Your Friend, Jordan

Five

Present..

***

I breathed in the humid air and steam from the shower, as my body already felt rather sore and achy from the practice. The first practice our team had with me as the captain, something I still couldn't get over. I was stunned to say the least, stunned when the coach said my name at the beginning of our practice on this day, and stunned to hear that mostly everyone on the team voted for me. In the past few weeks of starting school, I had never mentioned to the team or to my friends that I wanted to be captain, I hadn't even given it much thought myself. I guess the coach and my teammates thought I deserved it or something, and I just couldn't get over that.

It was a huge honour, and I was so very grateful to all of them. But, as much as I wanted to be overjoyed and ecstatic about it, I felt like I couldn't share that with my friends all so much. Sure, Troy, Ethan and Daniel were thrilled for me, but it was Jordan I had to be carful around. After all, he was the one who wanted to be captain the most this year, everyone knew it. He hadn't stopped talking about it the past few weeks leading up to the new season, and I couldn't get his crushed, upset face out of my head when they said my name and not his. But he had to be happy for me, right? After all, he was my best friend, the two of us were the closest ones in our group. He had to be somewhat happy for me, right? He didn't hate me for this, right? No, he couldn't.

Rinsing myself off, I let the hot, almost scolding water pour over my back and shoulders, while the shower was the only noise within the locker room. Everyone else left I only imagined, while no one else's voice could be heard. Usually if some of the guys were still here, you could hear their shouts, their conversations and laughter over the water, and with the absent of that, I just knew no one else was around. No other movement, or stirring around. I knew I was alone now.

My muscles seemed to tense less the longer I rested in the shower, as I wanted to just stay there for awhile. However, I knew I couldn't, I would have to leave somewhat soon. I had a shit ton of studying to do later that night for a test I had in math the next day. I was doing alright in this unit, although not nearly good enough to completely wing it, and end up doing well. No, I had to practice the problems and the review at least a few times, and once I did that, I knew I would be ready to go.

Standing with my face fully under the water, I placed my hand on the tap, ready to turn it off although I couldn't seem to do it. The water just felt so nice against my skin, I didn't want it to stop. However, suddenly, I became more aware of what was going on around me, particularly outside of the shower as a scrapping noise began to make its way towards me, as if something was being dragged on the floor. Stepping away from the running water, I was almost afraid to get out or peak around the shower curtain, although I tried to calm down a bit. Trying to keep my cool, I knew I was most likely being paranoid, as I tried to think of what that was.

What was making that sound? What was being dragged on the floor, close by me? Is someone else in here? Are one of the guys still here? What's going on?

"Hello?" I spoke up eventually, waiting, and hoping just to hear one of the other guys voices, perhaps still getting dressed and heading out the doors to go. But after moments of my silence, waiting for some type of voice or other noise, nothing else emerged in the air. No voice while the dragging suddenly stopped, and all was quiet again. The only sound—the rushing water from the shower head hitting the tiled floor, and the drain letting the water seep down.

I could feel my heart racing in my chest, a large lump growing in the back of my throat as I tried to keep calm, and continue on with the shower. Although my nerves, and the slight panic of fear still was hyped up inside of me, I couldn't get it to calm down.