Delirium (Creepypasta x reader)

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At some point in the next few days, Cathy decides to break her silence - and it was not in the way you expected at all.

Cathy had always been somewhat like a forest fire when someone got on her nerves. Quick to ignite, burning up everything in her path with unbridled anger, left to smoulder under the leafage for months when it's over. You'd seen it happen quite a few times in your friendship. Though you were never on the receiving end of such a war path, witnessing it was akin to standing next to the flames; humbled by the ferocity, fearful of if (or when) it would turn on you.

Because of this history you were, understandably, quite nervous of this ice age that had frozen over your relationship. It was nearly a week before she acknowledged you again, and it nearly blindsided you with the, well, lack of yelling, cussing in German, and scorching retribution.

Because you had been thinking about it; about what she could be planning to do. The fear wormed its way into your dreams, which had been not so sweet as of late, and you found yourself waking from nightmares where monsters wearing Cathy's face chased you, and caught you, and tore you to shreds. Covered in sweat and shaking from head to toe, you thanked the heavens that they were only dreams.

The not-so-violent thawing of the ice happened at the end of the class you shared with her.

The professor, finished with their teaching, had written the chapters you needed to study for the upcoming quiz and dismissed everyone early. You personally enjoyed this: with your next class in an hour, you now had an extra ten minutes to finish the work you had not quite completed. Focused on packing up your textbook and binder in your messenger bag, you only glanced up once to confirm you had written the correct information down in your agenda.

That's when you saw her down at the bottom of the auditorium.

The first thing you noticed was her hair. For a year now she had kept it the same cyan blue, usually dying it herself but sometimes asking you to help her with the back section. She must have changed it overnight, because now her hair was a deep red, nearly maroon in colour. It made her grey eyes striking, like they were piercing right through you.

You froze like a deer in headlights, your pencil case clenched in your hand. Imagining the worst.

Her books were clutched in her arms, but she shuffled them to one side so she could give you a little wave followed by a small smile.

Come down she mouthed.

Your fear turned to confusion, and the churning in your stomach stopped abruptly. Zipping your bag up, you slung it on your shoulder and descended the stairs, approaching Cathy like she was a feral, hissing cat.

Cathy was far from hissing though. She was still smiling, waiting patiently at the bottom like she hadn't been ghosting you for what seemed like forever and also changed her hair colour to the complete opposite of what it once was.

You stopped three stairs before her, eyes trained on her hair, not looking at her face. You still weren't entirely sure if she was attempting to make you take your guard down or not.

"Hey," she said, rocking back and forth on her heels, "Wanna get pizza?"

That's how you found yourself taking a joyride a few blocks down from the university in Cathy's car, seat belt definitely secured and your hand giving a death-grip to the groove in the car door next to the power window button... It's like a gum holder, or something? That thing, whatever, you didn't really have the higher thinking on the drive needed for deep philosophical questions like what that part of the car was called.

It was then that you noticed the difference that had sprung up in Cathy during the week of no contact. It was more than just her dye change (which she preened about when you asked), her whole vibe was different, though you couldn't place how. She was less focused, wild somewhat, her eyes holding a spark of... Enthusiasm, a passion you hadn't seen before.