'Corpse Bride' Fan Fiction: Victor Van Dort School Dilemma 2
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original Corpse Bride characters…for all the inspiration I thank the true master Tim Burton! Respect beyond the highest!
Oh dear…these chapters pained me as I wrote them…poor, poor, poor Victor…such things do only happen to the good people…I'd know…from experience…
The park around the village school, a great lawn, dotted with wild flowers, many shady trees and bushes, and wooden benches here and there. Victor's class is outside for break, Vincent and his gang are standing under a tree, laughing loudly and cracking jokes. Victor, aged 16, is seated alone on one of the benches further in the park, under an elm tree, holding a sketch book and carefully, yet lovingly drawing sketches of butterflies on the thick paper with a very worn and used looking pencil. He is so absorbed in his work that he doesn't notice Vincent and his gang approaching and gazing at him daringly, Vincent in front with a smirk on his face. He goes towards him, rips the sketch book out of Victor's hands and throws it on the ground. Victor, shocked and confused, ripped out of his daydreams, gazes up.
Vincent: Still drawing your little butterflies, Can Dort? (others snigger; boys on the other benches look over or stand up to watch)
Victor: (gets up to get his sketchbook, mumbles) Leave me alone...please...
Vincent: Oh, he says please...how civilized. Tell me, Can Dort, what is it with you and your butterflies? (sees him advancing to the sketchbook, picks it up and throws it further away, it hits a tree and lands on the ground, crumpled, Victor swallows)
Victor: I...I...don't know what...
Vincent: Your butterflies, Can Dort, what's up with them? In love with them are you? Can't get a girl, so it's a comfort I suppose... (some of his mates are doubled up laughing; others snigger behind their hands, Victor goes very white, but two red spots appear on his cheeks)
Vincent: Tell me, Can Dort, what are you going to do if your wealthy parents DO find a woman who would willingly marry you, hmmm? Not that I'd like to be in her place, of course...but things happen...What are you going to do, Can Dort, hmmm? I reckon you'll be so mixed up and stupid you'll mess up the whole ceremony! (laughs heartily, encouraging the others to do the same, Victor is terribly at loss now...blushing and glancing worried to his sketch book now and then)
Vincent: I bet you won't even have the guts to ask ANYONE to marry you, I guess your parents will have to do that for you as always...I can imagine it...(makes a silly face, stands on his toes and exaggerates twirling on his school-tie) I...um...I...I...I'm so stupid and shy but will you mmmm-mm...Ma-... (Victor, whose fists were forming whilst Vincent's speech, takes aim and slaps Vincent hard on the left cheek. Vincent staggers and nearly tumbles over, shocked, a red spot starts showing on his cheek. Everyone gasps, some whisper excitedly)
Victor: (realizes) Oh...I...I'm s-s-so sorry. Vincent... (holds hands in front of him palms facing Vincent, backs away as Vincent comes towards him)
Vincent: (is rolling his sleeves up, determined) Right...
Victor: (is panicking now) Vincent...I- I didn't mean it...I...
Vincent: (strides towards him) That was one wrong move, Can Dort...
Victor: I...please...you...I... (Vincent lands a hard fist on Victor's eye) Owww! (Victor clutches his left eye, Vincent doesn't wait, he hits his fist full on Victor's nose, Victor tumbles to the ground, bent and blood drops on his shirt)
Victor: (from the ground, sees Vincent coming up to him, scared, he scrambles up and crawls backwards) Please, Vincent...I...I didn't mean it...I...please just leave...
Vincent: No one hits me in the face, Can Dort...NO-ONE! And especially not a ninny like you! (Aims again and hits Victor on the already injured nose again, Victor crumples, holding his nose)
Vincent: You're nothing but a pathetic ninny, Can Dort. You and your butterflies! ( Tosses sketchbook toward him, blood drips on his perfect drawings, but Victor doesn't move. One of Vincent mates comes up, nervous)
Boy: Vince, the Pastor...Pastor Galswells is coming! (Victor groans and mumbles)
Victor: No, please not him...
Vincent: So? (Boy looks confused, Vincent glances devilishly down at him)
Pastor Galswells: (approaches the scene) What's going on here? What... (sees Victor, crumpled and bent on the floor, his nose bleeding and a black bruise developing under his eye) What in heaven's name? Van Dort! (Victor opens his uninjured eye, groans and closes it again) What happened to him? Well, speak up!
Vincent: It was like this, sir. I went to talk to him, wanted to see his sketches... (points at the stained paper) And he just went...well crazy...! He hit me full in the face, here (shows his cheek) and he went against me and my mates... isn't that right? (looks daringly behind him, everyone nods and murmurs in agreement, some look troubled) And well...he wouldn't stop, so we had to...
Victor: (stirs from the floor, groans and mumbles) No...Sir...I didn't...
Pastor G.: Silence Van Dort! What were you thinking? Have you gone utterly imbecilic? I do not tolerate violence, Van Dort! Get up immediately!
Victor: (grasping the tree for support, pulls himself in a sitting position, his one open eye is wide with fright and panic) Sir...I...I never...they...
Pastor: SILENCE! Valence, fetch the cane, please...and be quick about it!
Valence: Yes, sir... (runs off in the school house)
Victor: Sir...please, I never...I...Ohhh... (clutches his nose)
Pastor: Do you think I'll believe you, Van Dort? After what I have seen and heard, it's evidence enough! You will only deepen your sins by lying, Van Dort!
Victor: I...I'm not lying...sir….I...please...not the cane...
Valence: Here's the cane, sir... (hands him the thin wooden cane)
Pastor: About time...now then, Van Dort, your right hand please...?
Victor (panicking now) No! Please, sir! Please, I didn't...I only...I...
Pastor: (seizes his right hand, holds stick up high, aims...Victor closes his eyes, wincing, tears are forming in his eyes, Vincent is smiling in the back, and everyone is starting to form a circle around the scene)
Teacher: (a young man with brown hair, in his mid 30's. He is wearing a suit, but with his sleeves rolled up and normally wears a friendly expression) Pastor Galswells! What are you doing to that boy!
Pastor: (sighs, turns around, and lowers the cane) I am teaching him a well deserved lesson, Madame...If you would excuse-
Teacher: But he did nothing wrong! Pastor, please, I saw everything. This one... (points at Vincent) this is the boy you should be punishing! (Vincent looks worried, he is starting to sweat) I saw everything! He bothered this boy, he threw his book in the dirt and rounded him up and then he (pointing to Victor, shrugs)...he slapped him, that's true, but he backed away and tried to apologize and then he came towards him and hit him several times in the face...even as he was laying on the ground...! Don't you see, Pastor? If there is one person you should be using the cane on it's that one! (points at Vincent) Can't you see this poor boy is completely finished? (crouches to Victor, gets a handkerchief and mobs the blood a little) There, there...it's alright. What's your name, dear?
Victor: V-v-Victor...Van D-Dort
Teacher: Well, Victor, I'll take you to your classroom...come on (helps him up and supports him to the classroom, carrying his sketchbook, behind them Pastor Galswells is looking menacingly at Vincent) Those are wonderful sketches….(examines them closer with interest)...Shame they're spoiled, hm? Do you like drawing butterflies...?
Victor: (shivering) Y-yes...I've still got some sketches at home...it...it's alright...
Teacher: There we are... (goes in classroom, seats Victor on his desk) Are you alright now?
Victor: Yes...y-yes...I'm fine... (Teacher shakes his shoulder gently, gives him a smile and leaves)
Pastor: (enters the room, holding Vincent by the ear, dragging him in) I tell you, I'll spare you this time...but let me see you using violence and telling lies as to mortify me in front of my colleagues ONE MORE TIME and you'll be sorry...! (lets go at his desk)
Vincent: (clutching his ear) Yes, sir... (glances at Victor, who looks at his desk)
Pastor: Now, settle down, and lets move on to Equations, get out your books and turn to page 121, the... (drones on)
Victor: (looks into book, blood drips from the handkerchief on the page, then on the table) Oh... (tries to mop it all up. Pastor Galswells notices)
Pastor: Van Dort! What are you doing!
Victor: S-sir...I- my nose, it's still bleeding, sir...may I go to the...the nur-
Pastor: NO! No, you may no! You are responsible for the state you are in! And you can stay in next break and clean your table! I will not have you dirtying school furniture, Van Dort!
Victor: (looks at his shoes, Vincent sniggers)