It's Nothing

0.3 - entrance.

Choice : Wait for 'Gian'...

Rue decided to wait for his friend. They did have their juice and he wanted it, so it'll be worth it... probably. He stepped under the shade and took a sit down on the waiting bench. He decided to play more of his games, plugging in the earphones once again in his ears and picking out a game.

He decided to play with a game called Muse Dash. It's art was... something. Rue couldn't give less of a shit though, he just wanted to play it since it was a rhythm game. He relaxed on his seat, slouched and put his leg over the other, subtly bouncing his foot to the beat of the game music.

The world around him soon began to fade out, it was all going white. It was turning into nothingness. But he didn't mind, his head in the game, a tiny smile on his face while the music played. He visibly enjoyed what he was doing, and he was disconnecting from reality. He was in his own little world of games.

That was until he felt someone tap on his shoulder. His personal space bubble popped and everything he had cancelled out came back to him all at once, giving him a mental whiplash. He'd been startled too, jumping from his seat with a squeak. He took off his earphones, only to hear giggling that was very much well-known to him.

With a roll of his eyes, it landed to a fellow he knew all too well: Gian, or by their full name Giacinto Toscano. "Well, well, well, if it ain't Gian," he quietly sighed. Gian clicked their tongue and looked rather offended, "Is that how you greet your lover?" He laughed, "Sweetie, you're no lover of mine. You're just a mere toy, deserving little to nothing of my affection."

They both stared down at each other plainly for a few good seconds before Rue burst into laughter as Gian followed suit. "Oh God, you're horrible," they chuckled while nudging over the juice box towards him, "I got you your shit drink as I told ya." He chuckled and took it with a gentle smile, "Thanks."

He ripped out the straw attached to the back of the box and then stabbed it in the aluminum part, pushed it in deeper and took a sip. He smiled at the strange but well-combined taste of the juice, "You are now worthy of my affection." Gian snorted and rolled their eyes as they walked to school together.

"What subjects do we have for today?" Gian asked while they skipped on their feet, their golden-brown hair bouncing along. Rue's eyes averted somewhere, cupping their chin with their fingers and quietly humming in thought, "Wait, we share the same schedule, right?"

"Yes! You forgetful dolt, that's how we knew each other."

He laughed, "Right, right..." While Gian rolled their eyes again. "Well, we have Physical Education first," he started to list off, "then followed by a 15-minute break, then I think..." he paused for a while to think and try to remember their schedule as they just pass the school gate, him catching a glimpse of Gian waving to the guard.

"Oh! I think next is Maths then Historyㅡ"

"Who's teaching?"

"Sir Zhuye? I think. Sir Romeo's taking a break, not sure what happened to him." Gian slowly nodded in silence and he nodded back. "A'ight, continue," they murmur, sounding distracted.

"I guess after that is lunch break, then English... oh God, Dr. Nile..." he shuddered from the thought of the man. That gaze he had encountered from the bus still stuck. "Last is Music, then we should be dismissed," he finally finished. He looked to the side, which to his surprise he didn't see Gian standing there.

He turned back and saw them a few feet behind, then he backtracked, "Hey, what's wrong?" They said nothing, only making eye contact with him and nudging his head towards some direction. He looked over to where they pointed at, seeing someone who stood there, looking lost.

"Dios mio, they're small..." He heard them mutter. They were right though. They had pale skin and blonde-ish hair. They looked scrawny and slightly ill, which concerned them. "Are they a lost kid?" Gian asked, looking back at Rue, who shrugged. "Maybe, but they got our uniform so." They were quiet for a while, glancing at the stranger sometimes.

Gian let out a quiet sigh and shrugged, "Whatever, I'll go ask them." They took a step forward to approach them, but before they could get any closer, they looked at Rue. "You can go ahead, I'll catch up." He silently took a sip of his juice when he met their gaze.

He glanced at the stranger one more. Something about them was... unsettling. Perhaps it's just their aesthetic, they are wearing the uniform but it looked tattered and old. Are they a ghost? Rue had no idea anymore.

• • •

[CHOICES]

- Go ahead...

- Come with Gian...

• • •