When To Read-Can Be Read While Small Or To A Small
T.W./C.W. Anxiety, Drug/Medication Use, Change In Routine
~~~4796 words~~~
Title-Halloween High
Type-Fluff/Angst
Little-Autistic!Tommy
Big/Caregiver-Stoner!Wilbur
Setting-IRL Based SBI House & Their Local High School
Other Notes;
This Story Takes Place On Halloween But It Isn't Mentioned A Lot, Nor Is it Super Important To The Storyline. SBI Family Our Beloved, Accidental ( Non Addictive ) Drug Use, Edibles, Fire Drills, ADHD Meds, A Bad First High. This Is Portrayed With My Own Personal Experiences With Autism, If You Find Parts Of It Different From Your Experiences, Feel Free To Share About It!
3rd Person's P.O.V.
"Tom, get up!" Wilbur yelled through Tommy's bedroom door.
Tommy woke up on his floor in a bit of a panic as it was already bright in his room. The moment he opened his eyes he was immediately surrounded by the bright lights coming through his window. The fully risen sun gave him panic, whereas the usual street lamps and bathroom night light through the crack under the door would give a comforting glow.
He likes to wake up early. When he's early, he's alone, and that's how he likes it. When he's alone, he's in control. And that's how he likes his mornings.
But this morning he wasn't alone, this morning he woke up late, this morning Techno wasn't the first person he had talked to or hugged. This morning was bright, cool, loud, and overwhelming. For Tommy.
Tommy, in his dazed, newly awakened state, wasn't used to sharing a morning routine with Wilbur, but rather Techno. Tommy and Wilbur's bedrooms both connected through their shared bathroom, both having a door to that bathroom. The reason they decided to be put together was because they both need things to be a certain way to be comfortable, with Tommy's autism and Wilbur's mysophobia.
Tommy knew that regardless of how he was feeling, it wasn't worth it to give up a day so he did what he could and went to get ready.
Tommy, with his eyes closed and headphones on, went into the bathroom to get ready for the day. Usually he'd get dressed first so he won't fall back asleep, but he felt he needed his sunglasses to block the excess light and help stay calm and collected, and those were in the bathroom, so that's where he went first.
He opened the door, eyes still closed, and felt for the edge of the counter that surrounded the sink. The gripped onto the edge of the counter and positioned himself in front of it. He reached over the corner to get his glasses that he had left there the day prior after he had walked home from school.
The way that he had reached for them and bumped them with the back of his hand had scared him and he thought that they surely should've fallen, but they didn't. He reached for the pair of light dampening glasses, this time a bit more carefully.
He opened the arms of the sunglasses and slipped them under the loosened headphones, behind his ears, and onto his head. He finally opened his eyes to a now comfortable amount of light and a rather surprising sight.
He looked up into the mirror and saw Wilbur standing right behind him with wet hair stuck to his forehead, a towel around his body, and an annoyed look on his face.
Tommy jumped in shock at his brother's presence, whipped off his headphones and turned around. With his headphones off he could then understand why it was that he hadn't heard Wilbur or the shower he seemed to have been taking.
"What's happening right now?" Tommy asked in his frozen taken-aback state.
"Well," Wilbur said matter of factly, "I was showerin', and you came in."
"And now we're here," Tom stated.
"Now we're here," Wilbur repeated back to Tommy, confirming his observation/statement to have been true.
They sat in silence for a few moments, Tommy brushed his teeth, Wilbur towel dried his hair.
"Ok, get out now, I gotta piss," Tommy said once he had finished brushing his teeth.
Wilbur, who had just started to brush his teeth, rolled his eyes and walked through his door and into his own bedroom. Tommy tiredly swung the door shut behind his brother, not worried about the other being open as it only opened to his own room, where no one else was allowed without permission unless it was an emergency.
Sat on the toilet, Tommy looked over to double check that his toothbrush was placed back in his cup, but what he saw would change his life forever! It was his toothbrush, in the cup as expected, and a candy wrapper on the counter.
"In the bathroom?" he asked himself with a disgusted tone in his voice, disinterested for whatever reason Wilbur had as to why on Earth he'd left food in the bathroom. Either way, it did look kinda yummy, so he took a bite, a taste, a nibble if you dare. However you say it, his little gremlin self ate the rest of the candy.
Just as Tommy started washing his hands Wilbur came in, looked around frantically, flailed his arms when he seen Tommy had his hands in the sink, and then rushed to the toilet and spat his toothpaste goop into the bowl. A deep 'shplunk' sound was made as the glob hit the water.
Tommy cringed at the weird sound before he laughed gently, Wilbur cringed at the thought of the splashback toilet water touching his face or toothbrush.
Wilbur stood fixing his hair in the mirror and complained about how the collar of his white polo shirt was damp because his hair wasn't quite dry when he put on his shirts. Toothbrush in hand, he was waiting for Tommy as he rubbed the rest of the soap off his hands and mocked his older brother's complaints.
Wilbur looked at his brother dumbly and rolled his eyes again as he moved in front of the sink, to rinse his toothbrush, just as quickly as Tom had moved from the sink to his own hand towel to dry his hands, starting at his elbows. Wilbur mocked Tommy back in a high pitched voice as he bobbed his shoulders back and forth dramatically.
"Oh! I'm Tommy! Look at meeee and my own hand towel," He said as he wiggled his wet fingers towards Tommy's head as he stepped around Tom to his own towel.
"I have my own hand towel, oooohhh I'm so cool!" He said wavering his voice throughout before he brought the hanging side of his towel to his mouth to wipe the ring of toothpaste spit from around his mouth.
"And that," Tommy said as he pointed to Wilbur's action, "is exactly why I have my own towel."
Tommy slid his towel across the rack, closer to the sink, and away from his brother's "spit-rag."
Wilbur grabbed the glasses cleaner and cloth from the mirror cabinet above the shared sink, his glasses from his face, and then spritzed them before he rubbed his glasses clean.
"Okayyy well, I'm going to go get dressed," Tommy said as he too wiped the toothpaste splatter from his sunglasses with the edge of his shirt before he grabbed his ADHD Medication, turned around and walked through his door and gently swung it shut behind himself.
Tommy had no time to ask his friend, Aimsey, what he should wear that day so he grabbed out a hoodie and sweats from his closet. He sat down on his bed for a second, already out of breath, before he slipped off his headphones followed by his hoodie, pulled on his shirt before he pulled up the sweats over his boxers. He threw his sleeping hoodie onto his bed before he walked over towards his door and grabbed his deodorant. He slathered a good layer over himself, making sure to count the numbers of swipes, not that it mattered how many he did so long as it was the same for both sides.
He peeked into the mirror and called it good before he grabbed his bag and headed for the kitchen.
"Hey mmaaa-," Phil said as he turned around only to have noticed it was his younger son Tommy, not Wilbur. "What are you doing here still?" Phil asked.
"Woke up late, can I ride with you to school?" Tommy asked seeing as his typical ride hadn't been available.
"Uuuhh-sure," Phil responded confusedly, "is there any particular reason you'd rather not ride with Will?"
"Oh wait! Will drives now, that's right," Tommy said as he was reminded that Will had his own truck now. Granted it was a barely legal, moving, metal box with wheels.
"Do you want to ride with him or me?" Phil asked again, "'cuz I've still got time to drop you off if you can be ready to leave in the neeexxttt-" he stopped and looked for his watch only to realize he hadn't put it on yet. He peeked at the clock on the stove, "Five-ish minutes," then turned to scour the counter for his watch.
"Yeah, I can do that," Tommy said before he turned to grab a breakfast bar to eat in the car.
Wilbur rushed in, out of breath and a worried look on his face, and asked, "Oh thank God you're still here. Dad, can I get a ride to school on your way to work?"
"Why? What's wrong with your car?" he asked worriedly.
"Nothing, I'm just a bit dizzy and don't want to drive."
"Will," Phil sighed and redirected his attention to his younger son momentarily, "Tommy can you please go get the car started for us?" he asked his pantry-bound son.
Tommy nodded and walked off, grabbing the keys and a fistful of halloween candy on his way to the back door.
Phil sighed again, took a deep breath, and placed his hands together leaving his pointer fingers out to indirectly point at his son while he spoke to him.
"Although I do appreciate your safe approach, you know I can't let you go into school intoxicated."
"What!?" Wilbur said in an obviously fake surprised tone, "What do you mean? I wouldn't do that," he said as he waved his hand as if to shoo his dad away.
Phil only returned a slight glare at Will's futile attempt to lighten the mood, something he often did when he was uncomfortable.
This was also the main reason he took gummies, things just rolled off his back easier that way. Lessened the effects of some of the biggest known stressors in his life, but he only did it when it wasn't something important that he needed to be, mentally, around for.
Like a party, though he never partook at parties, he did it before he showed up and always from his own stash.
"If you're going to do something stupid, do it smartly," as his dad had advised him many times.
"Go get in the car," Phil said as he waved his son across the kitchen and towards the back door. "BAG!" he shouted after his son, his son walking out the door for school, without his backpack.
Stepping outside, Wilbur saw Tommy already in the backseat, but walking up to the front he saw his dad's work case and Tommy's backpack. He followed the plan and put his bag up front and then got in the car.
The two boys squabbled the whole way to school until their Dad made that familiar last turn.
"Get ready to tuck and roll boys," Phil said as they turned into the drop off lane.
The two brothers ceased the bickering just long enough to unbuckle and Phil piped up at his last chance of silence "Oh, by the way you guys, I'll be picking both of yous up at 2:30."
"WhAt!?-" Wilbur squeaked out in annoyance, "but it's Halloween Dad, why'd you have to make the nightmares come truuuee?!?"
"It's just an eyeglasses appointment Will, you'll be fine," Phil reassured his son, "but you do have an appointment with Kristi scheduled for 3:00."
"Yeeaaahhhh-I know, I know," Wilbur said, annoyed with the new glasses appointment tacked onto his hour long therapy appointment he had already inconveniently scheduled for Halloween.
"Tommy," Phil said getting his attention as he passed the bags back to his kids, "don't be trading hats today either, you know what happened last year."
Wilbur leaned over and teasingly sang to his brother, "My aunt got lice and she died, my uncle got li-" before he was cut off by Phil stopping the car in line.
"Ok get out of my car kiddos, and don't forget, 2:30, no sooner," he made eye contact with Will as he was crawling out Tommy's side to get onto the pavement, "Wilbur, I mean it."
Wilbur rolled his eyes and jokingly sang to his dad, "My uncle got lice and he died~~"
"BYE DAD!!!" Tommy said as he closed the door and cut off Will's immature joke.
"Ok bye man, see you later," Wilbur said and ruffled the top of his brothers head before they split off to find their own friend groups to spend the rest of the morning with, as per usual.
Time Skip To 2nd Class
"First hour was so anxiety-inducing, yet it wasn't as bad as normal and I'm still not sure why," Tommy mouthed as he wrote it down into his notes.
"Strong start to the day," Mrs. Giggles said as she read over his shoulder, "but I think you might want to focus on the board instead," she finished with a small wink before she wandered back up to the front of the class.
Tommy slouched back into his seat, in the far back corner, of Mrs. Smith's language arts class.
The name, Mrs.Giggles, as the students called her, came from the seemingly never ending streams of energy and upbeat teaching methods.
Everyday, without fail, she would start the class with a jump, clap, and an introduction in a strange accent, sometimes Scottish, sometimes southern U.S American (howdy, like mah truck?), sometimes South american (Spanish), sometimes it would be a whole different language rather than an accent. It depended on which class she was substituting for.
But she had one big rule, and it was no music during work time. Of course she was understanding of Tommy's situation and he was allowed his noise blocking headphones, just not his earbuds.
Regardless, he wasn't quite sure how they came up with the name as he had never really talked to anyone else in the classes, per his preference to spend the mornings alone.
And quiet.
Controlled by himself.
This is the same reason that he typically wakes up unbearably early, 5 AM.
Today was not the typical day however; They woke up late, Mrs. Smith had a substitute, Mrs. Giggles, and Techno had a field trip so he woke up way early which left tommy to have, again, woken up late.
It was during this class though that his anxiety had seemed to settle, strangely enough.
As the class wrapped up, only ten minutes left, the students also got rowding and loudly chatted tables away. As the time neared the end of the hour, the hand inched closer to the hour of the number, 10.
10
O'clock
and I can put in my earbuds.
9
People
talking all at once
8
Paths
I can take through the halls
7
Minutes
left until the end bell calls
6
Percent
of my daily protein in the breakfast bar
5
Times
higher anxiety than before
4
Minutes
until work time is over
3
Notches
louder and I think I'll need my headphones, or-..
2
Different
sounds coming from inside my mind
1
Taunting
sound hanging down the back of my throat
0
Time
to prepare for the sound blazing through the air
BEEP
"What the fuck was that?" He jumped and nearly squeaked out loud.
BEEP
Then the bright flash, easily recognized as the fire alarm by its characteristic white water pattern cast onto the brick walls surrounding.
BEEP
Tommy scrambled to put his hands over his ears and stood up with his open bag.
BEEP
He quickly removed his hands from his ears to search his bag for his headphones but as he did, his things spilled out everywhere and another-..
BEEP
He cringed at the sound and cowered into his shoulders in an attempt to dampen the ear piercing sounds as he knelt down to fix his bag.
BEEP
He flinched again at the sound and the panic of his things falling everywhere as he tried to put on his still open bag.
BEEP
He clutched onto the things in his arms as he stood and followed the class out of the room.
BEEP
The beeping, burning, buzz of the bustling students, brought Tommy down to the bare end of his patience and stability.
BEEP
"Dear Gods, can these kids walk any slower," he mumbled to himself as he was trapped in a flow of people, though it felt more like quicksand than a riptide.
BEEP
The speed at which he was moving was manageable and no issue whatsoever, what tripped him up was the amount of foot space he had.
BEEP
The crowd pulled
Looking down at his feet the whole time to avoid stepping on somebody or tripping over himself was typical, and even more logical considering how hard he was trying not to be deafened by the sensation of hell around him, but he couldn't help but notice just how fast everyone else's feet were moving. He couldn't tell how fast he was walking but it seemed that everyone else was talking very large steps very quickly, but getting nowhere, Tom, was taking the same amount of steps, but at a far more reasonable distance considering how slow the crowd seemed to move.
BEEP
He stepped further, praying the line to speed up and exit the building, run away from the ear mangling, brain tangling sounds.
BEEP
Inching closer to the door he spots Wilbur.
BEEP
Stuck with the decision, stopped and stuck in place.
BEEP
Do I make an incision, through a crowd so step paced.
BEEP
The dizzying sounds of the blaring beeps grow as I shuffle down the hall, by no choice of my own, flow along the crowd, too high above my crown, too hard to fight it now, I think I'd rather just drown
drown out the sounds, push down the grounds, of my breakfast making a comeback, what is this? get off my wrist, what are you doing don't hold me back,
I need to go,
I need to find my brother, then it'll all be alright.
It'll be ok,
"You're okay,
I promise you,
You're alright,
Come on back buddy."
Wilbur grabbed my shoulders and held them firmly in his hands. Not enough to hurt or be uncomfortable, but enough to ground me. Though I do appear to be on the ground already, I'm not sure how I got here.
"You're just sitting down for a moment to rest buddy," he said as he sat down onto his knees in the grass in front of me.
"I grabbed you from the swarm," he said dramatically, temporarily removing his hands from my shoulder only to wave them around in a way which simulates a tornado-like pattern.
"Well, thank you for that," I said as I looked back down from his face before I accidentally made eye contact.
"You are very welcome my King," Wilbur replied jokingly.
We sat in silence for a bit, I sat in the grass and plucked out and fiddled with various pieces, Wilbur on the edge of the pavement, looking in circles around us, almost protectively. I was criss-cross applesauced, and,
Weirdly, despite being at a big, loud place, with big loud things, I felt calm. Outside of a prison, I felt free, but trapped. In my mind, in my body. In this cold, sore body. This body, sitting on the pavement outside of my school building. This big body. Too big, I'm too tall.
"I think maybe if I just lay down for a bit," I mumbled to myself, as I tried to slow the dizzying feeling in my head, only growing stronger by the second.
"I can wake you up when Dad gets here," Wilbur said, "If you want to take a nap."
I nodded slowly and moved over to lay my head on his knee like a pillow.
As I laid my head down I felt like it was swaying in circles, lost in the wind of the fall, before my head finally landed on his lap.
I feel arms wrap under me and a sudden weight all around me. Like if gravity suddenly took hold of my blood and it all rushed straight back to my heart and then all at once left.
Then I feel every cell of my being, get pushed back, behind me, from my now sitting up position.
Then I feel the rough textures of a familiar cars back seat, touching the back of my neck, and the back of my arms, they feel like they're on fire. The crown of my head feels like it's been shaved, or lifted from my head, like there's nothing weighing it down at all.
Reaching up to my head, to check for my hat, I feel it is still there, but only with my hands. But I still have my hat so it's ok I guess.
I let my head lay back down and look up to see my brother's face again. I turn onto my side, facing him, and curl up into myself.
"Oh, Tom's, you'll be okay, you just feel ucky right now. It'll pass," Wilbur reassured me as he started to rub my back.
I loved the soothing touch but not the motion of it, nor the friction of my shirt against the skin of my back. It felt like TV static. Not in a soothing way, but an irritating, grinding, overwhelming buzzing way.
"Don't be moving," I mumbled out to him.
He pulled his hand away from my back and I grumbled. I didn't want him to let go, just to stop moving around, the car itself was moving enough to turn my dizziness into nausea. I whined back at this action and rolled my face down.
"Nooooo," I grumbled with feigned frustration, "Put it back."
Chucking lightly and shaking his head, he replaced his hand on my back.
I think I heard more words after that but they all fell off my ears without daring to have entered and I only half-heard it. And understood none of it.
Wilbur shook me gently, patting my back to get my attention. I lifted my head and grumbled at him again for moving around so much.
Wilbur stuck his tongue out at me playfully and looked ahead, "One more time dad, I don't think he heard you."
"I was saying we're almost home Toms, don't be falling asleep," Dad said from the front seat.
"Yeah, yeah, 'I'm not gonna carry you in, if you fall asleep,' I know, I know," I half grumbled, half giggled back, knowing what statement usually follows.
It's always a gamble whether or not I would enjoy being in the car. Sometimes I would get motion sickness, other times I would find it to be one of the most soothing experiences I've ever known. Usually going to school in the mornings was fine because I had time to wake up and recognize my surroundings better, me and Techno would cruise around town for a bit before going to the school. This morning, after all the turmoil, however, it was motion sickness.
Soon I felt that familiar turn, signaling we were turning down our road and shortly after, our driveway. I looked up in a futile attempt to see out the car's back seat windows but immediately laid my head back down on my brothers lap and sighed.
"Welp," dad said with a dramatic pause as he shut off the car and unbuckled, before he turned to the back seat. I could tell he was looking at us so I turned my head to face him, but kept my eyes closed.
"We're home, I'm gonna go ahead and call in those appointments and reschedule them for Wilbur. Tom, I'll let you reschedule your own, don't worry, I'll remind you until it gets done."
I nodded thankfully that he was still going to let me reschedule, it's good practice to get used to talking on the phone, where tone matters. Though I do still have dad or Techno come with for all in-person appointments, except therapy, so that I can focus on staying calm and level headed rather than how I'm saying my words and which words I use. Another perk of scheduling it myself, is that I know exactly when it is without going through three different people like a game of telephone.
After having laid there for a while, I felt like my world had finally slowed it's spin. I sat up and got out of the truck, Wilbur followed me, close behind. My arm over his shoulder, and steps in time with his, together we made it up the front steps and into the house.
With our backpacks having been left in the car, all we had to do was remove shoes and jacket. Wilbur brought me to the wall just by the door for me to lean on as he removed his own jacket and hung is up.
He then helped me pull my jacket off when the sleeves had gotten stuck on my hoodie. The jacket had gotten dropped to the ground behind him and he held down the back of my shoes with his foot, so I could step out of them. And together we ventured off into the living room.
I unhooked my arm from his shoulder and slumped onto the couch. Wilbur walked away as I fished my phone out of my pocket. I scrolled through it for a second, mainly to let Aimsey and Tubbo know that I left early and wouldn't be there for lunch.
I slapped my phone back down on my thigh but quickly became amused at the sound it made. I kept picking up my phone and holding it flat in my hand before I dropped it down onto my leg.
After I had repeated this a few times I looked up to see my brother had come around the corner from the kitchen. He stood watching me with one arm stacked with snacks and two plastic cups in the other. One juice, one water.
Once he had gotten my attention he looked up from my phone to my shoulder. I still do appreciate this. He knows how I've never liked eye contact but that I can read a person better if I can see their eyes. So he looks at he to let me know that I have his attention, but he doesn't look into my eyes uncomfortably.
3rd Person P.O.V.
"Where should I sit?" Wilbur asked, unsure of what is most comfortable for his brother, but uncaring about what's comfortable for himself. To him, they all looked like a comfy place to sit.
"Wherever," Tommy said and shrugged before he pulled his legs up to sit criss-cross applesauce.
Wilbur nodded before he went to set down the cups on the coffee table in front of Tommy and threw the snacks at him. He plopped down next to Tommy and pulled his phone out of his back pocket and tossed it onto the table in front of them.
Tommy turned and curled himself into his brother's side.
"Wilb-" Tommy paused to burp a bit, "-ilby, I feel weird."
"How so?" Wilbur asked as he turned to look at his brother's face. "Is it a bad weird, Little Guy?"
Tommy shrugged, "III-dunno," he said with a hopeful tinge to his voice.
"Ok then," Wilbur said.
Will hugged his brother closer. And Tommy hugged his the closest.
Together they sat. Together they stayed. And together they wished the whole day would change.
But you can't change the past, and by the time it's the present, the present has passed. But they laid together and enjoyed each other's support and company while it lasted. After just a few minutes they had both fallen into an equally restful and euphoric state of sleep.
A/N
October 23rd, 2023 - March 26th, 2024
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