Lesson One - A Monster School Fic

Chapter Seven - Combat Class

You lowered your chin down onto your folded arms and shut your eyes. Maybe if you just rested for a moment you would feel more awake...

The next thing you knew, the bell was going off for lunch, and you lurched up in a panic as you realized you'd fallen asleep. To your fortune, no one seemed to have noticed. Flushed with embarrassment, you hurriedly collected your things and headed out of the room to go to lunch.

And nearly ran straight into Morpheus.

"Look," he began as you staggered back with a yelp. "I know I'm creepy. I'm sorry. But there's something really wrong with you and you need to tell the teacher."

"Nothing's wrong!" You hissed, looking over your shoulder to see if anyone was watching. The others were still collecting their things, and you backed away from the doorway, hurrying down the hall.

"Y/N, wait." Morpheus pleaded, following you. "I can tell- I can't help but tell how much you've been sleeping, and you haven't slept properly since you got here."

"I slept fine last night!" You argued.

"No you didn't!" Morpheus shot back. "You 'slept'-" he made air quotations with his clawed fingers. "-like someone had hit you over the head. That isn't rest." You frowned, momentarily wondering if there was any truth to his words before stubbornness took over.

"Why do you care, anyway?" You turned around to face him, folding your arms crossly. "It's none of your business how I sleep."

"Because I can tell you're miserable?" Morpheus shot back. He took a step closer, and you took a step back, your backpack bumping against the wall.

"First of all, if I'm miserable it's because I'm stuck in this school full of freaking monsters." You snapped. "Second, why do you care if I'm miserable??"

"Because I can be a monster and still have empathy!" Morpheus hurled back. You tried to move away, and he lifted his wings to block your escape. "Why won't you let me try to help??"

"I don't want your help!"

"Y/N?" A voice interrupted your fight, and you turned to see Soot standing at the end of the hall. "What's going on?" Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Morpheus, all but pinning you against the wall. "Is he bothering you?"

"No." Morpheus muttered. He backed up, then turned and vanished around the corner without another word. You huffed a sigh, taking a step forward as your shoulders slumped.

"What was going on?" Soot asked, walking over.

"He was bothering me about sleep." You muttered as you steered yourself towards the dining hall. "Phantom thing, I guess."

"I guess..." Soot echoed quietly. "Kaden shares a room with him... he says the phantom seems sad."

"Sad?" You blinked, frowned. Because of you? Surely not, right?

"Quiet, anyway." Soot amended. "You could ask Kaden. They get along well." You shrug, making a note of that. Hopefully the phantom would lay off once you started sleeping every night.

Morpheus never turned up for lunch. You felt a little bad for yelling, he really did seem to be trying to help, he just... creeped you out. Being pinned against the wall by a bat-dragon creature with eerily glowing eyes was never your idea of a good time. At the very least, you were a bit more awake after that.

When you returned to the classroom, Morpheus was sitting at his desk. He didn't look at you as you sat down on his right.

"This class is one I know several of you have been looking forward to," Herobrine began as your classmates settled down. "due to, in part, the fact that it will have no homework. Come with me, everyone, and leave your bags. We will need a bit more room."