𝐙𝐄𝐑𝐎 ✯ steve harrington¹

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎 : death by school bus

WORD COUNT : 3.2k

Only about three quarters of the Webb family's belongings were out of boxes by the time Monday morning rolled around. There was a nervous hum in the air as the entire family prepared for their first days – both at school and at work. Their dad was fixing his tie in the mirror of the home's singular bathroom. In the same mirror, Law was attempting to style the mop of curls that had decided to stick up every which way when he woke up that morning. Owen sifted through boxes in search of her backpack, a dark green corduroy one that was hidden in the shadows of one of the many boxes in her bedroom.

Gordon was the only one who was prepared for the day, fully dressed and settled upon the hood of the family car. He sucked in a thick cloud of cigarette smoke, getting as much nicotine into his system as he could before he had to step foot in school. He knew his dad would absolutely kill him if he got a call from the principal about Gordon lighting up in the bathroom on the very first day. From his place on the car, the boy could hear the squeaks and sighs of the faded yellow school bus rattling through their neighborhood.

"You guys better get your asses out here! Wouldn't wanna be late on the first day, huh?" Gordon shouted in through the open kitchen window. He regretfully tossed the rest of his cigarette on the pavement of their driveway, his worn Converse smudging the flame out.

Owen stepped out into the cold October air first, exhaustion present and accounted for on her face. Not one of her items of clothing fit her properly, each of them hanging loosely off of her frame. Her jeans looked like she had borrowed them from a man twice her size, only being held up by a belt that had homemade holes punched through with a thumb tack so it would fit the girl. Gordon was almost certain that the flannel Owen had on actually was his own, but didn't want to start a fight over it this early in the morning.

Law followed closely behind his older sister, looking far too perky for the time and place. The taming of his curls had gone just about how it always did – there was no noticeable change to anyone besides Law. Gordon, with a nearly identical head of curls, had learned his lesson at some point and simply let his hair go as wild as it pleased.

"You have to figure out a car situation. And fast," Owen muttered, tucking her hands into the warmth of her underarms. The bus rounded the block and began its journey down their street just as the three kids lined up on the side of the road. "I have the worst headache in the history of Indiana and I think you are going to have to hold me back from throwing myself out of one of these bus windows if it's as loud as I think it's going to be," Owen warned, a crabby look etched on her features.

"I'm working on it, okay? Trust me. You'll survive riding the bus for a few days," Gordon sighed, giving Owen a pat on the back as a silent apology. The bus came to a halt in front of the kids, the doors being wrenched open with an unsettling screech. Gordon shot Owen an unsteady look before stepping through the doors and hauling himself into the far-too-noisy bus.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure I'll die due to school bus exposure at the old age of seventeen. I'll make sure to send you the funeral bill."

✯

Every class had gone just about how Owen would have wanted. Her new teachers had simply handed over the class textbook, told her to sit wherever she could find a place to, and then let her disappear into the background of the classroom. Owen couldn't dream of a more perfect first day. She had barely spoken to anyone by the time she walked into her Chemistry class. It was her last class before lunch period and the girl had her fingers crossed that this period would be just as uneventful as the others. That dream was thwarted the moment she stepped into the classroom, her teacher calling her over to his desk as soon as he saw her. She didn't miss the momentary, confused tilt of his head when the new student he was anticipating named Owen was actually a girl with pink hair and not another rambunctious boy to add to the mix.