Over the course of a few weeks, things did get easier. Sarah was still heartbroken, that said the least, but it wasn't as bad as it had been the night of the hospital. The gash on her head had healed and Mr.Yamada had taken her to her the stitches removed while her partners both worked. The doctor was easy with Sarah. "Okay, all done. That hurt?"

"No." Sarah gave a small smile. "Thank you."

"Sure thing." he held a bucket out. "Go on, don't tell me you're too old for a lollipop?"

Sarah grinned as she took two, offering one to Mr.Yamada as they walked out. "See. You were scared for nothing."

"How's it look?" she tilted her head toward him.

"Good as new." he shrugged his shoulders. "You wanna go back to school? I know it's after hours but a few teachers are still there if you need to catch up on anything?"

"Yeah, i've got a test." Sarah sighed as they pushed the door open and walked out. "Thanks for bringing me."

"Sure, I didn't wanna go to that conference anyways." the pair got into the car as it started up. "How are things at home?"

"They're okay." Sarah shrugged her shoulders. "My parents are worried i'm gonna hurt myself."

"Would you tell me if you were?" he asked her with a curious look.

"I wouldn't do that." Sarah promised, looking out the widow. There hadn't been any more of Billys missing posters up, Sarah had stopped putting new ones out and the rest got blown away with the wind or removed. "Will you be honest with me?"

"Sure." Mr.Yamada nodded his head.

"Do you think Billy is dead?" Sarah knew he was, but asking someone who was always honest with her felt right.

He frowned. "I think he might be, Sarah. I'm sorry."

"Yeah." she inhaled. "I wish we could just find his body. Maybe things would feel better. Or worse, I don't know."

"I know." he patted her head, it made her think of Vance. She missed Vance. She had gotten the space she requested, but after two weeks, she really missed him. "You know you can talk to me about anything, Sarah."

"I missed my trip to Aspen." she frowned. "It was just bad timing. With the accident, and all that stuff."

It felt weird referring to it as "Billys death" when there had been no body, no change aside from Gwen's vision. So, they just called it stuff. Just stuff Sarah now was accepting. Mr.Yamada nodded his head. "Don't you worry about that. I'll get you another tour."

"They do those?" she looked over at him.

"They do for special people like you." he took a turn. "Well, special people like me. I got offered a teaching position there, I'm not gonna take it but I can pretend to be curious so we can tour it together."

"For real?" Sarah grinned. "Is Bruce going?"

"Sure is." he confirmed. "Did you parents plan to go with you?"

"No." Sarah felt her body warm up. "Vance was suppose to come with me."

"Well, he can come too." he shrugged his shoulders. "I'll just have to have his parents phone number and get their permission. Save you a bus ticket."

Sarah grinned his way and felt warmth all through her face. "Thanks, Mr.Yamada."

She shifted her gaze back outside, that warmth getting worse as her eyes bulged from her head. "Can you drop me here?"

"You don't wanna go back to school?" he asked her with a curious look.

"Mr.Yamada." she pointed. "Pull over."

He did, stopping at Grab N Go and saw the swarm of people outside, rushing to get in. "What is happening here?"

Sarah got out of the car quickly, pulling the key from her pocket as she circled to the back. The door was used for employees only, where they'd go to take their breaks. She pushed it open and heard yelling, welcomed into a gapping state of multiple teens and a few adults. Her eyes fixed on Finney near the door, trying to escape, and Gwen pumping her first in the air. Finney caught her eye. "Sarah!"

"Finney." she met him half way as he hugged her tightly. "What's going on?"

"So much. Let's not go over there." he pulled her to the side. "I just wanna pay for my grape soda!"

"Come here, you bitch." Vance's voice caught her attention, looking over as he held a skinny boy by the shirt.

"What the fuck?" Sarah gapped. "I leave him alone for two weeks and this happens?"

"Sarah!" Finney shook her. "We should call the police."

"Way ahead of you!" Mrs.Benton, the woman on duty that day, held the phone to her ear.

"No, you don't have to do that." Sarah tried to save Vance from getting arrested, yet again.

There was a loud thump, making them look over as Vance slammed the boys head against the group multiple times. Sarah took it upon herself to remove Gwen from her cheering position, bringing her back to Finney. Vance left the boy on the ground after taking his knife away from him and threatening it to his neck. He just went back to his game, like nothing happened.

"Shows over." Sarah's voice made Vance turn around as she ushered the gapping group out of the small store.

"Sheeps." Vance rose his eyebrows. "How long have you been standing there?"

"I don't know, a while." she shrugged, looking over at the barley conscious boy. "So what happened?"

"He fucked with my game." Vance said in return as Sarah waited for more to the explanation, getting nothing. "Did the old bat call the cops?"

"Mhm." Sarah held her hand out. "Give me that. You shouldn't get caught with a weapon on you."

"See, I knew you were good for something." Vance gave her a side smirk, laying the knife in her palm. "Good to have you back, Sheeps."

The police sirens echoed as a car pulled up, Sarah exhaled. "Is this normal protocol or should I do something?"

Vance ignored her and went back to the pinball machine. "Stall them so I can beat my high score!"

Sarah ignored him this time, getting completely out of the way as she hid the knife behind the counter. Her Dad walked in with a sigh. "Don't tell me it's him?"

"It's him." the woman who called said back.

"Again, Vance?" his partner asked, walking over. "Come on, give it up."

"Give me a minute." he argued before they both grabbed an arm. "Hey!"

Sarah sighed as he was being forcefully drug from his game, Finney opened the door for the police. Gwen gave him a crazy look. "Finney!"

"What?" he defended himself. Sarah leaned over the counter to watch them take Vance.

"Shit, is Mr.Yamada still out there?" Sarah hurried to hid the knife in her bag before hurrying around. "I should go."

"Wait, Sarah. Is Vance going to jail?" Gwen asked, Finney pretended not to be interested but very much was.

"I don't know, he probably has a bunch of strikes already." she said as a paramedic came in to check on the boy. "I'm gonna go down to the station, see what I can do."

"Be safe!" Finney yelled to her as she ran to leave, shaking his head. "See?"

"Don't be so jealous." Gwen rolled her eyes. "Who cared that Sarah is dating Vance Hopper? You get to marry her."

"Sarah's dating that boy?" the older woman behind the counter gapped at tbe words.

"Was that who I think it was?" Mr.Yamada asked as Sarah got into the car. "What just happened?"

"An almost murder over a pinball game." Sarah buckled herself up. "Could you bring me to the station? My Dad is there."

•

kylie speaks

i REFUSE to put mr.yamada,
bruce, sarah, and vance in a
car without robin as well after
their search for bingo dream
team moment. so now i shall
brainstorm why he needs to go
to aspen