Sanders Sides Short Stories

Anxious Anxiety.

"Where's Anxiety?" Patton's worried tone cut through my current statement and it made everyone fall silent and look towards the usually filled space that our dark friend inhabited. I saw Thomas' eyes darken a bit with concern and even Logan look a bit distressed, "Thomas, didn't you call him out for the video?" Now all eyes were on Thomas who stood frozen to the spot with his mouth agape, Patton's worried expression only deepened and he bounced a little as he brought his hands to cover his mouth. "Do you think he's okay? There's been plenty of chances to pop in and spook us, but I haven't heard from him since the last video." The last video had been over a month ago, and though I didn't really care for Anxiety, it worried me that Patton was so upset. "Should one of us go and look for him?" Finally everyone's eyes turned to me and I opened my mouth to protest, but Patton was already speaking before I could. "You're the brave one, Roman. You're the one who likes to go on adventures and find hidden things, Anxiety's a hidden thing!" He was clinging to my arm now and I looked up to see Thomas giving me a nod, as if though I had to say yes to the man currently clinging to my arm. "What if he's hurt, Ro?"

Sighing as he pulled out the nickname I gently separated him from my arm and looked at the other two, "If anything I should be the last one going! You know how me and Anxiety get when we're in a room together. We're already fighting enough as it is with all of us together, imagine what would happen if we were alone." Crossing my arms over my chest I turned away from the three pairs of eyes watching me until I felt a fist connect with my back, causing me to yelp out in slight pain. I had thought that maybe Thomas had done it or even Patton, but seeing Logan look at me with such anger in his eyes was something I hadn't been expecting. He practically started foaming at the lips, telling me how inconsiderate I was being and a downright snob. Poking at my chest he spat venomous words in my face and grew a little red in his own. I had always seen Anxiety to have the temper but maybe that would have to be reconsidered. "Y-You make a few good points, Logan." He'd stepped off, his arms crossed very tightly over his chest with a glare that could kill directed straight at me. "But where would I even start to look? I don't know him that well, where does he like to go? Hot Topic?" Logan held up his fist again but Patton bounced over and put his hands over his fist, giving me a look that didn't look right on him. Maturity.

"Maybe you should try his room, Roman. He is Anxiety after all, did you ever stop to consider the fact that he gets anxious as well? It can't be easy knowing that everyone dislikes you for just doing your job. Doing the one thing you basically exist to do. It's gotta be hard to live with that everyday and not wanna lock yourself away from the rest of the world and roll yourself up into a blanket burrito." He lowered Logan's fist and walked over so he could hold my hands in his, "I know you and Anxiety don't exactly see eye to eye, but at least try and walk in his shoes a little bit, how would you feel if you were constantly fought against and wished never existed?" Giving my hands a squeeze he slowly let them go, "You've sometimes felt like you weren't appreciated enough, right? Well maybe Anxiety could use a little appreciation, and who is better than you at making people smile?" Thinking it was a trick question I started to point at him but he lowered my finger, "Besides me. He hides things away from me, even when we get into really, really deep conversations. He builds up walls everyday and at some point they were bound to come down."

Lowering my gaze to the floor I let out a tiny sigh before walking away from him and giving a much louder groan, "Fine! I'll go to his room if you're so sure he's in there." I heard Patton give a happy squeal, I was just relieved that he was back to normal. It creeped me out a bit whenever he got to real. Taking a deep breath I spun back around to see three faces with similar eager expressions, which wasn't really weird since we were all basically the same person. "But if I'm not back within the hour I want Patton to come and look for me." He placed his hand over his heart, touched that I trusted him to come and get me if things got tough. "Where is Anxiety's room anyways?" This time Logan spoke up, still looking rather peeved, but much more calmed down. "In the back?" It made sense, really. I had never seen Anxiety's door or felt his saddening presence whenever I was outside my room or near the other two door in Thomas' mind. But you think I would've known where it was located at least, "Alright. I'll be back hopefully soon." A small smile made its way onto my face as everyone gave me words of encouragement, telling me to bring back everyone's favorite brooding boy. Closing my eyes for a few seconds I opened them slowly to see myself in front of a rather black door, no doubt Anxiety's. Raising my arm I kept my hand frozen in the knocking position, having to really work myself up to do it. "Anxiety?" I spoke between knocks, or just spoke a little louder whenever I made contact, and listened as soon as I was done. "Hey, Anxiety? Uh, buddy? Everyone is really worried about you not showing up, is everything okay in there?" The aura that emitted from inside him room was much darker than anything I'd ever felt before, even for him. "Can I come in? I swear, we'll just talk."