{"sf1_id":1500658,"sf2_id":"dmWJ6pye","title":"The Leaves of Fall Act 2: Fear the Nobodies (Part 9)","author":"Oliver_Hart","words":2499,"posted_at":"2019-10-15T01:14:02.000Z","tags":["Adventure","Alternate Reality","Anon","Boy","Brother","Bunny","Classroom","Couple","Emo","Fight","Girl","Green text","Greentext","HMOFA","Halloween","Heterosexual","High School","Hmofa/","Human","Kissing","Plot Development","Rabbit","Siblings","Slow burn","Young Romance","anthro/human"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1500658-the-leaves-of-fall-act-2-fear-the-nobodies-part-9","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/dmWJ6pye","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/32/33/3233f35c-38b6-4209-aa2e-0ec866440f67","description":"You've never really 'fit in' with the heavily divided Ranchview High School crowd. Jock, Goth, Prep, Cheerleader, Nerd... you were never any of these. But as Halloween approaches, strange things start happening, and a dark ritual begins with the finding of a curious red book. It's a race against time for you and your friends to stop a group of students from ushering in an age of darkness, and to also figure out just what the hell is wrong with that rabbit.  \n~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  \n  \nAbout this version: originally, The Leaves of Fall was split into two pastebins to compensate for the length of the story. Given that pastebin has chosen to censor this story for ambiguous reasons, it will forever be stored here and on AO3. This new version contains spelling, grammar and content fixes. Please understand that the content is all the same as the earlier versions minus some sentences being changed and fixed up. I cannot stress this enough: no new content has been added. It's my hope that this is a cleaner, easier-to-read version of the story.  \n  \nCover: [https://imgur.com/a/vZS4Q](https://imgur.com/a/vZS4Q)  \nSam (drawn by Akella of /hmofa/) [https://imgur.com/a/nk3t1wT](https://imgur.com/a/nk3t1wT)  \nFan art collection: [https://imgur.com/a/SCCSIQv](https://imgur.com/a/SCCSIQv)  \nAccompanying playlist (WIP): [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9aXlzDRA49QKxgYsOV2JuDd410\\_nI-0J](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9aXlzDRA49QKxgYsOV2JuDd410_nI-0J)  \nAlternative link: [https://www.sofurry.com/view/1479078](https://www.sofurry.com/view/1479078)  \nTotal word count: 147,552 words","content":"\\\u003eSam could not take it  \n\\\u003eHe spends the whole movie clinging to your arm so tightly you can physically feel blood returning to it once Batman dashes off into the night for his final scene  \n\\\u003eAlex, being the beautiful, wonderful, intelligent, radiant retard that he is, keeps looking over and flashing you thumbs ups  \n\\\u003eYou sneak in a middle finger at one point and try to scoot away from Sam, but (consciously or unconsciously) he follows you to the other side of the couch  \n\\\u003eGod fuck  \n\\\u003eYou spend the entirety of the movie with an extra 90-something pounds clinging to your arm  \n  \n\\\u003e\"Well that was fun,\" Alex says through a yawn. “How about we watch another one?\"  \n\\\u003eThe wind outside had begun to pick up  \n\\\u003eIt's 10, still too early for bed, but you're all tired  \n\\\u003eMaybe one more and you're good to go  \n“Sam, can you do another one?\"  \n\\\u003eHe is laying down partially in a nest of Dr. Beppers, clinging to your arm and staring in abject shock as the credits roll across the screen  \n\\\u003eYou start trying to shake him loose  \n\\\u003eTo which he complies, sitting up straight, sending his pile of cans scattering  \n“I don't think Sam has another one in him.\"  \n\\\u003eYou nudge Sam playfully, but secretly hope you're correct  \n\\\u003eYou're starting to feel the weight of sleep pressing on your whole body  \n“Only thing he's got in him is eight or nine Dr. Beppers,\" you snicker  \n\\\u003eSam does not respond  \n\\\u003eThe credits roll across his glassed eyes  \n“Sam?\"  \n\\\u003eYou jam an elbow in his side   \n\\\u003eHe immediately shakes his head, ears loudly whipping and slapping against the sides of his skull  \n\\\u003e\"Is that a no?\" Alex says, raising his eyebrow  \n\\\u003e\"Yes!\" Sam shouts, no longer shaking his head, but twisting his ears  \n\\\u003eIt seriously looks like he's going to tear them off  \n\\\u003e\"So, no movie. Got it,\" Alex says  \n\\\u003e\"N-NO! Y-Yes! Movie!\"  \n“You sure? You look like you're on the verge of a panic attack.\"  \n\\\u003e\"I-I-I'm not, I-“  \n\\\u003e\"The Joker probably just freaked him out. Heh. Wanna know how I got these scars?\" Alex does his best imitation voice of The Joker  \n\\\u003eWhich is truly, truly terrible  \n\\\u003e\"N-N-No!\" He shouts again, his body sinking into the couch  \n\\\u003eHe draws a fortifying breath  \n\\\u003e\"I'm not scared! T-Th-That was the f-f-first m-movie I've wanted to s-see that I've been able t-t-to…\"  \n“Watch…\" You whisper  \n\\\u003eSam's home life hasn't been good, but depriving a kid like him of superhero movies ought to be a crime  \n\\\u003e\"A-A-All we have I-is- o-old movies we g-get out of garage s-s-sales,\" he says. “D-Dad always picked th-them.\"  \n\\\u003eAlex holds up a copy of Mulan  \n\\\u003e\"You ever seen this one? It's like a superhero movie.\"  \n\\\u003eHe eyes the title from the couch  \n\\\u003e\"N-N-No. Can we?\"  \n\\\u003eHe looks up to you like a little kid asking his dad for something  \n\\\u003eWhat the fuck  \n“Y-Yeah,\" you stammer, not sure how to handle someone so chronically deprived of entertainment staples like Disney films. “You think you can handle this one? It's about a war I think.\"  \n\\\u003e\"Y-Yeah,\" He says, sinking into the cushion  \n\\\u003eThe nest of cans crinkles beneath him  \n  \n\\\u003eOnce again, Sam could not take it  \n\\\u003eDuring The Dark Knight he looked drawn in and obsessive  \n\\\u003eDuring Mulan, however, he just looked incredibly uncomfortable, especially during the big gender reveal scene  \n\\\u003eHe squirmed anxiously, even drawing his ears over his eyes at one point  \n\\\u003eThe movie gracefully concludes and you breathe a sigh of relief   \n\\\u003eAnd not just for Sam's sake  \n\\\u003eIt hurt watching him squirm and kick his legs in anxious fits  \n\\\u003eWhat hurts more is your insides  \n\\\u003eYou feel like they're at war with each other  \n\\\u003eHeart versus brain  \n\\\u003eVersus… Well, your other, smaller brain, dangling between your legs  \n\\\u003eSam's PJs nearly slip off his lithe body  \n\\\u003eYou can see the bare of the top part of his hips, the soft fur that begs your touch  \n\\\u003eIt was like that the whole movie  \n\\\u003eAt credits end, with Alex nearly passed out in his chair, you slip into the kitchen  \n\\\u003eFUCK  \n\\\u003eYou splash some cold water on your face, feeling the sting of reality dripping off your feverish skin  \n\\\u003eAnon, control yourself  \n\\\u003e… Maybe it's just been awhile since you've fapped, and so you're turning prison gay  \n\\\u003eThat and Sam is such a feminine guy  \n\\\u003eYou're not into that, right?  \n\\\u003eE-Even if you were gay, that's not bad, right?  \n\\\u003eYou grip the edges of the sink hard as you draw air deep into your lungs, trying to calm yourself  \n\\\u003eIt's also midnight, so it's bedtime  \n\\\u003eYou've had a weird, intense day, so you just need to sleep to figure shit out tomorrow  \n\\\u003eTomorrow  \n\\\u003eYour heart sinks in your chest  \n\\\u003eYou remember the promise you made to Vanessa?  \n\\\u003eYou know, the one where you betray the trust of someone and aid in a dark ritual?  \n\\\u003eThe promise of snakes?  \n\\\u003eYeah  \n\\\u003eYou gotta go to school  \n\\\u003eAnd then there's Sam and Alex  \n\\\u003eAre they going to school too?  \n\\\u003eYou can't call the police about Sam's Dad  \n\\\u003eYou're technically fugitives, or at the very least, you're all at risk of getting fucking killed  \n\\\u003eIn more ways than one  \n\\\u003eFUCK  \n\\\u003eFUCKITY FUCK FUCK  \n\\\u003eYou shake your head  \n\\\u003eYou just need to go get your sleeping bags out, clear some space in the room, and catch some sleep  \n\\\u003eBut first, Sam and Alex  \n  \n“So the plan is straightforward: I go to school, Alex goes to school. Sam, you stay here. It's safer…\"  \n\\\u003eThe rabbit looks uncomfortable with the idea of ditching school. He starts threading his fingers together  \n“What? What's wrong?\" You say, some suppressed anger coloring your voice. “It makes the most sense.\"  \n\\\u003e\"I just…\"  \n“What? You just what, Sam? Your dad will look for you at school.\"  \n\\\u003e\"I know!\" He squeezes his ears. “B-B-But If I miss mo-more school I w-w-won't gradua-\"  \n\\\u003e\"BULLSHIT!\" Alex smacks his couch hard, sending Sam at least six inches into the air  \n\\\u003e\"This institution is BULLSHIT! When will we stop treating work and school like factories! Students aren't machines! Sam, you should stay home.\"  \n\\\u003eYou want to cry out of frustration  \n\\\u003eOr kill Alex  \n\\\u003eYou frantically look between the two  \n\\\u003eAlex looks genuinely upset and ready to be strangled (by you)  \n\\\u003eSam looks like he's on the verge of actual tears  \n\\\u003eYou really don't know what to do here  \n\\\u003eProvided this all goes fucky, Sam will get taken by his dad, and then you'll all go mad in the end anyway  \n\\\u003eBut if your non-existent plan succeeds, you're going to be depriving him of his GED, which is basically the bottom of the barrel for working at any establishment  \n\\\u003eEither way you've ruined his life  \n“Alex, do you work tomorrow?\"  \n\\\u003e\"No. I'm shackle-free.\"  \n“Perfect. Sam.\" You point a finger at the bunny. “You will come with me and Alex to school tomorrow. Do you understand?\"  \n\\\u003eHe nods sheepishly  \n\\\u003e\"Why… Why are we even going to school tomorrow?\"  \n\\\u003eWell, Alex, you see, I made a pact with Vanessa, to sacrifice an innocent goat tomorrow for their evil ritual  \n\\\u003eThis, of course, is all kept to yourself  \n\\\u003eBut you promise yourself that at one point, you will tell all of them what's going on  \n\\\u003eYou're sure Mike would want to know, if he were here and not off fucking around like he probably is  \n“We're going to school tomorrow because...\"  \n\\\u003eCome up with something  \n\\\u003eCome on  \n\\\u003eDo it, retard  \n“Because…\" you look at Sam, his amber eyes shining behind his shock of hair  \n\\\u003eThey're trained on you, waiting for an answer, expectant and honest  \n\\\u003eYou wouldn't lie to those eyes, right?  \n“Because Sam needs to graduate!\" You declare, to no applause, only tired and confused looks from Alex  \n\\\u003eExcept Sam  \n\\\u003eWho is absolutely, positively, could-not-be-more-obvious blushing  \n\\\u003eHe stares straight ahead, locking eyes on absolutely nothing, putting his anxiety in his fingers, which dig uncomfortably into the couch  \n\\\u003eYou can see his mouth working, but nothing comes out  \n\\\u003eAlex raises some eyebrows at you and winks  \n\\\u003e\"Anon, now's your chanceeee,\" he whispers, pointing a sly finger at Sam's couched hands  \n\\\u003eYou shake your head furiously  \n\\\u003eThe rabbit hasn't noticed a thing, and is now trying to hide his shock behind his hair, falling in thick strands over his face  \n“Listen, I just want to make sure Sam graduates. And I also have some research to conduct at school tomorrow with this whole 'book thing.' This is PURELY a scouting mission. There is NO subtext. NONE.\"  \n\\\u003e\"Surrreeee…\"  \n“Fuck off Alex. It's not like I'm going to go to classes anyway.\"  \n\\\u003e\"SURRRRRRRREEEEEEE….\"   \n\\\u003eHe winks at you  \n\\\u003e\"Not gonna go to classsessssss….\"  \n\\\u003eOh come on, there wasn't even a reason to draw that out  \n\\\u003e\"T-Thank you A-Anon,\" Sam squeaks up. “B-But my d-d-dad will be l-looking.\"  \n“Right. I'm thinking that you try and stick close to me. We'll pick a place to meet between and after classes. He's not going to come right into class and snatch you. And if you see him, just…\"  \n\\\u003eYou think  \n\\\u003eWhat can Sam do  \n\\\u003eYour eyes wander down  \n\\\u003eHis waist barely fits into your pants, but the way his legs are…  \n\\\u003eHe could probably get some good distance, not to be speciest or anything  \n“Just run, okay? As far as you can, as fast as you can. Rabbits are quick, and your dad is a drunk old fuck.\"  \n\\\u003e\"J-Just r-r-run. Got it,\" he says, if only to reassure himself. He looks at you with some degree of determination. “O-Okay! I'm gonna r-r-run as hard as I c-can! I'm good at r-running,\"  \n\\\u003e\"That's really speciest of you, Anon,\" Alex says to unlistening ears  \n\\\u003eYeah  \n\\\u003eThis is gonna work out just fine  \n\\\u003eJusssstttt fine  \n\\\u003eYou weigh your options  \n\\\u003eTonight feels like a minor victory, but the rest of the week…  \n\\\u003eThat's up in the air for all of you  \n\\\u003eYou know one thing for certain: you need to figure out something before Friday  \n\\\u003eFriday  \n\\\u003eThe night of the Spooktober Fest. Undoubtedly the goth's target  \n\\\u003eWhy? Because they took an 'angry-at-the-world' phase and turned it into an entire personality  \n\\\u003eSure, you're angry at people too. You've always been an outsider to everyone, but you've done nothing about it  \n\\\u003eNever wanted to 'get back' at anyone  \n\\\u003eExcept the goths, those cringy faggots  \n\\\u003eWhat a week this is going to be  \n\\\u003eYou turn your thoughts towards your group  \n“I gotta be honest with you guys,\" you start. “There's some REALLY bad shit going down at school. I'll tell you more once we get a hold of Mike.\"  \n\\\u003e\"Like libertarian wasteland bad?\" Alex says  \n“I'm not sure I can picture that, but picture the worst thing you can, and then that's about it.\"  \n\\\u003e\"But the ROADS!\" Alex smacks the couch. Again. “Who will build the roads when water is privatized!?\"  \n\\\u003eSam lurches forward, his heart pounding at the sudden noise  \n\\\u003eAlex continues ranting about the evils of the 'free' market  \n\\\u003eYou breathe a sigh of relief as Alex quickly reverts back to his old ways  \n\\\u003eAs tried and true as he always ways  \n\\\u003eIn all of this, you have one thing on your side, for better or worse:  \n\\\u003eYour friends  \n  \n\\\u003eYou decide to all go to bed after midnight  \n\\\u003eBefore that, you grab Sam's freshly cleaned clothes, and you swear they're like five pounds lighter  \n\\\u003eYou're going to force his gay ass to shower tomorrow before school  \n\\\u003eOn your way back you grab two sleeping bags  \n  \n“Just like a sleepover,\" you say to Sam as you roll out his sleeping bag on the floor of your room  \n\\\u003eAll of your dirty clothes are pushed to the side in a pile  \n“I haven't done this in a longggg time,\" you say to yourself. “Pizza, soda, sleeping bags, movies... I feel like a little kid all over again,\" you chuckle  \n\\\u003eSam wrinkles his nose as he glances around the room  \n\\\u003e“I-I-I've never ha-had a sleepover before,\" he says. “I-I'm not u-used to them.\"  \n“I know. There's a million things you haven't done or seen that just blow my mind.\"  \n\\\u003eThe rabbit flashes a weak, regretful look at you  \n\\\u003e\"S-Sorry,\" he says, voice paling against Alex's snores  \n\\\u003ePassed out in his clothes (sans shirt), Alex is sprawled across his sleeping bag  \n\\\u003eHis bag is unzipped completely  \n\\\u003eIt's little more than a blanket to him  \n“What are you apologizing for? It's not your fault you grew up in such a bad environment with such a shithead for a father.\"  \n\\\u003eYou pause in unzipping the sleeping bag  \n\\\u003eSam shuffles his feet a little  \n\\\u003e\"I-It's always my f-f-fault. I d-d-don't even know why y-you're being so nice to me…\"  \n“It's not always your fault dude. You can't control who you're born to.\"  \n\\\u003eYou sit up and stretch  \n“An old friend of mine used to say you get two families: the one you're born into, and the one that you make.\"  \n\\\u003eYou point a finger at Alex, who lays shirtless and splayed out across the floor, barely on his sleeping bag anymore  \n\\\u003e\"He might be a dumbass communist supreme, but he's my friend. And Mike might be an asshole, but he's also my friend. And they're both family.\"  \n\\\u003eAt least, you hope that your friendships can withstand college  \n\\\u003ePeople change  \n\\\u003eYou think…  \n\\\u003eMaybe you'll change when they all leave you behind?  \n\\\u003e\"S-So…\" he clears his throat. His feet thump against the floor, though the rest of him seems paralyzed  \n\\\u003e\"Does that m-m-make me your f-friend?\"  \n\\\u003eYes?  \n\\\u003eNo?  \n\\\u003eGahhh, you don't know what to say. This was largely just an impulse move spurned on by your newfound courage  \n\\\u003eWell, time for another  \n\\\u003eYou nod your head  \n“I guess so. We've known each other for a while, right?\"  \n\\\u003eHis face lights up and his foot pounds the carpet to a tempo that could shake houses  \n\\\u003eAlex only snores louder, as if he were trying to outdo Sam in a noise competition  \n\\\u003e\"D-Dad says I'm not allowed to h-have friends… H-He says I'm only going to h-hurt them a-a-again.\"  \n“Fuck what your dad thinks.\" You start back on his sleeping bag and unzip it all the way down. \"He's just a lonely old bastard.\"  \n\\\u003eSam says nothing, he just watches with fascination as you unzip the sleeping bag  \n\\\u003e\"T-T-That's for m-me?\" He says, as if he was confused  \n\\\u003eHis eyes glow and his nose wrinkles  \n\\\u003eOh, wow. He's probably never been in a sleeping bag before  \n\\\u003eYou explain to him how to use it like he's some kind of little kid, before he happily hops in (heh, hops)  \n  \n“Gnight everyone,\" you say  \n\\\u003eYou kill the lights  \n\\\u003eThe last thing you see is Sam looking up at you, his eyes glowing, cute pink nose wrinkling, the look on his face probably the most contented and safe-kept you've seen him wear  \n\\\u003e\"A-A-Anon?\"  \n“Yes?\"  \n\\\u003eAlex's snore reach a noisy crescendo, but you think you can make out what Sam is trying to say  \n\\\u003e\"T-Thank you. Y-You're my f-f-f-f-friend too.\"  \n\\\u003eFUCK  \n\\\u003eThe Gay(tm) is strong tonight  \n\\\u003eWell, tonight nothing will happen. It's going to be a kosher night, no hotdogs","series":{"name":"The Leaves of Fall","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1499494-the-leaves-of-fall-act-2-fear-the-nobodies-part-8.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1501709-the-leaves-of-fall-act-2-fear-the-nobodies-part-10.json"}}