Note: Yay Oreos! (nibbles) Hey guys. As always I really appreciate your reviews they make me warm and fuzzy as well as in the mood to write. So your reviews help thanks so much. And welcome to all the new readers I'm very very excited to have you and I applause your stamina for making it through all 24 chapters haha. Here's another one for you. It bounces around a lot hopefully you'll be able to follow! (EDIT: After a lot of people misunderstood the whole Valedictorian section I made it more clear. Sorry for the confusion.)
The first day back to school after Prom was a delicate one. While it was considered "Senior Skip Day" around the nation, Scarsdale High was determined to wipe the name from their student's thoughts. In order to get their seniors to attend classes, they gave out graduation robes that day and that day only. Therefore the seniors had to come in, although that day always had the highest percentage of student cuts…after the distribution of the robes of course.
Mark Cohen was in the process of getting his robe and dealing with Lydia who was handing them out. A clipboard in hand and a fake smile on her lips she listened to Mark, "No he didn't skip. I need Tom Collins' robes."
Lydia shook her head looking down at the clipboard of names, "I gave you yours, Mark, now you can move on. Skippers are allowed to receive their gowns."
Mark almost growled balling his fists, "You know he didn't skip." Lydia didn't seem phased and was soon calling out for the next kid in line.
"Lydia…c'mon. You know he's in the hospital. He's not gonna gain conscienceless just
so he can come get his graduation robes." Mark argued refusing to give up his spot at the head of the line.
"That's kinda selfish don't you think?" She asked with a smirk twirling her hair around her finger.
Maureen stepped up out of the line and next to Mark, "Lydia, give him the damn robe and stop being such a bitch."
Lyida smirked shifting in her seat, "Oh Maureen, our local lesbian. I have to give you the robe now or you will get all butch on me? Believe me honey, I like boys. Sorry."
"Really?" Maureen snorted crossing her arms "How did you like Robbie on Prom Night?"
The head cheerleader paled and brushed down her mini skirt, "All according to plan really."
Maureen shook her head knowing it was a lie, "Yeah I'm sure he was great in bed. Now give us Collins' robes cause you know perfectly well what happened as you are the fucking gossip whore of the whole school. Collins is gonna wake up and he is going to graduate in these ugly green robes." Lydia's mouth dropped and as she was about to form a sentence Maureen let out a groan. The drama queen climbed over the table and took the bag labeled for her friend and herself while she was at it.
"But…but…" Lydia started to say pointing to the clipboard. Maureen flipped her off and put her arm around Mark's walking away.
Mark smiled deeply, "That was great." He chuckled tucking his robe under his arm.
"I always wanted to do that." Maureen admitted winking at Mark, "What is this…" She looked down into Collins' bag and noticed a gold woven cord which signified being on the honor roll for all four years. "Oh my God, I didn't realize he was that good of a student…"
Mark shrugged, "He doesn't have to try…he's just like a genius…ask him sometime…" His words trailed off remembering exactly where his friend was at the moment. It was odd, being in school made him want to go through the motions. Go to classes by the rings of the bells. The normal things. But now everything had changed. The mixture of change with the mundane was bothering the filmmaker and he knew he wasn't the only one.
"Yeah…I will." Maureen said with a certain amount of confidence opening Collins' robes and peeking inside. She pulled out his honor cords and continued to look inside.
"Mo…why don't you look at your own?" He asked rolling his eyes.
Maureen pulled out a long white cloth and frowned, "What does this mean?"
Mark watched the sash for a moment and smiled gently, "Collins is Valedictorian."
Angel woke to the sound of her mother's voice and hand on her shoulder.
"Angel, honey?" Sybil said quietly forcing her out of her nap, "Angel, wake up, hun." Sybil took a step back and nodded to two men waiting patiently by her bed. Angel pulled herself up and glanced over at Collins who was in a bed opposite her. Ever since she joined him a few nights ago, Angel refused to leave Collins' side. The doctors found no harm in it, some even held out hope that her presence might wake Collins up faster. But they did insist that they have their own beds. Only Angel's parents knew that every night she slipped into Collins bed and held him.
"Hello." The one man said with a small smile, "I'm Detective Vejay and this is my partner, Detective Harris." The other detective, who had ears almost as large as Dumbo's, nodded to Angel. "We would like to get a statement from you about the night you were attacked. Would that be alright?"
Angel looked to her mother and then to Collins' still sleeping form, "O…okay." She whispered quietly. Knowing it would have to happen sooner or later. Sybil came over to the bed and held Angel's good hand.
Roger entered the auditorium to see almost all of his classmates getting their graduation gowns. In the distance, he could make out Mark and Maureen discussing something and looking at a third gown in their hands. Roger pressed his back against the wall realizing that it was Collins'.
"He should be here." Roger whispered to himself.
All through the day Roger was on the look out for Sid and Tommy Boil. Either they had skipped or they avoided the rocker at all costs. Perhaps they remembered running into him that night (even though that was doubtful with the amount of alcohol they consumed). Roger's eyes scanned the crowds for them. His own graduation gown wasn't even on his mind. Finding the people who hurt Angel and Collins was all that mattered. It was the only reason he even went to school. He secretly hoped they would show up so he could show them…
"Hey, Davis." LeRoy Finch said walking past him. Roger just stared at the kid. LeRoy was a jock but not one of Collins' old buddies. He was a basketball player who almost brought Scarsdale basketball out of their ten-year slump. Almost. Despite his failure, he was still considered popular.
"I heard that your friend got what was coming to him." LeRoy said with a smirk on his face.
Roger balled his fists, his nails almost puncturing his skin.
Angel gazed at Collins as she said, "We were celebrating. It was our two-month anniversary. So Collins took me out….I forgot." She smiled bitterly, "I was so caught up with Prom…" Sybil squeezed her hand telling her it was ok.
"So we went to the playground. It was kind of…our place. We sat down and we were gonna have some sandwiches…" Angel paused remembering how happy they had been in those moments, "Then I saw them coming. Six of them." She closed her eyes for a moment trying to picture their faces a shiver running down her spine, "Collins knew them from school I think. But he saw that they didn't…they didn't want to…talk. So we stood up and he tried to talk to them. Then Sid…I think….I think his name was Sid. Yes…he pulled out a knife. Collins told me to run…and I didn't want to…" Angel's throat tightened, "But I did and Collins tackled Sid. I ran…two of them came after me. The rest of them stayed with him…." She looked over at Collins always wondering what would have happened if she stood by him.
"I didn't see what they did to him…" Angel whispered, "I only heard him screaming for me…" Tears formed in her eyes again, "Yelling…telling me to keep running. And not to look back…" Her shoulders shook remembering the mix of words and screams of pain from her lover. "I wanted to turn back…but when I even thought about it…the two guys who were following me…" She paused letting her heavy breathing subside, "They threw me against a tree." Then she stopped completely, her eyes lost in the distance.
Detective Vejay who was taking diligent notes looked up, "Can you continue?"
Angel nodded taking her hand away from her mother to wipe the tears away.
Roger's fist socked LeRoy across the face. The basketball player fell to the ground crying out in pain. Roger stood over him glaring down with total hatred in his eyes.
"Shit, Davis! Forget it, I was just havin' some fun." LeRoy said just as Roger leaned down and punched the boy repeatedly on the face. His punches were so hard that LeRoy didn't even get a chance to fight back. As blood spread on Roger's hand, the rocker ignored it. All he wanted was a limp jock in front of him. Roger didn't notice the chant of "fight, fight, fight" filling the auditorium. He didn't notice the crowds of kids gathering around. LeRoy's friends standing by, afraid that Roger's fists would transfer to them if they got close.
Roger didn't notice any of it.
"They…" Angel started up again with a deep breath, "Said some things to me."
"What did they say?" Detective Harris asked. Sybil shot him a death glare. If Angel didn't explain the specifics it was obvious she was not comfortable with them.
Detective Vejay cleared his throat, "We're sorry Mr. Schnard, but we have to know all if the details. I'm sorry." He repeated actually sincere about it.
Angel nodded squeezing her mother's hand, "I-I understand. They…the one called me dirty…the normal bullshit that I get. I'm used to it. Saying I wasn't fit. That I was a thing that should be erased. And that I'm a disgrace to all men…I don't remember every detail. They said some dirty things…about sex and stuff. About how…how could I…do such things." She shifted uncomfortably, "Asked me if…if it felt good. Being with Collins…like that. I just cried. And tried to get away. But they grabbed my wrists. Then they kept punching and kicking. And laughing."
Roger stood up and kicked LeRoy in the stomach ignoring the pleas to leave him alone. To stop. LeRoy let out a cry and Roger stopped suddenly his eyes getting wide, realizing what he was doing. His whole body shook with rage and confusion. It wasn't long before Mr. Cassidy grabbed Roger and pushed him away from the teen on the ground. "That's enough, Davis! LeRoy, are you alright?" The basketball player was bleeding heavily from his nose and a nasty black eye was already forming on his face.
Another teacher ran into the circle, pulling LeRoy to his feet carefully. The boy moaned an answer to Mr. Cassidy.
"We better get him to the nurse." The teacher mumbled, LeRoy's friends finally came to his aid, helping him out of the auditorium.
"What got into you?" Mr. Cassidy asked Roger, horrified at the display of pure rage shown by a student. Roger shook his head staring at the ground.
"I…I don't know." Roger whispered noticing for the first time how hard he was shaking.
Mr. Cassidy shook his head, "Report to the Principals' office immediately." He replied before trying to disperse the crowd that had gathered around. Two of crowd members pushed through towards Roger.
Maureen was the first to reach him, "Are you ok?" She asked looking at his fists, which were still clenched. Roger looked down at them and nodded.
"What he say?" Mark asked his friend quietly.
Roger didn't raise his eyes up and he mumbled, "Something about Collins…getting what he deserved."
Maureen crossed her arms. "Bastard." Mark frowned, yes, the kid deserved a smack for saying something so horrible but…did he deserve that beating that he received?
Angel continued tears flowing freely now, "I don't really remember much after that. Just…pain. And I thought I still heard Collins…but I think I might have made that up." She lay back down in her bed starting to feel tired again from reliving the experience, "I sat on the swings…waiting for him. I-I was scared. Petrified that he wouldn't come. That he wouldn't find me…I should have…" She stopped herself as her father came into the room. Immediately Peter tried to leave but the detectives stood up.
"You're welcome to stay. I believe we got what we needed." Harris said nodding to Sybil and Angel, "Get well soon."
His partner smiled gently to Angel and pointed to Collins, "I hope he gets better soon….and actually I have one question before I go. You said that they wanted to 'erase you'. Do you think that they meant to…kill you? When did they leave you?" Vejay asked.
Angel thought silently for minutes finally saying, "I think…They did…they did leave me. When…when the main guy, I think, Sid. He called them over…"
"What did he want from them? To run away?" The detective asked.
Angel shook her head gently, "They didn't want me…they wanted…" She stopped her eyes hardening with a memory, "I remember his words. What Sid said. I couldn't place them before. Where they came from. But now I remember." She gazed up at the detective in the eyes and said harshly, "Let's finish off our old friend, boys."
Roger turned and headed towards the principal's office not caring if Mark and Maureen followed him or not. He wasn't surprised to see that they were. Maureen was talking a mile a minute but her voice seemed far off. Something about bigots and injustice. Mark nodded along with her agreeing, although he kept a close watch on Roger's form.
When they reached the Principal's office they took a seat outside.
"This is really stupid! You were just defending Collins'!" Maureen pointed out waving her hands in the air.
"No I wasn't." Roger whispered. Maureen dropped her hands looking confused.
"Huh?" Mark glanced over at him, a knot in his stomach telling him what was coming.
"It was for me." Roger said his eyes suddenly filling with tears, "I didn't realize it but…I wanted to make them know what it felt like…to loose someone…to watch your friend…" He paused his chest rising, "Die." He pressed his hands up to cover his face and sobbed into them. Maureen and Mark hugged Roger, and he clung onto them desperately.
Hours later, Detective Harris and Vejay stood outside of a perfect suburbia house. "You know…I hate this place." Harris mumbled, "At least in the city they now they have issues…here…they pretend." Vejay knocked on the door.
A woman in slippers opened the door, "Can I help you?" She asked her voice wavering.
Harris flashed his badge to the woman and said sweetly, "Yes ma'am is your son here? Tommy?" Mrs. Boil pointed towards what appeared to be a basement door.
"My Tommy hasn't done a thing wrong! You aren't arresting him are you?" She asked as she opened the basement door for the detectives and followed them down.
"Oh believe me, Mrs. Boil, he's done something wrong." Vejay said pausing at the bottom of the steps. Tommy and Sid were playing a video game, apparently enjoying their Senior Skip Day. Sid dropped his controller when he saw the detectives while Tommy froze in fear.
Harris pulled Sid up from his beanbag chair, "Ain't that nice? Now we don't have to visit your house."
Sid struggled against Harris' strong arms, "What the fuck you doing?"
"I was just about to start that." Harris said slapping handcuffs onto Sid's wrists, "Sid Liotta and Tommy Boil." Vejay put cuffs on Tommy, "You are under arrest for the assault of Angel Dummot Schunard and the attempted murder of Thomas Collins. And I'm telling ya, you better hope he survives for your own pathetic sakes."
Post Note: Why I spelled it LeRoy instead of plain old Leroy…I have no clue. Next Chapter: I can't tell you lol. Sorry. Oh I can tell you that I will finally deal with Collins' mom. I kinda had to edit her out of this cause she simply didn't fit. Angel's news was also sacrificed to the editing god, but it will be there in the next chappie.