even knock. He looked worried. Nightmare sighed, annoyed. 

"What do you want, Killer?" Killer sat down on the bed. 

"I'm worried about Dust. I don't think he slept last night. How did you get him to sleep?" Nightmare sighed. 

"Sleeping magic." Killer frowned. Just then, Cross walked in. 

"Hey guys." Nightmare lowered his eyes. He wished that just once in his life, Cross would leave him alone when he was doing something. Nightmare went to close the door, but saw Dust standing on the other side. 

"Hey." Nightmare glared at the skeleton and walked in the room. Dust followed. 

 "Are you okay?" Dust nodded fast. Too fast.

"Why wouldn't I be?" 

"Well, let's see, you never eat, you barely sleep, you seem to hate taking care of yourself, you're super sad and depressed, and no one believes you when you say you're fine." Nightmare was grateful that he wasn't the one who had to say that, but Cross could've been gentler. Dust's eyes widened. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. I'm sorry." Nightmare didn't know why, but suddenly, the situation became a whole lot worse. 

"Hey." Cross was using his Dream voice. His gentle, caressing voice. The same voice that Dream always talked in. "It's okay. We're not mad. I'm sorry for saying it like that." For a second, it seemed to work. Dust didn't look as panicked. He almost looked relieved to know that they were there. Then he flinched. Not like a little flinch either. It was like someone just stabbed him. 

"You're lying." He snapped. Dust stepped back. "You're just saying that because you won't tell me the truth." 

"Dust..." Killer tried to approach him, but Dust ran off. Killer turned around, panicked. "What are we gonna do?" Nightmare walked out into the hall. 

"We're going to look for him, and we're going to make sure he doesn't do something stupid."

"He's going to do something stupid. I just know it. We have to find him. Fast." Nightmare turned to Killer. 

"I know. That's why we have to worry." Nightmare ran in the opposite direction of the other two. He just left. He couldn't have gotten far. He opened the doors and looked around outside. He spotted an alley and walked down it. There, he saw Dust, shaking. He messaged the other two where he was, before turning off his phone and hesitantly approaching him. He was holding something. When Nightmare got closer, he saw it was his soul. And he slammed it into the wall. Harder than Nightmare had ever seen anyone smash anything. Dust coughed up some blood and magic, but he did it again. Nightmare panicked and picked him up. He didn't know what else to do. He wasn't even thinking straight, he just knew he wanted him to stop. "Dust. Stop. Please." Dust only seemed to panic more. Nightmare was scaring him. He didn't want to scare him, he just wanted him to stop hurting himself.

"I-I'm s-sorry." Dust chocked out. Nightmare had to force himself to remain calm. He gently set Dust down and crouched next to him. 

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" Dust looked away, and Nightmare gently grabbed his wrist. 

"First, let's put this back where it goes, okay?" To Nightmare's surprise, Dust didn't argue or try to fight him. Then again, he might've been too tired. "Now, why are you doing this?" Dust looked so scared. So afraid. Maybe Nightmare had a part in that, but he looked like he was scared of something else.

"He hates me. I'm so selfish. I didn't mean to worry anyone. I just- I don't know what to do. I need him to forgive me. But he won't. I don't- I don't-" Dust was hyperventilating. Nightmare didn't know what to do to make it stop, but Cross and Killer came running.