Marcus
The hallways were crowded,
noisy, filled with kids laughing, shoving and yelling about the soccer match
later. Normally I would've let it wash over me. Today, every step felt heavy,
like the invisible weight of Darren's words was pressing me down.
Noah spotted me first, already
in full warm up mode near the locker rooms, stretching and muttering under his
breath.
"Finally,"he said when I got
closer to him."thought you might disappear on me,"he said in a teasing tone.
I force a chuckle and shrug."Never
gonna happen,"
We step into the locker rooms
which smell like sweat, turf, and determination. Our team, was already gearing
up. Cleats were tied, jerseys pullon on, and the murmur of strategy filled the
small space.
Everyone seemed focused, but I
could feel eyes flicking to me every now and then, whispers carried on the edge
of sound.
Coach steps in and yell "Time
to hit the field boys!!"
The roar from the bleachers
outside hit us the moment we stepped onto the grass. Students filled the
stands, waving our school colors and yelling chants that made the air vibrate.
My heart tried to keep up with the volume.
Noah clapped me on the
shoulder,"Alright Marcus, you ready?"
I looked at him with a smirk.
"Let's go."
The game began with a sharp
blast of the referee's whistle, the field erupted into motion. The other team
came at us fast, pressing hard, but our squad had been practicing for weeks for
this moment.
I sprinted across the field,
ball at my feet, heart pounding, every muscle tight with focus.
Noah was everywhere- blocking,
shouting instructions and keeping the defense tight. Every time I passed the
ball to him, he gave a quick nod or flicked it to another teammate, moving like
a well-oiled machine.
The match was brutal, but not
in a dangerous way- just fast, competitive, and full of adrenaline. I could
feel Darren's words keep lingering in my mind. Every glance from the other team
felt loaded, like someone was testing me, waiting for me to slip.
The first half ended with a
scoreless tie. Sweat ran down my back, and my lungs burned, but the team didn't
slow. The referee's whistle signaled the break.
We hurdled around our coach
while he barks instructions, pointing at positions, his eyes flicking to me a
few times longer than usual.
"Cole, keep it together, "he
said, "focus. Don't let nerves take over. I want clean passes and smart plays."
I nodded, trying to shake the
unease.
The second half started with
more intensity. I intercepted a pass near midfield and sprinted down the
sideline. One of their defenders came at me hard, shoulder first. I stumbled
but stayed upright, pushing forward. Noah was yelling from behind me,"Pass!
Pass it now!!"
I passed it to our striker,
who shot towards the goal. The ball hit the post- close enough to make the
crowd gasped.
Minutes later, Noah stole the
ball from their captain near our penalty box. His quick thinking allowed him to
send it forward, and I chased it down, weaving past the defenders. Heart in my
throat, I made the shot.
Goal.
The stands erupted. Students
screamed. My adrenaline spiked, drowning out the unease that stayed with me
earlier.
We held the lead, barely letting
the other team near our goal for the rest of the match. When the final whistle
blew, the scoreboard read 1-0. Victory.
The team rushed together,
slapping backs, cheering and lifting fists. Noah slapped me on the
shoulder."Finally! that's what I'm talking about!"he yelled.
As people start to disperse,
the excitement still fresh. We head to the locker room to change. Everyone on
the team kept congratulating me for the win.
Someone shouts from outside;
"After party at Jayden's house!!LETS GO!!"
The team erupted again,
celebrating the win. Coach shook his head but didn't stop anyone.
Noah grinned at me."you coming
or what? Can't let the fun start without you."
I chuckled at him, the words
of Darren long forgotten"of course, won't miss it for anything."
We head towards our cars with
our teammates and leave for Jayden's house for the party.
The bass hit before we even
reached the house. Jayden's backyard was packed- loud music, the smell of
alcohol mixing with the faint tang of sweat.
Laughter bouncing off the
walls. Everyone was the; the team, classmates, heck people I have never seen
before.
Callie is the first person I
see as I step into the kitchen. I didn't even see her around earlier.
"Hey Callie, didn't know you
attended high school parties. How are you?"she turned to look at me with a
smile."I'm great! Awesome game by the way."
I thanked her, then we talked
for a while more before she had a call and excused herself. I stare after her
for a while, then I pick a drink from the fridge and move to sit with riley on
the couch.
"where's Noah?"I turned to
look at her as she watches people dance around. She gives me a light shrug and
stares ahead.
I stand up to look for him,
moved around for over thirty minutes before I eventually find him at the
outside playing beer pong with some guys from the team.
I joined them and we played
for a while with a winning streak. Eventually Riley joins us outside and
everything seemed normal.
But then the noise changed.
A sharp crack cut through the
music, and the laughter and music stopped mid-sentence.
Another shot. People screamed,
scattering in all directions. I grabbed Riley's arm.
"Run!"Noah yells towards us.
We bolted towards the driveway
with a few others, weaving past panicked students diving behind cars,
dumpsters, anything that might hide them. My chest burned, my legs felt like
rubber, and my hands shook- not just from adrenaline.
From the corner of my eye,
through the flickering lights of the yard, I saw it.
A figure. Standing in the
woods at the edge of the property. Tall. Still. With glowing red eyes,
watching.
I stood frozen, staring at it.
Slowly I move towards the forest to try and get a better look. But before I
could take further steps, Riley's grip tightened on my arm.
"Marcus! Come on!"
I blinked, trying to focus,
but more gunshots rang out.
I let myself be pulled back.
Together, we dashed to my car, bodies colliding with others in our frantic
escape.
My hands trembled slightly. I
shove my keys into the ignition, and the engine roared to life.
As we peeled out of the
driveway, my eyes flicked toward the woods. The figure was gone.
The streetlights blurred past,
and the only sound in the car was my ragged breathing and the engine humming
beneath us.
I drop Riley off at her house,
then head home with the thought of that figure stuck in my head.