Small Towns Don't Forgive - Violentine Slasher high school AU

Chapter Eleven: Interrogation At The Old Wing

Violet was floating in space, totally weightless.
Beautiful sounds reverberated through her brain, drums and bass and guitar and synth.
It filled her with inspiration, made her want - no, need - to create something amazing.
Then she felt somebody tap her shoulder.
All at once gravity began acting on her again, yanking her right back down to earth, back to the mind numbing classroom she had been sitting in all morning. She took out the earphones she had hidden under her hair and looked at Brody.

"Still with me?" The auburn haired girl asked.

"Still here." Vi nodded, pausing her MP3 player.

"Did you hear what I said?" Brody asked.

"No, sorry."

"I said you and Clementine have been spending a lot more time together lately. Things are going well I take it?"

"Things are, I guess." Violet shrugged nonchalantly.

She was met with a smug grin and raised eyebrows from Brody.

"Not those things." Vi clarified with a sigh.

"Do you trust her?" Brody asked, more sincerely.

"Yeah, I do." Violet replied without hesitation.

"Then maybe you should tell her how you feel?"

Vi shrugged and slid lower in the plastic chair.

"It never feels like the right time, especially with Jodie going missing."

"If you keep waiting for the right time, you're gonna miss it." Brody said.

Violet sighed dramatically and started chewing the inside of her cheek.
Brody was right, as always. Still, it didn't fill her with newfound determination and courage to go ask out Clem right away.

"Yeah, I know. I'll figure it out." She mumbled.

"When are you seeing her again?" Brody asked.

"Lunch break."

"Want me to save you two a seat?"

"Nah, don't worry about it. We've got plans."

"Gotcha." Brody nodded, "make sure you don't forget about me though."

"No chance." Violet smiled.

***

Violet leaned against the wall of the cafeteria, arms folded across her chest. Beside her, Clementine stood, subconsciously mirroring the same pose.
They were both keeping a close eye on the crowd, hoping to spot a certain tall redhead.
Minerva finally emerged, leaving the lunch line with her tray and sitting down at her usual table.

"There she is." Vi said, gesturing with a nod.

"I see her." Clementine said, "but she's not gonna want to talk when she's surrounded by people. We need to get her alone."

"So get her alone. Tell her you need a word in private, then take her outside to the old building, by the drinking fountain. I'll wait for you there, that way she won't get suspicious."

"Got it. See you there."

Clementine pushed off the wall and strode through the crowded room.

Violet left the cafeteria, walking along the edge of the school grounds until she made it to the U-shaped red brick building at the far end of campus. It pre-dated the rest of the school by about thirty years. After the main building was expanded in the eighties - then upgraded again in the late nineties - the sad old brick building was left to fester. Now it was only used for storage, rarely visited.
The teachers called it the old wing.
Vi called it fucking creepy.
Once, on a dare, she had snuck inside. It had mostly been to impress Ella Montes, who had been among the small crowd egging her on.
She remembered climbing through the high window and exploring the abandoned classrooms.
There were rats nesting all over the place and tables and chairs piled nearly to the ceiling.
Embarrassingly, she had gotten startled by a decaying taxidermy bear and tripped over herself, landing flat on her ass. Thank god Ella Montes hadn't been there to see that.