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this story will have a B-SIDE it's gonna be in two parts
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victor was heading to mr. delaney's office when he saw the group of school kids clustered around a small television in the corner of the school hall.
but before that, as he had been sifting through the school books he needed for next period at his locker, he had nearly had a heart attack upon catching sight of that same dark-haired boy with headphones in both ears from the day before. he'd slammed his locker shut, left his bag in the ground and almost sprinted after him to reach out and touch him on the shoulder.
"hey," he'd said, a little out of breath, and as soon as the boy had taken a headphone out of one ear, it seemed he recognised victor straight away also.
"so not only do you stare at me in the street," the boy had started off, "but now you chase me down the hall too? i thought you had a boyfriend."
victor had blushed again, and let go of the boy's shoulder.
"i haven't seen you around here before," victor had said, and the dark-haired boy's shoes had squeaked against the linoleum. "i didn't know you went here."
"small world," the boy had countered, and victor had sworn he could smell cherry. the boy was wearing the same oversized grey jacket, but with a red tee and ripped blue denim overalls rolled up at the ankles. victor had felt a little awkward, and had shuffled from foot to door on the linoleum. he had seen emil nekola and sara crispino making out by the lockers behind where the boy had been standing.
"you still listening to the killers?" the dark-haired boy had said suddenly, taking victor by surprise. victor had laughed a little, and put his hands in his jean pockets.
"i listened to lana del ray," victor had answered, and the boy nodded approvingly. "i like her."
"looks like you've got a good taste in music," he had said, adjusting the strap of the blue satchel he had over one shoulder.
"looks like i do," victor had said with a laugh he used when he didn't know what to say. he hadn't wanted to go to mr delaney's office, so put it off by saying, "y'know, you live pretty near that boyfriend of mine's house."
"oh really?" the dark-haired boy with one headphone in had asked, all long lashes and the smell of cherry. "where does he live?"
"a few streets down from where i met you, outside your house."
the boy had nodded, before laughing lightly, shaking hair out of his dark eyes and continuing down the hall.
victor had been starting to head back over to his locker before the dark-haired boy in the red tee had said back over his shoulder:
"it's yuri, by the way. might be useful to know if you're going to stalk me."
so after flushing red as a cherry lollipop again, ducked his head to avoid anya coming down the hall with thoughts of those polaroid pictures in the back of his locker of her in white lingerie, he'd gone back to get the books he needed and had stumbled across the gathering of high school kids by the television in the hall corner.
sucking on lemon bubblegum and not chewing, victor had stood with his bag over one arm and watched some kid turn up the volume on the news that was playing.
not before he'd read the banner under the news anchor that read
"FAMILY BURNT TO DEATH IN THEIR HOME LAST NIGHT"
now, bubblegum sticking to his teeth, victor listened amid the other cheerleaders, soccer jocks and denim-clad students to the red-lipsticked, blonde-bobbed woman talk straight out at him from the screen.
"students in this area, particularly those at overwood high - "
there was intake of breath among the students standing with necks aching as they looked up at the screen. victor noticed that anya was standing next to a red-haired girl he recognised. he could see that same birthmark exposed by her cheerleading skirt being purposefully too short that was visible on one of the three polaroid pictures in his locker. he looked back up at the screen.
" - are advised to return home with caution as the county police are treating this as a MURDER investigation."
victor bit at the inside of his cheek again, and wondered if anya was wearing that same white lingerie under the pleated skirt of her cheerleading outfit. he saw georgi's hand on the small of her back, and hated the cherry-red smile she flashed him
"the house was set alight with gasoline poured from the INSIDE of the house, which has lead the police to deduce its being intentional rather than accidental. a picture of the house shows - "
victor's eyes shot up from the bare skin of anya's thighs and up to the picture of the white-fenced panelled house with the lawn cut to neatly shown on the screen.
it was the house he'd seen "yuri" outside of sucking at that cherry lollipop the day before - he knew it for sure, because of the red roses out the front and the white paint that had chipped away from the third post in to the right.
"stains on the back porch prove that gasoline was brought into the house during the break-in by the killer - "
the house he'd seen "yuri" walk around the back of, as he'd carried on down the street with "run for cover" by the killers playing in his ears. the house he was certain "yuri" had said was his, only minutes before.
victor could taste blood mingling with the sweetness of lemon bubblegum in his mouth.
"one member of the family, minako okukawa, was the only victim who is presumed murdered before the killer set the house ablaze, as her corpse was found on the front lawn, unburnt."
the bell rung. nobody moved. victor's eyes were getting dry from not blinking.
"she had been shot twice. forensics have come to the conclusion, from her blood on the front porch, that she was shot once inside the house by the killer, dragged herself out of the front door, and was shot again."
victor was thinking of blood on that trimmed green grass, and the white lollipop stick on the sidewalk by the base of that white picket fence.
