Poth Short Stories and One-Shots

Sharing is Caring: Chapter 1

"Palette, what are you doing here? You were supposed to go home!" Goth gasped as he opened the door.

A big test had been announced for Friday. The pair had decided on Tuesday to meet up for a study session after school on Wednesday and they had initially agreed on meeting up at Goth's house. However, Palette arrived at school sporting bags under his sockets and a flushed face Wednesday morning. He spent the day muddling through his classes, even dozing off during lunch, and was explicitly told to go home and rest after school... yet here he was on the smaller's doorstep, backpack in tow, still looking unsteady on his feet.

Said monster merely flashed a weary smile and laughed, "It's just a little bug, no biggie. I took some medicine earlier, so I'm good now." He stepped past Goth, taking off his boots at the door and looking around. "I can set up here, right?" he asked, glancing at the cream-colored couch and coffee table.

Goth followed his guest to the couch with an incredulous expression. "You can't seriously expect us to study! You look like... well, my dad! You're clearly still sick and you need to rest!" he shouted, earning a wince from his companion due to his volume.

"I'm okay, really," Palette reassured them, setting his bag down, "I'm already feeling a lot better than I was this morning; that nap at lunch really helped. Stuff like this never gets me down for long, plus there's no way I'm missing an opportunity to hang out with my bestest buddy."

Goth grimaced from the combination of 'buddy' and Palette's stubbornness... but he ultimately gave in. Arguing wouldn't get them anywhere, and truth be told, he also wanted to spend more time with his 'bestest buddy'. "Alright... but if you start to feel bad again, we're stopping and you're resting. No ifs, ands, or buts about it," he conceded with a pout.

"Yes mother," Palette's starry eyes danced with mirth as he pulled open the zipper of his bag.

He was met with a single rolled eye light. "Don't push your luck," Goth warned, sitting down next to his crush, "Anyways, which chapter do you want to go over first?"

---

Palette walked briskly into the classroom Friday morning. The study session had gone great! He actually learned quite a bit from Goth despite feeling under the weather; his friend always managed to find a way to explain everything that made even the hardest concepts easy to understand.

After the session, Goth had made him promise to rest once he got home, going so far as to escort him home to make sure nothing happened on the way; he even got a text message the next day from his worried friend making sure he had listened! Palette assured them that he had spent the evening resting and taking it easy as he promised he would. Thursday was spent in a similar fashion, reviewing the notes they made together from his bed. He was sure they were going to blow this test out of the water!

As more students piled into the classroom, his excitement started to fade when his friend didn't appear. The bell rang and Palette's sockets furrowed... where was Goth?

He was broken out of his worry when a stack of papers flapped in front of his face; he took one of the papers and passed the rest back to the person behind him as his mind drifted back to the missing skeleton. He wasn't naïve; he knew full well Goth didn't need to study, and that their meeting was more for Palette's benefit. His best friend was so smart and caring, it was a wonder they didn't have more friends; that was part of the reason he was so adamant about going to the study session despite... having... a cold......

Realization dawned on him; he had gotten Goth sick. Palette had stayed home at his friend's and mom's urging yesterday and they only got to chat through text messages... his friend had always been studious and never missed school, especially on a test day, without a good reason.

"You may begin."

Palette was startled once more when the teacher spoke; the test had started. Trying to push thoughts of his possibly ill friend out of his mind, he turned his paper over. He had to pass this test before he did anything else; otherwise, his friend's sacrifice would go to waste.

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Word Count: 746