𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 [𝟏]

chapter three.

IN THE gymnasium of their school, a large group of the students all stand before the football team's coach. Simon and Marcus are standing side by side in the backrow as Marcus plays with his lighter in his pants pocket.

"Before tonight's game, out of respect for last night's tragic events, Sunnyvale will host a candlelight vigil for the victims. All player, cheer and band attendance is mandatory." The man announced and Marcus scoffs.

"Oh, really? Come on!" Someone in the audience shouts as Marcus instantly regrets having to pick an extracurricular such as band. Everyone in the crowd exclaimed boos or shouts of annoyance over the vigil as Marcus looks at Simon who just smiled faintly at him.

Later, on the bus, Marcus sat in the far back, staring out the window as all of the players cheer and band members make a ruckus. On the way there, Marcus played with his lighter again then Simon came to sit next to him, "you look ridiculous." Marcus mutters.

"What? I'm representing the team, Mar." The boy dressed up as a witch says and Marcus rolls his eyes. "I know it's an half hour drive but this already feels like it's gonna take forever." He says, looking at Simon who puts his arm around his shoulders, shaking him.

"Come on. Don't be so grumpy."

At the Sunnyvale Devils' football field, Marcus stood with Kate and Deena in the crowd. "This isn't how I wanted to be here tonight. I wanted to be here as a fan. Our Sunnyvale Devils and your Shadyside Witches throwing down some good old American football. Instead I find myself here as a husband, a father, as a neighbor. And, yes, mayor of Sunnyvale. And on behalf of all of the people in my town, I say all of Sunnyvale mourns with you." The man standing before them says.

"Yeah, really looks like they give a damn." Kate says when she looks over to the Sunnyvale side of the audience. "The only Sunnyvalers who came were the ones who had to." Marcus sighs, looking at Kate who was still looking at the crowd before looking back at him. "The football team and the cheerleaders." She says before looking away and softly shaking her head.

"Our hearts are broken with grief." The mayor says making Marcus roll her eyes then suddenly, Deena walked away, taking her box with her as the man carried on with speaking to the audience. Marcus looks at Kate, "is she okay?" She whispers and Kate shrugs. "I'm guessing she's just gonna go see Sam..." She whispers back and Marcus just nods.

The lights aroundd the football field begin to turn off, they were handing out candles and memorial pamphlets with Heather on them. Marcus lights Kate's candle with his as she then lights someone else's next to her before they turn back to the front where the stage was.

"My family's been in Sunnyvale for generations, and now my brother is mayor and I your sheriff. We've prospered here. And yet, I've seen you, our neighbors in Shadyside, suffer tragedy after tragedy. It's easy in times like this to drown in questions of why... why this happened. But I know too well there are no answers that will provide relief. There's no peace found in the past." Sheriff Nick Goode was the one speaking next, his turn after his brother.

"We must not fall into darkness. We must look to the light." The man says and a Sunnyvaler speaking caught Marcus' attention. The guy scoffs, "yeah! What we should do is light a fuse and burn down Shittyside." He says and Marcus glares. "What the fuck did you just say?" He says loudly catching the guy's attention and other Sunnyvalers look over as well.

"I said it ain't a tragedy when it happens every week." Marcus walks over to the Sunnyvaler with a pair of football players following, "it's a joke." The Sunnyvaler says as he also walks towards Marcus and the two football players. Everyone began to turn towards each other, throwing away their candles as Marcus cracks each knuckle on his hand, staring down at the guy in front of him with a glare on his face.

"Say that again..." Marcus says before shoving the guy. "See what the fuck happens." He says and the guy begins walking towards him again, before he threw the first punch. Marcus began fighting back immediately, tackling the guy to the ground and going all out, punching him.

All Hell broke loose then, everyone began fighting and the cheerleaders began screaming. "Stop!" Sheriff Goode tries to stop the fighting as the Sunnyvaler flips him and Marcus over, beginning to punch him next as Marcus grabs the collar of his jersey. "Get off of me, you fucker!" He says, just then, Simon ran over and hit the guy with his witch broom.

The guy stopped and looked at him, he simply raised his middle finger at him. "You little green prick!" The guy was about to chase him but Marcus grabs him, putting his arm around his neck tightly. "Leave Si alone, this is a fight strictly between you and me, you dumb fuck." He says before slamming him onto the ground again and beginning to punch him over and over but someone pulled him off him.

"Hey, let go of him--" Kate is cut off by someone's elbow hitting her face so Marcus pushed the person who grabbed him away and ran over to her immediately. "Hey, you okay?" He says, trying to hold in his laugh. "Fuck off, I see you hiding a smile, Porter." She says and he laughed, grabbing her arms and pulling her up. "So much for a quiet and peaceful vigil..." He whispers and she looks at him with a confused look. "You're the one who started it, Mar."

He looks at her with a small grin on her face. "Yeah, I know. But he was the one talking shit about Shadyside so really, I was defending our home... We should get out of the area of the fighting before you get hit again." He says, grabbing her arm and leading her away as she rolled her eyes at the boy.

AUTHORS NOTE

lmao "suck it in--"
*gets hit* i love that scene
of kate, i feel bad for laughing
but it's just so funny 😭