Childhood 'Friends' ~ GogglesxRider Fanfic

The Nightmare Experience

~(Rider's POV)~

I got up and quietly followed Goggles once he was a distance away. I watched him leave, just in case something happened to him. Also, I have to admit, I was kinda curious where he would go. And to my surprise, it seems like Goggles lives at least a floor above me. How have I never noticed him in this building before?!

I keep watching after him after he disappeared up the stairs, and I let out a sigh. I went back into my home and slumped onto the couch, for what felt like the thousandth time today. Why has this day been so long... and such a wild ride of emotions... how can one develop a crush in one day? I wonder, starting to reposition myself on the couch so my head is upside-down.

Alright... how can I help Goggles stop his nightmares? It would be better if I could just enter his mind and beat up that demon thing, but that's not how this works. Do I just secretly support him? This is so weird... Why do I even care about him? What did he do to make me feel like this?

I slap my face, harder than I meant to. My thoughts were wandering again. I never do good brainstorming normally. Like literally everyone, I get the best ideas while trying to sleep. Should I go to bed then? Isn't that kind of selfish? I think, but I just shrug it off. Who cares, everyone sees me as a selfish b&stard anyways. That's just who I am. Why not embrace it?

I roll off of the couch, landing headfirst on the ground but I get up as if it hadn't hurt. Well, it didn't much anyway. I made my way to my bedroom and flopped onto my messed-up bed. I couldn't be bothered to make it every day if I'm going to mess it up anyways. I shuffle into a comfortable-ish position and start my train of thought.

Alright, no wandering off-track. This is important. I must focus on one thing and one thing only. Wait, what was it again? I'm the worst at this...

Oh, yeah, Goggles. Why am I even helping him anyways? He's never done anything for me... unless you count way back in first grade, when he was just being nice to me... does he even remember that happened?

Does Goggles not remember me from way back then? He never mentioned it, but I didn't either, and it doesn't really matter, so...

I sigh and shift my position. Why the shell can't I focus? Why can't I think? It's all so complicated, I just... want.. to take a break... 

I give in and close my eyes, giving in to the nagging feeling in the back of my mind. Who really cares if I keep a meaningless promise anyways? It's not like I could actually do anything...

I opened my eyes to find myself in a hallway with doors. Every single door had a different colored mark of ink on it. I see the one I had originally done and went over to the door. I stretched my hand out to touch the ink that remained, causing it to dissolve on the spot. 

I blinked in surprise as a blue mark in a similar shape appeared in it's place. Instead of dwelling, I just open the door and enter it. 

It turned out the door just lead to Inkopolis. I blinked and glanced around. There were a few inklings just chilling, walking around. I turned around to the door, hoping to see what the other doors have in store, to see it had disappeared. Huh.

I spotted a group of three inklings glance over to me and wave all friendly-like. I blink in surprise and start going over to them, but they turned their backs on me and started talking again. I stood behind them, waiting for them to finish so I don't interrupt them.

"Haha, he actually thinks we're his friends."

"Pfft, who knew he was a softie all along."

"I really hate him. I wish I hadn't joined his team."