Room 43// An Inanimate Insanity College AU

20- Looking Out (For You)

It was the last day before the college term began and Paintbrush was on the train on the way to the city with their luggage surrounding them.

Everyone they knew had already left for campus; they had spent the first few days of the New Year with their family, meeting distant relatives and having a nice celebration. Now, though, they were preparing for another term of schooling and things in the dorm consistently breaking.

The train was coming up to their station, so they grabbed hold of their bags and kept them near, brakes on for their roller bags and backpacks slung over their shoulders.

"Now arriving at Inanimate Interurban. Thank you for travelling with us!" the spritely voice from the front of the train announced through the tinny speakers. Paintbrush gathered all their bags, making sure they didn't forget anything, before stepping toward the exit of the train.

As they took their first step on the recently snowed-on concrete tiles of the train station, Paintbrush took in a deep breath.

They were here.

Their roller bag didn't take kindly to the snow, getting stuck on every mound that was taller than two millimeters, it seemed. It was a frustrating walk to campus.

Once they arrived, the stairs seemed like an almost easy feat.

Keyword almost.

Paintbrush tugged so hard at the handle of their baggage that they thought it was going to break, and their backpacks threatened to slip off their shoulders at any given moment.

The top of the stairs seemed like heaven on Earth, and they took a moment to make sure neither of their arms had popped out of their sockets.

Now was the easy part, and once they got to their door they simply knocked and waited. The urge to run away and hide to confuse whoever opened the door was strong, however they were a grown and mature adult!

...Yeah, they totally hid and giggled behind their hand as they waited for someone to open the door.

"STOP DRIVING YOUR HEELYS IN THE DORM, LIGHTBULB!" A loud voice that Paintbrush recognized as Test Tube yelled. The door creaked open. "I'm sorry about that, welcom- huh?" test Tube said, and Paintbrush broke out into a silent fit of giggles, biting into their fist.

"Hey Fan, did you also hear somebody knock on the door or am I going nuts?" Test Tube inquired, her voice getting quieter as she poked her head back into the dorm instead of out into the spacious hallway.

"Yeah, I heard a knock," Fan replied. Paintbrush had to strain just to hear his voice, but it was definitely there.

"Well there's nobody here," Test Tube said.

"MAYBE IT'S A GHOST!" Lightbulb exclaimed, and Paintbrush had absolutely no issue hearing her considering the loud volume.

"Don't be silly," Test Tube chided. "Perhaps it was a deliveryman that went to the wrong door. Or some child-like student deciding to play a prank."

"It's not even April Fool's, though! Why would they do that?" Lightbulb said.

"Are we sure the knock was actually a knock and not just, i dunno, some guys across the hall punching a wall?" Fan suggested.

"Could've been," Lightbulb said casually.

"Alright," Test Tube said. "Let's go with that, then."

The door closed with a creak, and Paintbrush waited a few beats before creeping over again and knocking, speeding away lightning fast and hiding behind a pillar as the door opened slowly once again.