"I don't have to--what if I don't want to."

"Then I'll just kill you. What happens if I kill you?"

"...I die?"

"Yeah."

"I hate you."

Clay laughs. "You don't hate me."

"No, no, I definitely do."

"No, you don't. --I still need payment, you know, for what you took."

"I thought I had to, like, sew for you or whatever."

"Well, yeah, but that was before you threatened me."

"Soooo does that mean I get to keep it?"

"No, it means you have to give me your mana now. Maybe some of your things, too, we'll go through your room later."

"I'm not going to give you my things! They're my things!"

"Tommy. Give me your mana." He holds out his hand expectantly.

"Or what, bitch?"

"Orrrrr I will kill you."

"What, like, fully kill me?"

"Yes."

...Fuck it, he'll call that bluff. What's the worst that could happen?

"I don't care."

Well. He gave Tommy a shot at doing this the nice way.

He hits Tommy, hard, and takes the mana.

(He... hasn't actually done any maleficing, before. He's done some cheating, maybe, before he came into the scholomance, taking from furniture and buildings and bugs, but-- not like this. It feels... good. It's not even that much mana, really--or, well, it's not mana, is it, not like this, it's malia--but it's a rush, heady and gratifying.)

"Take me to your room."

"Okay, okay, I definitely-- pain still hits different."

It's weird, to watch Clay go through his things like this, making hm noises and sorting them into two piles. On the left is his mana crystals, two of Wilbur's shirts, one pair of his pants, Terrence's knife, his backpack, his notebook, Toby's explosives, some scraps of material, two spare tokens, two pencils, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. On the right is Henry and Shroud and Linda and Phukkit and Toby's water bottle and one pen and his baby blanket and his half-done homework and his music box with Over the Rainbow in it.

Clay takes the pile on the left.

"Am I in shock?" Tommy asks, staring at his ever-more-empty room.

"That all of it?"

"...Yeah."

"Great." He takes a moment to think, rummages around in his bag, and tosses a packet of very-expired kettle corn next to Tommy on the bed. "Here, you can have this."

"I don't want your fucking pity stuff. Fuck you." Clay is getting the packet thrown right back at him.

He catches it easily and puts it right back down. "Take it. You need it, okay?"

"I don't want your pity things." He had his chance to take it back, the packet is getting opened and then stomped on.

"Tommy. Those were for you."

"Yeah, well, I didn't want them. Fuck you. Leave."

Shrug. "Sure. Thanks for the things. See you tomorrow."

Flop onto bed. "Fu-u-uck."

Okay. What does he still have. He has his music box, and one of the cylinders on it; he plays Over The Rainbow for himself while he thinks.

He has his homework. He has Linda. He can get back some of the mana Clay took, at least.

He puts that aside for now. He prays.

Dear God, I know I haven't been talking to you as much this year. No churches in the Scholomance, you know? And there's less to thank you for here than there is outside. I hope Wilbur's having a good time up there with you. He did a lot of bad things but he was a good guy. There's good in everyone, I think, everyone's got a little bit of good in them. Like, Toby's good, even though he gave me to Clay. And maybe Clay's got some good in him too. He likes when I play my music. I mean--we were friends, for a little bit. He's not all bad. I figure you were friends with a lot of people who did bad things, too, so you get that.

I hope you're not pitying me right now but if you are then you should give me lots of cool stuff for it and then nobody will pity me they will just think I am awesome.

Thanks for Henry and Shroud still being alive. I was scared for a bit that Clay would kill them. I dunno if that's, like, you, or if that's Clay, but I don't really want to thank Clay for things, he's a wrongen, so you get all the credit.

Maybe I shouldn't have threatened Clay. Or lied to Toby. I was just... scared.

Stealing from George was fine, though. Probably. I mean, Clay just stole from me, so, like.

I guess that's one of the fuckin commandments though, innit? Thou shalt not steal. Ugh. Well maybe you should send down new commandments to me and they will be better. I bet the guy you gave the old rules to is not as pogchamp as I am. I am so cool and have so many wives. They all want to have sex with me and I say, no thank you ladies, I am a minor and also God has new rules now which he gave to me because I am awesome. And I will show them your rules and they will love me and also you.

I miss Toby. Is that weird? Like, I just saw him yesterday.

I wish Terrence was here. Or Phil. Mary is like Phil but a woman, that's what I always say. She is so beautiful and motherly.

...I miss Wilbur.

If I died, would I get to see him again?

Maybe Clay'll kill me and I'll find out. I think I've been pretty good. Maybe heaven won't be so bad. No mals allowed. Unless they are very good mals but that is okay, I'm not racist or whatever, as long as they don't try to kill me, hey, fine by me. And they will not kill me because I will be already dead.

I probably shouldn't have thrown food on the ground, even if it was pity food, but it's all gross now from my feet and I'm going to have to clean it up. I think you should give me more food that doesn't have feet on it. Not out of pity. Just in thanks, because I am me and I deserve it.

Amen.

And the next day he goes to Tampa's study area in the library. He doesn't have a bag anymore, but he grabs his homework and his music box.

(It is... not the safest, to be walking the hallways on his own, especially without a knife. He'll have to make a new one. He's suddenly really grateful that he's in shape; he has to run the last section, but he makes it.)

The homework's mana-building, too, even with interludes of Over The Rainbow. (It's a good song.) People don't bother him, even though he doesn't have a power-sharer, although he does get a few weird looks.

Clay waits until they're the only ones around to approach him. "Hey, Tommy."

"HELLO."

Clay holds out his hand. "Do you have something you want to give me?"

Tommy is going to shove his music box in his pocket (please God I would really appreciate it if it didn't break thank you). "NOPE. You're evil, by the way. You're evil and I hate you."

Clay laughs. "Okay, Tommy. I know there's something you want to give me, though."

"No, I don't reckon there is."

"Are you sure? What about your mana?"

"What the hell. No. You already took my mana yesterday, you don't just get to--come and, and demand that of me--"

"Tommy."

"Leave me alone. I'm not giving you my fucking mana, bitch."

Alright, fine. Tommy can be hit again, then.

"Ow!!!! What the hell!!!!"

What the fuck???? Tommy is pretty sure someone is supposed to do something about maleficing?????

"If you're not going to give me your mana, I have to take it, Tommy."

"What--no! What the hell, man! No!"

"Anyway, how are you doing?"

What the fuck. What the fuck. "You are a dumb bitch. You are a dumb bitch."

"Sure, Tommy."

"...Do you still have my stuff?"

"Yes."

"Can I have it back, please?"

"What? No. I'm not--what? Tommy, I'm not gonna give you your stuff back."

"Why why why whyyyyyyyyyy. Come onnnnnn. I need my knife, at least, to fuckin', stab shit."

"How about this, I'll keep an eye on you to make sure you don't get eaten, and in return I get to keep your knife."

"You're already taking my fucking mana, you stupid manipulative piece of shit."

"Exactly! So I'll be able to use the knife better anyway."

"What--no--that isn't--uuuuuuuuuuuggggggggghhhhhhh."

"Maybe you can get it back if you, if you listen to me, okay? But right now, you don't listen to me ever, you’re the only person who doesn’t ever listen to me. If I tell you to do something, you’re like no, fuck you, and you go and do, like, the exact opposite. So no, I'm not giving you a knife."

"That does not sound like me. That isn't what I sound like. Fuck you! Do not make fun of me, fuck you, I am so much more powerful than you!"

"You're not--you’re like a little annoying pest, just--pissing me off."

"Fuck you, man. Why-- what do you want."

"...Nothing? I'm just here to talk to you."

"...Oh."

"Tommy, we're still friends, okay?"

"What? Ohh, just because I killed your family doesn't mean we can't be bros!"

"I mean. --Wow, there's, like, a whole mal nation over here."

"There's three."

"Well, there's four now." And now there are zero!

"You know what this reminds me of, this reminds me of the 1910s. ...And I won't get into why."

"The 1910s????? Can you... tell us what that means."

"I'm going to be honest, I have absolutely no idea what that means."

Clay's pretty content to go around stabbing mals and working on his own projects while Tommy does his homework.

"This is so--this is so weird, man. You're just watching me."

"I'm just making sure you're not up to no good. You're in Tampa's study room, that's weird."

"I'm in here because of you, I am-- I am noticing a correlation, between me being here and you watching me--"

"I mean. You also have to take the blame at least partially, right, Tommy? --Oh, there's a mal." Mal is dead. Clay is so good at killing mals.

"No? Why would I take the blame? I'm me!"

"At least admit you're annoying. Just say, 'I am Tommy and I'm annoying'."

"ME? You think I'm annoying?"

"Yes."

"Clay. Clay. Most people when they first meet me find me annoying, and then they realize I am the BEST!"

"Uh-huh. Is that how it is. --Listen, I have breakfast soon, okay? But you can, I'm letting you eat with us."

"Great."

He can have the best seat in the whole cafeteria and he still won't be able to get enough food without any fucking mana.

Fuck Clay.

He doubles down on his homework. He'll have some mana at least. Not enough, but still.

(This is fucking stupid.)

Seniors leave for meals first.

On the one hand, this is not ideal, because walking alone in the Scholomance with no mana is a terrible idea.

On the other hand, fuck Clay, good fucking riddance, maybe he'll choke on a mal and die.

He keeps an eye out and ends up tagging along with a random group of other freshmen. He… Really really cannot be taking risks. The fruit looks safe? Probably? Fuck it. He grabs one of the less-brown bananas and heads over to Tampa’s table. 

"Here, I saved you some." Tommy can have half a pancake.

"Still not taking pity food." Clay can have it back.

"Alright, suit yourself."

"Why is this kid even here?"

"I'm keeping an eye on him."

"That's pretty cool of you."

This is stupid. This is stupid and it sucks.

"Can I have my notebook back today."

"I dunno, what do you want it for?"

"I'm writing a guide on how to sex."

...That startles a laughing fit out of Clay. "You're what?"

"Writing a guide. On how to sex. Really, I don't think this is such a tough concept."

"You know what, sure. You can--have your notebook for a bit. You've--you've already got a banana, that's a good start, you can, you can use it for demonstrations."

"I have no idea what you mean. Really, my friend, you have a dirty mind."

"Hey, you're the one writing a guide on how to sex."

"The world needs me. How will they know how to sex without my guidance? I'm just saying. The last book I wrote saved so many lives."

Snort.

"So how long is Tommy gonna be sitting with us?"

"Like a week."

"Oh, just a week? That's not bad."

"Oh no, no, don't listen to him. He's here for the rest of the year."

"...Wow. Is it, like, a few times a month, and the rest of the time he sits with whoever else?"

"No."

"Oh. Huh, okay, I guess."

"Guuuuuuuys I don't want to be here the rest of the year."

"Well. You did steal from George."

"This su-u-ucks."

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad."

Tommy is going to finish his banana by biting it while maintaining eye contact with Clay, even though it's mushy enough that this is a terrible way to eat the banana. And then he is going to chew so loudly.

"I'll take your tray when you're done."

...He should probably not pick this fight, not on near-zero mana.

"Fine."

Well. One benefit of getting less food than everyone else is that he's done at the same time as the seniors, at least; Clay walks him to class, killing mals along the way, and it's almost nice except for how fuck Clay he is a manipulative evil bitch.

Class is... Fine. It's fine. (Toby doesn't sit with him.)

He's fine.