7
I don't own any of the characters other than Sophia. This isn't a continuation of S.E.F...more like a different take on the story ( since it was one of my favorite and I wanted to make it something bigger and better.) Song in the description is Bittersweet by P!ATD. Enjoy.
I. Look Who's Back
Flashes of lightning zigzagged across jet black skies and the rumble of thunder veered ever closer. There was no wrap around porch that he had all to himself to sit and ponder, in the element without actually being in the elements. No, he only had the stoop in front of the boys dorm to sit upon, and as the rain hammered down harder and the skies seemed to grow angrier, Gary didn't feel the least bit like moving. Even if the tip of his socks were getting soaked and despite the fact that a brief check of his watch had told him that it was three thirty...thirty minutes ago.
Silence was one of his favorite things, though to his chagrin, no one probably knew that. He was well aware of what they thought about him. Crazy. Psychopathic. Psychopathetic in some cases. They thought he belonged up there on Happy Volts, scrubbing in, and happily zapping away all the bad, bad thoughts. That wasn't for him. Scrubs were so last season. Not to mention, he could only imagine the rise he would have gotten out of those doctors had he told them that the electroshock therapy wasn't scary, but adversely quite pleasant. It felt something like he imagined if everyone from school had lined up and took turns pelting him rubber bands for the better part of forty minutes.
Everyone also pegged him for the color of his tongue, silver until the very end. He, at one point, had no problem convincing the whole school to go against the gorilla of a Hopkins. So, it should have been no surprise to anyone that just a year after his stint at the hospital that he was back. Gary knew adults like Crabblesnitch very well. Old fashion straight from his hair cut down to his deepest core. Last year, Gary had stripped him of a lot of things that were immeasurably valuable to him. His pride, his dignity, his control being a few of them. Men like Crabblesnitch came from an age where honest reform could fix anything and anyone. You did bad in school? To the military. You were too unruly for even the most unruly school and you had so much mental problems? Asylum. When you got back from either, you'd be a completely changed individual with a clean slate.
Oh yes, Gary knew Crabblensnitch very well. When he had showed up in his office, Gary was the picture of change in his starched white button down with the collars neatly folded and his hair freshly shaved and cut. He was nothing but " Yes sir Dr. Crabblesnitch" and " If I may, sir.". He told him all about how he had learned his lesson, how being under care had taught him so many valuable lessons. Crabblesnitch felt like he had really done the right thing sending him there, his pleasure visible, as it should be, after all, Gary had given him back his pride. He could be proud of fixing the "unfix-able loon" Gary Smith. Shaping him into a man one day that would be fit for society.
He had seemingly relinquished control back to the old man as well. He agreed to every little nuisances that he had thrown his way. Mow the perfects lawn without pay for the first two semesters? Yes sir. Clean out the cellars, complete with sweeping, dusting, and mopping. More than happy to oblige. Stay after classes and help teachers with their grading and cleaning tasks, be the good little students aid. It's the very least I could do. Just like that, Gary Smith's expulsion was revoked faster than he could have shook hands with the man who was trying so hard to keep his bulldog face front and center. Then again, maybe Crabblesnitch liked a bit of havoc. Maybe having to crack down was just as pleasant to him as Gary felt causing it? Gary liked to entertain, whether it had any merit or not, that it was also part of the reason that he was back.
He had more pressing things to think about though, and this he did for nearly the last three hours. The air carried a hint of an almost tangible electricity along with the sweet smell of freshly cut grass and the cool smell of rain. Mother nature seemed to be all worked up, because the sky kept weeping and didn't appear like it would stop any time soon. He didn't mind that much though, even with his drenched toes. For once, his mind was mostly silent and that was a rare occasion. There were no taunting voices in the back of his head ( despite that the blue pills were supposed to help that and the red pills were supposed to make him accept that.) The only thing that penetrated through his mental barrier were words whispered in the dark with a quiet longing that Gary would liked to have forgotten. Three simple words begging a question.
" Where is she?"
His skin itched in a way that was borderline uncomfortable, a deep itch underneath the skin which was ironic because that's exactly what she felt like to him. Feebly scratching at the surface did not render relief, for to get that kind of relief, you had to scratch much, much deeper than that. He also didn't like the way he felt like he was waiting on baited breath just to see her. It felt so out of character for him, and he didn't like those un-linear thoughts. He'd like to think that he knew himself rather well, he had spent a lot of time even recently scouring his brain to reassemble himself better. Yet, here he was like none of that had even happened.
Before he could tear himself apart about it any longer, all his waiting was finally not in vain. A light blue umbrella popped up ahead, in the middle square. The street lights that lined ever corner of the small square, one path leading to the school, one to the boys dorm, another to the girls, and the last into New Coventry, illuminated the scene. It's artificial light caused the blue to shine with an almost ethereal glow as it bounced off the tiny rain droplets that pooled on the top of the umbrellas slick surface. His uncertainty that it was here was short lived.
A crack of lightening tore through the sky, going off like a nuclear explosion, creating the illusion of day around and he could clearly see who was seeking shelter underneath. Even from where he was standing he would have recognized that cornflower blonde hair anywhere, even it looked slightly matted and darker thanks to the rain. Of course the red headband tucking her bangs away from her face was also a dead give away. She was dressed casually, capris, a camisole, and one of those cotton three quartered button up half jackets that girls were so keen on wearing.
He didn't know exactly how or why, but he didn't have time to berate himself whenever he plugged his fingers into his mouth and gave a whistle. Was it because he felt a tad guilty sitting there in the rain with an agenda to get some thinking done as well as to see her when she arrived back at the dorm. That had never really been a problem before, he had like his sort of recon work divulging without notice into the rumors and gossip of people. It was kind of entertaining in a way. This felt wrong though, though why exactly, he couldn't put his finger on. Most of the time when he was spying it was to serve a purpose and usually to get himself one step ahead in the game. Watching for her like this was for him yes but what really did it offer him?
The shrill, haunting note seemed to hang in the air between them. Glancing around, she seemed to have noticed him sitting there for the first time. Under the dim light beside the dorm, he was all but virtually hidden. She lifted her hand in a greeting and changed her course over towards him. Clearing his throat, Gary wished that his lungs would get the memo that they should chill royally. This was just a girl. A girl who, whenever he peeked at Mrs. Danvers check in book sitting on her desk, he had meticulously scanned for. A girl who when he saw the name, his heart seemed to kick and extra beat just because.
She was close enough now for him to read her expression. He had always been good at that in general, but with her he had to put in no effort at all. Her face had always been a clear display of whatever storms she had brewing inside of her. It was something that he had grown to like greatly. He never had to wonder if she was being untrue, for the truth always seemed to live in her eyes.
When he stared into those aqua eyes, he could see recognition and confusion swimming there. He could almost hear her pulse quicken, like a rabbit realizing it had stepped into the grasp of a predator, realizing that there was no way out. For a second, he thought she might actually nervously laugh it off and then walk away from him. Most likely for good. Proving him wrong and causing his sense to flare up again, she adjusted her umbrella and sat down right beside him.
" I thought you...were expelled?" a question, spoken softly, like he might lash out. Her voice just as gentle as he remembered it.
" I was, but I got out for good behavior and I thought maybe Crabblesnitch would appreciate that and maybe give me a second change."
She was so close now that he could reach over and graze his fingers down the warm length of the exposed skin of her arm. Holding himself back, he waited for her to say something, anything at all. He couldn't blame her though if she didn't. Last year he hadn't just put everyone at the school through his shit...he had put her through it too. Hanging his head for a brief moment, he thought about how ashamed he was for it too. One day, he hoped that she would know that. He felt his hand inch towards her, sitting so silently beside him, before he reigned himself in.
There was a moment of hesitancy, even now as she drew herself closer to him, and he to her, as if to self consciously banding themselves together would protect them both from the onslaught of cold, wet rain. Something about this felt immeasurably intimate, having her beside him like this, soaked to the bone, without another soul around. Longing to move forward and kiss her, he instead squeezed his hand into a fist several times to recollect himself.
When he drew up the strength to look at her again, she was staring at him, bangs matted against her forehead, little water droplets sliding down her cheeks. Even her umbrella wasn't enough to keep them wholly dry, especially when the wind blew the thick droplets astray. His heart bottomed out into his stomach, staring into her eyes again. She looked at him with such a longing that it was like his skin had been set on fire and in the middle of the rumble of thunder, he had never felt so taken aback.
" I have to go now. I really hope, for everyone's sake, that you'll be okay." she said as she righted herself, taking the strange friction between the two of them with her.
" Bye Soph." he said, watching her figure retreat back to the darkened Girls Dorm across the path.
For everyone's sake? For Hopkins? For her? For himself? The message wasn't supposed to be anything cryptic he was sure, but he couldn't stop his mind from trying to take it apart piece by piece and try to figure out exactly what she had meant. The thought followed him back inside, down the hallway, and was with him as he paced aimlessly next to his bed. With a hefty sigh, he dropped onto the bed and peeled off his wet socks, discarding them off to the side. He debated on slinging them across the room on the empty bed across from his, one that wouldn't be occupied for at least another week. School technically didn't start for another week and a half, and Pete Kowlaski was busy down town dusting book shelves and stressing the importance of the dewy decimal system. Gary cracked a smile thinking of Petey primly setting up his books.
He would prove himself this time around. He had to.