Cruel Me

Chapter 12 |Part 2|: Pardon Me (junior year)

WARNING: There is violence in this chapter. More so than usual. Oh, and you might want to listen to Pardon Me by Incubus for added effect.
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(junior year)

I didn't know how long I sat there on the bleachers, with my elbow on my knees and hands on my head. It was as if time was standing still.

Did that really happen?

The past couple of hours were such a blur that I was having a hard time letting it all sink in yet. It was so surreal. We were supposed to have a game tonight. It was supposed to be a good game, too. Tonight was supposed to be fucking fun.

I rubbed my face and straightened up, taking a deep breath. My eyes traveled to where the football building used to be. All I saw now was rubble.

Nothing about this was fun.

Adam was rushed to the hospital. At some point during all the chaos, the team left and went to the hospital to see how he was doing. My friends wanted to stay with me, but I wasn't in the mood for company. I even had to beg Snow to leave me alone for a while.

My phone vibrated. I pulled it out of my pocket, saw Kurt's face, and answered.

"Hey."

"It's not good, man," sighed Kurt. "I don't know much about the details but he won't be playing anytime soon - or at all."

I ran a hand through my head.

"Any news about the cause?" he asked.

My left hand balled up to a fist, while my jaw clenched.

"They ruled it as an accident," I answered with a low voice.

"I'm sensing a 'but' there."

"It doesn't feel like an accident, man." I let out an exasperated breath and looked up at the setting sky. "The fire department said it had something to do with a defective light bulb, reaching its limit and flaring up when it was turned on. And it all just spread from there."

"Where did they say it start?"

"The gym."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

Adam went to the gym and hit the lights, not knowing the outcome of that simple move. None of us even knew there was a faulty light bulb anywhere in the building. Sure, it was old and moldy. But it was taken care of - sorta.

"Figures," said Kurt. "I heard Adam saying he passed out and when he woke up, he was surrounded by fire and he couldn't move his legs."

"It just -" I pressed my lips in frustration. "Fuck, it just doesn't make sense. I don't think a 'defective light bulb' could cause that much damage, you know?"

"Well, a lit candle can burn a house down."

I rubbed my face again. "I dunno."

He was silent for a second, before saying, in the most serious tone I've ever heard from Kurt, "You really think someone did this?"

"Don't you?"

My guts had been screaming at me for the past hour, telling me this was no accident. I've always followed my instinct. But this time, it was hard as hell because I had nothing to go from. No leads whatsoever.

"Me? No idea. But Alfie . . ."

"Yeah?"

"Here, tell Oz what you saw before we left the school."