((A/N: Art is by KoffeeSpace on Deviantart! ))

I stifle a laugh and look at all of them, my voice shaking. "Stop messing with the new kid, that's not nice," I said in my own terrible defense.

"What, they're just stating facts," Reese chimed in. "He's the only teacher here. He's the only person who can give out the punishments besides the principal."

Shaking my head, I stare at Reese. "So you're not joking, are you?! You come to school every day and have math the entire day with him and then he just beats you afterwards? Where are the police?"

None of them answer my questions. None of them really seem to know how to.

Utter despair and shock fills my entire body and mind. This is where I'll be for the rest of who-knows how long. But I knew there was something else happening. Baldi didn't seem like he even wanted to do it.

I keep telling myself that he doesn't really want to do any of this. And my brain starts to piece things together.

The Principal... The circuits start connecting in my brain. He's the only one who can give punishments besides Baldi. He has something to do with it. I know it.

"What are you staring at?" Reese laughs and waves her hand in front of my face. "Get back to Earth, and eat your food already. It's gonna get cold."

"The Principal!" I spout, turning to my new friends. "When Mr. Baldi was yelling at me, he seemed really sad and reluctant. I'm being serious, he even started to say he wouldn't tell anyone and then he froze like a computer and then did it."

The words spilled out of my mouth and attacked their unsuspecting ears. It all started to make sense to me now. How haven't they figured this out yet?

"What are you getting at?" The brown haired boy asked again.

"Something is going on behind the scenes," I spat, attempting to get my point across. "Baldi isn't doing all of this on his own will. He can't be, someone is pulling the strings."

Reese looked at them, considering what I had to say. "I-I never thought of that." She said quietly, looking down at her food. "When I get punished for talking in class, he doesn't show any emotion at all."

The boy in blue chimes in, "Same. Sometimes he hesitates, but he usually doesn't say anything. The most he'll say is 'you know what I have to do'.

Other kids share their experiences as well. All of them look like they've just been told that Santa Claus doesn't exist.

When they all finish, we all just sit in silence, occasionally picking at our food.

"We never got to introduce ourselves to (Y/N)," Reese breaks the ice and looks at me. "This is Nick," she points at the boy in the blue shirt. "Luke," the brown-haired boy, "Alice," one of the two girls sitting across from me, "and Kira, Alice's sister."

I smiled at them and we all just nervously waved to each other. "I want to know more about this whole thing. I'm staying after school."

"How?!" Alice said in a squeaky voice. "The Principal will catch you and you'll get detention. Then Baldi will beat you." Her voice had a fearful edge to it.

"I know, I know," Setting my fork down, I look at all of them. "I'm gonna hide in the janitor's closet and listen. Or something. But I got this. I'm a fast runner. I won't get caught," I said with a triumphant smile.

Before any of us could say any more, the bell obnoxiously rang again, sending the floor shaking.

~

I bid goodbye to all of my newfound friends and quietly headed to the janitor's closet, which was surprisingly small and empty. I caught my breath and leaned up against the side of the wall, looking at my hand. A purple bruise covered my knuckles.

You have to find something, I coached myself. Something will happen. Just wait for it.

Two pairs of footsteps sound down the hallway, a bored, monotone voice speaking.

"I saw what you did today," he droned, the footsteps coming closer. "I'm afraid I can't let you get away with your lack of discipline."

"The Principal!" I muttered under my breath, leaning my ear against the door.

A voice resembling Baldi's responded, "Yes, but see, there's a good reason. It's unrealistic to have to smack-"

The Principal retorted, and somehow sounded annoyed in his painfully elongated speech. "You've been doing this for years, you can't stop now. I'm assuming you'd like to keep your job."

The footsteps stopped around the corner at the end of the hall.

"Well, of course, I-," Baldi stuttered, all of his confidence seemingly destroyed. He let out a deep sigh. "I'll do better next time." The last sentence was low and breathy.

My heart sunk.

I was right.

"Close up the school, I have things to do at home," the Principal demanded in his robotic speech. "Gotta Sweep will help." The Principal turned in the opposite direction, his shoes clanking on the tile floor.

I shifted nervously and I felt the tension in the air rise.

"Hey, Gotta Sweep," Baldi asked, heading towards me.

Fuck. He's not here... he's gonna find me.

"I might need some help-"

The door to the closet opened and light poured in. My heart stopped. I turned my head slowly to look up at him, beads of sweat forming on my forehead.

Baldi stared down at me and his face contorted. He shook his head rapidly and grunted in frustration. "No, no, no, no, " He screamed, slamming the door shut.

My whole body twitched. Words scrambled my mind and sentences miserably attempted to articulate themselves.

I reached a shaky hand up and weakly opened the door, standing up. I needed to pull myself together.

I took a deep breath and regained my composure, quietly shutting the door behind me.

Baldi miserably sat, slumped against the wall with his head in his hands. "Why are you here, (Y/N)... get out. You've done enough already." His voice was low. This wasn't the Baldi that he presented himself as at all.

"Mr. Baldi," I said quietly, walking over to him, slowly brushing my fear away. "I know what's going on." Standing over him, I felt my heart sink even more.

Usually I'd never even think about doing something like this... I never feel for strangers. But something about him is compelling.

His head lifts slowly and stares up at me, his face sunken, looking close to tears. "You do, do you?" He asks quietly, gripping at his turtleneck's sleeves. "Why are you even here? It's after school hours."

My face flushed. He's right. Add this to my list of screw-ups for the day. "I know it's my first day here, but something is clearly wrong," I motion my hands, sweeping them through the air. "And you're being affected by it..."

"So you do know," his voice lowers to a whisper. "About him. You were listening from inside the closet." The last few words sounded angry, and it made me step back a little.

I say nothing and simply hold out my hand. He reaches up and grabs it, his grip much stronger than I expected. He stands up and looks down at the hand he took.

The veins in my hand all swollen and purple. He turns my hand over and then back again, sighing.

He held my hand tighter and looked around, then back down at me with piercing emerald eyes. "I'm sorry."

~

Hm, should I speed this up a little bit? I'd hate to keep you all from what you came here for uwu