Scream.
Maya.
If you want to know how to completely ruin your senior year before the first semester is even over, it’s actually pretty simple.
You don't have to fail a class, and you don't have to get caught sneaking out. All you have to do is be in the wrong place, at the exact wrong time, and witness the two most popular guys in school trying to kill each other. That’s it.
That’s how my life ended.
The rain hitting the metal roof of the old bleachers behind the school sounded like a constant, annoying rattle.
It was 5:15 PM on a Tuesday. Oakridge High was basically empty, except for the kids trapped in sports practice and me. I stayed because I didn't want to go home.
Home meant dealing with my family's drama, and everyone at school was already whispering about it anyway. But here, it was quiet.
Then, the heavy wooden door of the equipment shed right below me rattled and I held my breath.
“I told you to leave it alone, Vance,” a low voice cut through the rain. I knew that voice. It belonged to Christian Wilde.
He sat in the back of my class, and always looked like he hated everyone.
“And I told you I'm not letting you throw your life away over a stupid match, Chris,” a second voice snapped back.
My heart suddenly hammered in my throat. That was Julian Vance, the golden boy. He was the student council president, a varsity swimmer, and basically the face of the school.
He had bright blue eyes, perfect blond hair, and a family with way too much money. He and Christian shouldn't even be in the same room, let alone hiding behind the gym together.
I leaned forward and looked through the gaps in the wooden bleachers.
Julian was leaning against the fence, his white varsity jacket getting splattered with mud. Christian stood right in front of him, looking ready to hit something.
“My life?” Christian laughed, stepping right into Julian’s face. “You don't know anything about my life, Vance. Go back to your meetings, and leave me the hell alone.”
“I won’t just watch you get yourself killed,” Julian said as he reached out and grabbed the collar of Christian's damp jacket.
Christian didn't even blink. “Let go of me before I put you through that fence.”
“Make me.”
Christian punched Julian straight in the jaw as soon as the words left his mouth. The sound was incredibly loud.
Julian stumbled back, wiped a streak of blood from his lip, and threw himself right back at Christian. I pressed my hand over my mouth so I wouldn't scream.
It wasn't a normal high school fight. It was messy, brutal, and looked completely personal. They rolled into the mud, hitting each other like they’d been waiting years to do it.
Finally, Julian pinned Christian against the wooden door of the shed, forcing his forearm against Christian's throat.
“You're... going... to get caught,” Julian panted.
“Screw you,” Christian choked out, trying to pry Julian's arms off.
Suddenly, the old wood of the shed door snapped. The lock broke, and both of them fell backward into the dark shed, crashing into everything.
Inside, a huge metal shelf full of old baseball bats and soccer balls started to tilt right over them. Without thinking, I scrambled down the wet bleachers.
“Move!” I screamed.
I hit the muddy ground just as the shelves came crashing down. Julian reacted fast, throwing his body over Christian’s and rolling them both out of the way.
The heavy metal shelf slammed into the dirt. Then it went completely quiet.
I stood at the entrance of the broken shed, breathing heavily, with mud all over my boots.
Inside, the two guys were tangled on the floor. Julian was hovering right over Christian, their faces inches apart. They were both gasping for air, covered in dirt.
Slowly, they both looked up at me. Julian’s blue eyes locked onto mine. And a second later, Christian stared at me too.
I took a step back. My brain was screaming at me to run. I had just seen the school's golden boy act like a psycho, and the school's bad boy looking completely vulnerable. I wasn't supposed to know any of this.
“Who the hell are you?” Christian growled, pushing Julian off him and standing up. He completely blocked the light.
Julian stood up right next to him, wiping blood from his cheek. He stared at me so hard it made me feel hot, even in the freezing rain.
“Nobody,” I whispered.
I turned around to run into the downpour, but Julian’s hand shot out. His fingers wrapped tightly around my wet wrist, yanking me back into the shed.
I felt a scream clawing out of my throat, but just as I opened my mouth, Christian’s hand wrapped around my throat.
“It wouldn’t take anything to snap your fragile neck,” he said. “Scream and you’re dead.”
