High School Recall

Chapter Six

By Thursday, Chloe decided on taking volley ball for her extracurricular activity. For two days, she was bent on getting herself comfortable with the news that the Martins, her home have been chosen to host a division culprit. A criminal, if you may, to keep a low reputation before going back to their normal routine. Somehow, her mind would twist it into the concept of having a devil that ransacked her school life after the peace that semed to bloom in the last two days. Ivan has stopped bothering her with his whiny attitude since he got himself out of detention, and Eli has more than enough of Valerie drama to keep him occupied.

It gave Chloe time to think, and to actually join in the social life. The girls – sans Valerie, took her shopping at Melrose Junction and they enjoyed a cup of homebrew after. This routine was new to Chloe, but she would be damned if she was to go back to the way it was in New York. She even took her time to ask for a late try-out for the volleyball team. Her smash sold her game and Lauren – the team captain.

"Pass the ball, the one that fails to hit it take a lap," Lauren ordered. "Start," she said before blowing the whistle and throwing the ball to one of the girls forming a circle. The sun was high up and Chloe's skin tingled, the slight burning sensation uncomfortable.

"I didn't know you're interested in volleyball, Darling."

Chloe whipped her head around in surprise. "You know and think very little of me." She shrugged Ivan's hand off her shoulder.

"I thought you called dibs on me."

She stopped to look at him, disbelief on her face. She sneered at his cheeky smile before turning into a pained expression when something hit her hard on the hand.

"One lap, Chloe!" Lauren called out.

Chloe swiveled arund, furious. "You did it on purpose," she hissed at him, walking to the side of the field to start her run.

Ivan was in tow, a prideful smile on his face. "I don't like running alone." He shrugged.

"You have your minions," she huffed, steadying her breath as she ran.

"Nah, people are only as fun as you make them be."

She turned to look at him again, with an unexpected smirk. "You're saying that I'm fun?"

"Never said that." His face soured.

Chloe studied him for a moment. No, he had no clue. "You should admit it, though," she pointed at her head. "It's brilliant."

"Well, brilliant minds think alike, don't they?" He winked. "Anyways, having a basketball challenge with the Freshmeats this afternoon, come and watch?"

She actually snorted. "Is this Ivan Lindqvist inviting me?"

"Well, you're the one who called dibs."

"That card is getting old," she muttered.

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Basketball team members filed out of their change room, heading to the center of the field and face the opposing team. Seniors versus Freshmen, Ivan couldn't think of an easier match. The boy in front of him has the broadest built, his hair jet black and tied to the back of his head. Ivan thought the boy looked older than a regular freshman, and it was probably the reason why he was the 'captain' of the Freshmeat's team. Ivan showed his signature smile as the captains shook hands.

The seat on the bleachers were almost full, the freshmen and seniors filling in the opposite sides and the years in between sitting wherever they wished. Chloe had a little trouble finding an empty seat by the seniors, but fortunately, Valerie saved her a seat since the alpha needed an empty spot to put her bag alone.

"Cute," Valerie gushed as the teams did the routine of shooting hoops before beginning the game. "Real cute."

Chloe could tell the second comment was not for the freshmen, but a singular senior. Ivan would've fumed if he heard that, she thought.

By the third quarter buzz, the seniors team was of course winning by six points. Ivan told the truth when he told her it would be easy. She shouldn't have come at his invitation, there was nothing interesting to watch. The seniors clearly were beating the freshmen to pulps.

"You actually came," Ivan stated when he took his time looking at his supporters. He didn't think Chloe would've heed his words, but he lifted his water bottle as if to toast her. He wasn't surprised when the only reply he got was a raise of her eyebrow. He should try to knock some of her seriousness out of her face.

"Your call, Cap," the ref told Ivan.

Ivan nodded, smirking at the score board. No wonder Chloe was bored, it was an easy defeat for the Freshmeats. Nevertheless, as the captain he has to shed sweat for the game. He blinked. Something wasn't right. He looked into his bottle and took a whiff before his eyes zeroed on it.

Chloe knew something was wrong the moment his posture went stiff, colors draining from his face as if he just revealed something horrible. She watched as Ivan screwed back the cap of his bottle and chucked it into his bag. Something changed, but she was unsure what did.

"Lindqvist, head in the game!" Coach Britton yelled from the side when he let the ball get snatched out of his hands. Damn it. His attention drifted again. He tried to blink out the light-headedness. He started to see things drifting into two.

Ivan forgot how long they were in the fourth quarter, but by the time his eyes focused, he found himself pining down the broad freshman, eyes zeroed on the veins popping out by his neck. He felt hands prying him away, and found his body fighting on its own accord.

Chloe quickly snatched her bag underneath her seat before dashing to the center of the field. A crowd has started to form, trying to see what has gone wrong with Ivan when Chloe could literally smell the craving. She made her way into the crowd, not caring about the bewildered looks she earned from the people she pushed out of the way.

"Chloe, what are you doing-"

It took her a few seconds later to realize it was Eli, but by that time she has gotten her hands on Ivan's shoulders, the boy's eyes still on the freshmen's captain. "Look at me, look at me," she demanded in the same slow, dragging pace that threw people off guard.

His eyes found hers in a painfully slow motion.

"Now, follow me," she tried to sooth him. "Only me, focus on me," she imitated her mother's technique when she was younger, when she has forgotten to take her lunch box to school. Chloe was not about to let him do what she did to get herself out of first grade.

Ivan's grip on her hand was painful, but she knew it was his saner side begging her to get him out quickly. She almost dragged him out, but realized that the crowds would get suspicious. She turned her head to look at the ref. "He got food poisoning, he didn't want to tell anyone before the game," she empathized. "I'm taking him to the nurse."

The ref nodded, fazed. He shook his head before blowing his whistle to disperse the crowds.

Chloe reacted quickly before Ivan could focus somewhere else, heading for the girls' changing room since it would be deserted. Ivan kept his head on the crook of her neck the whole time. Unfortunate for him, he wouldn't smell anything appetizing there. She sat Ivan on the bench before rummaging through her bag, taking out her pillbox and popping more than necessary to her water bottle. The number of pills doesn't matter in this kind of situation. She shook the bottle before handing it to Ivan who was still absentminded, staring at her off-focused. "Drink, Ivan."

He attempted to take the bottle, his hands trembling.

She sighed, took the bottle, unscrewed the lid and placed it on his mouth. The smell must have awakened his senses, his hands quickly grabbed the bottle and emptied its content within gulps. She watched with sad eyes, looking to the side.

What would've become of Ivan Lindqvist if she wasn't there?