A Diverted Fate (Sally Face x Larry)

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I woke up, breathing heavily. A warm hand was on my shoulder.
I looked to see Larry standing over me. "Hey dude, you were grumbling, so I thought I should wake you up," he said with a little smile.
I blinked at him. "Wait, you're up?" I asked dumbly, glancing between Larry and the bed.
He laughed. "Yeah. The doc came in like ten minutes ago and told me I should try walking around," he said, sitting on the bench beside me.
I clipped on my mask. "Why didn't you wake me when he came in?"
Larry shrugged. "This was the first time I've seen you sleep peacefully for a while. I told him to let you sleep," he answered.
I sighed, "did he see?"
Larry shook his head. "You were facing the window," he answered.
I let out a shaky breath. "Good. Did he say when you can leave?" I asked.
Larry nodded, "yep. Tonight we can head back. Todd said he and Neil can come and pick us up," he said with a wide grin.
I nodded. "Good. I miss Todd and Neil, I haven't seen them in a while. Todd came in the first night, but he had to leave to pick up Neil," I said, yawning.
Larry laughed at me. "Dude, stop yawning it's noon. Also, get your hair brushed and we can go for a walk," he said, grabbing some clothes that Lisa brought in.
"Holy fuck. It's noon?" I exclaimed, checking my phone, and it was indeed noon.
I groaned and Larry laughed at me. I got up and grabbed Larry's brush. I took off my mask and brushed through my horribly knotted hair.
I pulled it back into a braid, that I pulled over my shoulder. I put my mask back on, and brushed some stray hairs from my black sweater.
     "Hey man, you wanna tell me about that dream now?" Larry asked, pulling a sweater slowly over his head.
     I let out a shaky breath. "This little kid was yelling at me, telling me that because I put your life first, the cult continues to have its control over Addison. He showed me everyone in Addison, but they had been brutally murdered. He then told me I might as well kill myself. So, run of the mill angry ghost," I said, rubbing my eyes under my mask.
      Larry sighed. "Are you alright Sal?" He asked softly.
     He always uses this voice when I'm upset. I don't know how, but it always calms me down.
      "I mean no. I'm anxious that it's going to happen again, and I just.. ugh!" I had started crying again.
     Larry came over to me, lifting my mask and wiping away my tears. "It's okay to be scared. I'm here if you need help, and when we get back home we'll see what Todd thinks of this," he suggested, letting his arms drop to his side and looking slightly guilty.
      I nodded, pulling my mask down as I started to blush. I noticed that Larry's ears were a little more red than usual.
      We started to wander around the hospital. Larry smiled at the kids as we passed and I could tell they were interested in my mask.
      Well, the ones that didn't burst into tears upon seeing me, that is.
      We eventually wandered our way up to Larry's room again. He flopped down onto his bed and sighed. "Dude, bro, my man, hospitals are boring," he groaned.
      I laughed, sitting down next to him. "Yeah, they're not the most cheerful of places. Remember that one time you taught me how to ride a skateboard?" I asked, smiling behind my mask.
      Larry started to laugh. "You are the most clumsy fucking person I have ever me. You literally got onto it and ate shit," he said between his laughter.
      "And I broke my wrist," I said, laughing now too.
      "And I had to rush you to the hospital, and that poor nurse that didn't know and took off your mask. What did she say again?" He asked.
     I laughed. "Let's just put this back. You'd think she didn't work in a hospital," I said.
     "Yeah but this is Nockfell. The worst she would see would be like an old person who fell out of bed and broke a hip," Larry said, sitting up.
      I nodded, "yeah you're right. I can't wait to go home, I miss Gizmo," I said, laughing a little.
      Larry scoffed. He grabbed his phone and the jumped. "Neil and Todd will be here in five minutes," he said, jumping up from his bed, then wincing.
      "Are you okay?" I asked, getting up as well.
      Larry nodded. "Yeah, got up to fast and got a head rush," he said, smiling at me.
      I nodded. Larry busied himself with throwing his stuff into a bag. I sat on the bench again, given that I've been wearing the same sweater, teeshirt and pants for the past two days, I didn't have anything to pack.
      "Dude, did you not get your dad to bring you clothes?" Larry asked.
      I shook my head. "He came straight from work to here, then he had to leave to work again. Lisa was too worried about you too, so I didn't want to bother her," I said, yawning.
      Larry threw his Sanity Falls sweater at me, then a black sweater with a cartoonish skull on it.
      "Thanks man," I said, taking off my mask.
      "No problem little dude," he answered, I could hear the smile in his voice.
      I pulled off my sweater. "You wanna run that by me again? Because you're cruising for a bruising bro," I said, smiling a little.
      Larry blinked, weighing his options. "No need to get angry lil' dude," he taunted. "This is a hospital! You have no power here demon!" He exclaimed, making a cross with his finger and laughing.
      "Wait until we get home. You'll be sorry Larry the Lobster," I answered.
      Larry feigned offence. "Dude! Not cool!" He said before bursting into laughter.
     I started laughing too, not able to stop myself, especially after Larry wheezed.
     "Okay, stop I have to get dressed before Todd and Neil get here," I said, still laughing.
     "I'll go and hide in the bathroom until I have myself under control," Larry said between his laughter as he wandered to the bathroom.
     I pulled off my shirt, tossing it behind me as I stood. I grabbed Larry's shirt and put it on. It was a little too big, but it was comfortable and smelled like Larry's cologne and a little bit of weed.
      I left the sweater off for now, given it was a decent temperature in the room. I'd have to put it on before we leave though.
      I knocked on the door. "Okay dude, I'm dressed. You good?" I called through the wood.
      He opened the door, his brown eyes sparkling and a wide smile on his face.
      "I'm good now," he said.
   
      Todd and Neil showed up not even two minutes after that.
      "Sorry guys, I thought you'd wanna get out of here and we wanted to see how you're doing Larry," Todd said, smiling at us both.
      "Sal, you look exhausted. Tell me you didn't stay up for two days straight," Neil said, his scolding mother voice starting to come through.
      I laughed, "no, only like a day and a half," I said.
      Neil sighed, and Todd laughed. "Come on, we organized an excursion to celebrate being free from the hospital," Todd said, ushering is towards the door.
      I pulled on Larry's sweater as they checked out, and I followed silently as the others walked ahead of me to Todd's car.
      Todd and Neil sat in the front, with Larry and I in the back.
      Lar: what's wrong sally face? Larry texted to me.
      I shook my head, later. I answered back.
      We pulled up to a local pizza place. I saw Ash's bike out front, and I smiled under my mask.
      I missed everyone, and even if that ghost said that my friendships are petty and useless, I'm not gonna listen.
      We all got out and shuffled into the dimly lit restaurant. Ash waved us over from a booth in the back, and we walked over like a herd of sheep.
      She has the top half of her short hair up in a bun. She wore her usual outfit, except for the gloves.
      We all sat down, and she immediately began to chat Larry's ear off.
      Todd and Neil sat on one side, and Larry, Ash, and I sat on the other. I was in between Larry and Ash so that people wouldn't stare.
      "You had us all worried half to death Larry. When we got a call from Sal everyone left Addison immediately. We knew that something wasn't right and that we had to come see you. They wouldn't  let us in that night, so we waited with Sal in the waiting room," she said, taking a sip of water.
      "Once they had you stable, they only let in one of us. We let Sal head in, and we decided to come back the next day," she finished her story, glancing between everyone.
      I'm glad she didn't say the real reason why they let me go in.
      I might have been sobbing profusely, and even Ash couldn't calm me down.
      "How're you feeling Lar?" Ash asked.
      He laughed a little nervously. "I'm alright. Sore, but like, that's a given," he said, his eyes downcast.
     Todd leaned forward. "Did you face any outlaying anomaly that night? Anything that was out of the ordinary?" Todd asked, his voice calm and collected.
      Larry seemed a little scared, so I reached over and put my hand on his knee. "We're basically your family now Lar, you can tell us," I said softly.
      He let out a shaky breath and nodded. "It's just scary. This shadow man kept showing up that day. He kept telling me that it was my fate to.. to die. I don't know what happened, because I would never.... it just..... I don't......" he struggled to find words.
      "It's okay, we get it," Ash said, her voice gentle.
      "This isn't good. The apparitions in Addison have always been peaceful, or at most, passive aggressive. There has never been one that has driven living people to commit acts outside their normal behaviour," Todd said, pushing his glasses up with his middle finger.
     "Well, its not completely outside normal behaviour, as you put it. I haven't been in a great mindset for a while, it's just this douche egged me on," Larry said, not meeting anyone's eyes.
     Neil sighed, "I have never lived in Addison Apartments, but they do not seem like they are good for anyone's health," he said.
     Larry nodded, "yeah. I just need to stay the fuck away from that place," he said, his voice shaking a little.
      "You're welcome to stay with me in the city," Ash offered.
      Larry shook his head. "I appreciate it, but I am not a big city person," he said with a little laugh.
      "You can come stay with Neil and I," Todd offered after exchanging a look with Neil.
      "I couldn't intrude like that Todd," Larry said.
      "But we want what's best for you. You're not intruding if we're offering," Neil said, smiling warmly at Larry.
      Larry sighed. "Alright. When we get back I'll start boxing stuff up," he said.
      Something was still bothering me, but I had no idea what it was. Larry is safe and he's getting out of Addison. By all means I should be ecstatic, but something is still gnawing at me.
      "Let's get onto something more cheerful," Ash suggested.
      Todd nodded. "How is the boy trouble going Ash?" He asked, smiling.
      Ash sighed loudly, "oh boy, here we go," she said before delving into a story about a dude named Chad and his need to be dominated or something.
      Larry seemed like he was only half listening. I bumped him with my shoulder, asking him what was wrong with my eyes.
      He sighed and shook his head, mouthing 'later' to me. I sighed and nodded, turning my attention to Ash's story as our pizza arrived.