The Moon, chapter 11: Change

Any distance to travel seems doable when you have fear to keep you sprinting. That's why it only took Susie about half the time it usually does to reach Hometown. In record time, she was already past the barriers and standing in the middle of town. It was still very early, so no one was quite up yet. The town felt abandoned. Lifeless. It was too early for any normal person to be up, but maybe Hazel opened the diner at this hour? She really needed a watch. She really needed a lot of things. A lot of things normal people have that she didn't for whatever reason.

She took a left turn straight to QC's Diner, and as she got closer, found that the place was, thankfully, open for buisness. She wondered how early in the morning it was, exactly. She's sure she could ask Hazel when she gets inside, though. Escaping from the cold air outside, she stepped into the diner, the lights flickering on while a familiar purple bunny monster walked out of the back room. Her eyes lit up when she saw Susie.

“Susie!”
“Yeah, hey.” she nonchalantly responds, sitting on a bar stool.
“I haven't seen you in a few days, where have you been?”
“I, uhh-”
“And what's with the bag?”
“I've been... busy. And the bag is for all my stuff.”
A look of concern covers her face.
“So... you got kicked out?”
“I guess you could say that.”
“... Aww hell, I'm sorry hun.”
“Nah, don't be. It's for my own good.”
“Well, do you have anywhere else in mind to stay?”
“I haven't gotten that far yet. I'll figure it out, though.”
“Kicked out, and not even given anywhere to go... your parents must be terrible people.”

...Her parents...

“Yeah...”
“Well... it isn't much, but I've got an apartment room on the east side of town. It's small and, really the only place for you to sleep would be the couch, but it wouldn't feel right for me to let the chance go unoffered to ya. There's a sweet lady under there, and you need to be given a chance. And unfortunately, there's a lot of... stupid, for lack of a better term, people around here that can't see what I do.”
Not a single adequate response entered her head. She had never stayed with anyone else before. She thought of confirming with her that this was the choice she wanted to make, but she already knew that if she had her mind on something, she wouldn't let go. Susie nodded.
“Yeah. If it's alright with you, I'd really like that.”
“Of course! It gets a bit lonely in there by myself anyway. Just go on into building number three, and ring up apartment number 509. It's Saturday, so I close shop at around seven o-clock. If you're around, meet me here and we'll walk together.”

It was Saturday?

“Alright, I'll try to make it here in time.”
“Don't sound too excited.” Hazel said in a teasing manner.
“Uh, sorry, I-”
“Ah, don't worry about it. Was just jokin' around. Besides, you look like ya need a good laugh.”
Susie truly tried to not look blankly at her, but she was too exhausted to do much else.
“Hazel.”
“Yeah?”
“What time is it?”
“About nine o-clock.”
“Alright, I'll be back in... probably a couple hours or so. I'm gonna go visit Kris and Toriel, It's been a while.”
“Alright. Don't be off too long again!”
“I'll try. And, thank you.”

With nothing but a smile and a nod as a response, Susie stepped back out into the cold morning air. It was getting even colder, now. Seemed that even in the morning, her breath was visible. It was a good thing that she got out of that house when she did, even disregarding the basement. It only getting colder, and with no power... well, that she knew how to activate, anyway, the place would be a freezer in a little over a week.

It was about time to stop stalling, though. With her duffle bag slung over her shoulder, Susie trudged off to Toriel's house, only taking a few minutes at a swift walking pace. This time, the van was in the driveway, so she knew for a fact Toriel had to be home. Where else would she be on a Saturday morning? Susie walked up to the door of their homely place, and knocked three times gently. She heard some shuffling from inside, then the door opened slowly to reveal the goat mother she had only rarely seen in passing.

“Hello?” Toriel said, smiling worriedly out the door, before noticing who it was that stood before her.
“S-Susie?”
“Hey, miss Dreemur.”
“Uhm, hello Susie. If I may ask, what is your business here?”
“I was, uhh, just around the area and thought I'd drop by and see Kris.”
Toriel's eyes widened, but not with a look of concern, just of surprise.
“So... y-you're the 'friend' that Kris was with the other day?”
“Mhmm.”
“Never talk to him again.”
She was about to slam the door, but Susie instinctively put her foot in it.
“Miss Dreemur, please, I know I've been a bad kid, and you have every right not to trust me, but I've changed, I promise. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Kris, and I for sure wouldn't have changed without him.”
“If you know I have no right to trust you, why are you even here?”
“Because... because I'm trying to put my past behind me. I don't wanna be that troublemaker from before that everyone's afraid of. Thinking about it makes me sick, sometimes. I want to change, not just for myself, but for the better of everyone else... but, Miss Dreemur, I can't do that if you don't give me a chance.”
A dreadfully long silence followed as neither moved from their position. It took an uncomfortable amount of time, but Toriel opened the door, and stepped aside.
“Come inside. It's quite cold out. Don't make too much noise, Kris is still asleep.”
“Thank you.”

Susie stepped inside, taking her shoes off and placing them on a rack when she almost walked right inside with muddied, wet shoes. She looked around the comfortable looking, well furnished living room. She's forgotten the last time she's been in a house that looked this...lived in. It felt surreal. Like she didn't belong there. It was too nice.

“Well, have a seat.” Toriel urged as she sat down on a small seat next to a turned off television. Susie sat down on a couch on the other side of the room, trying to be as polite as she could. If she wanted to stay friends with Kris, she knew she had to make a good first impression. Toriel spoke before Susie even had a chance to think of what to say.
“So. You were the one that 'hung out' with my child.”
“Yes.”
Toriel looks grave for a small moment, but smiles shortly after.
“Heh... you know, the night after he came home, I grounded him for being away for so long without calling me. I was worried sick. But... the night he came home, even though I had punished him... there was this aura around him. It was like he had completely changed. And, seeing it was you... makes me surprised that the change felt like a positive one. Even the morning after, he got up for school on his own accord. He looked happy, dare I say, ecstatic to go back to school the next day. Ecstatic! To go to school! I had never seen him in such a positive mood before.”
Toriel paused, thought a little, then proceeded.

“Maybe you have changed. I know for a fact he has, and it was surely for the better. That was, of course, before we got there that morning and found out about the incident. The aura went away. That happiness had faded from him, replaced by... something far more lonely. He even tried to get into the school yesterday morning, but I was lucky enough to catch him before he did. He's been asleep since yesterday evening. Since the day of the incident, he's been very dejected and quiet, even more so than usual. I rarely see him anymore unless I go into his room myself, but whenever I do he's either staring at his roof, or sleeping.”
“That sounds terrible.”
“I'm his mother, and he refuses to talk to me, or anyone else. Of course it's terrible.”

Toriel looked up at Susie, with an expression of despair.
“So... when you came to my door, and you were talking to me, you made me realize something. Maybe you could help him. I know you've probably wanted to see him, and I'm sure he has wanted to see you. Maybe seeing you would strike some sense into him. I don't know. I've run out of options. I even got-”
A grimace crosses her face.
“I even got his father to come visit. Not even a hug and flowers could do anything. It hurts, so very much to see my child in such a dark place. So, please, if you can, talk to him.”

Susie felt her heart sink a little. She thought he might have been a little lonely, but to think it would get this bad... If she had any idea how serious the situation was, she would have made coming here a way higher priority.

“I'll try my best.”
The goat's worries, if only by a little, seem to drift away.
“Thank you. Just head to the left then take the stairs on the right. His room is the first on the left.”

Susie nods, stands up, and follows her directions. Though it was probably only a middle class house at best, she still felt as if the place was miraculously looked after. Susie guessed that's how mothers have to be. She wouldn't know. Though, she knew how Toriel was before meeting her properly. She didn't expect anything less out of her. Trying her best not to stomp too loudly, she walks into the dimly lit hallway of the upstairs portion of the house, then turns to the first door on the left, as instructed. Without further ado, she opened the door, letting what little light there was into the room. And there, laying in a bed at the rightmost side of the room, was Kris, wrapped up in a blanket. Shaking awake, he rolled over to look at whoever had disturbed his sleep. Susie heard a quiet gasp emerge from his mouth, while Susie felt her own mouth bend into the first legitimate, unforced smile she's made in a long time.

“Hey, dude. Nice to see you again.”