The boy with the bag hat...

Life without Six...

Continuing on without Six was difficult for me, in the short amount of time we'd known each other she had become like family, like a sister, and only one other person had gotten that close to me that quickly. And no. It wasn't Mono. there's just something else about Mono, something that I'm unsure as to whether I like or dislike. Either way, we were stuck with each other now, without a buffer to stop our bickering. After taking down two pottery children and pushing each other off a chair, we managed to get into a normal looking corridor, there was a sound echoing down it menacingly and I couldn't help the shiver that shook my spine. Silently, Mono took hold of my arm, pulling me into a crouch with his finger over his where his lips would be before taking the lead. We came up upon a locked door.

"Most likely an elevator, you saw how many floors there was, no doubt we want to go down." Mono informed in a hushed tone, he nodded at a lock, "I also have no doubt that the key is beyond where the noises are coming from, so I want you to stay close to me, okay? Don't leave my side and I'll keep you safe." I nod at him, and his hand slips down my arm and interlocks with mine. He lets go and wanders off ahead, me hot on his heels, and we come up to a small closet sort of room full of coats and other objects. Mono takes off his hat, shaking his dark locks free to frame his face. he slid the hat under a bench claiming that it 'limited his vision' and 'made to much sound when he looked around'. I had never properly admired Mono. He had long dark locks that famed his face perfectly, split down the middle so that it rested neatly in front of golden, honey eyes. His nose was small as a button  and flushed with cold whilst his lips pink and slightly pouted smiled at me with a boyish smirk. I look away, feigning annoyance and he crouches down as a loud thud resonates around the room. In fear, I scooch forward, wanting to get a look at what we were up against. 

Bad idea.

The room was full of desks and at each one was a pottery child. They all had work books and were copying off a chalkboard at the front of the room. Behind a desk stood a huge, looming figure. It wore what seemed to be a formal-casual attire, one of a typical teacher, and had shortish, brownish locks; that was fairly regular in this irregular world. It was her face that sent me into a panic. Folds of skin overlapped each other giving her a lopsided, psychotic look, her eyes were large and smile challenging. Her entire figure radiated that of your worst nightmares and worse. I was caught off guard, to say the least, and span around in panic, right into Mono's chest, who simply rested his hand on the back of my head and had a peek at what had frightened me. I heard him curse under his breath before he lifted my chin to lock his eyes with mine.

"I want you to stay here, I'll get the key."

"What! Are you crazy!? No. I'm coming with you."

"But (Y-"

"I'm coming." He huffed in defeat, taking my hand as I took a shaky breath letting him lead me into the abominations room. The plan was simple, hide behind the children's desks when she was looking and when she wasn't, we'd move. We got past unnoticed, that was until Mono spotted the key on top of a cabinet and decided it would be good to climb it without checking for safety. Surely enough, it fell. Let me tell you it was NOT quiet. The second it fell I could hear the footsteps getting nearer and whilst Mono hid in a box, I slid under the cabinet, that was slightly lifted due to stacks of books that had fallen free. Then I heard it. The door. Then the cracking from earlier. And HAZAH! The teacher's head came looking around the room atop a giant elongated neck. It twisted and cracked in ways no neck should, and I could feel a tear fall down my cheek... please don't let this be it... The head got very close to Mono before it backed off, closing the door with such force that a vent opened in the far side of the room. I push myself out of my hiding spot, standing up just to fall back onto my shaky knees. Mono makes over to help but I shoo him off, telling him to get the key. Getting back through the classroom was pure horse shit. Not fun. At. All. Hiding under children's desks, trying not to be kicked and noticed or seen and noticed, never mind heard and noticed with the giant key hanging from Mono's side. But alas, we made it... with Mono's hat... thankfully...

Mono was correct, it was an elevator and, we went down. I'm not sure how many floors but still, any floor was better than that one. We emerge from the elevator and Mono looks at me worriedly one too many times.

"Okay, what is it?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Nothing! Just, checking up on you..."

"Yeah, well stop."

"Sorry love." 

I sighed. "Dumbass." Beyond another door was a boy in a paper hat, scribbling on the walls in chalk what looked like an eye. i couldn't help but reminisce. Seven and I were good friends with a family of gnomes back home, they wore hats like that too. I made my way towards the boy whilst Mono worked his way around and to a broken pipe, or spanner, I couldn't tell. The boy was on a leash so if I stayed out of range everything would be fine. "Hey you!" I yell, getting it's attention and causing it to run at me, only to be pulled back and have it's hat thrown off. I stay where I am, keeping it's attention whilst Mono sneaks up behind it and smashes it's head open. "Bit violent don't ya think?" I joke.

"Not as violent as your language." He retaliates, poking me in the side and chuckling. I kneel down, picking up the hat and brushing it off before resting it on my head. It was slightly too large however I could still see, I'd have to keep pushing it up but it reminded me of home. Mono shook his head fondly and I giggled before leading us onward, through a door and into a vent. Around the twists and turns we went, Mono playfully slapping my behind and telling me to get a move on whilst I poked at him with my feet for staring at my ass. Eventually we fell from the vent, both of us a giggling mess. Maybe I did like him as much as Six.  We didn't have long to laugh, as our falling had knocked two bottles of our ledge, allowing them to smash on the floor and the familiar cracking of unwanted attention to be heard. We hid in a box nearby, pretty much on top of each other and stifling giggles. Once again, the head got very close to us, almost looking directly at us, before it left and we continued, making sure nit to smash anything else by picking it up and moving it rather than letting it fall. We went over beams and up ropes until we reached to safety of another vent, luckily not gaining the attention of the teacher any more than we could avoid. We exchanged looks, two different ones. Mine was a 'adrenaline rush I wanna do that again', his was a 'I'm shattered lets not do that again.' I cocked my head to the side, his lips pulling into a familiar smile at the gesture.

"What's with the look dumbass?"

"I could say the same to you." He teased, scrunching his nose at me.

"I'm being serious." 

He looked down, smile dropping. "We should get some rest." I sat up straight, hitting my head in shock.

"What! No! Six is still out there! I can't rest until she's safe!"

"I know but if we continue like this the adrenaline will wear off, we'll make a stupid mistake and we'll never get to Six anyway. She's a tough girl, she can handle on night love." He smiles sadly, and after not having moved for a while, I could see he was right. The adrenaline was wearing off and my mind was getting hazy.

"I hate you."

"You love me, you just hate when I'm right."

"You wish." I scoff, rolling my eyes, but i cannot deny the rose that spread across my cheeks at the thought of loving him. "It takes the average person three months to fall in love. I've known you three days."

"Keeping count are we? And I can show you some real speed bitch." We laugh at the reference before lying back on a pile of cloth. "You gonna be okay love?"

"Yeah, I just... I can't imagine a life without Six anymore..."

"Yah, we neither..."

That night we laid back to back, I couldn't control my mind when it said 'you could survive a life without Six, you couldn't live without Mono'. 

And little did I know... 

He was thinking the same thing...