Out of A Shell (Dash Parr x Fem!Shy!Reader)

Subtle Changes

(I meant to publish this chapter way sooner, whoops!)

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Friday morning, I woke up with sore neck, assuredly from sleeping in a bad position. Good start to the day.

I threw my comforter off of me, and got up to follow my morning routine. I thoughtlessly grabbed some clothes and headed towards my bathroom for a shower, and 30 minutes later, I went downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast. My neck didn't feel so bad now, so my mood was a tiny bit better.

I passed Dad, who was sitting on a couch in the den, with a suitcase in front of him on the coffee table. He was flipping through files of some sort, but I wasn't interested in finding out what they were.

I wasn't paying that much attention to him, but when he saw me, he quickly closed his case. I quirked a brow.

"Y/N, something came up. I need to go out of town on a small business trip for a few days." He spoke to me, and I paused.

"Ok..." I faced him, recalling something.

"Is...it related to Mom's trip? Did something bad happen?"

"Yes, and no." He answered, clicking the locks of suitcase to hold it closed.

"...When's Mom coming home?"

"Soon."

He looked up at me, leaving it at that. He grabbed his suitcase, stood up and walked out of the den, passing me.

"I'll be gone before you get out of school. Should be back next Friday."

"Next Friday?" I echoed with a frown, wondering if I heard him right.

"Yes. You've lasted a week by yourself before, you'll be fine."

And he left, opening the door to the garage and closing it, just as the sound of the garage door opening rumbled through the house.

Most teens would probably be excited to have their house all to themselves for a week, but...I felt nothing. If not a little apprehensive. I hated being by myself.

Which was funny, because at the same time, I didn't like being around many people. I can't seem to find a stable ground.

But, whatever. Our neighborhood wasn't bad; nothing really happened around here. I didn't have to worry about someone trying to break in that much. It's not like Dad, or even Mom when she was here, cooked that often...things would basically be the same. I would just be actually alone.

I sighed through my nose, grabbing a bowl and spoon for some cereal. On the way back to my room, I passed by a picture frame on a shelf, one displaying a family photo. I looked at my mom's face in it.

She looked like she didn't want to be in it. Her eyes and frown said that much. Dad at least looked more cheerful, but not by much.

And then, there was 2 year old me, in my mom's arms. I was the only one who was genuinely smiling.

I snorted, and shoveled more cereal into my mouth before walking away.

~~~

"Honestly, I kinda like history. There's some stuff about it that's interesting." Cam grinned, grabbing her lunch try. I was less enthusiastic, and picked mine up silently.

"Hm." I hummed to let her know I was listening, falling in line with her to go into the main cafeteria area. We headed towards an empty table, as Cam continued talking.

"But yeah. Too bad most of it's boring, and the same things we've been learning since 1st grade..."

I zoned out. I don't know how or when exactly, but the next thing I knew, I was staring at the apple of my eye. I couldn't help but avoid him a little in the morning, out of fear of what he could say about my gloomy attitude in science, but he hasn't gone out of his way to talk to me yet.