Chapter Text
Scary can’t believe she’s doing this.
Ugh, she really needs to make more friends.
But that would require letting more people in, and she already trusts five people enough to call them her friends, that should be plenty, she should never have to worry about having enough.
But Taylor and Link had no experience in this department, this was about Erica so she couldn’t ask her, and Normal, while having some experience, would be way too annoying about it, smiling at her knowingly with his encouraging grin, and saying he “knows this will go great!” and that he had been “rooting for her ever since she first said she had a crush on Erica.” Optimism that was, admittedly, sweet but not useful for her.
So that left exactly one person who she felt okay with opening up to. So now she was here, desperate for guidance, standing in the rain with just an umbrella about to ask Hermie for advice. She stood at his doorstep and rang the bell. He came to the door and looked slightly confused, “Hello Scary. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Hermie.” She said, her face neutral. But internally she was panicked; she can’t do this. It was too embarrassing.
“Nevermind, forget I ever came here. This is stupid.” She turned on her heels, fleeing seemed to be the best option currently.
“Scary while I usually would write this off as one of the weird things that leaders do, you genuinely seem upset. Do you want to come in? I’d hate to leave a friend behind when she’s clearly in distress.” He moved from the door to make room for her.
She grunted and turned back around. “Who are you to call anyone weird, you method acted as the Joker for weeks!” She still came in.
He shrugged, “And can you say that the performance was bad?” He led her inside and guided her into the living room, “While I don’t go as hard into my roles as I used to since Normal asked me to stop as he “wants to be around his boyfriend sometimes even if he loves every role I play” and “it’s not healthy for you”, my method got results.” He then sat on the couch, and gestured to a spot on the adjacent loveseat for Scary to sit on, “But this isn’t about me, this is about you. What could possibly be going on that would lead you to coming here voluntarily?”
“It’s not that weird, we almost died together like, several times!”
“True, and I do care about you, if that wasn’t obvious. But we aren’t exactly people who hang out on our own, I didn’t think we had too much in common.” He then paused and thought for a moment, “Do you want to almost die together again? I think our only other commonality is makeup, and I can’t imagine you wanting my tips. Besides that, I guess we both have Normal in common.” He then smiled, “Is this about my kitten?”
“Ugggggg, how are you two so gross even when one of you isn’t here?”
“It’s called “young love” Scary. Haven’t you heard of it?” He teased.
She looked down, avoiding Hermie’s eye contact. Young love, that was her problem. The thought of love led her to crushes which led her back to Erica. The idea of Erica and love brought a blush onto her face and she wished they were still outside so that she could blame the cold or heat or whatever the temperature was outside.
“Ohhhh, I see,” She heard him say with a knowing but still teasing tone, “You have a crush. Well, you’ve come to the correct place!” She could hear the smirk in his voice.
“I already regret coming here.” She grumbled but she made no attempt to actually leave.
“Hush, hush, you should never regret spending time with old Hermster.” God, could he ever realize how ridiculous he sounded? Did he just not care?
“I have actively regretted it many times actually.” She finally lifted her head back up.
“Well, you won't this time!” He put his fingers together in an almost triangular shape “So tell me about them? I don’t need a name if you don’t wish to share, but some information might be useful. Or we can skip to the problem itself if you really don’t want to say it."
“Uggh, well her name is uh…Candis Grippier.”
“Candis Grippier?” Hermie raised an eyebrow at her.
“Yeah, it's…French!” She defended, flustered. “And you don’t know her at all, but she’s cool in a not like me kind of way. Like we have very few interests in common but she’s surprisingly funny and nice when she wants to be but also doesn’t take shit but will still try out things I like and I will try out new things for her-” She paused for just a moment, “Which is like new for me since I’ve been hesitant to go outside my comfort zones both old and new for like ever and there's very few I would do that for…but I would do it for her.”
“Well, it seems that you have a crush,” Hermie said, thankfully not commenting on all the emotional things Scary just unloaded onto him. “So what’s the problem?”
Scary mumbled her question, Hermie gave her a quizzical look.
“I’m going to need you to speak up Scary, I can’t make out the problem.”
“How do I accept a confession?”
This caused Hermie to pause, “Accept a confession? Has… Candis asked you out already?”
Scary sighed, “I took this item from D.A.D.D.I.E.S. and it showed me an event from my future, and what I saw was,” the blush returned to her face, “Er-Candis asking me out tomorrow after school. And I-I don’t know how to accept that confession.”
Hermie nods, “Got ya, we’ll Scary I have some good news though you won’t like it.”
“Okay?”
“The answer is really simple-“
“-Why would I hate that?”
“You just have to say yes.”
“Ugggg, you realize that’s like the least helpful thing ever right?”
Hermie nods, “I do, and I wish I could help more. But truly, if you like Candis back, you just have to say “Yes” when she asks you. Bury all of your nerves and take that leap of faith to try to pursue this.”
“…I hate that your right.” She grumbled. “Any other advice?” She asked after about a minute of thinking.
“Make sure you have nice breath after school and don’t try to dress up too much tomorrow despite knowing what happens. It could make Candis nervous.”
“That’s…actually good advice. Maybe I won’t regret going to you.” She teased.
“No problem. Don’t tell my beloved, but I still live to serve. Just not as much.”
“Yeah, sure, whatever.” She then got up, “Any other advice before I go? I can’t have anyone know I actually went to your house.”
“How would you ever live that down?” He sardonically replied, “However, my parting words to you, and yes I know that this is a lot coming from me, is that you should be who you are, Candis is interested in that.”
“You are aware that that is the cheesiest thing you could’ve possibly said right?” She looked away, not wanting to even give off the appearance that she knew Hermie was right. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with Normal recently?”
“Oh how shocking, a boy spends time with his boyfriend.” Hermie shot back, “But, seriously, it’s the best advice I can give.”
“Well anyway Hermie, I’m going now. Thanks, I guess.” She would not give Hermie the dignity of being genuine.
“Of course, of course. Anytime Scary. Now, if you don’t mind, you can let yourself out, I need to get back to writing potential best man speeches for you and Erica’s wedding.”
She looked at him in shock, “How did you know that-”
“That Candis is Erica? Old Hermster is an expert at solving anagrams.” He winked. “ Also have you seen the way you look at her? I’d be shocked if you accepted anyone else’s confession.”
She groaned, her cover was totally destroyed. “Not a word to anyone else- even Norm.”
“Sure thing Scare-Bear.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“See you around.”
“Goodbye, Hermie.”
And with that Scary left.