[DISCONTINUED] The World We Live In

[4] An Unsettling Sight

YO GUYS ITS A LIGHTBRUSH CHAPTER!!

sorry for spoiling it allie :,)

Lightbulb and I waved goodbye to Fan and Test Tube. Lightbulb had agreed to stay and help me clean up, as well as packing up a bit so we could have a head start on dorm duties.

Fan shut the door, and I let out an exasperated sigh. "Are you okay, Painty?" She asked, tilting her head. "Yeah, hosting dinner is hard, though." I replied with a small laugh.

"Well, lets get started with cleaning then!" She hurried over to the table, sweeping up the empty plates in her arms and setting them by my sink. I picked up a few utensils, setting them in the dishwasher.

We worked for a bit before something was said. "Painty, there's been something on my mind recently." Lightbulb said, breaking our concentrated silence.

"What's up?" I said, putting down the napkin I was using to wipe off some plates. She approached me, grabbing my hands and intertwining our fingers. I felt my neck burn from embarrassment. Her crystal-blue eyes met mine, and her gaze was filled with a bunch of different emotions.

Embarrassment.

Worry.

Joy.

I pulled Lightbulb closer to me, and she rested her chin on my shoulder. "Listen, you can tell me anything. We're best friends, remember?" I reassured her, squeezing both of her hands. I heard her mumble something, which was practically inaudible.

"What was that?"

"I love you, Painty."

My face glowed a crimson red, shocked by what she had just said. She let go of my hands, wrapping them around my waist and pulling me in for a hug. I hugged her back, squeezing her shoulders.

"Lightbulb..."

She sniffled a bit.

"Why didn't you say it earlier?" I asked, gripping her more.

"B-" Lightbulb choked on a sob. "Because I thought you would hate me..." I released her from my grip, taking a moment to look at her face. Her cheeks were pink, but her eyes were watering and I could see small tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

I laughed softly and kneeled down to face her. "Why would I hate you?" I said, gingerly resting one of my hands on her cheek. Lightbulb wrapped her arms around herself, her hands shaky.

We sat in silence for a moment before she said something. "So... is the feeling... you know, mutual?" She said with a small giggle, trying to lighten the mood.

I cupped Lightbulb's face in my hands. "Yeah, I'd say it is." I replied, smiling warmly.

"Good," Lightbulb sighed, laughing a bit. "Glad that I won't be embarrassing myself with this then." She grabbed my cheek gently with her hand, bringing her face closer to mine. I couldn't process what was happening, but once I realized my face was burning hot. She pressed her lips against mine softly. I looked at her for a few seconds before shutting my eyes. Was this really happening? Was this a dream? Lightbulb pulled away, and I opened my eyes, staring at her with slight shock rising in my eyes. She giggled, leaning in for another kiss. I let her, and we stayed like this for a while. How many minutes passed by? I wasn't sure. But I felt like I could stay like this forever. Lightbulb stepped back, my hands still wrapped around her face. She smiled. "You look so shocked," she told me, stifling a giggle. "I wasn't expecting that, if I was quite honest," I told her sheepishly, letting go of her face and rubbing my arm, flustered. We sat, staring at each other before she got up. "We should continue cleaning, right?" I nodded, slowly pushing myself to my feet. We didn't say anything to each other while we worked, as anything that needed to be said was already out in the open, lingering in the cold, autumn air.

I exhaled, flicking a small sweat droplet off of my forehead with my hand as I closed my cutlery drawer. "Is that it?" Lightbulb asked, yawning. I nodded. "Are you sure you want to start packing things up for tomorrow?" I asked. She nodded slowly. "Yeah, it's fine," she said, flapping her hand, "I have enough energy... I think."

I nodded hesitantly. "If you want to sleep, I can walk you back to your house." I told her, heading upstairs. She followed close behind. We reached my room, and I padded over to my desk, grabbing a few plastic baggies. I heard a small huff, and then the soft sound of snoring. I turned around, seeing that Lightbulb had plopped onto my bed and was now sound asleep. I exhaled, laughing a bit as I picked her up and slid her under the covers. I planted a kiss on her forehead before heading back over to my desk. I saw my phone buzzing a bit, and I picked it up, clicking it on. I saw a few messages from an unknown number. I raised my eyebrow quizzically, opening the messages.

I can see you.

I froze up anxiously, rushing over to my window and opening it. I saw the same hooded figure that I had run into earlier this afternoon, staring at me through my window. I saw them holding an axe, covered in some sort of... Well, not blood, but... Something that wasn't normal. It seemed... purple.

I slammed my shutters back into place, my hands trembling.

"Huh... Painty?" Lightbulb groaned, sitting up. "Did... did I fall asleep?" I turned away from the window, regaining my composure. "Yeah... but you can sleep. I don't mind."

"Aren't you tired though?" She asked, stretching and yawning. "If you need to sleep, I can just go home..."

I shrugged. "You can stay here, I don't mind. Plus, I'm going to work a bit more."

"Noooo..." Lightbulb whined. "You need sleep...! We're busy tomorrow..." I exhaled. "Fine, fine... just- move over."

She scooted over to the side, allowing me to slide in next to her. I took off my jacket, tossing it on the ground and pulling the blankets up to my neck. "Goodnight," she said, wrapping her arms around me. I pat her head. "Goodnight, Lightbulb."

____________________________________________________________________

I woke up, a figure leaning over me. "H-huh...? Who's there?" I stammered, rubbing my eyes. "It's only me!" Lightbulb chirped, waving. "Oh- Good morning, Lightbulb." I said, forcing myself up. "I made you breakfast! I also had time to run home and get a change of clothes." She told me proudly, resting her hands on her hips. "I'm glad you're so proud, I would be too," I told her, giving her a small kiss on the cheek. Her face flashed a bright red. "I'M STILL NOT USED TO THAT!!" She exclaimed loudly, burying her face in her arms. I laughed a bit. "I'm not either, so I guess we're even?" She shrugged. "I guess."

We both started down the stairs, and I could smell the sweet scent of warm pancakes and syrup. "Did you make pancakes?" I asked, pretty excited. Lightbulb nodded. "I remembered your favourite!"

I rushed over to the table, sitting down at one of the chairs with a large plate of pancakes sitting in front of it. I cut up the meal, stabbing some of the squares with my fork and biting into them. "These are amazing!" I told her, shoveling the pancakes into my mouth. Lightbulb laughed. "Don't eat too fast, you'll choke!" I shrugged. "I'll be fine," I told her, taking a sip of milk to down the rest of the pancakes.

We chatted idly as we ate. I cleared my plate quickly, while Lightbulb had around half of her meal yet. "How are you already done?!" She commented, staring at me in shock. I shrugged. "I was just hungry... Plus, they're pancakes. My favourite!" I laughed before getting up and clearing off my plate and setting it in the sink.

"Are you ready to leave?" I asked, picking up my backpack.

Lightbulb nodded, cleaning up her dishes after shooting out of her seat enthusiastically. I snatched my bag from the floor and swung it over my shoulder, taking a few slow deep breaths. The text message's words rang through my head. I shook the thought away, quickly grabbing Lightbulb's hand for comfort. "You ready?" I asked. She nodded.

We started to head over to the school, but I could tell something was off.

Something... out of the ordinary.

Something wrong.

WORDS: 1379

i had this half done so i just finished it up quickly!!! wowowowo!!