the hidden menace [Ranboo Boarding School AU]

chapter 1

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Ranboo kept his mouth shut.

He couldn't help it.

The first day, walking up the stairs of L'manburg Boarding School with the tall masked man, Ranboo had felt his jaw clench tighter and tighter the closer they got to the door.

Dream looked over at the tall lanky boy, seeing a look that could only be described as pure dread.

"Oh, don't look like that kid," The masked man had said, pretending to be genuine. "It's not like a reform school or anything."

The boy only stared at the ground bitterly.

It was safe to be here.

It wasn't safe to be in the End.

Or so he'd been told.

Dream stood with his hands on the ornate door-knob, waiting for a replay. But Ranboo couldn't have said a word even if his life depended on it.

Dream didn't hesitate to pull on the heavy door.

As they walked down the long hallway he noticed how far away the ceiling was, Ranboo thought he could have stood his entire family on his shoulders—one on top of the other, Dad, Mother, his two brothers—and the highest one still would barley touch.

The walls were lined, floor to ceiling, with old paintings of people in costumes Ranboo had never seen outside of books.

Of course, there was very little he'd ever seen of the Over-World outside of books.

He tried not to stare as they passed a classroom where dozens of kids just like him had sat in orderly rows, everyone facing away from the door. Ranboo gawked for so long that he'd practically began walking backwards.

He'd known there were a lot of hybrids in the world, but he'd never seen so many all in one place at the same time.

We're any of them part Enderman, like Ranboo?

Dream clapped a hand on his shoulder, turning him around.

"Ah, here's the headmaster's office," The blond had said heartily. "Just what we're looking for."

Ranboo nodded, still mute, and followed him through the tall doorway.

A cat hybrid sitting behind a mammoth of a desk turned their way. He took one look at Ranboo and asked, "New boy?"

"Ranboo," Dream had answered. "I spoke with the master about him last night."

"It's the middle of the semester, you know," he said warningly. "Unless he's very well prepared he won't be able to catch up, and might have to repeat—"

"That won't be a problem," Dream assured him.

The cat hybrid's ears twitched in annoyance.

Ranboo was glad he didn't have to speak for himself, as cowardly as it sounded. He wasn't prepared for anything.

The man was already reaching for files and papers.

"His parents faced in his medical information, his insurance standing, and his academic records last night," he said. "But someone needs to sign these—"

Dream took the stack of papers as if he autographed other people's documents all the time.

He probably did..

Ranboo watched Dream flip through the papers, scrawling his name here, crossing out a word or phrase or a whole paragraph there. Ranboo was sure Dream was going too fast to actually read any of it.

His home sickness kicked in when he thought of his own father peering cautiously at the important papers, reading them over and over again before even thinking of picking up a pen. He was always so afraid of being tricked.

Maybe Dream didn't care.

Ranboo had to swallow hard then. He made a gulping noise, and the man behind the desk looked at him. Ranboo couldn't read his expression. Curiosity? Contempt? Indifferent?

He didn't think it was sympathy.

Dream finished then, handing the papers back to the man with a flourish.

"I'll call a boy to show you too your room," The man said to Ranboo.

Ranboo nodded. The man leaned over a box on his desk and said, "Mr. Minecraft, could you send Tommy Innit to the office?"

Ranboo heard a roar along with the man's replay, "Yes, Mr. Frost" as if all the kids in the school were laughing and cheering and hissing at once.

Ranboo felt his legs go weak with fear.

When this Tommy Innit showed up, Ranboo wasn't sure if he'd be able to walk.

"Well I'll be off," Dream had said. "Duty calls."

He stuck out his hand and after a moment Ranboo had realized he was supposed to shake it. But he'd never shaken hands with anyone before, so he accidentally put out the wrong hand first.

Dream frowned, moving his head violently side to side, and glaring pointedly at the man behind the desk.

Fortunately, he wasn't watching. Ranboo recovered. He clumsily touched his hand to Dream's.

"Good luck," Dream said bringing his other hand up to Ranboo's, too.

Only when Dream had pulled both hands away did Ranboo realize he'd placed a tiny scrap of paper between Ranboo's fingers.

Ranboo held it there until the man turned his back. Then slide it in his pocket.

Dream smirked.

"Keep those grades up," he said. "And no teleporting about, you hear?"

Ranboo nodded, not looking to tell the masked man that he doesn't even know how to teleport.

Dream left without a backwards glance.
And Ranboo was left alone in the new environment.

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