Hunted Predator [DISCONTINUED]

2

The ball came zipping towards him. He managed to catch it mid-air and dribbled it across the stadium. He heard a member of his team, Liam, shout his name. He spotted him near the hoop and he threw the ball towards him. He slowed down to catch his breath and examine the outcome. After a few failed hoops, Liam managed to get the ball in, causing cheers from their team. Their P.E teacher, who played as their referee, whistled for the other half of the team to enter the field and play.

Joseph grabbed the collar of his shirt to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

'Hey! Take the towel!' he heard Henry exclaim. Joseph turned to him and laughed, muttering 'thanks' as he took the towel from him. Henry's face was red from exhaustion, his freckles blooming more prominently across his face, his curly dark hair in a mess. Joseph could imagine how ratted he looked, with his long golden-brown hair in darker hues, almost dark brown wet and flaying about with its ends sticking to his neck. He regretted not borrowing a pony band from someone.

'Henry, the person I've been looking for. Listen I gotta ask you somethin- ew yuck no don't put your arm around me. Yuck, stop it!' Joseph held Henry's sweaty arm with his fingers, cringing his way out of them, and broke into a run towards the bleachers, with Henry fast in his heels. He climbed a few steps and found a spot to sit while screaming at Henry.

'DON'T TOUCH ME, YOU IMBECILE!'

Luckily, Joseph was saved from his wrath for the two were already drained from the running and their huffs of laughs were not helping them in improving their stamina.

'Ok, so what did you want to ask?' Henry asked in between gasps. Joseph tried forming words but still lacked air, he gestured to Henry to give him two minutes while signalling for his water bottle.

'Oh Zack has it,' Henry pointed at someone across the bleachers, 'There he is.'

Joseph followed his finger and spotted Zack running after his classmate, Adam, and threw all his precious water at him. Joseph looked at the scene in disbelief while Henry looked at Joseph and mumbled an 'Oh. He's dead'.

Joseph waved it off and turned to Henry.

'Yeah...so I wanted to ask you that how are the hostels.'

'The hostels?' Henry echoed. Joseph nodded, 'They aren't bad. They're good. They provide you with beds and everything. It's nice,'

'So during the weekends, they let you sleep in as long as you like?' Joseph asked, feeling a ray of hope emitting from Henry. This might be his opportunity to be free from the shackles of his part-time job. He would never have to care about his work. Or his parents' constant prompting of jobs and responsibilities.

'Oh, then you got the worst place to sleep if that's what you're looking for. They make you wake up at 9:00 am here.'

Scratch that, his dreams were ruined.

'Wow ok never mind then.' he muttered, avoiding eye contact in a dramatic motion, earning a small laugh.

'By the way, your hair look really nice.' Henry said suddenly.

'Wha- what about my hair?' Joseph looked quizzingly at Henry, clutching his hair.

'No, I meant the blonde highlights.'

Oh.

Joseph let out a nervous laugh, feeling himself turn red and warmer.

'Oh really?' he ran a hand through his hair, 'Thanks,'

'Oh wow since when did you start working out?' Henry asked in bewilderment, causing Joseph to flinch. Henry grabbed his arm and smirked.

'Wooow Joseph,' he teased. Joseph nervously laughed, hoping he didn't sound too awkward. He wriggled his arm free from his grasp, feeling the knots in his stomach worsen.

He took a deep breath, the temperature rising in his body, making him feel worse. He started biting his thumb, feeling his smile quiver, his throat turning drier.

Stop complimenting me.

'I need water right now,' he looked around if it meant not being confronted by Henry, who was still making side comments, demanding answers, yet looking around all the same but it didn't help him feel the black hue distort his vision.

'Hey um...' he asked a group of girls sitting in the bleachers above them. He raised his voice louder, 'Excuse me?' The group of girls turned towards him. Despite multiple pairs of eyes staring at him, he felt things turning normal now.

'Do you guys have water?' he asked. One of the girls with wavy tea pink hair mouthed "water" and looked around, with the other girls doing the same. A girl with rich honey skin grabbed a turquoise coloured steel water bottle and turned to her friend.

'Can we give it?' she asked. Her friend, who wore a lavender hijab, nodded then turned to Joseph, her rich russet orbs filled with caution.

'It's not water though.' she meekly interjected. Joseph reached out of the bottle, shaking his head.

'That's okay.'

The girl passed the bottle to him. He uncapped the bottle and tilted it in his mouth, trying to avoid it touching his mouth and preventing Henry from spilling it on him (although Henry quickly stopped midway realising it was someone else's bottle). The water was cool, making him feel better, except this water tasted bittersweet, leaving a bit of a nutty aftertaste. He passed it to Henry, who did the same, but scrunched his face and smacked his lips before returning the bottle.

'Thank you. What was it by the way?' he asked.

'Coconut water.' was the reply. Joseph couldn't help but snort. One of their friends piped in,

'I know right! Like why would you bring something so sophisticated?' she said. The hijabi frowned.

'What do you know? It's good for your health. Besides, have I ever asked you why you use so many creams for your face?'

'Well, that's skincare!'

'And this is all-care!'

The blonde girl started chanting 'beef!' looking at them quarrel with the pink hair giggling at their bickering. And that's where Joseph's mind suddenly clicked.

He had seen the hijabi somewhere before.