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Alexis could’ve sworn she was still dreaming when she saw HIM at her new school, after moving… Well, mainly because she ONLY ever sees him in their dreams together, thanks to a little thing called: “corn powers.” But not anymore, as they can now hang out in real and waking life! Of course, Alexis was a tad cheerier about the eventual real-life union: Seve suddenly found himself dying by a hug-attack from behind, as the poor boy just wanted to grab stuff from his school locker and the girl just kept going on about her excitement. Well, he guessed it was cool he wouldn’t exactly be all alone anymore… Even if Alexis’ rambunctiousness, as grand in reality as it is in dreams, made him wish to be the lone “loser” around here again sometimes! Alexis would beg to differ, often claiming he’d just need to “lighten up.”
… That’s exactly what Alexis thought it was, at first: just Seve being all “grumpy” because he hates fun sometimes, and she just needed to bring a big (and sharp) toothy smile to that ol’ face again. But come to think of it, whenever he’s bothered by her playfulness or something else, he’s usually “chill” after some time-- especially if Alexis promises to buy him some nachos afterwards. Hey, no one ever said the grand ol’ Nacho Emporium was just some place that existed within the sleeping mind; Seve had to get the inspiration somewhere for his “infinite nacho” dreams. However, when she tried to put it into action after a particularly harsh snapping during their walk home…
“Why, so you can just steal ‘em for yourself again-- like you ALWAYS do?!”
Alexis actually recoiled from the boy leaning and glaring into her eyes. Usually, she’d just be giggling at one of his little outbursts and even feel a little pleased she got a rise out of him, but she wasn’t trying to playfully tease this time…
“But Seve… W-Why would I get YOU nachos if I was just gonna eat ‘em myself…?”
“‘Cause you only ever think of yourself!”
“That’s not true!”
“Oh, so you won’t pull the whole: ‘Y’know, since I paid for them and everything…’ spiel?!”
“... Well, I DID pay for them… But it’s not ‘stealing’ to take just a little bit of what you--”
“Forget it, Lex, I ain’t in the mood for any more of your stupid games! Keep your lousy bait for ‘em…”
Alexis watches him storm off, figuring it’s best to end their trip together there. … A tad inconvenient, though, since she actually had to go that way herself. She considered the possibility of either a detour or disguising herself as a friendly passing shrub, since she didn’t feel like waiting in place to give Seve his space. Still, even if she had the best detour or shrub disguise ever, that wouldn’t solve the REAL problem here: whatever’s bothering Seve. She ponders if it might’ve been something SHE did. … Nah, she’s basically ensured Seve’s numbness to all the zaniness and wackiness that is Alexandra Vanhoover. Of course, not too numb for her to never again get some manner of amusing reaction, instigator she is. But if it couldn’t actually be HER, then what’s troubling her friend so much…?
Of course, she’ll just ask! … Uh, TOMORROW, though. Seve would probably uppercut her to the very moon in his current state, and she’s not looking forward to wearing a full-body brace on top of the teeth kind. Oh, hey, during the amount of time she took planning possible solutions, Seve went far enough ahead to make it safe for Alexis to head home too! She skips there, coming up with further ideas to the problem at hand. She even spends the night drawing out some plans for the wall. … No, she didn’t put up posters nor drawings: she drew on the very wallpaper, in a very permanent red marker. Oh dear, the things her poor parents tend to discover and need to solve themselves because of their handful of a (well-meaning) daughter.
Alexis looks over her plans: she’d drawn images of possible issues, like a “long-lasting tummyache,” each image connected to a list of solutions if that particular thing WAS the main cause of Seve’s frustrations. The only conclusion Alexis came to is that her writing really is terrible, just like Seve said. Oh well, at least she likes how she draws-- as crude and squiggly as it may be. The following day, she came to school prepared: Gutz medicine tablets, tweezers for any literal thorns in the side, and preparations for anything else. Of course, Seve snarled at her to get away from him with those stupid things… Apparently, he already “had enough to worry about,” without Alexis adding onto it in her usual “stupid and weird-- and especially annoying --ways!”
Ah ha, Seve was worried about something! Alexis perks up and gets ready to bombard him with possible reasons: tests, detentions when there’s something that’ll be fun, maybe even worried about there not being any nachos available from the emporium after school? Before she can even finish her inhaling breath, Seve covers her yap.
“It’s NOTHIN’ I wanna talk about… So, shut it,” he removes his hand, “If ya REALLY wanna help, then do me a favor and avoid makin’ things worse…”
He walks away after that, so that means Alexis will just have to do this the indirect way: a stealth mission with binoculars. Looks like she’ll be a friendly shrub after all! … However, it’s not really effective when you first try it in class. Alexis’ peers, save Seve, considered her a “weird freak” already; yet they couldn’t help but stare at her get-up. The teacher came over and cleared her throat, reminding the doe that “distractions” and so on aren’t permitted in the classroom-- especially not as messy nature that belonged OUTSIDE the room and building. Seve just ignored Alexis, as best he could, all the while… Even if she pressed those stupid binoculars against his face, earning a faint growl from his gritted teeth. After all that, Seve had to deal with Alexis using “binoculars” that could never be confiscated: her hooves cupped against each other and over her eyes. When Seve realizes, quite easily, he slams his locker shut and lets out a louder growl…
“Will you knock it off already?!” he faces the corner-peerer, “It ain’t any of your business, and if you keep pryin’...”
Alexis lowers her “gear” and frowns as he walks off, with many a peer talking about what was witnessed-- whether mockingly or genuinely curious. When lunch finally came around, Seve moved away from Alexis when she tried sitting near him. Naturally, she kept trying to sit beside him-- until he ran out of neighboring seats to move to and landed his rump onto the floor. He growls up at her, coated in his tray’s food. Whatever, it was all crappy anyhow; so he just dusts and wipes himself off, then storms off… Great, Alexis managed to get some of the jerks to laugh at him, too. Alexis winces, feeling guilty for only making things worse. It didn’t help when a typical mean girl remarked: “Wow, guess you’re so much of an annoying freak that even your own loser friend can’t stand you.”
… You know, maybe Alexis SHOULD leave Seve alone…
*******
Alexis hoped she stayed away from Seve long enough, and that hard feelings wouldn’t extend into the after school hours nor especially all the way into tomorrow. She dawned her pack and stepped out from the building, taking a little extra time to ensure it’s too late to bump into Seve. He’d likely help the avoidance by also preventing Alexis from arriving in time, maybe running home even quicker than usual. Honestly, Alexis would prefer all being done to prevent her making things worse instead of better… She really IS a lousy friend sometimes, huh? She didn’t mean to be, though, she just wanted to be a GOOD one and help out. Uh oh, maybe now’s a good time to finally be more helpful…!!
Seve was confronted by a trio of bullies, thanks to something about, “Word is…”; but Alexis was already running to get the nearest teacher. Sure, Seve would probably get in trouble too, with his usual luck; but Alexis would prefer him angry at her than him getting hurt-- she didn’t care if he could hold his own in a fight, she never wanted even the slightest scratch on such a dear friend! Plus, the greater numbers could make it easier to fight dirty and hold him in place… The fetched man soon told the boys to break it up and pulled Seve off the pinned buck he kept slugging. Of course, all four boys were brought inside the building to discuss what happened and (even more obviously) get punished for simply being “involved,” one way or another. Seve managed to shoot Alexis a glare as he passed by, knowing by her guilty expression that she ratted out something he could’ve handled himself-- even if he got a black eye in the process.
That night, Alexis decided to enter whatever dream realm Seve might be in: she not only needed to make up for getting him into trouble, despite her good intentions, but she needed to know what was making him hurt beforehand. She couldn’t stand being on bad terms with nor the slightest bit of suffering from those she cared about! She enters his dream: his consciousness was attracted to some giant field with a tree and a playground, definitely something more akin to the waking world than what Alexis herself would make in a personal dream-park. Seve just sat underneath a tree and on a picnic blanket, but he didn’t need to even shift his eyes to know who approached…
“... I swear, if you don’t get outta here…”
“Well, I’m not!” Alexis literally puts her hoof down to stomp, “I’m worried about you, Seve-- REAL worried! You won’t tell me what’s wrong…”
“Why should I?”
“Because I’m your FRIEND, Seve! I’m supposed to help you whenever you’re upset…”
“Oh, right, like how you ‘helped’ earlier today?”
“It could’ve ended worse than getting your eye hurt!”
“Who cares if it did?! I wanted to kick their sorry butts into the next week, even if I got a few good hits on myself!!”
“... Why?”
Seve does a doubletake, as if Alexis confessed to killing and eating babies.
“‘Why’?! The heck do ya mean: ‘WHY’?! I’m just supposed to let some jerks walk all over me?!”
“But Seve, you seemed a lot more… angry than you usually do whenever you feel like fighting bullies: you were yelling really mean things and you kept trying to hit the bully you were on top of… It didn’t feel like you were trying to just defend yourself, Seve.”
“Okay fine, it was mostly to shut his lousy face up-- and keep it that way!”
“But WHY?”
“Enough with the ‘why’s’ already, Alexis!!”
“Will you talk to me already, Seve?!” Alexis pulls his face toward hers, the ever-rare glare above her gritted teeth, “I’m not gonna stand by, while you’re upset about something! Just tell me what it is already, so I can help!”
“Get off me!” he pushes her away, “It ain’t any of your business!!”
“It IS when it’s hurting my friend!”
“Just screw off!”
“No!”
“YES!”
“NO, so tell me what it is because you know I’m not gonna stop, till ya do!”
“What could YOU even do about it?!”
“How am I supposed to know what I ‘could,’ if you won’t tell me?!”
“You wouldn’t even know how, if I DID!”
“And why’s that?!”
“‘Cause it ain’t something YOU can do anythin’ about!!”
“But WHY?!”
“STOP WITH THE FRIGGIN’ ‘WHY’S’ ALREADY!!!”
“STOP REFUSING TO SAY ANYTHING!!!”
Seve then raises his fists to his head, as he screams into the sky. He punches the nearby tree-- and Alexis better consider herself darn lucky it’s not HER instead! He finally finishes and pants, then storms up to his unflinching and glaring friend.
“You… are really DANG annoying, you know that?!”
“And what makes me more annoying than usual, Seve? You keep getting all upset, even when I’m not trying to be funny!”
“When ARE you?!”
“‘When are YOU’ gonna say what’s wrong? I can keep this up forever, Seve-- both while we’re awake and here in our dreams! So, what is it: did I go too far with something, is it less emotional pain and something that actually hurts in your body…?”
Seve knows the stubborn doe better than anyone-- and especially what she’s capable of. In fact, who knows what she might decide to do now, since she has the ability to warp dreamscapes to her whim? Alexis knows he’s aware of it, hence her smug and half-lidded grinning expression that needs no words escaping those teeth. Seve then crosses his arms and glares into her face.
“Okay, FINE… You wanna know so badly, you friggin’ jerk…?!” his eyes water, “The thing that’s so wrong with me, that you gotta make me talk about it and think about it even more…?!”
Alexis’ face devolves into a worried frown, as she wonders if she did the right thing…
“... My mom had a baby…” the buck choked out, “... She has a different kid now…”
Alexis covers her mouth with a hoof, feeling guilty she pressed to know. Most kids would be upset to know their parents decided on a second kid; however, this would technically count as his mother’s “first” child… regarding her new marriage and family. Seve’s parents had shortly undergone a divorce, following his “escape” from that reoccurring dream with the pig village and all: it was nothing ugly nor hateful, fortunately, but the young buck certainly felt betrayed. Why would his mom not want to stay with him and his dad anymore; now, she’s having a new kid with that other guy…? What was so wrong with his dad that she needed a new husband and a new family-- what was so wrong with SEVE that she needed to try again for a kid, with someone else?!
Why did his dad need to tell him: because it’s “important” to know?! Why should he need to know what was going on in his mother’s life, like he’d ever want to actually see her again-- especially HUMOR whatever interest she claimed to hold onto in wanting to see or talk with him still?! It wasn’t fair, it just wasn’t!! He didn’t do anything wrong, why does his mom have to apparently hate him so much-- on top of those jerks at school, and any adult who basically wasn’t his own dad or Alexis’ own folks?! What made Seve deserve to be hated, thrown away and all else by even his own mother…?!!
“What did I do?!” he screams, “What DID I friggin’ do…?! Why am I not good enough for anyone; what am I doin’ to make all of ya hate me…?!” he falls onto his knees and squeaks with little audibility, “... It’s like I don’t even have to actually do anythin’ or even TRY to be lousy…”
Alexis tears up herself, her own lip quivering. She snatches him into a hug and kneels before him, then rocking on her knees and letting him cry against her.
“... Shhh, Lexi’s here…” Alexis cooed, “Lexi’s here… And I always will be, even if ya might not want me to be sometimes…”
Soon, Seve finished crying himself out and laid his head upon Alexis’ crossed lap underneath the tree, as she kept a kind and reassuring hand on his head. She’d stay like this, as long as he needed her to-- or, at least until they both had to wake up. Either way, someone needs her and Alexis could never deny anyone that. Although she’s glad Seve calmed down, more or less, her own heart still ached: their school peers already weren’t the nicest and Seve never seemed to get along with most grown-ups, so feeling replaced by one of the few people he could turn to…? Alexis couldn’t imagine what it’d feel like if her own parents not only split up, but one of them wanted to make a “new Alexis”... Or, if the new kid possibly became better favored.
Alexis swallows the lump forming in her throat at just the idea; she doesn’t want to know how it all actually felt for Seve. Poor guy, it probably hurt enough to just have his parents separate… Well, not Alexis! True, Alexis’ motives for originally befriending him might’ve been argued as “selfish”: she’d finally have a friend of her own and stop being lonely, even if it was just in her dreams back then, so she happily extended a hoof of friendship… and wouldn’t retract it until Seve accepted it. However, with the time spent together and learning about each other, Alexis enjoyed Seve’s company beyond just “no other friends to hang out with.” Even if she found “a bajillion” new friends, or whatever made-up number she concocted, Seve would forever hold a place in the heart that’d always share his own one’s sorrows and joys.
“Don’t worry, Seve…” she stroked his hair, biting her lip, “Maybe others are fine with leavin’ ya alone, maybe even your mom might go away… But I won’t. I’d Never leave you… I promise.”
******
After his Saturday school detention, Seve called Alexis and asked to meet at the nearby playground, the inspiration behind ol’ Lexi’s Monster Park. Alexis found Seve standing against the slideset’s leg, as he rubbed the back of his head. He’s the first to greet.
“Hey…”
“Hi…”
“So, uh… A-About everythin’ that happened…”
“It’s okay, Seve, I get it.”
“No, it ain’t ‘okay’... I was snappin’ at ya, even though the thing with my mom ain’t your fault…”
“I mean, some people might not say I was exactly ‘helping,’ so…”
“But you DID help… Even though, yeah, maybe not at first… But… Thanks for just letting me get it out, without mockin’ me or anythin’ over it.”
“Of course, Seve! You’re my friend, I’d do anything for ya.”
“I just wish I could’ve COMPLETELY gotten over it, though…”
“Um, I don’t think that IS something you can really get over entirely…” Alexis puts a hoof on his shoulder, “But I’m here to help ya get over it again and again, as long as you need to.”
“Yeah, I guess there’s that…”
“Oh, I know! How’s about some nachos, my treat?”
“... You’re gonna try and swipe some, aren’t ya?”
“Well, I WILL be the one who bought them…”
Alexis giggles and grins; as Seve sighs and rolls his eyes, though with a small smile. Away they then went, toward their favorite snack-based hangout…
[The End]