𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝚘𝚛 𝙋𝙖𝙮 [COMPLETED]

Twelve

This chapter is extremely emotional and contains violence. Continue with caution!

Juno's POV:

I walked back out of the hallway just as Azmina slapped Juneville High's captain across the face. I didn't sit back down until I heard the second whistle blow. I knew it was selfish of me to walk out but the pressure of knowing that they were about to die was so terrible that I couldn't take it. 

I sat down next to Charlie who was whispering to Azmina. Azmina didn't look like she was paying attention though, her eyes lit up as she saw me.

"Hey!" she says. "You okay?"

I sit down, ignoring the butterflies in my stomach. "Yeah, feeling fine. Just sad."

Charlie puts a sympathetic arm around me. I don't care at this point, as long as people are friendly, I will always accept it.

"Well, I'm sure that even though this won't be good to see, you will pull though. Other people love you as much as your family does so don't think otherwise," Charlie said.

I smile at him and he let go of me. I turn back towards the game which I had been blocking out for the past while. 

I heard the ball touch the floor and I click my tongue. 

This won't end well. I already know that.

Another ball hits the ground and suddenly Juneville High is at 20 points. My stomach contracts and Azmina seemed to notice my sudden anxiety. She moved to sit next to me instead of Charlie who didn't seem to mind, I think he understood why. She held my hand and I sat back, forcing back the tears that were threatening to fall.

"I don't think I can do this," I say. 

Azmina holds my hand more tightly. "They need you here, Juno," she says in a soft voice. "Seeing you is all the support they need. They know what will happen but they'll feel better if they go out seeing your face one last time."

The tears almost spilled over at that very second. Knowing that my family was about to die, every time that thought came around in my head, a piece of my died inside as well. It felt like my heart broke ever so slightly.

I made a sound that was in between a whimper and growl as another ball hits the ground on my families side. I wonder what type of death they'd have. Guns again, or maybe something else. I wasn't sure, I didn't exactly want to find out. I knew I had to stay with them though. 

I wiped my eyes and focused on the wall. My vision blurred with tears and I wasn't able to stop them. I hiccuped and wiped my eyes angrily. Stop crying! Stop it! Don't make them sadder! 

The whistle blew and my eyes shifted to the court. My family was standing, panting, holding hands and waiting for death. Charlotte wiped her forehead and I let out a sob. My family turned to look at me, Jackson and Peter's faces creased with sadness.

Jackson was the youngest sibling in the family. I'm 18, Peter and Charlotte are 17 and Jackson is 14. My mother, Maria and father, William, give me sad smiles. 

I wasn't prepared for the knife to fly into Jackson's throat. I was bracing myself for gunshots but instead it was worse. I scream and Jackson sinks to his knees, gasping. My mother instinctively rushes over to him but gets stabbed almost instantly. My father yells her name as she collapses, her fingers twitching. 

It takes Charlie and Azmina to hold me back from running onto the court myself. Jackson was dead and so was my mum. Charlotte was frozen in horror, tears streaming down her face. I scream and shout their names, hoping for at least one more glance. I break free of Charlie and Azmina and sprint onto the court. I shriek my mother's name as her eyes glaze over, her fingers stop twitching. 

"J-Juno?" Charlotte gasps, stumbling forward. I whip my head around and see a knife in her chest. Peter screeched behind me and as I turn I see a flash of silver. A knife flew straight past my head and caught him in the spot where his jaw met his neck. 

My sobs were uncontrollable now and my breathing was bumpy. All that was left was my dad and with a small wooshing noise, a knife caught him in the stomach and he collapsed. I didn't have time to run to him. Charlotte tugged at my arm. Tears streamed down her face and blood pooled under her torso.

"Charlotte?!" I shout.

"Juno..." she whispers. "Please- take care of the team for us. Win this tournament. For me."

I cry into her shoulder and her voice fades. She grabs my hand with the remaining strength she had. 

"I love you- so, so much."

Her grip on me released and I scream at the top of my lungs at the stadium roof.