Watery Grave

“Target sighted.” Archie muttered to himself, watching his target. “Locked.” He, out of the corner of his vision, noticed his team tensing up, waiting for him to make the final shot.

He let out a breath, then pulled the trigger. His target let out a cry of shock, and fell over.

“Maxie!” The opposing team cried, crowding around their leader who held his chest where he had been shot.

“Success!” Archie’s team screamed, many hugging each other. Shelly and Matt highfived each other from behind Archie.

“Maxie, are you okay?” Similar questions were shrieked from the geology club, worried for their president.

“He’s been shot to the heart!” Tabitha mourned, as he made sure to be right by his leader’s side.

“Maxie, please, stay with us.” Courtney murmured, holding onto the redhead’s left hand.

“Tabitha… If I don’t make it… Please… Take care of our club. We still have too much to do in this club before graduation…” Maxie looked to his loyal second in command, lamenting the idea of leaving his beloved club, but knowing that Tabitha would always watch over them, and love the club, along with Courtney.

The swimming club scoffed. Were they really making this big a deal about a water gun?

“Please, don’t talk like that.” Tears formed in the vice-president’s eyes, as he clutched his “dying” president’s left hand, along with Courtney’s.

“Tabitha, I know it’s hard, but… This club… It means too much to me to let it slip away, alongside my life.”

The swimming club wasn’t sure whether or not this was really happening. Surely, the geology club was also the drama club, the way they were handling all of this.

“Aw, give me a break.” Archie groaned, cringing at the ridiculous scene unfolding in front of him.

 “Hey nerds, it was just a water gun!” Shelly shouted from behind the bush where the high school’s swimming team lurked.

A random member turned, with tears in her eyes. “You! The swim team! How could you be so cruel!? Can’t you see how you’ve wounded our leader! He’s already trying to tell us that he’s not going to make it, but h-he can’t die! Not yet!”

A loud groan was heard from the swim team as they heard someone ask Maxie what flowers they should bring him for his funeral.

“All of the reddest flowers you can find. Red to represent the fiery passion of which I devoted to the club and geology. Red for the magma within the Earth. Red to remember me by.” Was the answer that caused Archie to face palm.

The swim team captain left his hiding place and approached the geology club’s “dying” president. “Oh no. What have I done? How could I have shot him like this? The only way I can go on, is not at all.” He said, half mockingly, as he shot a gentle stream of water at himself, then threw himself down over dramatically. The swim team giggled, and went on with their leader’s act.

“No, Captain!” They shrieked, hardly able to keep themselves from giggling.

“Matt, don’t let us lose a competition.” Archie ordered, talking in an over exaggerated “dying” voice.

“Never, Captain!” Matt responded, trying to look sad, but barely holding in his giggling.

“No… You’re the captain now, Matt… Shelly… You’re first mate now…” Archie was completely unable to keep himself from grinning.

“I won’t let you down, sir.” Shelly looked on the verge of tears, simply from trying to keep in her laughter and look melancholy at the same time.

“I can’t believe it’s come to this… This is the real Romeo and Juliet, not like those who claim to be Romeo and Juliet because they compliment each other… No, because we end in death. How I should’ve known that a future geologist would never be with a member of the swim team… We were doomed to fail from the beginning. My swimming Romeo to my genius Juliet.” Maxie stated, with his club responding with many “how tragic”s.

Archie was writhing with how hard he was trying to keep in his laughter.

“You and your love will never be forgotten, Maxie.” Courtney cried, tears making their way down her face.

“You’ll live on forever with us, Maxie!” Tabitha sobbed.

Archie finally lost it, and was rolling on the ground in his laughter, as many of his team finally released their suppressed laughter as well.

After what seemed like forever of cackling and Maxie’s short, but dramatic, goodbye, and his “death”, Archie managed to get up.

“C’mon, nerd.” He chuckled, scooping up the paler teen. “Open your eyes, drama queen.”

No response.

“Guess I have to be your knight in shining armor, your prince charming.” The darker teen muttered before kissing his “dead” boyfriend.

Maxie’s eyes shot wide open as his face flushed. Archie had never kissed him in front of their clubs before, especially not such a public place like the park. In fact, Maxie was sure they had only ever kissed when they were sure they couldn’t be seen.

“Are you alive?” Archie grinned.

The usually mouthy teen couldn’t find words at the moment, and nodded instead.

“Good.” The tall teen didn’t put the flustered one down, and instead began to walk off, carrying him bridal style.

“What was with that stunt, though? That was pretty odd for you. I dunno how you and your club stayed straight faced-some of them actually cried.” Archie inquired.

Maxies face started to go back to it’s natural color, but now he looked a little frustrated. “Oh. Well… We were already upset, so I guess your stupid water attack was the straw to break the camel’s back.”

“Upset about what?”

“You remember how I was absent for those few days? Since I was sick?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I finished the essay for English, but, you see, when our teacher was grading the projects, she forgot I wasn’t there to hand in the printed version, so she marked it as missing. I didn’t realize until today, but she doesn’t check her email, so I have to tell her tomorrow, but until then, my grade dropped in her class. Do you know what that means?”

“What does it mean?”

“My all 90s and above streak is ruined with a hideous 88 until she realizes that it was a mistake!”

“Wait, you did turn it in, right?”

“Obviously, but she forgot to go back and re-grade too. Still, such a tragedy puts my life into shambles. How am I supposed to be a good geology club leader with such a hideous number staining my grades?”

Archie rolled his eyes, and planted a light kiss on Maxie’s cheek. “Shambles, hm?”

“Of course, ruins.”

“I love you, drama queen.”

“I love you too, brute.”