Hidden Memories

XX. Reaper Visited Again

My eyes focused on the ball, one of the boys from a team guiding it with their hands. I stared until my eyes burned and blinked continuously until my eyes watered.

I turned my attention to my group, cheering and whistling. Kelvin sat beside me, sitting out the game since he never liked sports like Carter who sat on my other side. The space between Kelvin and the next attendee was ridiculously long, at least five feet apart. There were no people at the front and behind him up to three rows of benches.

He was obviously gloomy and didn't cheer like the rest of us. He would usually joke around, calling out funny rules like no twerking while holding the ball, no shooting, no passing, and such ridiculous antics.

The silver band ring that the principal gave him was on his pinky finger, much like my cracked one. I was the only one who could stay by him and not get poisoned when he doesn't feel like wearing the jewelry.

The buzzer deafened my ears, added the cheering of the crowd around us. I looked up and saw the score 56:50. Nero's team won while Kael's team lost their chance to get a grade for P. E.

"Five minutes and girls will play next!" Our teacher said through his megaphone, the students near him covered their ears.

The whole High School levels joined together a day and played sports two weeks after the poison incident, organized by our kind athletic teacher, Steve Harris. He did a little convincing with the principal that the students must have fun since we were kids, and that teachers do needed a little break.

The victim that Kelvin inflicted with poison had been asleep the whole time, too bad for him he would wake up with a pile of homework.

As for Kelvin, guilt became more evident on his features. He ate less, his eyes soulless and shallow, and he became thinner. Though, this might be a way to lose weight fast, but it was not the healthy way since his stomach suffered the sudden change. In result, he vomited at least a couple of times a week.

"Hey," I greeted Nero when he came up to our benches. "Good game."

"Thanks," he muttered, sweat showering us because of his movement as he went around and sat behind me. I gave him his towel and water bottle before I pulled out my hair band from my wrist. I was about to gather my hair when a hand covered mine. "I'll do it."

I gave him the hair band and he proceeded to gather my hair in his hands. A couple glares from a group of girls was all I received while I tried to concentrate on team strategies for our game. I failed until Nero finally took his time to wrap my hair in a ponytail.

"Girls, you're up!" Again, students cringed away from the adult who held the megaphone.

I turned to Kelvin with all seriousness. "Don't get in anymore trouble."

He only nodded. The girls and I jogged to our coach, his hands on his hips. A tray contained ten silver band rings was what he held as he stood beside the man with the megaphone, Steve Harris.

Each girls wore the ring with disdain. I just stood there, smirking at their expressions. One girl looked and inspected my hand. "You're not gonna wear one?"

"I am wearing one."

"She's lying," Luna spoke up from somewhere behind some girls. Finally, she made herself appear with stepping forward.

I held my left hand up and pointed at the ring that had a gem on it. "This is what Clarence gave me, so I don't need another ring."

I walked away before anyone could say anything and joined my team who huddled around.

"She's just jealous that you have a stone on yours and she doesn't," Tristine said, stretching. I shrugged and readied myself to discuss our strategies.