Duska

"Ms Rose!"

I jump at the loud voice from the front of the lecture room, I must have dozed off again during the lecture.

"Ms Rose this is the third time this week!"

"Sorry Professor Hughes, i've been doing overtime at work."

"Why on earth would you do that!?!"

"My apartment sir, I can't afford a cheaper one."

"Well you must find a solution soon or I will kick you out of my lectures."

"Yes Professor."

I keep my head down for the remainder lecture and as it ends I begin thinking of how to fix this problem. No one has answered my ad for a roommate, by now I wouldn't even mind the monster Moldsmal to answer it. I slowly stand, throw my bag over my shoulder and exit the hall before the Professor sees and begins giving me a personal lecture on proper amounts of sleep. I pass several groups of other young adults talking, I notice that their mixes of human and monsters which makes me smile at how well everyone's settled at our new way of life. Many monsters fitted in extremely well as anime had poured in from the surface down into the underground to be mass produced and shown all over. I have watched a lot of anime but the only one that i've really liked was Deathnote, but none of the monsters i've met has liked it since there's no magical teenage girl and/or cat in it like Mew Mew Kitty. As I walk home I become extremely relieved yet afraid about being fired from work yesterday. I was doing overtime for the supermarket but then they fired me for 'opening' a packet of milk which led to someone pouring it all over themselves. That milk was already open and the shirt that they were wearing costed five dollars! No need to fire me over it! Now i'm jobless, a week left of food in my fridge and no roommates to help out. 

"I wonder if Moldsmal needs a home. I know he works, where though I wonder..."

I talk to myself as I unlock my door and enter the apartment with the sound of beeping coming from the laptop on the table. I throw my bag down as I collapse into the dining room chair and open the laptop to see an email pop up. I click it but become immediately confused as the senders email isn't familiar to me: [email protected]

"BONEdead? Is that a dog pun or something?"

I faulter a moment as something in my head says to delete without reading it but logic tells me to open it up. 

hey. i'm replying to your ad for roommates. my brother and I are looking for a place to stay and this looks like a good deal. my numbers xxx-xxx-xxx if you wanna reply back to my reply. just a warning i can't promise much more than speghetti for dinner. we won't have parties but we may have friends come over every now and again. don't worry about feeling bad for us if it's too inconvient, i won't have a BONE to pick with ya.

I sigh as I pick up my mobile, from this it seems that the brothers may be alright but the whole speghetti thing will need to be talked about and as long as they warn me before their friends come than it'll work out. I type out the number and begin counting the rings. One. Two. Three. Fou-

"yeah?"

The voice that comes from the opposite end is deep yet sounds kind and calm. 

"Hello are you uh... BONEdead?"

"yeah that's me. you the girl looking for roommates?"

"Yes, i'm Duska."

"i'm sans. did you call to reply?"

"Yes, is there a time and place where we could meet up and talk about it? It'll be easier than over the phone."

"sure, you know grillbyz?"

"The monster diner? yeah, I know it. What time?"

"i'm good now."

"Now?"

"that a bad time?"

"No no, it'll be fine. I'll meet you there in... half an hour?"

"yeah, i can do that. see ya then."

"See you."

He hung up immediately after my words, I don't even know if he heard them. I close the laptop and have a quick shower before getting changed into something more comfortable than my jacket and pants. Many people dislike the cold here unlike me and i'm always asked questions so I decided to just wear something warmer so that people leave me alone. My long black hair compliments the dark blue short sleeve and the black three-quarter pants. I throw on a pair of socks and my black runners and leave the apartment behind me as I begin my walk to the monster diner Grillbyz. He's a fire elemental but other than that I really don't know anything about him, i've only walked past but i've never entered. Several humans are inside but the majority of patrons are monsters of different types. I walk up the the main bar and take a seat right infront of where Grillby is standing. He motions me to pick something from the menu, a food instantly pops out at me.

"Just some fries please."

He walks away as I recover from the heat he radiated, it was only enough to warm me up a bit but I prefer the cold more.

"hey."

I turn around to see a short, big boned skeleton walk up and take a seat beside me, his voice is familiar.

"Are you Sans?"

"yep. nice to meetcha duska."

I stare at him as I begin to process what's infront of me. I actually didn't think that a monster would reply to my ad, my rules were too... weird. Grillby knocks me out of my trance as he places down my fries and a burger leaking with ketchup to Sans.

"weren't expecting a monster huh? sorry, should've mentioned it in my email."

"It's fine. It's just that i'm not the best socialite in town."

"doin' pretty well so far. anyway, i can pay for both me and my brother. anything you wanna mention?"

"Oh uh... I got fired yesterday so..."

"sorry kid. don't worry, i'll pay for food."

"You'll pay for both you, your brother and the food?"

"i have a lot of jobs. i'm on break right now actually."

"Oh, i'll be quick then. Umm... when are you ready to move in?"

"is tuesday good? we need time to pack."

"Anytime after ten thirty is fine, I have school until then."

"school? your still in school?"

"I'm in college for music and art history. Not many others do it anymore but it's the only thing i'm really good at."

"all good. meetcha there at noon. oh, one more question."

"Yes?"

His skull above his eyes turn to a frown but then he looks up at me and shrugs.

"sorry. i was scrambling for an egg joke, but i can't seem to whip one up. guess i'm a bit fried."

I begin laughing hysterically and I immediately choke on one of my fries. I quickly hack it up and I wave off Sans' worry with a dismissive wave and small laugh.

"sorry kid, i guess that was too good."

"It's fine, I haven't really laughed that much since... ever."

"sounds sad."

"I'm a loner who's never had friends, a family or someone who ever truly loved me. It's a little lonely but I think i've grown up fine."

"papyrus and i will change that. oh, breaks over. see ya tuesday kid."

"See ya then. I'm looking forward to meeting your brother."

He gives me a wave of farewell and leaves the diner. I finish up my fries and tip Grillby before heading home and crashing on my double bed. That skeleton monster was the first to make me laugh since being in the orphanage, it's a little sad to me. Maybe these two brothers will change some things in my life. 

"I wonder how this is gonna turn out."