(sequel) FANCIFUL FEAR -prinxiety-

3. Cornelius

I didn't know what to name this chapter so I went on a baby name website and had my pick. Don't know what to tell you. This is a genuine method that authors use I swear

The relief that washes over me when I lay eyes on him does nothing to compensate for my heightened anxiety levels, but it's remotely assuring. It's especially reassuring that he seems as confused as I've been for the past couple of hours- or maybe... Maybe the both of us being mutually unaware isn't the best in this particular situation.

I scurry over to his desk in the middle of the room, not pausing to gaze at any of the other students, because they're not doing much anyway. They're actually not really doing anything but staring at the board at the moment.

"Anni!" Prince whisper-yells, eyes widened and focused on me only as I near him. His palms are pressed against the surface of his desk as I near him, a clear sign of his anguish. I carefully sit down on the chair beside his, resting the satchel in my lap and anxiously glancing around before I make any move to speak.

"What is this?" I quietly speak. "What..."

"I don't know." He mumbles. "I have no idea, but there's this thing in my head that's just ordering me to go to all of these different places and it's like I'm an actual person and I-"

"I saw Thomas." I decide to interrupt his anxious rambling, because it isn't at all helping my own mental state and at the moment I cannot deal with anything heavier than the burden already weighing down on my shoulders. 

Prince hesitates. "You what?" He then whispers, half disbelieving, half... Both halves disbelieving, maybe.

"He... He talked to me." Despite the potential severity of the situation I can't help the smile that graces my lips. It's only slight, but I can't resist it. "He didn't say much, but he was in this class and- and by the way, I just woke up in the middle of a math class and I have no idea what I was doing there..."

"Sounds like my experience." Prince mutters, but something in his eyes has changed. Intrigue has replaced at least a fraction of his fear, and it's noticeable in his posture: his hunched back is slightly relieved and his shoulders taking up more space. 

I find that pretty comforting.

"So... What do you think this is?" I glance around the room again, just to make sure that no one's picking up on our conversation and pondering on it. I'm not sure about who or what these people are, they honestly seem brain dead or deactivated for the most part, but I don't trust anything this alternate universe may contain.

"Do you remember what happened before?" Prince mumbles. He sounds... Regretful, and sad... I suppose I feel the same regarding those matters.

"Yeah... I think, in my mind I've been calling it a coma dream... Could that be it?" Prince's face falls, but he doesn't seem surprised at my idea. He actually seems to resonate with it, even though I doubt he has much knowledge of what a coma dream is- well, neither do I, but this whole ordeal resembles nothing but it.

"Thomas was... He was, uhm... He was feeling down, for a long while. And uh, the yell- I, I think he may have- uhm. H-he may have hurt him... Himself." Prince's voice fades in and out throughout his entire response, and I can see his lip quivering. Of course such a thought would devastate him, the pure, bright soul. 

I wish I could feel the same, but I'm selfishly more concerned about getting us out of this than pondering over my role as a catalyst...

"I'm sorry," I say anyway. And it's genuine, definitely, but it pains me to say it. I guess I'd prefer not to acknowledge my part in this. It however does not seem that Prince wants me to assume responsibility for the incident.

"No. No, I uh... I'm the one who hurt you. Thomas wasn't feeling hurt himself as much as... As he was feeling you, I- I think."Prince stutters, and I hesitate only for a few seconds before resting my hand on his, which still rests on the desk. He glances to the side, his gaze targeting our hands, and smiles subtly at the gesture.

"We can't help what happened now, we just need to focus on waking Thomas up, and... And everything will be okay." I promise, but it's a promise that stings with how much I don't think I can keep it. "And if we can't, Thomas may just wake up on his own, right? Humans do that. Then it will all be okay."

Prince sniffles. "Yeah, okay."

----

I wanted to put an author's note but I kind of didn't really know what to say. 

Go to school, don't do drugs, listen to your parents unless they're like really stupid, then you can listen to You Me At Six instead ok? 

-Inspirational role model over here-