Sarah knew the stupid fucking drill by now.

She'd tutored multiple kids by now, all through middle school, and all through the first semester of Freshman year. She figured after Christmas break, maybe she could also catch a break. But, no, obviously not. The second Sarah showed up for class, first period with Mr.Banks, she had a note sent from the office. Now, she slowly made her way down the empty hallway as her new shoes cut into the side of her feet. She stared at each locker as she walked.

Every single locker belonged to someone between the ages of fourteen to eighteen, all with their own lives. Sarah often thought about how different people could be compared to how they were in school, and how they were at home. Taking herself as an example, Sarah didn't talk much in school unless it was to answer a question in class. She was sorta overlooked, in her opinions anyways, she never wanted to be seen. But, when she went home, all she wanted was to be seen by her parents.

They loved her, and they never mistreated her. But, they were workaholics. They thoughts that by giving their only daughter a big house and all the money in the world, that's why she'd love them. But, in reality, she'd love them if they were just home a little more, if they could all sit down and eat dinner or even just breakfast. In some weird way, all three of them were in pain due to the other two. Sarah liked to sing at the top of her lungs at her house too, she liked to talk to herself every now and then. School life and home life were two different Sarah's.

Vance Hopper was someone like Sarah too.

At school, he was the closest thing she'd ever seen to insane. He genuinely scared the absolutely living daylights out of her, most of the time she stayed very clear from him. Vance would often come into the little store she worked at, Grab N Go, and play the pinball machine in the corner. For the most part he was quiet, but if he messed up or someone bothered him, all hell broke loose. Not to mention, rarely anyone walked past him without being gifted a broken nose if they provoked him in some way.

But, like Sarah, it was different at home. He had an asshole of a father who disappeared on him a few years ago, and a mother he loved and tried her best, but he didn't see often due to her work schedule. It did a toll on him as he got older, specially when reaching the age of thirteen. All that anger came out then, in violent ways and usually at anyone that triggered the smallest bit of rage. It was easier that way, getting all that emotion out, if only he'd felt a little bit of guilt for it. He never did.

Sarah usually just stayed out of Vance's way, but when she opened up that office door, it didn't seem like that was an option anymore.

"Sarah." Principle Lano smiled up at her. Sarah would usually smile back, but she wasn't use to Vance Freaking Hopper staring at her like he was about to carve his name across her face. "How was your Christmas?"

Sarah forced herself to pull her eyes away from Vance's glaring state. "It was nice, Principal Lano. And how was yours?"

"Cold." she gave her a small smile. "Take a seat. Do you mind shutting the door?"

The last thing Sarah wanted to do was sit next to Vance Freaking Hopper, she'd much rather stand in the doorway or fake a sickness. But, because she needed to stay on Principle Lano's good side if she was gonna land a scholarship to a 'big time fancy' private school in Aspen. So, Sarah sat. Vance rolled his eyes but didn't bother to continue glaring at her, his nasty stare was focused on their principle now.

"Sarah, I'm sure you know why you're here. After how much help you've provided to so many other students, I figured you could help Mr.Hopper out." she did that with most students, referring to them as Mr and Ms. She use to with Sarah until they'd spent so much time together between academic help, talk on a scholarship, and the fact that Sarah ate lunch most days in here or with her english teacher.

"Oh." Sarah blinked. She knew it was coming, but Vance? The Vance? The same Vance that made her turn the other way every time she passed him in the halls? Absolutely not. No way in hell. It wasn't up for debate, there was a zero percent chance that she'd-

"I've been in touch with a few teachers at Saint Bellmont." Principle Lano cut her thoughts short.

Well, there was that.

"They are really impressed with how generous you have been with your classmates. The way you brought Harper Brown from an F to an A really stood out in our recent letters." she was buttering her up big time, Sarah knew that. If anything, she'd been bribing her. But, even if Sarah was well aware of what she was doing, she let it happen. Principle Lano made a good point, it had to have looked great on her record with how many students, especially seniors, she'd helped.

Vance Hopper was just a lot different then the average person at school.

"What-" she stopped to clear her throat, looking toward Vance to avoid him thinking she'd been talking about him as if he wasn't here. "What subject is it you are needing help on?"

"Non of them." he snapped as her harshly, turning his head so fast she was shocked he didn't get whiplash. "Wasn't aware you could actually speak, Pipsqueak."

Sarah's jaw fell slightly, looking back at Principal Lano. "I don't think I have the time to."

"I understand." she had to, especially after that encounter. Principle Lano liked Sarah a lot, she was her best student and, even if she wasn't suppose to say something like this, she considered Sarah a friend. "I'm sorry to pull you out of class, Sarah."

"It's okay, I already did the winter reading." she immediately regretted her words when she heard Vance snort from the chair. Sarah mentally called herself names for sounding like such a nerd unintentionally. If she was Vance, and god forbid if she ever had been, she'd probably call her a pipsqueak too. "It was a great book."

"It was." their principle agreed as Sarah left, leaving the blonde with their nagging principle. While Vance was a pain in the ass and landed himself in this office more times then they could count, Principle Lano liked Vance too. She saw something in him, something she knew only one person could ever be able to pull from him. "I can't believe how rude you just were to Sarah."

Vance rolled his eyes. "How can I not be?"

"Unless you want to repeat a grade, i'd suggest being a little nicer to her." she scolded him while shutting his file. "You have one semester to fix things, Mr.Hopper. And that girl might be your only choice."

Vance stood up with another eye roll. "I don't need her help."

But, he was wrong. He wholeheartedly need Sarah Barns' help.

It was still snowing in Denver in early January. Sarah hated the snow, she hated the cold. Summer was always more her season, the warmth the blazing sun provided one of her greatest comforts. Yet, she sat outside of Grab N Go, eating pop rocks as the sizzling shock echoed around her mouth. She got a fifteen minute break each day while her coworker got all her things together and ready to leave, Sarah always liked to sit in the silence for the time being.

But, over the course of the last few months, it was anything but silent. Griffin, a local boy that Sarah had only spoken to once, had been missing for nearly a month now. His mother, in her long skirts and over sized sweaters, would return to the post right outside of the store to put up new posters. Sarah wasn't sure what had happened to Griffin, but she had to have guessed he had gone wherever Billy, the first missing boy that accidentally hit her in the head with a newspaper and then became her only and best friend, was now. In her head, she told herself they'd been okay and would come back soon.

It was painful to watch her. Sarah was always a people watcher, an observer as one might say. She liked to watch body language, listen to the silent thoughts they had, watch the way they spoke. Most times, she'd enjoy it. Sarah enjoyed coming across innocent children who had no care in the world rather then riding bikes with friends, or woman on the verge of divorce as she complained to her friends, or older teens from school that had the dread of graduating lingering on their frames.

Not Griffins Mom, though. Sarah didn't enjoy watching a mother suffer and grieve the loss of her only child.

"Hey, dipshit." any other day of the week Sarah would have never thought she'd be thankful to hear Vance Freaking Hopper. Her head snapped to the side, seeing him walking up the side of the road. Sarah pocketed her poprocks. "You need to make me pass freshman year."

"I thought you didn't want my help?" Sarah asked, though she didn't realized how passive aggressive she sounded. Vance reached down and grabbed under both her armpits, pulling her up onto her feet with a harsh glare. They were the exact same height, so the way he slightly was lifting her off the ground made his gaze shift upwards some.

"I don't want your help." he glared at her. "I get access to the pinball machine at any time."

Sarah was beyond confused. "What?"

He shook her slightly as her eyes went wide. "What's so confusing about that, dumbass?"

Sarah sighed, trying to find a way to word it without his unnecessary attitude. "I just mean that if you don't want my help...why do you want my help?"

He dropped her down on her feet, Sarah was relived when she was back on the ground. The icy sidewalk made her slip just a little. "You're being stupid. Aren't you suppose to be smart? I don't want your help, I want the pinball machine. You're the one that needs my help."

As she had been this entire conversation, she was confused.

Vance saw it, rolling his eyes. "Seems like you need some charity cases to get into your fancy little school. Fix the stupid kids, make everyone think you're some hero that deserves a full ride."

The thing was, Vance wasn't completely wrong. At first she enjoyed helping people, she strived to see their faces light up when they showed off their A's rather then F's. But, then as she was sent to the office over and over again with another failing student, all she ended up doing it for was the scholarship. Each student she helped was just one step closer to getting out of Denver, and that's all she wanted. "You're not wrong."

"Obviously i'm not wrong." he glared at her rather hard. "So, I'll be your little project for a few weeks as long as I get all the pinball I want. And I don't pay."

Sarah thought about it, not long, but she did. This was Vance Hopper she was talking about. Everyone knew his grades were so low the devil himself could probably see them. If she could turn his grades around, get him past ninth grade, she'd be complete. She'd have her scholarship, bags packed, and telling Denver to kiss her ass while heading to slum it with a bunch of rich kids. It was the perfect plan, not to mention Vance got his endless pinball time so he could beat his high score.

Maybe he was a little bit smart.

"Sounds like a plan." a grin spread across Sarah's face, standing a little taller. The little act made him do the same, feeling intimidated that when she did it, she was taller. Only, in Sarah's eyes, it was like he was mimicking her, which made her smile. "Endless, rent free pinball for you, Hopper."

"And a full ride outta Dever for you..." he was searching for a last name. Sarah gave him a second to think about it, but she took pity upon him with a hidden laugh. "Sheeps?"

"Sheeps?" she didn't mean to yell, but she did. Sarah had to laugh suddenly. "Sarah Sheeps?"

"Why are you laughing?" he pushed her shoulder as she stumbled, mainly from laughing. He clearly hadn't found it funny. "That's your name."

"Barns. It's Sarah Barns." she corrected, standing up straight and pulling it together.

"Whatever, same thing." Vance shrugged his shoulders. "When do you want me here?"

"Mmm..." Sarah glanced at the store. "Close at nine."

"Mhm." Vance turned around and walked away, he didn't look back at her when he tossed his hand upwards. "See ya, Sheeps."

•

kylie speaks

you'll always be famous, varah.