Ivan never considered himself to be a loner, regardless of his sister's attempt to gain him friends at any sort of social gathering containing friends from school. He just was better off alone, that was all. He just didn't seem to function well in a social setting. It made highschool hard, going by the fact that everything was some sort of group project and no one ever wanted to work.
'And I refuse to do all of it myself. We never had to worry about friends in Piter... Everyone was just familiar enough that if you needed help they were there. Here, no one wants to be friends with a 'Commie'. Ivan wasn't even a communist. Just victim to ridiculous stereotypes that stemmed from Americans not willing to accept someone unlike themselves. Not that he hated Americans or America in general, he just hated the mindset of the country. So much had changed since its upbringing, and not all was for the better. People just didn't get along with anyone different than themselves. Plain and simple. And who the hell would even call a person from the former Soviet Union a communist? How did that make sense? Obviously the idea would be repulsing to one of them! But of course no one would listen to me. Because 'commies' lie about everything. High school had been hell for him so far, and Ivan was ready for it to be over. But alas, he was only a Sophomore, and it was still the beginning of the year. So he still had basically three years to go.
Currently, he was debating walking into the crowded cafeteria to attempt at eating in there for once. He usually stuck to the band room, where he would have small talk with the only person he ever talked to. The Lithuanian clarinet player, Toris. He himself played piano along with a rather reserved Austrian, who was quite pissed at the fact that Ivan got to play at the upcoming concert instead of him. He also played trumpet during the marching season, and would shift to flute if the part was pretty enough. Gilbert usually got the first part anyway. The German was exceptional at the instrument, unlike his younger brother, who played soccer in the spring and had no regards for music classes whatsoever.
Ivan couldn't complain about his life, it was simple but nice. He had family, friends, good grades, and was headed home to Russia after his senior year for college. The only trouble part was school. Which actually meant every class other than band or lunch. Because yes, they counted lunch as a class. You could even get a tardy for being five minutes late.
Which was why he was hurrying to get his food just in case he wanted a seat. Pushing through the double doors and into the noisy room full of rambunctious teenagers, Ivan quickly assessed the situation and decided to eat in the band room yet again, and informed the new security guard of his destination.
After retrieving a styrofoam platter with contents that didn't look exactly healthy, he exited the lunch room and marched to point B.
Toris smiled at him and scooted over when he arrived, calling his sisters over as well. This was the first time they'd ever eaten here with them, and Ivan was surprised they hadn't told him about it.
"Hello, sisters. I did not know you were eating here?" His older sister, Katyusha Braginskaya, grinned at him.
"That's because it was a surprise, Vanya. Hm, I think I may start helping you pack a lunch. What is that supposed to be, anyway?" Ivan looked down, not sure himself, and laughed along with his younger sister, Natalia Alfroskaya.
"I have no clue. Is grandfather going to be home later? I was hoping to ask him about the concert tomorrow. He hasn't told me yet if he is coming and if he isn't then I need the car keys."
"I think he will, although he may need to leave later so hurry and ask. Don't you have his number?"
"Yes but won't he be sleeping? It is only twelve 'o' clock."
"Ah, he may be then. I'll send him a text later on and ask for you since my last class is online. I hate to ask it of you, but could you at least eat some of that so I dont worry about you going hungry?" Natalia joined him in a disgusted sound, and he reluctantly lifted a 'chicken nugget' to his mouth. "Oh! I forgot to ask! You know about the hockey tryouts tonight, yes? I put all your stuff in the car just in case you wanted to go. I think you should." Ivan tilted his head, debating on the subject. Hockey was something he enjoyed, and the previous years he had played on the Junior Varsity team. Up until last year he was on the way to a good scholarship. Then came the incident. Ivan had been walking to his car when two players from a rival team had cornered him and started beating him up. In the end he retaliated and managed to get home with only a broken collarbone. He was out for the rest of the season. He figured he could tryout for varsity and if he didn't make it, he would stick to band. Simple enough.
"I'll go. Conditioning is tonight as well, could I go?" His sister nodded and the bell rang for fourth period.
"I'll call when I'm headed home alright?
"Sounds good. You may need your key, depending on if I'm working or not." Ivan nodded, and hurried into the band room for his class.
Kids brushed past him within the band room, getting in the way of his destination. He reached the piano eventually, pulling out his music folder and working on some scales to warm up his fingers. Piano always calmed his nerves, which were on edge lately. He didn't know why, as he didn't give two shits about the people at school, and his home life was fine. Something was just off about the atmosphere around him. It almost felt like It Intensified in the band room...One more scale and he sat back against the wall, letting out a held breath and hoping he would feel normal again soon.
;Alright! Time to warm up, and then we'll run through the show. And they did.
OoooooooO
Hockey practice went exceptionally well for Ivan, and the coach had invited him for another the following week. Conditioning went quickly, the only work out being weights that hour, but Ivan was happy to get into it again with little pain from his arm. He hoped the good times would continue.
But of course they couldn't. Somehow during his travels down the darkened halls, he managed to lose his car key. Only the car key. None of the other keys on the ring. Only the one for his car. Of course.
He'd called Katyusha to alert her of his situation and that he'd be late looking for it. She had made it clear to let him know if he couldn't find it and she would come get him no problem. So here he was, squinting into the darkened corners and nervously making his way down dim hallways, hoping that there would be enough light to shine off the key.
Pretty soon, Ivan felt the atmosphere change. It was the same feeling he experienced in the band room, only now, it was worse. The air felt heavy and... Sad. As if it were something that could be felt in air.
He swallowed loudly, and continued walking down the hallway, only it was slightly slower than before. It was then that he felt the change in temperature.
"Silly Ivan, just the air system. Calm down and find what you came here to look for." His own voice was strained, and it made him panic that much more. There was a glint in front of him, and he walked faster, hoping to find his key. It wasn't though. It was a small coin, not one he recognized, that had a small maple leaf on one side, and a noose on the other.
He pocketed it, choosing to take it to the lost and found room after he found his key, and continuing down another hallway.
This time, he felt the cold air brush past him, and it felt solid when it did. He yelped, quickening his pace and spotting another glint. Once again, a coin was the source of the flash of light. It was the same, only the back wasn't just a noose, it was also depicting a person hanging from it. Ivan felt chills run down his spine.
He pocketed that one despite his better judgment.
He found another coin next to his key, which was only a few steps away from the last one. He picked both up, the metal being ice cold.
Ivan had never ran so fast in his life. The door to the exit was only a few feet away when he tripped, his face slamming into the marble floor of the hallway. He groaned in pain and hurried to get up despite his bleeding nose and aching arm. When he stood, he took his sleeves and used one to cover his nose while the other was used to clean the mess on the floor.
"Fuck." He muttered irritably, speed walking out the door and to his car.
OooooooO
When he got home, he was rushed by his family members, his Grandfather had taken the night off.
"Brother, what happened?" Katyusha was more than a little freaked out, and his Grandfather was urging his jacket off to get it in the wash before it stained.
"I got spooked by some noises and tried walking too fast in the dark. My face finally got to introduce itself to the marble of the first floor." He laughed, hugging his sisters and sharing a look with his Grandfather.
"Well we are all glad you are okay. Dinner is waiting for you in the kitchen, just warm it up a bit and you'll be all set." He thanked his Grandfather and headed to the kitchen to fix a plate.
While eating, he took out the last coin that he had picked up, hesitantly flipping it over. The image with the noose remained, with the little person hanging from it. But now there was another person smiling and pointing at the hanging one. It was sickening to see.
Needless to say, he quickly lost his appetite and cleaned up before heading upstairs for his shower. The hot water felt good on his skin, and worked to relax his tense muscles. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to keep those coins out of his mind.
He massaged soap into his hair, closing his eyes and picturing the dark hallways he had been maneuvering not even an hour ago. The weird change in the feeling of the air occurred about two turns away from the gym, and got more intense as he neared it. And didn't he find the third coin when he was only a few feet away from the door? Opening his eyes, his hands dropped as he realized what he had to do.
Tomorrow, he would investigate the gym after school.
OoooooO
The door creaked as Ivan opened it, leaving him to wonder why such a frequently used door wouldn't be oiled to prevent it. In all honesty, he was nervous as all hell to do this. But it was only three, and therefore wasn't dark yet. The lights hadn't even been shut off.
Upon stepping inside the closing door, he looked around to make sure there was no one else within the big room. The floors had a decent shine to them, reflecting the light from the windows and making him feel a bit more at ease. Then the air began to get heavy like the night before. Ivan gulped, walking forward hesitantly, and deciding to be brave about this because he was a big scary Russian and was afraid of nothing!
Until the bang right next to him.
"Дерьмо!" Ivan dove in the opposite direction, scooting himself at far back as he could. The source of the bang, was a small bag, it looked to be leather and fairly aged, that was sitting at the foot of the lockers it connected with.
Ivan didn't like this. Not at all.
"Hello? Who's there? Come out now, if you choose to surprise me you may end up broken in at least one area of your body!" His voice shook slightly, and he stood slowly to reach for the little bag. He opened it, finding even more of the little coins from last night. They were a multitude of sizes and came in the basic colors of currency, only they weren't. It was strange. How did one even make these anyway? They even had the grooves along the edges like the change Ivan always had with him.
He jumped at the sound of humming coming from behind him, and turned to see perhaps the palest boy he'd ever seen. He was wearing well worn jeans, and a dress shirt that looked like it was slightly yellowed on the edges. Black framed glasses held lenses in front of his eyes, and blond waves fell from his scalp and framed his face at the perfect length. The boy was humming something that Ivan recognized but couldn't place.
"Um.. Hello?" Ivan mumbled, holding out the bag, "Are these yours?" The boy looked over at him slowly, giving a view of his nearly-violet eyes. The boy seemed confused at first, his eyes settling on Ivan's hand before he truly understood.
"O-oh! Yes. The others maybe thrown them up here. I'm sorry if they frightened you. M-my name is Matthew. Matthew Williams." Ivan smiled shyly and placed the bag of coins in the pale hand presented to him.
"It's no issue, really, I found some others in a trail last night leading here and I figured I would investigate. The others are still at home but I could bring them to you tomorrow?"
"Don't bother, I've actually been wanting to be rid of them. You've seen the backs right?"
"Yes. I have."
"Then you know how frightening they are as you progress through them. I found them shortly after..." Ivan noticed something was off, but didn't mention it.
"Oh! How rude of me! My name is Ivan Braginsky. Just Ivan." The boy looked at him curiously.
"You are... Russian?" Ivan nodded, sitting on the bleachers and patting the spot next to him. As weird as this kid was, he wasn't going to be mean to him. The poor kid was probably an outcast like himself.
"Yes. I've lived here for about five years now, with my two sisters and Grandfather."
"That's nice. I haven't really talked to my family in a while. We aren't close anymore. I am Canadian, moved here with a family that sought to better our financial situation. I'm sure it's helped some, even if the minimum wage isn't much." The Russian nodded, and looked down at the coin bag in Matthews hands.
"You said you found those? Any idea where they came from?"
"Not a clue." It was then that Ivan noticed a faint mark that went around the entirety of the blonde's neck. It was a light pink, and looked more like a scar. The boy caught him staring.
"It's from some bullies. Thought I'd be funny to wrap a rope around my neck to 'choke the gay out of me'. It doesn't hurt anymore. Not physically." Ivan put a hand on the boy's shoulder, feeling him flinch.
"And here I thought I was the only homosexual in my grade. No one is real open about it." Matthew turned to look at him, a new light in those eyes.
"You're not tricking me?"
"Oh course not," Ivan said in confusion, "Why would I lie about something like that?"
"Someone I once knew, and trusted, thought it would make a fun joke."
"I see. Were they one of the bullies that did this?" He gestured to the mark.
"No. But they stayed and watched instead of getting help or getting me down themselves." Ivan frowned in horror.
"They actually hanged you?!" Matthew placed a hand over his in a comforting manner.
"It wasn't for long. I managed to get myself down without them. I always carry a knife on me. The rope was old and frayed so it didn't take much." Something was off. Something was really off. But as usual, the Russian ignored the little voice and instead chose to stay. He couldn't just leave!
"How long ago was this?" The boy sat in thought for a moment.
"About a year ago...? It's why I switched schools. I start here tomorrow and was just getting a look at the building. My brother is letting me stay with him."
"How old is your brother?"
"He is about... Thirty five. We're twenty years apart. Born on the same day. How about your sisters?"
The older one, Katyusha, is seventeen. And Natalia, the younger one, is fourteen. I'm the middle child at sixteen," He shifted his position to lay back on the bleachers, watching Matthew do that same, "Katyusha is a senior. I'm worried for her to leave. People don't really like me, да? And I fear that Natalia would get similar treatment."
"Don't worry too much. I'm sure that she'll be fine. It's different with the girls. Not to say it doesn't happen, it just happens differently."
"She's known not to let people step on her. And she has a boyfriend. He'll take care of her when I'm not around. So you said you're starting here? What classes do you have?"
"Here," He said, taking a paper from his pocket and handing to Ivan, "They gave it to me today. Any good ones?" Ivan nodded.
"I'm in all of them. I'll be your guide tomorrow if you would like?" The grin Matthew gave him, made Ivan feel warm inside. It was the smile of a person who had always been brought down, and was finally being treated nicely.
"That would be great! T-thank you, Ivan!"
"It is no problem. I think me and you will be great friends, yes? Hey, maybe you could stop by my place for a welcome dinner? Try some traditional Russian cuisine!" Ivan watched the smile fall a bit.
"I'm not sure... Would I really be welcome?" Ivan nodded, watching the smile come back to life.
"Okay. Here I'll give you my number and we can plan it out? My brother might be able to give me a ride."
"If not, I can pick you up no problem. One good thing about driving." The boy laughed, and settled back down on the bleachers.
"Thank you. For being so nice to me. I-I know it must seem stupid to be so grateful, but n-no one has really ever c-cared." Ivan hummed.
"No thanks are needed. You are a nice person, and I am glad you weren't scared of me. My size frightens some of the other boys. I don't see why height is that scary?"
"You aren't just tall, you're built. Lots of muscle. You look like a hockey player! Speaking of which, do you think they'll let me try out a day late?" Ivan looked over his form, nodding.
What do you play?"
"Anything they give me. It's my favorite sport so I love every position. Even goalie. As terrifying as it is."
"The coach will like you. Here, I'll take you to see him. Maybe we can test your skills?" Ivan didn't hide the mischievousness in his voice, and giggled when Matthews gaze darkened competitively.
"Let's do it!" They raced to the athletic office, flagging down the coach, who was happy to meet a potential player.
Matthew changed when he was on ice. Ivan noticed as soon as he entered the rink after him that it was game time.
The poor puck took a beating. As did the unsuspecting Russian who wasn't expecting Matthew to have that much hidden strength. It only took one check from the boy, to make him realize he needed to be careful. Too many hits like that, and he'd most likely be done for that game.
In the end, the score was tied, and both were thoroughly exhausted. In the shower room, they gave each other space, and then met up outside the locker room.
"You're incredible, Ivan! The speed, and how fast you get that puck going, it's amazing!"
"I should be saying that to you, Matvey. I was not expecting that hit from you. You're very strong and its impressive. The coach had a look in his eyes I haven't seen in a while. He wants you, comrade." The boy cocked his head in confusion.
"Matvey?" Ivan's eyes widened in apology.
"Oh I'm sorry! I sometimes switch to my native tongue and don't notice. Matvey is a Russian diminutive of Mat... Maz.. Matthew." He tried. He honestly did. It came out as a Mazz-hue, and Ivan groaned softly in frustration. Matthew only laughed.
"Eh, don't worry about it! Call me Matvey if it's easier for you, oui?"
"You know French? I mean I know you're Canadian, but I didn't know you knew it. That's cool."
"Ah, merci. My Papa taught me. He's from France. I think Russian is cool. The way it sounds... And I think it sounds nice with the rolling of the r's."
"It makes English interesting." Ivan laughed, holding the door open for Matthew
They parted ways, Matthew saying something about grabbing his bag from the gym. Ivan waited for a good five minutes before following to check if his new friend was alright. Upon stepping inside the gym, the air was back. This time it was almost humid feeling. The sadness that wafted over Ivan was enough to make his throat tighten with the promise of tears. It was disturbing and Ivan grew afraid of what was causing it. This wasn't normal, and certainly wasn't the product of a faulty circulation system.
Where was Matthew? He was nowhere. Ivan couldn't see him in the dim light of the lowering sun, and it concerned him. Maybe he left after getting his bag and Ivan misunderstood?
"Matvey! Matvey are you there?" Ivan looked downward at the court, and found him. He was simply laying on the floor staring through a skylight.
"Sorry... The clouds just looked so pretty I couldn't resist." Matthews skin glowed with the oranges and pinks, his pale complexion making it easy. Ivan wasn't gonna lie when he said this boy was attractive, he was stunning.
And tough, and kind, and was in all of his classes... They'd just met however, and Ivan felt like something was off.
"It's alright. I have to get home, dinner and stuff. I could give you a ride?" The boy shook his head.
"My brother is on his way. Thanks though. Be sure to text me about that dinner you told me about. I'd love to come and meet your family. Maybe Alfred could even make it." Ivan nodded, smiling and waving as he turned to leave.
The whole ride home, he couldn't get Matthew out of his thoughts.
OoooooO
Good or no? Feedback on this one would be appreciated. I have a good feeling about this. I tried to upload light within you and it isn't working :'(. I made an account on AO3 and it is posted there. Same username and it on its fourth chapter.
Until next time my lovelies,
MapleSunflower
