The Girl Next Door

The Hearsay

Coral Coast High, 21 February 2023
I'm picking up my stuff and heading to the cafeteria for my fifth period lunch break when one of my classmates, Adrian, assertively approaches me

"Oi Kevlavich", he almost yelled from about fifty feet away. "That girl Sykes is your new girlfriend, right ??", he asks as he gets uncomfortably close
"No! She's just my neighbor. Why ??", I replied, somewhat embarrassed. I definitely wanted her to be my girl, though
"Look schizo, stay atleast six fucking feet away from that bitch if you value your life", he said in a very aggressive voice as he yanked me lightly by my collar before leaving

Now I wouldn't have thought much of it (just some girl troubles) if not for the fact that Adrian was gay. If he isn't into girls, why would half threaten me like that ?? Remembering the mystifyingly entrancing vibes she'd always given me, I decided to enquire further

I catch up to him and asked "Bro what's up with her ??"
"Will explain you over lunch", he says and we strolled down the crowded hallways towards the cafeteria

"So Kevlavich", he began as we sat down at an empty table with our trays. "Y'know the fire here last year ??"
"What! There was a fire here last year ??", I ask, astonished.
"Yeah", he said as he bit into his sausage. "An actual fire in the freshmen area girls' washroom. Whole thing was just completely gone & replaced with a barely recognizable black mass"
"Did someone die ??", I interrupt him
"No, nobody died or got injured", he said to my relief
"Did they catch the arsonist ?? Cuz washrooms don't just spontaneously ignite, y'know", I stated
"No...the cops got involved but they couldn't 'coz there were no surveillance cams here back then. They installed 'em after this to prevent further shit", he answered
"Aanndd what's all this got to do with her ??", I finally ask after pausing for a moment to just take in all that he'd said. I'd silently theorized that it was probably some vengeful janitor or peon. Kids like us, simply don't set fires to shit if that was what he was insinuating
"Wait we're getting to that", he continued. "Evan saw your girl Hanorah lighting, or more accurately, trying to light, Addy's backpack on fire when the rest of the class went for a bio lab session"
"What, no Hanorah wouldn't do that. She isn't crazy", I scoffed. Yes, she may be fascinated with fire but she never seemed to be crazy enough to be a pyro....she was always so cool, calm & composed. People simply can't keep such secrets yet be so normal
"Straight laced kids like you don't set fires, kids like her do", he calmly explained as if he could read my mind

I refused to believe this wild yarn about Hanorah that he was spinning me. I'd heard weird shit about her and her family before but this was just too much

"When he freaked out, she calmly explained it away as just tryna steal Addy's cigarettes", he continued
"But she told me she doesn't smoke", I protested
"Wait what!", he exclaims. I didn't know what to believe about her anymore
"She told me she didn't smoke or vape", I repeated
"But here she is trying to steal somebody's cigarettes", he said

"Y'know Sarah ??", he asked after a pause
"Yeah I know her from APUSH", I replied
"Yeah, she saw Sykes trying to light a trashcan on fire in the freshmen area washroom", he continued
"The one that went up in flames last year ?? So why didn't Sarah report this to the cops ??", I asked
"Yep....but this happened a few days before it went up in flames & nobody really noticed it this time cuz", he suddenly paused to think. "Nobody really paid that much attention to what anyone did in the washrooms, y'know. Not before this atleast. People used to cut class there and whatnot but why d'you think are the restrooms so well monitored these days ??"
"Now I gotta get to class", he said grabbing his empty tray & shoving it in the almost overflowing trashcan. "Y'know where this is goin' so stay the fuck away from her, ok ?? For your own good"
"Uhh....yeah, alright"

Then the bell for 6th period rang and I sat in bio with Miss Stevenson rambling on about pyruvate and salivary amylaise and whatnot wondering if all (or even some of) this was really true. She was always so intensely private that it almost seemed like she was hiding something

I know I got a terrible reputation welp, this is beyond terrible reputation, Hanorah!