The Darkest Hour
One: You Were My Muse
Note: I do not own Scooby Doo or Alesund by Sun Kil Moon. I do not make a profit from writing this story.
Authors Note: I am aware Stevie Nichols is the character name of Hayley Kiyoko's character on "Wizards of Waverly Place". I just happen to like it.
Fandom: Scooby Doo (Mystery Begins)
Genre: Angst/Drama/Horror/(Slight)HurtComfort
Rating: T (Language, violence, adult situation references)
No this is not my guitar
I'm bringing it to a friend
And no I don't sing
I'm only humming along
I came down from the room
I saw you in the rain
Laughing with some people
Hair dripping down your face
Your calm hypnotic eyes
Your Scandinavian glow
I felt them like a flame
Candle in my cold bones
Tonight you were my muse
As I belted and I strummed
From the crowd I heard
You sing a pretty line
Was it there so much longer
That I wanna cry
I thought about it long
Had you repeated in my ear
"I couldn't place a thought
without you being so close"
Away from all the fun
And back into the black
Seaside night of Alesund
-Alesund by Sun Kil Moon
Norville "Shaggy" Rogers sighed as he climbed on the bus to school. It didn't matter anymore. He was going to fail out again and once again repeat a grade. But that didn't faze him anymore. Nothing did. Everyone was doing their best to try to help him but…he couldn't bring himself to care. Not one bit. He stopped riding with Daphne and Freddie, and they accepted that. He wasn't mad at them, they knew that, he just needed space from them and the life he had.
As the bus picked up its final students, he focused on the dark gray material of the seat in front of him, looking at the obnoxious amount of graffiti on it. Suddenly there was a plop beside him and he was no longer alone on the bench seat. Startled, he looked up; most people avoided him, especially after what had happened a year ago.
Norville "Shaggy" Rogers sighed as he climbed on the bus to school. It didn't matter anymore. He was going to fail out again and once again repeat a grade. But that didn't faze him anymore. Nothing did. Everyone was doing their best to try to help him but…he couldn't bring himself to care. Not one bit. He stopped riding with Daphne and Freddie, and they accepted that. He wasn't mad at them, they knew that, he just needed space from them and the life he had.
As the bus picked up its final students, he focused on the dark gray material of the seat in front of him, looking at the obnoxious amount of graffiti on it. Suddenly there was a plop beside him and he was no longer alone on the bench seat. Startled, he looked up; most people avoided him, especially after what had happened a year ago.
One year ago, Velma Dinkley died, slaughtered while they worked a case. If they weren't outcasts before, Mystery Incorporated certainly were now. As much as they tried to carry on, the group was strained, they tried not to let it happen, but guilt was a horrible thing that consumed them all. At least Freddie had Daphne, though he was turning away from her but she was clinging worse than before. Freddie had told him on more than one occasion he wanted Daphne out of his life, looking at her hurt too much. He did have Scooby, but human comfort was different from the comfort of a dog.
He looked to the person who was invading his seat and obviously didn't care about personal space since she was smashed up against him. She was blinking at him with an amused smile on her lips. Her dark hair was lined with thick blonde streaks; her hair only went to the back of her neck. Her outfit was something else as well, black vest, blue tank top, and red plaid pants. She wore high black boots and her bag was carelessly flopped at her feet and a guitar hung into the aisle.
"Like, excuse me, what are you doing?" he asked, finding his voice, he wasn't used to talk, not this early in the morning or much anymore.
"Sitting down, what are you? Seat Police?" the girl snapped back, her voice sounded rough but she seemed more amused than anything.
"I've never, like, seen you before. Who are you?" he asked, it was only a month into the New Year, usually new people started right away but it didn't matter to him. He just wanted to know who invaded his space.
"Stevie. Is this an interrogation, Seat Police?" she asked, arching her bows.
"Uhm, no?"
"That's too bad. I may have enjoyed it, but I can take a hint, now I get to fight for a seat in the back," she said and stood, as she fought towards, a familiar foot shot out to trip her.
Shaggy couldn't help but laugh as she had stepped over his foot, and then took one step back to step on it. The asshole howled in pain and she laughed.
"Oh…was that your foot?" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm and fake innocence. "Oops," she said, her voice went cold as she continued to the back and threw herself on the empty back seat.
Shaggy turned back towards the front of his seat, at least his day started off with a laugh. He realized he hadn't laughed in so long, he forgot how it felt. He closed his eyes and let his head hit the back of the seat. And he prayed to God that Velma was with him and at peace, and that he'd get the strength to live again, he honestly didn't know how much longer he could feel like this…
Freddie and Daphne were waiting on either side of his locker, as usual. He stopped his backpack at his feet and began to turn the combination lock. Putting the numbers in, the lock actually gave and he sighed.
"Thank God for small favors," he unloaded his backpack into his locker and took out books for his first classes.
The other two were talking vacantly as usual. They talked but he never listened and they never spoke of anything important. Freddie patted him on the back and left, leaving him and Daphne at the lockers. Shaggy looked to the girl and then opened his arms to her. She threw herself in and he held her tight. He placed his chin on top of her head and her head was buried in his neck. Daphne's guilt was consuming her just as bad as his.
Since that night, though the two remained a couple, Shaggy knew they were doing it because they couldn't leave one another. Freddie was becoming resentful of Daphne and she knew it. She blamed herself for what had happened that night. So she spent her time with Freddie until he'd yell at her and she'd come running into his arms. Shaggy didn't mind comforting her, and had started to depend on her physical contact to keep him focused and some days, it's what kept him alive. When he had told her that, she didn't seem surprised; she didn't judge but made every effort she could to touch him when she was near. Freddie hadn't voiced that he didn't want her to stop to either one of them so they continued. He probably thought they were fooling around but if Freddie thought that, he was stupid as they all first thought.
Daphne slowly pulled away and he almost asked her back, but instead she took his hand and they began to walk to their first hour class. English. They sat in the back of the class; this was one of the few classes where they weren't separated by alphabetical seating. She passed him her homework and begged him to copy it, with a sigh he did. He heard Daphne make a noise and looked up, the new girl was back. She was heading to the seat in front of Daphne and sat down.
"Uh," Shaggy watched as Daphne leaned forward. "Someone sits there," she told the girl.
The girl turned around and gave her an 'oh really' look. Then she spied Shaggy and winked at him.
"I thought that was your job, Seat Police," she told him, while Daphne just looked confused.
"Shag, you know her?"
"Yeah, we met on the bus. Daph, this is Stevie, Stevie this is Daphne Blake," he said not looking up from the homework he was half heartedly writing down.
"Stevie?" Daphne questioned the name.
"That's the name on my birth certificate," she said, "So you're Daphne Blake," Stevie said, but didn't elaborate. She merely turned back around and took out a notebook. Daphne frowned but looked over to Shaggy, he passed her back her homework and she let her hand linger on his. He looked to her and she looked back at him, they both saw emptiness in others eyes. But there was thankfulness at the touch. As the teacher walked in, they dropped their hands and Shaggy settled in for a nap. He hated English.
The bell sounded and Shaggy woke up, the new girl was gone and Daphne was gathering her things. She waited for him to stretch, yawn, and grab his things, and then they began their walk towards their next class. He wasn't in this one with her, but Fred was and they would wait for him to join and he'd watch them go. Then he'd usually skip his class, it was Math, if he hated anything more than English, it was math.
"Shaggy Rogers !" he stopped dead at the loud voice of Principal Grimes, he turned to see the older man strutting towards him.
"Like, it wasn't me!" he immediately said, Grimes actually smiled for a moment but that quickly disappeared.
"You're not in trouble, I was just hoping since you don't seem to be attending your math class anymore, you could at least show our new student, Miss Nichols around since she seems to be making mischief of her own," he nodded his head behind him, Shaggy looked over his shoulder to see Stevie leaning up against a row of lockers. She waved her fingers at him and was grinning cheekily.
"Uh, like, sure, why not," he told him, and Stevie sauntered over to him.
"You two behave," Grimes said and walked off.
"So Seat Police, I'm not really too interested in where anywhere is. I can use the 'I'm new' excuse, can we go somewhere to chill?" she asked, he nodded and they headed outside.
"Mind if I call my dog over?" he asked and she shook her head violently.
"I'm allergic. Unless you want me breaking out in hives, but I don't feel like being itchy all day," Stevie said and Shaggy sighed.
"Zoinks, sorry!" he said, she arched her bow.
"Zoinks?" she asked, he felt himself blush a bit.
"Yeah…I, like, try not to swear. My Dad's a cop and he thinks swearing makes a person look like they are trash,"
"So you made up a word?" she asked, as he led her to the bleachers and she plopped down.
"Yeah, it's like, totally weird I know but it's me," he said, she smiled and shook her head.
"I don't mind. It's kinda cool, you remind me of a hippie," she said as she pulled out her guitar.
"You play?" he asked, she shrugged.
"I'm no Hendrix but I do dabble. Though I may afflict my horrid singing on you," she said with a wink. He sat back and listened as she began to strum the cords, then began a melody. She began to sing, her voice wasn't the greatest but the emotions were strong.
"What song is that?" he asked, as she finished.
"Alesund by Sun Kil Moon," she continued to strum gently, "So, what's got you beat down?"
"I don't want to talk about it," he stated bluntly.
"I can tell, that's probably why the Principal is being so lenient on you? As well as the Teachers," she said, he shot her a look.
"My best friend was killed, almost a year ago…I left her alone…it was my fault…I only come because my Ma and Pop could go to jail. I don't care if I ever get out of this place…it doesn't matter anymore," he admitted, it felt good to get it out. To finally tell someone, it was easier to tell a stranger, than to tell his friends. He didn't want to be a bigger burden than he already was.
"Would she want you to give up?" the sudden and brunt question made him think of her. He closed his eyes and remembered the day, not that night, not her body, not the blood. But the wind in her hair, her skirt ruffling in the breeze and her laugh.
"No, she wouldn't. But I can't…anymore, I'm not a fighter, I'm a coward," He heard her footsteps grow closer and she put her hand on his shoulder.
"Live your life, for her, it's all you can do," she said and he watched her climb down the bleachers and watched he walk away, back towards the school as the bell sounded.
The day went by for him in a blur; he didn't see Stevie again until the end of the day. He was waiting for Freddie at his lockers; Daphne was cuddled into his shoulder, a pout on her lips. Stevie walked past and he called out to her.
"Yes, my little Beatnik?" she asked, Daphne frowned.
"Don't call him that," she snapped, Stevie held up her hands.
"Sorry Blake, didn't mean to insult your boyfriend," Daphne rolled her eyes.
"Look Stevie," she said the name with such contempt that Shaggy did a double take, Stevie simply smiled, "he is not my boyfriend and you don't even know us. Why don't you act like a normal new girl and mind your own business,"
"Daphne!" he said in disbelief.
"You're funny Blake, good to see that you've got balls,"
"Uh, Daphne's a chick, she's doesn't have balls," came Freddie's voice as he walked up.
"Freddie, this is between the two of us, stay out of it," Daphne snapped, Stevie held up her hands.
"Whatever you guys, Shag, whatever you wanted to tell me, tell me later, I don't need this!" she turned on her heels, shoving past Freddie and out the door.
"Whoa, who was that?" he asked, as they all watched her go.
"Stevie Nichols. New girl. Pain in my ass," Daphne said, Shaggy looked down at her.
"Zoinks Daph! What got into you?" he asked, she looked up at him and she shrugged.
"I…I don't know. I just…" Shaggy saw the tears in her eyes he motioned to Freddie and they both held her as she started to sob.
"I know, I miss Velma too," Freddie said, and pressed his lips to the top of her head. Shaggy wriggled out of the embrace and let Freddie hold on to her. He walked away from them and went outside and Scooby Doo bounded over.
"Rhow rhaw rhour rhay, Rhaggy?" Scooby asked and Shaggy began to scratch behind his ear.
"It was interesting Scoob, certainly interesting," he said and they headed for the bus.
To Be Continued.
Reviews are love.