The Damage Has Been Done (Markiplier)

Chapter 30: I'm Trying Here

Elise's expression softened and I knew she understood what I was saying, and that I was right. Well, more like Mark was right. She lowered her gun and shoved Tom out the door, muttering for him to get out for a while and come back when he was ready to apologize. Tom almost tripped when he was pushed but caught himself, pushing open the doors and going outside. Elise turned to the four on the other side of the room.

"What? You scared I was gonna kill him?" she asked sarcastically but with a slight temper. "I wasn't going to if I didn't have to. Jeez."

Elise walked away after glancing over to me, nodding once. I took it as just to carry on with what I was doing and that she was on my side, no longer neutral with the problems that took place in our group. I was slightly happy about it, Elise being on my side, defending me, but I was also not happy. That just meant a bigger fight between everyone. And that's the last thing I wanted. It just didn't seem very appealing to have more tension between everyone. Not to me. Trace looked at me, after Wade, Molly and Stacy had sauntered off, and looked worried, remorseful and sorry. I tried smiling a little, but he knew darn well it was fake.

He hung his head down and sat on the floor, pinning himself in the corner with a blanket and his bag. I set my radio down on my stuff and covered it with a blanket so nobody would take it while I wasn't there. I walked over to Trace, seeing his hair cover his face as he looked down, grabbing something out of his backpack. His hair looked like TheOfficialEdge's haircut, which made me giggle to myself. Trace pulled out a brown bear from his bag, holding it in his hands carefully. It was cute, probably taking up most of the space in the biggest compartment in his bag. He hugged it and set it down next to him, zipping up his backpack and covering himself up with the blanket. I sat next to him without him noticing and spoke up.

"Is that your teddy bear?" I asked quietly. He looked up at me suddenly, a little startled I guessed.

"Uh, um, you saw that?" he questioned in a low volume. I nodded. "Um, yeah. It is mine. It was a present when I was sixteen. From my parents. They thought I was still a little kid, so they gave me a stuffed bear for my sixteenth birthday..."

"It's cute. Even though you're obviously not one to look like a guy who's into stuffed animals and teddy bears, do you like it?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, it's from my parents. Why wouldn't I?"

"I was just asking. Is that the reason why your backpack always looks so full?" He nodded slightly.

"Um, wh-what of it?"

"I just thought I'd try to talk to you. For a tough punk guy, I couldn't imagine you being sweet and having a teddy bear. But I guess people are full of surprises, aren't they?"

"I'll say. I didn't think a ten year old could be so smart, or that Tom could go ballistic, or that Elise could have the courage to put a gun to his head for talking like that to you. No one knows about my bear... Could you maybe let that stay between you and I? I'd like to keep people thinking of me as a-"

"Rough and strong punk rocker?" I interrupted. He nodded slightly. "A teddy shouldn't take that image away. You've still got the clothes, tattoos, the edgy hair and the piercings. Not to mention you threatened to kill Red after what happened to Andrew. You are a tough guy. I still act like a little kid, but that doesn't change the fact that my IQ is higher than most of the kids my age. What's wrong with you having a teddy?"

"Well, nothing. But, I just like appearing the way I do already. If people knew I had a toy bear, along with being asthmatic, that'd change in an instant. They'd think I was a baby."

"I have a teddy bear, and I'm not a baby."

"But you're a kid. All kids have teddy bears. Guys who are 20 years old, have tattoos, wear clothes from their favorite metal and rock bands, have pierceings, well, don't."