The Overnight Party

Chapter 17

The three of them stood in the bleachers. The crowds of both teams groaned in horrific dismay and concern. Maya's gaze locked on the field, drawn to Mark's figure sprawled motionless on the field.

Panic surged through her veins, icy tendrils reaching out to constrict her heart. It was Mark, his once vibrant team jersey now a sickening red against the pristine white lines. And on top of him, like a predator claiming its prey, was Alex.

A guttural scream tore through the air. Sarah, her face a mask of sheer terror, bolted past Maya, a single word escaping her lips – "Mark!"

Adrenaline flooded Maya's system, momentarily pushing back the tide of fear. Alex. It had to be deliberate. The unnecessary force of the tackle, the way Mark lay motionless — it all screamed foul play.

Ignoring the shouts and gasps around her, Maya pushed through the stunned crowd. Her eyes were locked on Alex, who was slowly disentangling himself from Mark's limp form. His face, however, remained blank, devoid of any real concern.

The air crackled with a sickening tension as medical personnel swarmed the field, their movements a blur.

A fence circled the football field, and medical personnel guarded the gate. Sarah was first to reach it it, followed by Emily and Maya.

Medical professionals pushed the football players out of the way. "Clear the area!" People were screaming.

The crowd, initially hesitant, began to shuffle back reluctantly. Trapped in the ebb and flow of people, the three of them were ushered away.

Sarah's protests were lost in the chaos as the crowd was forced away from the field. Her gaze fixed on Mark's motionless body, Sarah thrashed and fought against the wave of security, her screams turning hoarse as they ushered her away.

A surge of adrenaline pulsed through Maya. She needed to be there, to comfort Sarah, to witness what was happening. But Emily's grip on her arm tightened.

"Maya, please," Emily begged, her cheeks flushed red. "I know this looks bad, but you have to trust me. We have to get out of here."

The look in Emily's eyes — a desperate mix of fear, guilt, and shame — gave Maya pause. It was a flicker of vulnerability in a girl who had built herself a fortress of calculated indifference.

Maya wavered. Should she listen to Emily, flee the scene, or fight alongside Sarah to get closer? In that split second, the decision was made for her.

With a coordinated push, security guards herded the remaining onlookers away from the field. Maya, caught in the sweep, found herself propelled in the opposite direction of Sarah, further away from the epicenter of the crisis. The crowds in the stands slowly shuffled in a river of people, pushing and shoving Maya and Emily toward the parking lot. They were greeted with the red and blue ambulance lights flashing through the parking lot, the football field, and as far as the tennis courts.

With a surge of frustration, Maya looked around for an escape route, but Emily clung tightly to her, her voice now ragged with pleading. "Please, Maya. Come with me. It's safer this way. Sarah remembers where I parked. We can meet her there."

The image of Sarah being dragged away, her cries cut short by the escalating commotion, fueled Maya's anger. But with a pang of helplessness, she realized there was no way back. Both teams were now being moved off the field, the game abandoned in the wake of tragedy.

Overwhelmed and confused, Maya let Emily lead her away, a trail of burning questions and lingering suspicions trailing behind them. It was a retreat, not an escape. And as the sounds of the stadium faded, replaced by the eerie silence of the deserted back paths of the school, Maya couldn't shake the feeling that by leaving, she had betrayed Sarah.