Lacrosse My Heart, Hope To Die

always and forever | Nina

One Month Later

I lay a singular flower on Max's grave. Even though we weren't close, we were still friends, and he was friends with George, too. Who, by the way, shouldn't have been this late.

"I can't do this anymore, Neens. It's driving me crazy. I want to wring Josie's neck for making him do this to himself. Max should be alive, thinking about his future. Not lying dead six feet underground."

"I'm so sorry, Georgie. Do you want to talk to him? I can wait in my car, if you want?" I asked, then just went back on my own. I turned around halfway to my car, and I really wished I wouldn't have.

He fell to the wet ground, knees diving into the freshly dug-up soil. I watched as my boyfriend sobbed, mourning the loss of one of his best friends. I almost never saw him crying- he was always my shoulder to lean on. But now, it was my turn to be his.

Ten minutes later, George opened the passenger door to my BMW, startling me. "I just can't," he cried. I adjusted my position so that he could lay his head on my shoulder as I held him.

"Shh, shh, I know. Let it out," I murmured, trying not to cry.

"I need a break," he sniffled, wiping his face with the sleeve of his PDA Soccer jacket.

"I have just the place."

-

Five minutes later, I parked in the back of the PDA student lot, and motioned for George to follow.

"I really hate being at school on a Saturday night," he complained, and I laughed. I led him up, all the way to the top of the bleachers, and we sat down. Our feet hung out of the bottom of the guard rail, and I watched George's eyes light up when he realized that you could see the entire city of Portland; beaches, dive bars, and gala halls in all of their glory.

"I always come up here when I'm having a bad day," I said, nudging him.

"I love it, Nina. I love you," he said, leaning in. But before our lips touched, we pulled apart quickly, hearing a car engine shutting off.

"Quick, in the announcer booth! If it's the maintenance man, we could be in big trouble," I moaned, but then realized he couldn't see our car, since we'd parked in the student lot in back the school.

"Wait, that's not the maintenance man, it's-"

"Mr. Smithers?" I whisper-laughed. It was only our Athletic Director, but we could still be in major trouble.

"Wait, there's more people. Is that- Coach Schrute? And Coach Anna? Oh my god, Principal Crocker? I can't get expelled, I need to go to college!" I moaned, shrinking down lower in the announcer booth, still watching out the small window.

"I think they're pulling something out of the trunk. What are they doing? I'm feeling a little freaked out," George whispered.

Coach Schrute began speaking, loud enough that we could hear it through the crack in the door, even as high up as we were.

"The teenagers in this group have caused us enough trouble, and now, after a whole year, we've gotten our hands on another one. Josephine Ziegler, you and your troublesome friends continue to pollute the school and our sports programs with your entitled-ness and lack of respect. Your parents continue to drag us through the mud, too, and we are all tired of it," he commanded.

"Does a little disrespect really warrant my being killed over?" Josie growled.

"Oh, and we haven't even gotten to the best part. Your parents sued us because of our apparent "lack of support for our son's ADHD needs." Anyways, your dad is so much of a convincing liar that he got six hundred thousand dollars in the settlement. That's almost as much as he donated to us in the first place," Principal Crocker cruelly laughed, kicking Josie again for good measure.

"Hello, dad- important emergency- yes, I'm okay- the school address- bring backup- love you." I whispered, as I called my dad, the Portland Police Chief, to ask him for help. While I called, I looked over at George, still recording the scene with his phone.

My heart was racing. The highest PDA school officials, mixed up in a kidnapping? Josie was bound with a rope, so did that count? And what did they mean, 'after a whole year?' Did that mean- oh my god.

They killed Jess. All of them. And now, they were about to kill Josie.