Hi everyone ! I won't keep you long but there are some things I should tell you before you start reading.
First, this is a highschool!au as you can probably tell so all the characters are younger (they are basically all between 16 and 20) except for Jack and Bella. The two main characters are Bedelia and Hannibal but they are NOT a pairing here. I'll try to add as many characters as I can.
For now the rating is T but it will probably evolve as the story goes on. This is only a small taste : I'm not really sure about it because it's a bit of a crazy idea for the classy Hannibal characters. Please do tell me if you liked it or not, if I should continue or if you don't think it's a good fic idea.
Another thing : I'm French so I'm not really familiar with the American school system. I did a bit of research but I could be wrong somewhere. Please, do tell me. Same with the grammar mistakes !
I hope you will enjoy reading this. If you were wondering I wrote this listening to Les Nocturnes by Chopin.
Yours,
AO.
Prologue : Bouchée
"I sincerely hope they are joking" Bedelia said, sitting in a chair outside the headmaster office.
She was only 17 and would already be graduating at the end of the year. She looked much younger which, without her saying so, was impossibly irritating. A lot of people thought she was actually 16 or under. It would be because of her 5 foot 2 slim silhouette. In any other way, she never behaved like a 16 year-old girl. Or a 17 year-old for that matter. She always sat with her back straight. If she felt overly relaxed, she might cross her legs. She wore the uniform like everybody else but it looked more like something out of a haute couture shop than something all the students had to wear. She never had a hair out a place even in P.E and nobody ever spotted a stain on her or anything that would be out of place were she to attend a professional photo shoot after class.
Those were pleasant details to Hannibal's eyes but what drew him to her was her coldness. She was always collected and rarely let an emotion on her face. Sometimes, she would have a small smile but she was as cold as an iceberg. They met on the first day of high school and stuck with each other everyday for three years but he knew some things about her still eluded him. Far from making him frustrated, he knew that was why he was drawn to her.
Yes, they could say they were best friends.
"Alas, I don't think so. I heard last prom was a catastrophe when they let volunteers organize things, so it would only be logical that they chose their own students this year."
"I guess we should have known before having the best grades in every class this year." He replied.
Hannibal was no less classy than Bedelia. He was from Europe and he lived with his uncle. Everything about him was screaming "mysterious". Some girls were ready to sell their souls for him, others were utterly terrified by him. He had sharp cheekbones and deep dark eyes that were as difficult to read as a book on psychoanalysis for those teenagers whose interest never went beyond the next spring break. His uniform looked as pristine as Bedelia's and everybody always got them mixed up in their head. They looked nothing alike and were incredibly similar.
People called them the "Evil European Twins". Sometimes, they only called them "European Twins" the 'evil' connotation hidden behind the first adjective. That always made Hannibal laugh and Bedelia roll her eyes. Despite her very French name, she came from new Orleans, but still, she had family in London since generations and generations. Hannibal came from Lithuania and still the very thick accent that seduced Bedelia in the first place. That was the reason why they were in the same class despite Hannibal being one year older : he took one year to learn English in order to study in America. One year was apparently more than enough since he got bored in most of his classes now.
"Please, come in" Phyllis, the secretary, asked.
Hannibal let Bedelia walk in the headmaster office before him with an elegant smile.
In the office, Jack Crawford, the headmaster was waiting for them with the three students in charge of the Student Board. Jimmy Price, Bryan Zeller and Beverly Katz had the very difficult charge of making sure the Student Board organized everything correctly. They were hard-working and well-respected by all the students and even by the staff who knew they could count on them when dealing with a hoard of foolish teenagers who dreamed of tearing down the school on every occasion they could find.
Hannibal and Bedelia never really talked to them : they did their best to stay out of extra-curriculum activities that did not involve art or swimming.
"So, your art teacher, Mr. Fell can't stop talking about the two of you and your wonderful skill and taste" Crawford announced. On his desk sat a few of their works.
"Professor Fell is very generous" Hannibal said politely.
"As you may have heard, prom is in only three months now" Beverly interrupted, always the pragmatist.
"Yes, we are aware of that" Bedelia replied as cold as usual.
"As Beverly said," Jack spoke again "Prom is approaching and we know what happens when we let volunteer students organize it. I talk with your teachers and with Beverly, Bryan and Jimmy and they all seem to agree you should take care of prom this year. What say you ?"
Jack Crawford was a stern man. He was very wilful, sometimes even stubborn. He had a code, rules and he applied them sometimes mercilessly. Nobody dared doubting his authority. But he was also very warm and human. He had marks on his skin, proving he smoked a lot earlier in his life and had a booming laugh that made a lot of people at ease around him. He knew how to use his students and his staff for the school to thrive. Never before had he bothered the "European Twins". He must have a very good reason.
"I'm not sure…" Hannibal began after a brief eye contact with Bedelia. "With the homework…"
"Well, once you have A+ on all your papers, I'm not sure how you can do better." Bryan commented.
Bryan was the third in their science class and always boasted like he was the first. Hannibal thought he was rude most of the time.
"You can always do better" Bedelia replied, pining him by a cold glare.
"That's the spirit that made us choose you." Jack interrupted, having no time for petty quarrels between students. "If by any chance your grades drop because of the organization, I will talk to your teachers so they take your work for prom into account. Despite all that, we noticed you never take part in school activities : you never volunteered or took part in any club, except for the sculpture club where you left after doing so brilliant Rodin's replica in a month… If you have something to add on your college applications, that would be taking part in the spirit of the community. I strongly suggest you think about it."
"Plus, " Beverly added "You won't be alone. You are in charge, but you don't have to do anything by yourselves. You can always ask for the help of the Student Board and we will see what we can do in terms of money or of material means. We can give you paint, cardboard…"
Hannibal looked at Bedelia. For anyone in the room, they were only blankly looking at each other eyes. In fact, they were debating : they did not have much of a choice and that would help them for college. They ended their conversation with a nod and turned back to Jack :
"In that case, we will accept the responsibility." Bedelia gracefully answered with a polite smile.
/
"So we have the prom organizers, so I heard" Will said.
Will and Beverly were walking the neighbourhood dogs as the two only volunteers of the "Pet caring" club. It was, in fact, created by Will. It was one of Jack's conditions for taking Will back after he had dropped out of school last year, losing whatever advance he had gained by his almost supernatural intelligence.
They only had five dogs to walk on Thursday afternoon so it was very quiet. Will liked dogs. He liked them more than students. Except Beverly. She always laughed at him because he liked her even when her name was Katz. He usually shrugged and avoided eye contact, as usual. Beverly was the only one to get him. Other students usually laughed at him or looked at him as if he was some kind of weirdo. Will always had been a lonely kid. Which didn't mean he didn't appreciate Bev' company : she was frank, direct and easy-going, everything he needed in a true friend. She had left the self-defence club she liked so much in order to be the second member of the "Pet Caring" club so it could be opened. Beverly was that kind of person.
Jack had been right : having a contact, a friend in the school helped Will not to drop out again when things got difficult. They talked about homework sometimes, about people too. Will never missed his walking the dogs sessions with Beverly and, if he happened to have missed a class, she would reprimand him very sternly before handing him her notes and commanding him to be ready for the next class.
"Yeah, Jack invited the European Twins over in his office. It looked like a psychological thriller." Bev' laughed.
"They are very dramatic" Will commented.
"But minimalist. It's very difficult to read their faces."
"A poker face is a role" Will replied.
"So next week, we are expecting a theme and then, usual mess : meetings to see what we can do with the budget, which had shrunk thanks to the mess last prom left us, gathering the materials and then, work, work, work…"
"You never get tired…"
"Well, you already saw me on a Monday morning…"
They walked in silence for a while. Will pat a dog who was too slow on the head, encouraging him to keep the pace.
Will didn't look like it but he was a very kind young man. He emphasized with people too much to think straight when he was in a crowd. He never liked being around people but he was really good with them when he was forced too. He didn't handle pressure well however and liked to have his own pace. That was what reduced him to drop out once. Too much deadlines, too much stress, not enough understanding for his condition.
A lot of people thought he had Asperger but Beverly knew it was the opposite : she had to deal with him as she had to deal with all the drop outs who where given a second chance and she knew he could be very well socially adapted if his understanding of others didn't that deep. She felt very protective of him and liked to treat him like a little brother even if they had the same age. She liked ruffling his already messy hair and stealing his glasses to imitate Zeller.
After a long usual silence, Beverly spoke again :
"You know, it would be cool if you dropped in and lent a hand sometime. You're gifted and any help will do."
She knew she shouldn't talk about commitment not to scare Will off but she thought he was serious enough to be useful. Besides, she was his only real friend now and that should change.
"So, recruiting already ?" Will smiled bitterly.
"Yeah, never too early, you know. I'll talk to Alana in my 'Gender Debates' club tonight. I think you guys should hang out. She knows Hannibal and she's really nice."
"Hannibal is in the 'Gender Debates' club ?"
"No, they are doing a project together in the psychology class."
"I thought he was doing everything with the… other one."
"Bedelia. Yes… Well, she is working with Frederick now. The teacher insisted because, you know, always the best pairing up, not fair blablabla"
"Sometimes, I feel like we don't go to the same classes."
"Well, if you stopped reading during the classes, that feeling would pass."
Will shrugged.
/
The loud music was blaring outside, leaving no respite to the guest enjoying the smoke-filled night air.
Alana needed a walk. She had been in another argument with a narrow-minded prick who thought he could pinch her ass because she was wearing a skirt. She was so fed up with their bullshit. She only wanted a good beer and a good laugh with her friends here. She liked dancing and drinking and therefore most guys thought it was okay to touch her…
She needed to stop the parties. That was such a shame because she liked a cool ambiance…
"Hey, Alana !" Someone called her.
She turned around, her cheap beer in her hand.
"Bev', I didn't see you around." Alana replied with a smile.
"I just arrived. Just went inside for a drink and some chips. You alright ? I saw that guy talking to you."
"Yeah, just another stupid man."
They toasted as the proud feminists they were. Beverly laughed and leaned on the balcony.
"You should do something about that Lithuanian guy." Beverly said.
"Yeah, how about : let's go to a party where you'll be completely out of place and have your clothes ruined by cheap beer. On the plus side, I'll be there to keep your Siamese sister away so you can see how I can only talk two languages." Alana said self-depreciatingly.
"How many beers did you have ? I never heard you talking like that before." Beverly asked, frowning.
"It's nothing… Alcohol you know… It's just… I never find a cool guy. You know, they are all machos "feminism is bullshit" or they are not interested in me because they are too pretentious to go out with a girl who goes to parties on a Friday night instead of reading at the library."
"Those men are no better than machos." Beverly noted.
"You're right… Bah, that's nothing… I'll go running tomorrow, clear my head and all that."
"Still running ?" Beverly asked, admirative.
"I'd hate to get a beer tummy" Alana laughed, sipping her drink.
"You know what ? I think I have just what you need."
"What do I need ?"
"Something really important to turn your lioness energy into : prom night."
"Prom night ? It's only in three months…"
"Yeah, I know. We just started working on that. We don't have volunteers anymore. Not after last time. Do you want to sneak into the project ?"
"I don't know. I don't think I can do a lot of cardboard painting stuff."
"Well, you can always help with the administration, tell Freddie to go take pictures somewhere else, organize the votes and things like that. Hannibal's in charge : you two can always, you know… Get even closer…"
"Ugh, no… I can't be rejected… I really can't. Not by him."
"Oh, come on, even Will agreed !"
"Your dog-loving protégé ?"
"Yeah. He's nice. It would be nice if he met nice people. That won't really happen around Bedelia and Hannibal." Beverly finished her drink. "Just text me tomorrow if you want in, okay ?"
"Sure."
/
"Can you come swimming tomorrow ? We'll need to talk about the prom." Hannibal asked at the other end of the line.
"Did you see the email I sent you ?"Bedelia replied with a question of her own.
"Yes, I saw it. It looks good."
"It isn't too cliché ?"
"We are talking about prom, here." Hannibal reminded her.
"I know but we are not exactly your everyday prom organiser." Bedelia replied.
"A Gatsby party sounds great. Just what we need to express the extravaganza and the sense of doom that awaits us."
"I thought of a Dorian Gray party but that seemed a bit too far away."
"And too European. Plus, nobody would have found the historical accurate costumes and don't even get me started on the music. Gatsby will do. I'll work on it after the Calculus homework."
"That was incredibly dull." He could basically hear Bedelia roll her eyes.
"You didn't sleep last night." He deduced.
"No I didn't. Prom looks like a lot of work and I don't know who can help us without wrecking the thing."
"I wanted to talk to you about it tomorrow. I've sent an email to Katz and she said she could get us some people we could interview before hiring them in our team."
"Well, that's a relief. So, tomorrow, five, as usual ?"
"As usual. Robert will have a party but he has already started the Phô soups."
"I don't even need to see or taste them to already give my compliments to the chef." Bedelia replied.
"And he doesn't need to see you to say you are really pretty today." Hannibal replied completely neutral as usual.
"See you tomorrow then."
"Try to get some sleep."
Bedelia sighed and put her phone back to the other end of her desk before re-adjusting her perfect bun, straightening her back and start her chemistry homework two weeks ahead.
/
Alana woke up in her bed, lonely as hell, the alarm clock hurting her ears. It was soooo early in the morning… She groaned and turned it off. She contemplated sleeping for another hour or two. She was so comfortable in her bed right now…
But no. She drank last night and she needed to clear her mind. She still had to text Beverly about prom. She had waited for her Saturday run all week. She pushed the covers, still groaning and mumbling. She stood up and walked into her small bathroom.
She looked at herself in the mirror. She sighed. She was plain as hell, or at least, she thought. She had that irritating girl next door look. Brown hair that made people call her a "brunette" which she fiercely hated. She had nice eyes, she would give herself that. She wished people could see beyond that at first sight.
She brushed her teeth, tied her hair in a high ponytail, put her sports bra on with a large t-shirt and sport tights. She did some warming-up exercises and went downstairs to put her shoes on without making a noise : her mother was probably still asleep.
When she closed the front door behind her, the chilly wind of the last days of winter greeted her. It would be starting to rain soon, she thought. The sky was heavy with clouds. Outside, her neighbour was picking up leaves off his loan and two other joggers were already running. She greeted them and went on her own way. She never ran with music so she could concentrate on her breathing.
She enjoyed running. She always carried anger inside and it was a real problem when she was younger. She didn't know how to express it and would end up hurting people close to her. Once, she bit a man in elementary school because he said something stupid and she was sent to the school's psychologist. She was aware that most of the children her age never listened to what they said but she did. Her mother was divorcing her father at that time, pushing him out of the house after one too many affair with another woman. Nobody was really here to take care of her. She desperately needed that help and she knew she wouldn't get it anywhere else. So she made a point to follow the psychologist's advices. He was the one telling her to go running and after so many years, she was still running every Saturday morning. He also told her not to crush that energy but to direct it where it would be needed.
Gender Debates was going slowly those weeks. People were only there because they thought it would be a nice place to do nothing. She should direct her attention to something else. Perhaps Bev' was right. She should look around, see what she could do to help. Maybe actually talk to Bedelia instead of hating her from a distance. Maybe do something with Hannibal instead of sending him emails showing her work with the hopes he might find it interesting.
Ah, the tree she should stop at, make a small pause, stretch her legs, prevent cramps, breathe… She slowed her pace to stop completely at the tree. She looked all around her, savouring the silence that soothed her thoughts. She was sweating but she didn't care. She did enjoy feeling tired, feeling like she had reached a limit.
She saw a young man she never saw before in the neighbourhood. Well, that didn't happen much. She looked at him. He looked young despite the shadow that ate his jaw. His hair was curly and messy and brown. He had glasses and was wearing flannels and a torn jean. She didn't know why but that made him incredibly endearing. He looked lost and never stopped his eyes at something more than two seconds. He was walking two dogs. When he looked at them, he actually smiled and pet them and looked so happy it could have broken her heart.
When he looked up, feeling observed, he immediately saw her. She smiled, trying to catch his glance. But he lowered his eyes, confused and she swore she saw him blush. He looked really cute she thought as he didn't stop and didn't look at her again. She hoped he would be walking his dogs here every Saturday.
She took a deep breath and went on.
/
The familial printer made as much noise as a machine gun, Beverly thought, sipping her cup of coffee , leaning on the wall in front of it. No one should have the right to message her about school stuff on a Sunday morning.
She took the first page freshly out of the printer and read it : "Prom Night is coming : if you are interested in helping, please come Tuesday from 3 to 4pm at the library for an interview."
Damn those evil European twins.