Allies? Allies.

Silence

Cw: panic attack, sedatephobia
(The Panic attack is based off of personal experiences so it may not be the same for everyone)

Grian POV

On my walk home, I can't stop thinking about what the quiet kid said. Now it honestly kind of bothers me that I don't know his name.

"It doesn't bother me" he says, "really, it doesn't. I like being alone."

Who likes being alone? I know I don't. I can't stand being alone, personally. But I guess some people are just different.

______________
The next day_____

"Good morning Pearl, good morning Maui" I love my cats.

"Hey mum, what's for breakfast?" I yell, running down the stairs. "Pancakes from yesterday, G. Could you wake up your brothers?"

"Why can't Wil do it? They're both so grumpy when they wake up!" I whine.
"Grian please just do it, Wilbur already left for work"
"Fine"

I trudge back upstairs and walk down the hall to my baby brother's room. Before opening the door, I take a deep breath and brace myself for the hell that's about to reign upon me.

"Tom? C'mon you gotta go to school"
All I get in response is silence.
"Tommy come on!" I yell, "I'm not in the mood right now dude"
I flip over the blanket on his bed only to find that he's not in it. "What the heck?"

My head whips around as I hear giggling in the closet. "C'mon Tommy, school starts in an hour" I open the door and he jumps out at me, screaming laughing. I can't help but laugh along a little. I'm happy my mom adopted him with his older brother, because they were inseparable, but now that Wilbur has a job, I'm usually in charge. Dealing with a seventh grader and a third grader is just annoying most of the time.

You know, Wil is lucky! Touring around the world with his band while I have to babysit two moody children. 

"Let's go wake up Jimmy!" I tell him, lifting him up off the ground. He loves it when me and Wilbur do that.

I put him back down and he runs over to Jimmy's room, I stay following close behind. "Jim!" He yells.

"Wake up sleepyhead" I laugh.
"Ugh go away"

Tommy starts jumping on his bed in hopes to get him up.
"Guys seriously stop," he says, cocooning himself in his wings, "I don't start school until next week"

"Yeah but just because middle school starts later doesn't mean you don't have to suffer with me and Tommy, get out of bed or I'll get dad" I tease, drawing out the syllables of the last few words in a singsong tone.

"Okay, fine I'm up!" He exclaims, stumbling out of bed before awkwardly standing back up. "You guys are the worst"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey Mumbo, Pearl"
"Hey Gri!" Pearl replies, Mumbo still hasn't looked up from his phone.

"What's your first class today?" I ask her. "Ugh, gym" she groans. "No way, me too! Hey at least we'll have it together, huh?"
"True!"

We walk over to the gymnasium after Mumbo finally tells us he has photography, and walk into separate locker rooms.

I walk in, take off my coat and get ready to change. I always get to the gym early so I'm alone when I change. It's just awkward having other people there.

"Hey, Grian" a quiet voice calls from behind me. I whip my head around, slightly startled.

"Shoot, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." He says, "just saying hi" it was the quiet kid. I said "hi" back and he immediately turned back to his book.

I turn back around and find that my wings fluffed up on accident, and I try to brush them back down as I reach for my gym uniform and walk to the back to change.

After I finish changing I come back out into the locker room, there's still about 15 minutes left until class is supposed to start and usually the boys get here about 5 minutes after the bell rings so that's maybe 20 minutes of free time.

I sit on the bench near the showers, cross my legs and rest my head on my hand as I scroll through TikTok.

A few minutes pass and I begin to get restless. I move so I'm sitting normally, then I shift my wings backwards, then I stand up, sit back down.

What's really bothering me right now is I know what's about to happen, but the quiet kid is in the room and I don't want to bother him. Y'know, he probably likes silence. It's not his fault I have this stupid phobia, he shouldn't have to be annoyed by me. I'm not that much of a jerk.

I check the time, I pace back and forth, I try to steady my breathing.
It doesn't work.
I feel lightheaded. My mind goes blank and my vision gets blurrier than it usually is and I start to subconsciously snap my fingers and click my tongue.
I need noise. Please, anything but silence.

I drop to the ground against the lockers, covering my face in my hands.
'Get it together'
I whisper to myself
'Stop fucking crying like an idiot!'

"Grian?"

'Just stop, it's fine. It's just quiet, get over yourself!'

"Grian are you okay?" Someone places their hand on my shoulder, I flinch, I keep snapping.
I try to say yes, that I'm fine, I don't need anyone's help, but all I can manage is a cough.

"Take deep breaths" he says. "It'll be okay"

(author here! I really like writing cliffhangers, but dont worry. The next chapter is already halfway done, you'll get it soon)