A Functionally Dysfunctional Family

{28} Mᴇʟᴀɴᴄʜᴏʟʏ {28}

A month has passed since Techno moved into the other world.

Tubbo and Tommy started talking less and less, and it was to the point where they didn't even sit near each other at lunch. Tubbo always sits by Ranboo during lunch, and Tommy just hops from table to table.

Which, in all honesty, made the last few weeks of school even more unbearable, especially with all the exams being thrown at him this way and that.

He's even had teachers asking him if he was alright because he wasn't talking much anymore.

This unusual behavior didn't go unnoticed in his house, either. Wilbur had asked several times what was wrong, but he always got the same half answer of "nothing's wrong, I'm fine."

Wilbur even tried calling Techno at one point, but it didn't go through.

It was hopeless.

~<•>~

Techno visited a month later, and Tommy was even worse than before.

The teen hardly came out of his room anymore, only leaving to go to the bathroom or to get something to eat.

"Techno!" Wilbur greeted his brother with a tight hug, and he received an even tighter one in return.

"Where's Tommy?" Techno asked upon realizing that his younger brother wasn't there.

Wilbur frowned. "In his room. He's hardly left since school let out."

Techno frowned before going upstairs, knocking on Tommy's bedroom door.

"Fuck off!" Came a muffled reply.

Techno sighed. "Tommy, it's me."

"...Techno...?"

"Who else would it be?"

He then heard shuffling on the other side of the door, including a few thuds, followed by a long string of curses, before the door opened to reveal the teen.

His hair was a mess, and so were his pajamas. He had so many bags under his eyes that it looked like his bags had bags. He also smelled like he hadn't showered in weeks.

"Damn, kid, you really let yourself go."

Tommy let out a watery laugh as he hugged his older brother tightly. "Asshole."

Techno laughed a bit as he reciprocated the hug. "What happened while I was gone?"

"Tubbo and I are no longer friends."

Techno paused, pulling Tommy back. "What!?"

"Yeah...we haven't talked in weeks."

Techno's amber eyes softened. "How are you holdin' up?"

Tommy shrugged. "Fine, I guess."

It was then that Techno noticed that Tommy no longer wore the locket around his neck.

"Where's your locket?"