The Phantom of Scranton Hill

2

Blood dripped from his clenched fist. Shards of glass implanted itself in his palm and fingers. A puddle of diet coke with bubbles of carbonation swam underneath. Rage consumed his face and his heartbeat raced.

"Oh, my god! Dax!" Justine shouted while grabbing tons of napkins to try to stop the bleeding. He looked as though he was ready to strangle someone. Pounds of anger and jealousy swam through the thick air alongside its close friend resentment, and the six others began to argue among one another, their voices barely audible with the rambunctious banging of chairs flying throughout the enclosed area. Waiters and waitresses did their best to calm the ruckus, but failed miserably and resorted to hiding behind the front counter.

Ignoring the impact on her emotions and urge to punch his face, Justine took a deep breath and stood up. She took Dax's hand and he seemed to relax ever so slightly. She pulled him up and began dragging him toward the restrooms. The longer her hold on him remained, the more pacified he became. However, uncertainty continued to hover above, she sensed it.

"Am I supposed to be in here?" Dax asked as she dabbed his hand with a wet towel. He was uncomfortable in the new environment. Never had he been in such a place before today. "I don't think I should have gone past the sign that clearly said women."

"It doesn't matter. You're hurt and you need to be fixed," Justine reasoned, her focus engrossed by his wounds. "You're stupid, you know that? Normal guys will try to prove their superiority by fighting in front of the whole school. But no." She swung her arms in the air like she'd been bitten by a diseased squirrel. "You had to go and say, 'I wonder if I can break this glass. Hmm. I guess I won't know unless I try!' Then boom! It shatters." She shook her head and looked up at him. "So congratulations, Dax! You've declared yourself a helpless idiot."

"I have nothing to prove," he defended. She stared at him, an expression of disbelief shining back at him. "Really! I don't! Besides, everyone knows he's just a fake anyway. Paid the coach a fine sum to get where he is." Dax sat back on the sink and a devilish smile crept onto his face. He slowly rotated his head like a possessed doll. "Ow!" he shrieked.

"Oh, god!" Justine began to freak out in a panic. "I'm so sorry! I-" He burst out laughing and she glared at him, soon pivoting on her heel and walking out the door, leaving Dax alone in the women's restroom.

"Wait, you're not gonna leave me in here are you?"

Justine sat down with the others at the booth, unknowingly intruding on a strange argument.

"You're such a scaredy cat, Max," Mandy accused him. "It's just a gummy worm. They don't live in the ground."

"I'm not!" He denied but quickly shielded away. "And it's slimy." He scrunched his nose and tucked away between the wall and Zane.

"Dude, she's got a point," Tommy nodded, stuffing a couple of fries into his already full mouth.

"Bro! Whose side are you on!" Max exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise. "Who let you borrow his lucky mitt last game, huh? Not her, that's who." He sat back, his arms crossed with a look of accomplishment.

Alex scoffed. "Fine. If you're so brave then I dare you to spend an entire night in the house on Baker Road."

Max's eyes lit up and he gulped. "Baker Road? The one near the cemetery? Isn't it empty for... I don't know... a reason?" He slammed his hands on the table and stood up. Hiding his fear obviously wasn't a priority anymore.

"But it's owned by the bank now," Tommy stated. "There's no way you can get in without being arrested for trespassing."

Max threw his hands into the air. "Man, you're like bipolar or something. Pick. A. Side." He slumped in his seat.