James had told Steven this was a bad idea. When was it ever a good idea to go back to high school? James hadn't been particularly popular and he was in touch with the few friends he wanted to still be in touch with. He didn't have any favorite teachers and the principal, Mr. Jones, had been one of the worst people he'd ever known. His parents had long moved out of the town he'd gone to high school in, so they weren't even a reason to go. But Steven had wanted to get to know James's child and teenhood, so when there was an invite to his 15th high school reunion, they had RSVP'ed yes and headed out in their blue truck.
Now, due to fate wanting to drive home what a bad idea this had been, had thrown a dead body into a science lab. Although, it wasn't actually fate, it was someone who had been at the reunion. The dead body was, in fact, their old principal who was retiring that year. Not that that was making the night any easier.
James and Steven sat together in the gym, which was now ironically decorated in bright colors and happy photos of James's high school class. Steven was pretty shaken up and James was trying to comfort him without really knowing what to say. The police were slowly doing a sweep of the school and adding everyone they found wandering about to the gym. They'd all been told that they couldn't leave until more was sorted.
James hugged Steven close to him until an officer came up to him, "You were the one who found the body?"
"Yes," James said quietly, noticing how the question rattled Steven more.
"We have a few questions for you sir."
"Alright, can you ask them here?" James didn't really want to leave Steven.
"It's best if we do it in private."
James kissed Steven on the cheek and told him he'd be back soon before leaving with the officer. The officer led him out of the gym and down the hall towards the science lab, but the officer stopped short of the door.
"Can you tell me what happened?" the officer asked, taking out a pen and paper.
James, still in shock, recounted how he had been trying to find where the bathrooms were since the building had been renovated since he'd gone there and he thought he saw someone in the science lab. Thinking it could be a janitor who could help him out, he opened the door. But he hadn't found a janitor, he had found the old principal, his head bashed in with a microscope.
"Did you notice anything else?"
James thought for a moment and then thought of the odd green gleam in the window. "Yeah, I think there was something on the window sill, near the line of microscopes."
The officer radioed someone and then asked James a few more questions. A few minutes later, a garble came over the radio and the officer nodded. "Could it have been a class ring?" the officer said, not looking up.
Their school colors had been green and white, thought James. "Yeah, yeah it could be, but I never had one myself."
The officer continued to question him and then let him return to his husband. "You doing okay, Steven?"
"I just keep thinking about Katie," he said, not looking at James. Katie had been James's sister who was killed by a drunk driver, Brad James thought his name had been, when the two were in middle school. The guy had gotten off with community service and had never even apologized to James's family.
"I'm sorry, sweetie. This must bring up a lot of bad things for you. Trust me, we'll be out of here before you know it."
Steven looked at him for the first time since James had found the body, "I trust you."
James smiled, "And I trust you."
The moment of relief that had come over Steven quickly passed and he slipped back into his fretting state. "This place even reminds me of our school. It has the same school colors and everything."
"I thought Katie passed in middle school though," James said quietly, rubbing his husband's back and gently taking his hand.
"It was all connected," muttered Steven. "We were happy there." Steven's voice seemed dreamy for a moment, but then turned suddenly dark and cruel. "Until Brad Jones murdered her." His entire body shook with something that James couldn't pinpoint.
A chill ran through James as he realized that he could no longer feel the class ring on his husband's finger.
(Prompt by Kimisha Cassidy)
Now, due to fate wanting to drive home what a bad idea this had been, had thrown a dead body into a science lab. Although, it wasn't actually fate, it was someone who had been at the reunion. The dead body was, in fact, their old principal who was retiring that year. Not that that was making the night any easier.
James and Steven sat together in the gym, which was now ironically decorated in bright colors and happy photos of James's high school class. Steven was pretty shaken up and James was trying to comfort him without really knowing what to say. The police were slowly doing a sweep of the school and adding everyone they found wandering about to the gym. They'd all been told that they couldn't leave until more was sorted.
James hugged Steven close to him until an officer came up to him, "You were the one who found the body?"
"Yes," James said quietly, noticing how the question rattled Steven more.
"We have a few questions for you sir."
"Alright, can you ask them here?" James didn't really want to leave Steven.
"It's best if we do it in private."
James kissed Steven on the cheek and told him he'd be back soon before leaving with the officer. The officer led him out of the gym and down the hall towards the science lab, but the officer stopped short of the door.
"Can you tell me what happened?" the officer asked, taking out a pen and paper.
James, still in shock, recounted how he had been trying to find where the bathrooms were since the building had been renovated since he'd gone there and he thought he saw someone in the science lab. Thinking it could be a janitor who could help him out, he opened the door. But he hadn't found a janitor, he had found the old principal, his head bashed in with a microscope.
"Did you notice anything else?"
James thought for a moment and then thought of the odd green gleam in the window. "Yeah, I think there was something on the window sill, near the line of microscopes."
The officer radioed someone and then asked James a few more questions. A few minutes later, a garble came over the radio and the officer nodded. "Could it have been a class ring?" the officer said, not looking up.
Their school colors had been green and white, thought James. "Yeah, yeah it could be, but I never had one myself."
The officer continued to question him and then let him return to his husband. "You doing okay, Steven?"
"I just keep thinking about Katie," he said, not looking at James. Katie had been James's sister who was killed by a drunk driver, Brad James thought his name had been, when the two were in middle school. The guy had gotten off with community service and had never even apologized to James's family.
"I'm sorry, sweetie. This must bring up a lot of bad things for you. Trust me, we'll be out of here before you know it."
Steven looked at him for the first time since James had found the body, "I trust you."
James smiled, "And I trust you."
The moment of relief that had come over Steven quickly passed and he slipped back into his fretting state. "This place even reminds me of our school. It has the same school colors and everything."
"I thought Katie passed in middle school though," James said quietly, rubbing his husband's back and gently taking his hand.
"It was all connected," muttered Steven. "We were happy there." Steven's voice seemed dreamy for a moment, but then turned suddenly dark and cruel. "Until Brad Jones murdered her." His entire body shook with something that James couldn't pinpoint.
A chill ran through James as he realized that he could no longer feel the class ring on his husband's finger.
(Prompt by Kimisha Cassidy)
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