They say the year Argus McCree accepted the posistion of custodian at Brecksville Highschool, was the same year the sophomore suicides took place. In the wee hours of the night, four teens had crept into the school auditorium, and they never departed. This tragedy left a searing mark on the community, shrouded in a variety of speculation.
Rumors circulated amongst the students, each one adding their own spin in the telling. Argus had been seen with scratches on his arms that same week. A bruise across one eye was proof that there was more to the story. What did he really know about what had happened that night? Some say he was there. Others outright called him a murderer.
It was true that Argus did most of his work late at night- where was he when this horrific event took place? The bravest voices ventured to ask more, why weren't the police called until sunrise? As years went by, the story was refreshed by those who hadn't even attended the school yet when it all happened. As they passed the tale to younger siblings, tragedy became urban legend.
Bethany stood sideways to look at herself in the mirror, her torso strangely upright. A red hue began to creep across her cheeks as she strained. "You're still fat, get over it." his infuriating little voice startled Bethany, who exhaled her stomach back to its resting state with a groan. "Why are you under my bed weirdo?! Ugh. Get. Out. Nooooow Bradley!" She stomps a booted foot, heaving.
Tossing the closest object at his head, which just barely pokes out from under her pink bed frame, she screams, "Jerk!" Bradley sucks. Brecksville Highscool sucks. And Tina Stevens wasn't as cool as everyone thought she was! With a sickening twist in her guts, she remembers the dare. As Bradley scrambles out from under the bed, to hop off down the hall.
Trevor flicks his head sideways, flinging his shock of green hair slightly out of his face. A beanie contains most of his messy locks, "Leftover Crack" embroidered across the front. He takes a steadying breath, "Bethany, it's chill. You really don't have to do it if you don't want to. You do know that, right?" his voice was always sarcastic, except when he spoke to her.
He wore one icy blue contact in his left eye, a stark contrast to the dark brown of his right. Everyone thought Trevor was weird, he thought everyone was boring. Bethany had known him since she was small, their mothers being best friends and all. Maybe the friendship had started because of that, but it grew on a foundation of magnificent mutual understanding.
Trevor thought it was stupid to pick flowers, he knew that wasn't how you appreciated them. He acted aloof, but in his words: "It's easier to go along playing the part you're cast as. These aren't the defining lines that matter." he had a philosophy. In a baggy pants pocket, he kept a leather-bound notebook with dense pages of fine paper.
Filled with sketches of birds, elderly couples, and trees, it was a treasure that Bethany was certain no one else knew of. "I know I don't have to, but maybe I want to do something cool for once dude!" her heavily lined eyes are pleading, "So, are you going to go with me or not?" she crosses her arms.
It had all started in History class when Mrs. Cline had needed to step out to take an urgent phone call. Tina began talking loudly to her friends- both Monica and Brittney were on the cheer team with her, and they always sat together. That fact made History particularly strenuous for Bethany, since they all loathed her "creepy style". Monica laughed artificially at something Tina had said.
"Argus obviously murdered them!" she says when her high-pitched giggles die down. A serious look crosses her normally vapid features, "I bet you could find proof in his office, if you looked." she says a bit quieter. Bethany can't hold it in, the laughter starts as a snort in her nose. Bursting out despite her best efforts she says, "That's absolutely ridiculous!" oops.
"If you're so sure, why don't you take a peak with your freak boyfriend?" Tina sneers, "Unless you only talk tough." her mocking smile is perfectly even. Monica and Brittney lose it, patting her on the shoulder as they laugh at the great jape. "Yeah, I dare you, goth girl!" Brittney giggles.
Late Thursday night Bethany hears a tap outside her window, it's go time! Of course Trevor agreed to go with her, just to break into the school if nothing else. Sliding the lower pane of her window up slowly, Bethany eases though the opening.
She's done this dozens of times before, evidenced by the graceful way she steps just so. Landing a bit out of breath to greet her best bud she says, "Let's do this!" grinning widely, as she clasps hands with her favorite co-conspirator.
Getting into the school is easy, dealing with Trevor isn't. "Can you hear them Beth?" he whispers close to her ear, "They need you to hold their truth..." the low vibration of his words sends a shiver down her spine, the heat of his breath adding to the sensation.
"You're a clown!" she huffs, making some space between them. "It's sad what those kids did, you shouldn't joke about them." she means to give him a stern look, but the way he juts his bottom lip out makes her laugh anyhow. He continues to play remorseful, as she stifles laughter into a sleeve.
"Shhhh you butt! C'mon, his office is this way." Bethany gestures down a hallway, but Trevor is staring in the direction of the auditorium. "Let's go this way first Beth." his voice is distant, yet all Bethany hears is that he's going to be annoying. "Whatever dude, I'll meet back up with you." she says, striding off down the dark corridor with agitation prickling her skin. Trevor the troll.
The office is dimly lit, a desktop lamp illuminating a jumbled mess of documents layered on the heavy wooden desk. A box sits in the corner, filled to the brim with shredded paper. As Bethany creeps into the small room, something catches her attention right away. A series of newspaper clippings is tapped to the wall, spanning almost its entire length.
She recognizes the faces of the four kids immediately, a chill raising the hairs of her arms. Why would he have these up after so many years? A desk drawer sits tantalizingly ajar, she moves to pry it open. "How did you get in here?" a gruff voice causes her to scream, as she spins around to face the custodian. "Bad things happen to people who go through other people's belongings." he says.
Trevor realizes with a jolt that it's been way too long. Bethany should've wandered in by now. He's already walking towards the door when he hears a scream. Crap. Argus's office is on the other side of the school! Hiking his baggy pants up, Trevor sprints towards his friend, his heart in his throat.
The school had never felt as large as it did now, Trevor thought as he streaked past door after door. Hold on Beth he yelled in his mind, willing her to be okay. What if the rumors were true and she was in danger? All because he wanted to goof off. Tears welled in his eyes, burning the one with the contact lens. Please be okay he mentally begged, why hadn't he just gone with her?
As he reaches the staircase to the faculty offices, the silence below sends his heart to hammer against his windpipe. He can barely breathe as he jumps down the stairs, turning to close the small space between him and Argus's office.
Bethany is sitting at the desk, Argus looming over her. Her shoulders shake, Trevor expects to hear sobs, as her torso quakes... but she's laughing? "Oh my goodness, that is such a beautiful way to remember someone!" she says, turning to notice Trevor at last.
"You okay dude?" she asks with a furrowed brow, "You look like you saw a ghost!" she chuckles. Heaving with relief as he catches his breath, Trevor shakes his head. Leave it to Beth to make friends with Argus while breaking and entering!
"Look at this scrapbook Argus has kept Trevor! People couldn't be more wrong about what they think happened!" she says, her bright eyes dragging him into her magic, she had a way of doing that.
