# Everyone Needs A Hand

Title: Everyone Needs A Hand
Status: Complete
Characters: Anon, Fang, Trish, Reed, Spears
Rating: SFW
Classification: One Shot
Author: Anonymous
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It’s amazing how fast shit can go wrong when you’re not looking.
I turned back into the presentation on the first picture. Displayed on the projection screen was a human and a poorly photoshopped, low-quality image of a nondescript anime girl with the human wrapping his arm around the image. I snorted trying to suppress my laughter. As funny as it was to be smacked in the face by some high-quality cringe in the middle of a school presentation the familiarity of the human on the screen bugged me. I recognized the green jacket pretty fast and along with my very small pool of human friends determined the person on the screen was none other than Anon.
Speaking of Anon, he had already knocked over the projector and bolted for the door while I was still figuring out who was up there. The slam of the auditorium door and the laughter of the other students reminded me of where I was. I turned to look at Reed getting up off the floor. His eyes that were on the door swing over to me and then turned to focus on something behind me. I followed his eyes to see Trish, standing near the far corner looking at the auditorium door. When her gaze turns to me, she flinches, and a look of guilt crosses her face which then disappears into the principal’s giant mitt as it engulfs her head.
Principal Spears quiets the students and gets the teachers to send them back to class. Our peers are still chuckling and jeering at the presentation. Spears escorts Trish away to the office and I’m left alone with Reed in the auditorium.
I’m rooted to the spot trying to sort out all the new information dropped on me in the past few minutes. Anon is a weeb and pretty cringy too, which didn’t make sense since he seemed to hold a level of contempt for anything anime. In the times he was around Stella when she rambled on about a show, he seemed uncomfortable. If I was being honest, he didn’t seem to have a great passion for anything in particular, just a lot of mismatched knowledge. He would be willing to discuss most anything, but he never had a thing of his own.
“What the hell just happened?” Reed huffs out turning away from the now righted projector.
“What do you mean. You’re the one running the projector. I thought you would know.” I snapped.
Reed shrugged. “I don’t know how those pics got on there either. I got the presentation from Naomi.”
“Then what was with Trish?” I asked.
Reed Shrugged “Don’t know, but I asked Trish to get the USB for me while I was working on the projector. I have no idea why she would be spooked unless…” Reed’s dawning realization turned to an uncomfortable grimace.
“Reed, I know Anon, and Trish don’t get along but this? She wouldn’t go that far, would she?” I lock eyes with Reed. The look he gives me says more than enough.
The walk to the principal’s office is quiet between the two of us. The surrounding students chatter amongst themselves, all of it about the recent presentation. I had to fight myself to not shout at them, it’s not like it would have done much anyway. A part of me I glad Anon left when he did, walking around as it is now would have been shit. I always got the feeling he didn’t like to be the center of attention.
But Anon running off was out of character for him the more I thought about it. In the few months that I’ve known him, he’s been pretty unflappable, the essence of quiet, calm, and collected. Rarely a word said without consideration and always cautious of his actions. He was a peculiar silent rock, to Reed’s cool stream and Trish’s passionate fire. To see that solid façade crack was unsettling, especially considering what he told me about himself on the roof and if he truly meant it. I sneak a quick peek at my phone, still no replies from anon. The feeling of isolation sticks with me as Reed, and I continue onward.
Hearing the principal before seeing the office gave quick insight into how Trish was doing. I wanted to feel bad for her, She’s my friend obviously, but the fact that this was at the expense of Anon smothered what sympathy I had. From beyond the door, I could hear spears talking about detentions, calling parents, and suspensions. Reed and I waited in silence outside the office room listening to the verbal beatdown.
When Trish emerged, she looked like shit, similar to a dog being drenched in cold water. Tears stained her cheeks, snot dribbled out of her snout, and her face looked pale. Her gaze was locked to the floor, hugging herself for comfort and trembling slightly. For a few seconds, I realized that I was planning to rip into the last bits of my best friend’s ego. Taking a deep breath, I reigned myself in.
Trish pulled her eyes from the floor to look at Reed and me, but the room remained quiet. Trish bit her lip looking at the both of us. I turned to look at Reed, he was looking at anywhere else but Trish. I decided to take the initiative.
“What going on Trish?”
She wrung her hands together. “I was just trying to help.” Her voice was meek.
“How? By driving away the first new friend I’ve made in god knows how long?” I shot back.
“I was trying to protect you, Fang,” Trish said finally looking me in the eye. “I don’t trust him.”
“From what?” I asked frustrated.
“From him!” Trish gesturing to something in the distance “Some literal nobody transfer student strolls up and starts making changes to how we run the band, starts trying to change you. why wouldn’t I be concerned?” Trish’s tone and demeanor becoming more resolute.
“Come on, you barely got to know him at all.” I spoke, “And what do you mean by changing me?” Fixing her with a stern look.
“That’s the thing, he hasn’t told us anything about him, what he likes, where he’s from, skills, talents, anything!” She listed off exasperated, “And when we asked, he always dodged the question. He never told us why he transferred here. How the fuck can you trust someone like that? There is nothing to know.”
“You didn’t answer my question.” I shot back, upgrading the look to a glare.
She let out a sigh before meeting my glare “You came to me bawling your eyes out months ago Fang, saying that you were fed up with your own identity. I’m trying to make sure you didn’t have another breakdown.”
“I’m not some stupid schizo, Trish.” I growled out between gritted teeth
Trish flinched back “Fang, I’m sorry that’s not wh—”
I shoved her in the shoulder “And I didn’t ask for some crazy bitch to babysit me!”
Incensed Trish shouted back “I’m trying to help you like you fucking asked me to Fang!”
“I don’t need you to dictate my life!”
“Then what do you need me for!”
“To ruin my life apparently!”
Trish’s recoiled back as if burned.
“HEY!” Reed shouted, getting in between us, and pushing the two of us apart “Enough this shit.”
We both turned to look at him, his face was furious.
“I know everyone is a little heated right now but let’s not say things someone is going to regret” He turned to Trish first. “Now I understand where you’re coming from Trish trust me, Anon has changed a lot of stuff but he’s cool. I’d say give him a shot; the dude is just shy I think.” Reed offered.
Trish refused to meet his eyes, her tail curling around her leg. Reed turned and leveled a disappointed look at me.
“And don’t think you think that went a bit far with that?” He said quietly, “She’s our friend, and didn’t you hear her? Trish was doing what she thought was right.”
“Look I’m sorry for yelling but…” Reed looking tired. “Can’t you guys’ sort this out? I don’t want to lose my best friend right at the end of the year.”
Trish and I turned back to each other. She looked ashamed but resolute in her opinion.
“Trish, you Doxed him in front of the whole school, how is that protecting me?” I asked.
“He’s gone now, isn’t he?”
“That’s not what I’m asking”. Trish squirmed in her spot trying to find an answer.
“I didn’t what you to start questioning who you were again and freak out. It hurt me enough to see you like that when you came to me the first time.”
“Trish I’ve been questioning who I am for a while, but Anon—”
“See!” Trish interjected. “Anon is the problem!”
I turned to look at Reed, gesturing to Trish, I got an awkward apologetic shrug for my troubles.
“Anon helped me calm down on the roof, not make it worse.” I huffed out turning back to the triceratops. “I was starting to be more comfortable with everything because of him”
“Really someone like that?” Trish asked flabbergasted.
I replied with no uncertainty “Yes, I just think he needs some help too.”
Trish shuffled through a few emotions, anger, confusion, arousal, despair, then back to anger before finally releasing one big sigh. That sigh seemed to take her spirit with it because instead of the previous stubborn frustration she just looked tired, defeated even.
“I’m sorry.”
I was taken aback by how honest that sounded. A clean admittance to guilt, a genuine apology for her actions.
“You should say that to Anon,” Trish winces but does not reply. “And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry I said you were ruining my life” I finish. Trish looks back at me, her face cautious, searching for deceit of any kind.
“So, this is the end of the band I guess?”
I turn to look at Reed, forgetting he was here. The raptor pushes himself off the wall to join us again, a frown marring his normally placid face. Guilt pricks at me knowing that’s probably for the best. However, the implied second meaning to his words brings more of a stabbing fear to my heart than a prick. A feeling of warmth and the image of a green jacket cuts through.
“It doesn’t have to be forever,” I shot out. Trish and Reed turn to look at me shocked. “Just for right now.”
Trish deflates a little while Reed smiles and nods, seemingly assured that everything will work out. He guides Trish to the hall, beginning his own speech to her. I share one last glance with Trish before she leaves.
“Mrs. Aron?”
The soft voice of the principal startled me. Spears can be surprisingly quiet when he wants to be. A small voice that sounds like Nazer brings up something about ‘genetic hunting instincts’.
“Could I have a moment of your time?”
He beckoned me into his office and presented the chairs. I move to take the comfy chair of the two in front of the desk. Closing the door and taking a seat in his office chair which had his formal coat draped around the backrest.
“I’ll be frank, I would like you to check on Mr. Mous.” He stated.
Cold fear settled in my stomach. “What’s going on? Is he ok?” I leaned forward in my seat, grabbing at the armrests.
The principal’s frown deepened. “As far as I know he is alright. The reason I called you in here is that I want you to check on him. I tried contacting him, but he has not given much of a response besides simple answers. I think he needs the support of a friend right now.”
My stomach grew colder. “But shouldn’t the school handle that?” I blurted out.
Spears sighed “The school is not equipped to dispense wellness checks to students, there are also liability issues to consider, I am asking you because I believe that you can help Anon find his footing so to speak. He seemed like a rather independent young man but I believe he needs a little help right now.” The principal gave me a sympathetic look. “I don’t want you to feel pressured into it, I will go to check up on him myself if you do not feel up to it.”
I felt bolted to the seat. The idea of helping Anon sounded great but having to help deal with his own meltdown scared me. I could barely deal with my own episodes why did Spears think I could do this.
The kindly face of the principal reassured me of my possible options. I could leave this to him, and he would go to Anon and talk him into coming back to school if I left it to him. But the guilt of running away caused my stomach to flop. The vista of Volcaldera springs fresh in my mind, the feeling of warmth, acceptance.
“I’ll talk to him, principal Spears.”
The principal smiles. “Thank you, Mrs. Aron, I can arrange transportation to his address.”
The ride over was nerve-racking, thinking over what I could say. The cabbie, some raptor with weird eyebrows, seemed to get the hint I didn’t want to talk and keep the radio down. The walk up to his apartment was even worse, not just because of where I was but also because I still had no idea what to say. The door seemed more imposing the closer I got to it. Before I can chicken out, I knock on the door.
“Anon! It’s me, Fang! Open up!”
There is no response.
“Come on dweeb, open the door! I know you are in there!”
A cold silence echoes back. For a second, I think about leaving. The neighbors can probably hear me and some of the people in the hall turn to look at me, judging. What the fuck am I doing.
“Everyone will probably forget about the slide show in a week! Remember the band!? Anon, I’m sorry I laughed! I didn’t mean it! Please open the door!”
There is no sound of shuffling or movement, not even a courtesy ‘fuck off’ to turn me away. I would have been alright with that, at least I know he’s still in there. I start slamming on the door shouting louder.
“Open the door dumbass! I want to see if you’re alright in there! Now open up!”
A sickening fear creeps up my throat. Anon didn’t seem like the type of person to do something drastic. He always seemed like the kind of guy to really think things through. But I had been shouting and slamming on the door for what felt like minutes now. That should get some thing, right?
“Anon, I’m serious open the fucking door! I know you can hear me! HEY! Stop messing with me Anon!”
“Please say something” I plead to the door. The silence seems to be mocking me at this point. A flash of anger spits forth.
“Was all that shit on the roof just you bullshitting out an answer?! Were you just lying about that ‘Be YoUrSeLf’ stuff!? HUH?! FUCKING COWARD!!”
I finish my rant by hammering both fists into the door. A resounding ‘THWAM’ followed by silence.
“Please tell me that wasn’t bullshit.” I plead once more.
“Fang?”
The was open just a crack. In that gap stands Anon. His face looks paler than usual, with paranoia covering his features. We both look at each other through the open sliver for a moment before I lunge and push the door open. Wings and arms dragging him into my tight embrace planting a smooch on his cheek, his own arms reflexively wrapping around me. Pulling away I give him a quick once over. Hair, None to pull out, arms, nothing.
“Thank Raptor Jesus your alright, you had me going there for a sec.” I giggled out; the previous hysteria was washed away by relief. Anon still looks stunned at my intrusion into his home.
“So, this is where you live? No wonder you’re on welfare.” I continue. Anon slowly comes back to cognizance, a look of guilt on his face.
“I’m sorry for making you wait out there” he apologizes softly, his face twisting in shame “and for the stuff I said on the roof.”
“Don’t sweat it, it was good advice” I correct quickly “That is if you actually believe it.”
Anon leans away resting his back against a nearby wall seemingly trying to squeeze himself smaller.
“I thought I did, but you saw the presentation.”
“Then maybe you should try to be honest about who you are.” I quip. Anon gives me a sour look at having his own words of wisdom used against him.
“To be honest I still don’t know who I want to be but trying to stay to who me is has helped in its own ways,” I said, trying to give the lonely human some faith in his own words.
Anon seems to consider this for a few moments, quietly contemplating his own interpretation of his words. Looking back at me his face stretches into a wry grin his cheeks looking a little pink.
“So, were you fucking with me on the roof, or do dinos really kiss like that?”
My own face lights with embarrassment, before we both burst into laughs.
Maybe Reed was right.