I Used to Know -DNF-

Chapter 1 - Library Quiet

A/N: Song recommendation (doesn't have to do with the chapter): Nice Guy by Wilbur Soot, starting off with some sooty content for the first chapter

George has always loved the campus library. It was always his place. The way the light spilled in reminded him of the library he went to with his mom back home. In England. So far away...

Snap out of it. Georgia is fine. University is fine. Mom's... fine.

He had used to come here with his friend, or rather, ex-friend, Dream, in freshman year, but Dream had ghosted him that summer. George had been mad, but saw the new school year as a fresh start.

George stepped into the library, feeling a little cooler now that he wasn't outside in the hot, still-summer sun. He said hello to the librarian, reading her name as Dorris. She looked up from the book she was reading with a glare, promptly shushed him, and resumed reading again.

The library was big, with computers to the left surrounded by academic books. Beyond the computers, shelves of "recreational reading," like fun books, magazines, newspapers, CD's, and DVD's. On the right, there were tables for studying, each in an alcove of bookshelves. There were two rows, and George picked the one that wasn't visible from the door. He liked being alone.

He chose the second table down, and plopped his bag on the floor. It echoed slightly in the quiet library, and so did the shushing response of the librarian. This woman needs to calm down.

George sat down, the chair creaking with his weight. He pulled out his first textbook, carefully placing it on the table to avoid being shushed again. He opened his crisp textbook, shivering at the familiar sound of the new spine of the book crack. He loved books. He always had. He'd enjoyed escaping into a new world with each bundle of papers glued together. He glanced up, making sure no one was around before bending down to sniff the untouched paper.

He pulled up his book bag, putting it on the chair beside him and taking out his laptop and the pile of paper his professor had assigned him. Twenty pages. Twenty whole fucking pages, front and back. George looked down at the book, and knew two things.

One, he'd be here a while.

And two, he'd likely never use this book again.

Might as well get started.

He'd gotten through three pages when he heard the door open. The people who'd come in were loud, and even heard the librarian shush them twice before giving up. As he heard them turn the corner, he knew the four voices sounded familiar, though it was hard to place them.

One laughed, and George instinctively rolled his eyes. It was his annoying brother, Wilbur. Just great.

Now the voices sounded more and more like Sapnap, and Alex, and one other person. Who was it? George felt he knew deep down in his gut, but didn't want to admit it to himself. He was scared.

He heard them coming closer. Shitshitshitshitshit. They turned the corner, and George braced himself. Shitshitshit. He saw the white shirt with the flame first. Sapnap. Then the black sweatshirt with the duck. Alex. The yellow shirt with... oh, nothing. Wilbur.

Shit.

The second-tallest rounded the corner. A yellow sweatshirt with a big smiley face on it.

The wearer of the hoodie had his hands in his pockets, and leaned carelessly against a bookcase that reached the ceiling. He was wheezing at a joke that had been told, holding his stomach and banging his hand against the shelf. The kid on the other side, a scrawny pale kid with freckles and red hair that had just sat down a few minutes ago, looked terrified.