The body wasn't Billys.

Jason had been the one to call Vance with the news, not even Sarah. He went to their house the second the news spread, knocking on the door as loud as he could. "Sheeps! Open this door!"

A few seconds passed before she pulled it open, covered in red.

"What the fuck happened?" Vance gapped in fear of blood, taking a sniff of the air and being overpowered by paint. "Is that...paint?"

"Yes!" she yanked him by the arm and shut the door. "I'm glad you're here, I just realized how long this will take alone."

She knew, Vance knew that Sarah knew about Billy. Jason literally said he told her and was worried about her, resulting in asking Vance to check on her. He knew that if he was asking him to go see Sarah, while she was alone at home, it had to be bad. Yet, she seemed okay. Not a tear in sight, not even an ounce of pain. "Sheeps? Everything okay?"

She turned on the steps and grabbed his face, kissing him quickly three times. Vance gave an odd look at the sudden, and more then usual, affection she gave him. Sarah smiled. "I'm okay. Come help me before I loose motivation."

Her paint covered hand grabbed his and drug him up the stairs, Bingo was at the top looking rather annoyed that he couldn't go into their room. Vance's eyes widened as he walked into Sarah's room, understanding Bingos pain now. "Holy shit. What did you do?"

Her entire room was destroyed, everything was torn off the walls and coated the floor. She inhaled. "I'm painting."

"You're painting?" he repeated, looking over at just one wall painted in red. "Why are you painting?"

"A change." Sarah smiled with a shrug. Vance didn't know a single person with bright red walls. She gave him a paint brush. "Will you start on that wall?"

He wanted to question her longer, but decided against it as he dipped the paint brush and started on the wall on the right side of her bed. "So, Bruce keeps bothering me."

"What's he bothering you about?" Sarah hummed as she coated her wall for a second time, feeling welcomed by the red.

"About tomorrow." Vance looked over his shoulder for a second. Under better circumstances, he'd think she looked cute with her curls pulled back with overalls and paint across her face. He still thought she looked cute, he just worried for her mental sake more right now. "The baseball team."

"Jesus, that's already tomorrow?" she glanced back at him, pausing with a laugh. "What are you looking at me that way for?"

"You have paint on your face." he nodded as Sarah dropped the paint brush and tried to wipe it away. "Come here."

They met in the middle as he held her face, rubbing his thumb across her cheek to get the red paint off. It kinda hurt, but it was okay. He gave her a weird look at the way she looked at him. "Stop looking at me like that."

"I'm not looking at you like anything." she shook her head.

"Yes, you are." the blonde argued, licking his thumb and going back to getting the paint across her face. "How'd you forget about the baseball team? You've been talking about it all summer."

"I just didn't realize we only had a week left of summer." she said honestly. "I should have started way before. I can't teach them everything in a week."

"You're not, remember?" Vance paused as he looked at her. "It's just a rundown before actual school starts...it's written on your calendar."

"That's right." Sarah smiled with a nod. "That's absolutely right."

Yeah, he really did worry about her.

"Sarah-" he started.

"Are you still coming with me?" Sarah cut him off with a deep inhale. "To the dug out tomorrow? For the tutoring?"

"Mhm." Vance nodded his head. "Where else would I go?"

Sarah smiled. "Maybe to Grab N Go with your friends."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I like you more."

She laughed loudly as he let her face go, headed back to her paint. "I'd hope so!"

Vance hesitated before he walked behind her, placing his hands on her waist and trying to ground her. Sarah froze, her body stiff as he stayed keeping her still and in place. Her hands came down and placed ontop of his, inhaled. She breathed, she just breathed. That's all he was trying to get her to do, slow down a little bit and catch her freaking breath. "You know, they're probably gonna make you tutor more kids this year. You're not gonna use the same lines on them, are you?"

Sarah had to laugh. "You think I was using lines on you when we were yelling definitions and words?"

"I don't know, maybe you do that with all the boys." he gave a poke to her hip bone before letting her go, heading over to his wall now.

"Oh, yeah." Sarah agreed as she picked up her paint brush. "All the time."

"I knew you were. You player." Vance rolled his eyes. "Did you pick up your schedule yet?"

"No, I was gonna go when I finished this." Sarah said in return, feeling paint already spray across her face once again. "We'll get yours too."

"I get mine on the first day." he argued with her.

"Not this year. I already called to make sure we have homeroom together." Sarah pointed out as Vance looked over his shoulder in disbelief, but her back was still turned. "I also put us both on A lunch so we'll have it together."

"How the hell did you do that?" he turned his head back to the wall.

"I have my ways." Sarah smiled to herself, pushing up on her tiptoes to reach the top. "Billys room is red."

Vance froze, looking back. Sarah was still too. "What?"

"Billys bedroom." she didn't look back. "It was red. I helped him paint it. It's tradition, so i'm glad you're here."

Vance gave a small smile as he turned back around. "I'm apart of a tradition now?"

"Yes." Sarah hummed. "He told me "don't paint your room red unless someone you care for is with you". I asked him why that was a thing and he said it wasn't, he just didn't like the idea of painting a room red unless it was with someone special to you."

"That's such a weird thing to say." Vance had to laugh as Sarah did the same. "Sheeps?"

"Yeah?" Sarah hummed as she put the brush away when finishing her wall, he'd gotten a few streaks done.

"You sure you're okay?" Vance set his brush down and turning to face her. "It's okay if you're pissed off, or upset."

"I am. But, this helps." she inhaled with a nod. "Let's leave."

"Let's leave." he repeated, dropping the brush and plastering a little on his arm.

"Well, if you'll look at that." Principle Lano smiled as she looked up at Sarah and Vance making their way into school. Last she'd seen of them, he was hurting her feelings and she was running for the hills in her office. Now, they held hands and walked side by side. "I knew you'd hit it off."

"Egh." Vance shrugged. "She's still annoying."

Sarah smiled at Principle Lano. "We just came to grab our schedules before next week."

"Right." she nodded her head. "Give me a second, B and H aren't very close."

"Sarah!" a voice caught their attention, looking back as Mr.Yamada walked their way with a smile. "I knew you'd be here sooner or later."

"Hey, Mr.Yamada." Sarah smiled, letting his hand go to hug him. It wasn't late in the day, but it had been dark outside due to how it began to storm right after the couple left the house. "Getting everything all set up?"

"Sadly." he rolled his eyes. "Why didn't you get held back like I asked? How am I suppose to actually handle freshmen without you?"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Come on, you know i'm still gonna come bother you every day during lunch. But, Vance might have to come now."

"Such a burden." Vance touched his heart to fake his pain. "Ouch, Sheeps."

Sarah linked her arm with his. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Oh, no. I was just gonna leave Bruce to handle those crazy boys." he shook his head with wide eyes. "They were all over at the house a few days ago. I was crying to the garage."

It made both of the teens laugh as the man shook his head. "I am very serious right now."

"We know." Vance gave a snort.

"Vance!" Principle Lano called from her office. "Come on, I found it for you."

Vance let Sarah's and go as he headed for the office, leaving the two alone. Sarah bumped her shoulder against Mr.Yamadas. "You'll like this year. Maybe you'll make more friends with your students."

"You know, I got to looking because I am just nosey." he inhaled and dropped his voice to a whisper. "I was just seeing who they'd chosen over you at Saint Bellmont."

Sarah's heart dropped as he tilted his head. "They never filled your spot."

She was quiet, because she didn't want to lie to him again. Mr.Yamada exhaled with a small head shake. "I knew they couldn't have chosen someone smarter then you. Sarah...why? We worked so hard for that."

"I know." she inhaled deeply and shrugged. "I just wasn't ready to leave everyone yet. I have all my people here, my family, my friends. I know no one there."

"Yes, but you knew that from the beginning." his words hit her like a truck, making her feel small. Mr.Yamada placed his hands on her shoulders with a sad smile. "I'm telling you this because I love you like a daughter, and I will always support you. If you love someone, you'll let them go. I just want you to remember that, okay?"

"Sheeps." Vance walked from the office with her schedule. "How'd you get out of gym?"

Sarah gave Mr.Yamada a small goodbye smile before heading over to catch up with Vance.

•

kylie speaks

double update later
tonight??