Crimson and Violet Expressions

Vincent sat on his bed and let out a deep sigh. He was finished and he was free. He had a strange feeling about the way Zack had treated him that afternoon. Did he know?

Vincent opened his phone and went to the pictures and video of Zack. His thumb hovered over the delete button, but when he heard a knock on the door, he snapped it shut...

"It's open!" the raven haired graduate yelled in the direction of the door. He threw the phone under his pillow and sat on his bed. The door opened and the man came through and closed the door quietly behind him.

The tall, weedy looking man in the white lab coat smiled in Vincent's direction. His longish hair was pulled back in a hurried ponytail and his round glasses sat loosely on his nose as the dark eyes peered over at the young man.

"Do-Doctor Hojo!" Vincent let out a surprised stutter as he stood up and smoothed his shirt out and walked over to shake the professor's hand.

"Ah, Vincent. Congratulations." He took Vincent's hand and shook it warmly. Vincent's hand pulled away but Hojo's touch lingered. Crimson eyes looked into his own and the doctor smiled.

"I just came to meet the student that all the teachers rave on about. I wanted to say that getting where you are is no mean feat, in fact its quite a high achievment." Vincent looked away and blushed slightly.

Hojo took a few small steps closer to Vincent until their bodies were almost touching, he leant over to whisper into the teenager's ear when Zack burst through the door and yelled, "Aye, Princess!" A smile was on his face and when he saw Hojo and the uncomfortable look on Vincent's face he spoke again. "Uh... Sorry sir, just coming to...uh... pick up my friend for the party tonight."

Hojo backed off and smirked slightly. He looked Vincent in the eyes and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll look forward to working with you, Mr Valentine. Have fun at the party." Vincent nodded and Hojo walked past Zack and out the door.

Zack walked into the room and looked around. Although it was similar to his, Vincent's was so much... cleaner.

"God that Hojo is such a weirdo, don'tcha think?" Zack exclaimed to Vincent as he picked up a heavy textbook from the other teen's desk and flicked through it boredly. Vincent took it off of him and placed it back on the desk.

"He's not a weirdo, he's a genius." Vincent replied as he sat on his bed and crossed his arms.

"Oh yeah? And that's why he was breathing down your neck with that crazy look in his eye." The man with the purple eyes sat beside Vincent on his bed and picked up the pillow. He saw the phone come sliding down onto the bed covers and pushed the pillow into Vincent's head and grabbed the phone. Vincent's heart skipped a beat as he saw the small black flip phone in the hands of Zack. The wave of fear subsided when the bigger man tossed the phone to him and said.

"Come on, let's go get pissed. You should bring that cos I'm not dragging your sorry ass back here afterwards and you might need a ride." Zack didn't notice the relief after Vincent received his phone back.

Vincent smiled weakly and argued. "I told you, I don't drink..."

- - -

The music blaring from all around did nothing to change Vincent's mood. Neither did all the dancing bodies, reeking of alcohol. He sat on the couch with his arms crossed looking very uninterested. An hour and a half of this boredom, and Vincent regretted letting Zack drag him there.

Zack's spiky black hair could be seen above the crowd and his loud voice was more than audible above the music as he bounded through the crowd and yelled out to the new Turk.

"Oi Princess, slow down, you're the life of the party aren't ya?" He walked over and on his way grabbed two shot glasses out of the hands of a bystander. He collapsed down on the sofa next to Vincent and handed him a glass and immediately drained his own. He coughed quietly and lauged.

"That'll put hairs on your chest!" He nudged Vincent and winked.

"Excuse me..?" Vincent replied. He rolled his eyes and ignored Zack's immature smirk.

"Come on man, just this one time." Zack took ahold of Vincent's arm and moved the glass to his face.

"Well... Just this once. If it'll make you shut up." Vincent gave in and threw the liquid down his throat. He coughed and doubled over, then sucked in a breath. His head spun a little and Zack put an arm around his shoulder. Vincent looked up with a smile on his face and said.

"Another!"

"Whoa whoa man, I think you've had quite enough, you boozehound." Vincent pushed him away and picked up another shot...

- - -

45 minutes later, Vincent was stumbling around with a half empty bottle of tequila and wandering in and out of various social circles.

"One time... I was doin this esssssaay exaam... and..." Vincent paused to chuckle to himself "... I forgot to wriiite down my reffe-referencess... so... I faked em!" He cackled and everyone followed suit. It was their entertainment seeing the once proper student become a loudmouth drunk.

He stumbled to the couch and sat down to take a breather. One of Lily's friends sat down beside him and asked to borrow his phone.

"Yeah, yeah, take it." He thrust it in her direction and got up quickly. "I'm gonna be sick..." He groaned and staggered off to the toilets. When he got there, Zack was there splashing water on his face, his hair was plastered onto his forehead in a mixture of sweat and water as he looked at Vincent through the mirror. Vincent threw the door open and hurled, barely reaching the bowl in time.

Zack's violet eyes filled with concern and he moved over to pat Vincent's back.

"Jeez,"Vincent spluttered through a mouthful of bile, "why the hell did I listen to you?" Zack laughed softly and guided Vincent to the sink where he rinsed his mouth out and washed his flushed face.

The red eyed boy looked into the other boy's face. "Zack?" He asked.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"No problem." Zack smiled and helped Vincent walk out of the bathroom.

The first thing they noticed was the music had been turned off. A path sort of parted its way for the two of them as they walked back to the party. Angry murmers and whispers followed that. The sound of bees droning was not unlike the sound of the crowd as they talked quietly among themselves.

"What's going on?" Zack asked but no one answered him. The next thing they heard was Lily.

"Where is he!" There was rage in her voice. "Where the fuck is that bastard!"

The crowd split into two groups and each headed closer to the walls, leaving only Lily, Zack and Vincent in the middle. Lily came storming up and slapped Zack hard across the face.

"This whole time... You son of a bitch. How dare you do this to me?" Tears of anger welled in her eyes. She glared at Vincent.

"...What?" Zack asked her in a low voice.

"What is THIS!" She threw Vincent's phone into his hands and he looked at the small screen. The screen was playing the video Vincent had recorded. Zack was stunned.

"Lily... I..." He struggled for words as the colour drained from his face. Lily turned to Vincent.

"You're sick... I thought better of you..." It was then when the realisation dawned on the Turk. He pulled away from Zack and sat on a stool, unable to speak.

Lily then turned back to Zack, the tears were now silently streaming down her face. "I knew there was something wrong with you... You used me, you fucking queer!"

Zack turned and ran out the door, dropping the phone on his way out. Lily turned around and broke down crying in the arms of her friends. The drones of the crowd churning out the insults made Vincent decide it was time for him to leave also.

Fat rain drops splattered on Vincents face as he walked slowly in the direction of the dorms. As he approached the childrens playground he could hear the sobs of the lone figure sitting on one of the swings. Vincent felt a wave of guilt and went to take the other swing beside Zack.

"Zack...I...I'm sorry."

Zack slowly turned his head in Vincents direction, he looked at Vincent and said two words, "Why?...How?"

Vincent explained about how it happened, never once having the courage to look into his eyes. Zack looked over at the short haired boy and spoke again, slowly and clearly.

"Fuck. Off."

"B-but Zack it was never intentional, I'm sorry please let me help you. Let me be here be you" Vincent stood up and walked behind Zack, he put a hand on each shoulder, rubbing reasuringly but timidly.

Zack turned around with full stength and speed and with one hand he knocked Vincent to the ground.