(BFDI) Pencil's Personification

Grief

As they walked out Tennis Ball walked in with a list on his head.
"What happened?" He asked Pencil. Her eyes seemed wetter than usual. 
Pencil let her top half go limp as she fell into his fuzz to cry.
"Oh, oh dear," TB said. He let her crying. 

The other objects in the room didn't understand. 
Match walked up to Pencil and tugged at her shirt.
"It's like over Pence Pence. Why are you upset?" Match asked.

"I'm never gonna see him again. He was such a curious thIng!" Pencil made a grimace and put her face back into TB's fuzz. She wasn't audible but definitely letting it flow.
"Yeah but you can't, like, do anything about it now. Why cry over it?" Match asked. 
"Hhhhhhh," Pencil was now audible. She lifted her head and rushed off to her room. Match was surprised.

"I believe that is something called 'grief," Golf Ball said. They all looked down the hall where Pencil had gone. 
"It seems to be something that objects like you or me cannot grasp," Golf Ball said. 

Match thought about this. There were things she couldn't understand because she was an object? What kind of things?

"What other things do objects like, not understand?" Match asked.
“A lot of more complex emotions, er extreme jealousy, romance, depression. We have not tested for any more feelings. It is hard to test something you cannot feel,” Golf Ball said, “I think I am going to lie down now.” GB sat on the ground and just laid there.

Match ran after Pencil.
She followed the main hall and to the left until she eventually made it to Pencil’s room.
Timidly, she opened the door. Pencil was facedown in her bed gently weeping. 
“Match?” She lifted her head up, “You know If I run to my room crying you’re not supposed to follow me right?” She put her head back down. 

“Oh, like, sorry. I just wanted to ask you about how you are feeling. GB says objects can’t feel grief,” Match said. 
“Grief? That sounds about right. I’ve felt this way before ya’know. It's the feeling of war,” Pencil sniffed. She rolled over on her back. 
“What is it?” Match sat in Pencil’s desk chair and looked to her. 

“Well it’s a little bit of a shock at first, *sniff* and then you just wish you could go back, but there isn’t really anything you cAn do. That's the part that sucks, because you have to realize that you’re never going to.. have another moment with tHem agAIn,” Pencil began to weep again. She avoided eye contact with Match, and wiped her tears away. 

“I didn’t know that Grendel meant so much to you,” Match said. 
“Well, sOmetimes you don’t *gasp* realize how much you love someone until they’re, they’re gone!” Pencil gave a weak shrug. She sniffed. 
“Love?” Match was skeptical. 

“What?” Pencil was confused by Match’s confusion. 
“Was Grendel your boyfriend??” Match asked. Pencil rolled her eyes and smiled briefly.
“No, Gren wasn’t my boyfriend *snif* he was a good friend,” Pencil said.
“Ok, just friends,” Match said.

“No, we were really close. You say *snif* you say ‘just friends’ like it’s a bad thing. You can love your friends. I love you, and Bubble, TB and GB, and my baby Bandit. I think I would cry the same way if I knew I would never get to see any of you guys again," Pencil breathed. She sat up.

Match thought about what she heard by looking away and putting her hand on her ‘chin’.  
“I guess I can understand that,” Match looked back to Pencil. 

“You know Match, you don’t seem to say ‘like’ as often as you used to. You’ve matured a lot. You care so much about other people now, and you even stood up to Grendel when he was all crazy. It’s honestly one of the most magical things I’ve ever seen,” Pencil said. 
“Grendel?” Match asked.
“No silly, you,” Pencil said. 

“Oh…” Match was surprised, “I’m not like, all THAT Pence Pence.”
“Well nobody’s perfect, but everybody talks. Years ago you told me that you wanted to become a better person. Lots of people talk about being better but never do it. You actually did. You’re a miracle,” Pencil smiled.
“Thanks,” Match smiled too. 

Pencil sighed. 
“Sorry to ruin the moment but I still can’t stop thinking about him. I keep missing him,” Pencil laid back on her back again. 

“How long are you going to be missing him?” Match asked.
“Well Demo still misses his mate and it’s been 10 years since they died,” Pencil said. She fell to her side and rolled onto her back.

“Oh, like, dear,” Match said. She suddenly thought of something clever, “Pencil, Grendel isn’t really gone.”

“Don’t do that. Don’t give me hope,” Pencil said staring at the ceiling. 
“No but like seriously! Four couldn’t bring Grendel back because he didn’t have a soul, but that’s because GB has it. Golf Ball IS Grendel, in a way. She is mostly a soul, and she did say that a soul is what we mostly are,” Match said.
“But what if Grendel was wrong? What if her soul wasn't his?” Pencil turned her head to face Match.

“We can test it. You like, knew how Grendel acted. Maybe if we prank Golf Ball into situations that force her to choose between something Grendel would do, and something else, maybe if she’s Grendel enough she might do what he does,” Match explained pretending to demonstrate the situation with her hands.

“Match that’s called an experiment,” Pencil said. 
“Oh,” Match said.
“Let’s do it tomorrow. It’s 3 am and I’m exhausted. By the way, don’t tell her or she’ll be biased,” Pencil laid on her stomach again and closed her eyes. 

“What should we like, do first? Did Grendel have a favorite food?”
“We all mostly ate the same stuff,” Pencil said.

“Was he good at any games?” 
“Eh… Yeah..” Pencil said. 
“What kind of games?” 
“Chess,” 

Match thought about more ideas, but by the time she asked Pencil if they would work she was already asleep. 
The bell from the bell tower rung once, twice, a third time and a fourth time.
“IT’S FOUR AM NOT FOUR PM GO TO SLEEP!!” Clock screamed, although it was faint down in the factory. 

Match fell asleep at the desk immediately.