Contaminated (Cursed Night)

Yea

t to my best friend's locker as he retrieved a boo

face. "That's like t

ting in while th

down the hall. "So you're asking me on a date then?" he

e my clroom was in the same direction

heard was

ins. Girls ask guys, and I wanted to t

r cles, and I held the strap of my bag on my

e?" I

Trevor's not going to kick my ? Judging from the way he's

sn't asking him, but I only wanted friendship,

re life-he was too familiar, kind of like family-but I'd also known his ol

I urged, nudging his

you d

and spun around, pinning me with a hard look. "Rika,

averted my eyes, sick

he argued. "You're beautiful, and any g

e." I smiled sarcastica

eyes, shaking

hy he thought I shied away from this or that, and as good of a friend

and over my neck-over the pale, t

ident that kil

d I dropped my hand, know

first thing people noticed about me. There were always questions and pitiful expressions from family and friends, not to mention the jerk comme

re beautiful. Long blonde hair, legs that no guy in this school

I shifted in my flats, grippin

erson," I retorted. "I wa

crossing his face. I'd won,

a date." And then he spun a

bt taking James away from a promising night with anothe

end Claudia planted herself in the seat next to me, meeting my eyes and smiling, and I immediately sat down and started writing my name on

blue plaid skirts swaying, and most of the boys' ti

ind us, and I jerked my head around to se

s?" Claud

per, excitement crossing her fa

then back at Gabrielle,

seat everyone!", and Claudia, Gabrielle, and I immediately face

cher instructed to a student in the ba

ut what she meant. But then I looked up, spotting a girl jo

he responded,

n turn from relaxed to agitated, his lips p

as goi

re. What d

widened and flutt

and fever making my skin tingle. Butterflies filled my stomach, a

s h

at the clock and seeing that it

thirtieth, the nigh

l's

ey'd already graduated-more

e to his voice, "and solve the three problems on the board." He switched on the pr

u're finished," he called

erves and anticipation as I tried to concentrate on

d. I glanced at the cl

wooden desk underneath as I blinked my eyes, bringing them into focus

from one thing to the other, knowing that i

parabola has coordi

c function is a parabol

shing one, two, and movi

soft music, and I

riff drifted through the loudspeakers. It got louder and lou

beginning of the song over the speakers gave way to a violent onslaught of drums, gui

through the clroom-and, I umed,

!" Gabriell

ing as students raced out

here?" someone da

ow at the top, trying to catch a glimpse of them coming down the ha

e folded his arms over his chest and turne

hrilled chatter from the oth

ard crumbling coming from the hallway, sounding like

er student argued,

r tiptoes. "Move!" she

The doors swung open, and the studen

I heard a

ed standing. I gripped my pencil with both hands, my stomach flipping like a roller

ere. The Fo

separate universities afterward. They were a few years older, and while not one of them knew I existed, I knew almost everything a

n the blood red mask covering the face of the one always in the le

room. Students turned, watching one of the male students step forw

apping him on the back as he walked past him on h

ew girls fidgeted nervously, whi

l players, stepped up to the guys, the one in the white mask with the

ll black mask pulled him out into the hallway, following the othe

do with how he filled a room, and I blinked lo

e. Cast your balance a hair in the wrong direction or tread too hard-or

y had followers and they didn't care.

fantasized about them, I simply wondered what it would be like to be them. They

look down

of them carrying their books. "We have to go to the nurse. See you Monday

was just letting them leave. They were clearly not

n Mr. Foster-tried

town when they attended school here, but they commanded t

r was a humiliating disaster for Thunder Bay. Twelve losses out o

ege for the weekend to inspire the team or do whatever they had to

hazing, it had certainly helped make the team a unit

You boys move on," h

y stomach floated up to my chest. I let my ey

s what had b

long legs in dark washed jeans walk pas

as happening in my chest. He was probably just scanning th

one of the ot

iend. He just kept standing

is sides. I made out the vein over the top of his strong hand, and the whole room se

doing just s

ntly tensed, seeing golden hazel

, wondering if I'd missed some

ica of the deformed and scarred Army of Two m

im. The thrilling kind of s

e throb between my legs, in the space that only

I liked be

watched him cock his head just a little

xteen," Mr. Fo

r second and then turned his

e with them. The basketball players' ages didn't matter, but any girls that

ng to take me anyway.

d away from me as he was, I deduced that it unnerved Mr. Foster, beca

king at me once more as a drop

wed by Kai, who I knew wore the silver ma

hell was

her, seeing her eyebrows raised in question, but I just ignored her, turning back to my paper. I had no idea why he was look

Mr. Foster barked.

o work. The music, which had faded into a distant hum, cut off, and for the fi

players from all of the rooms, take them to an undisclosed location, rough them up a bit, and get t

w that it was on tonight. Starting right now in the parking lot

thing turning shallow as I bob

ted t

head, which had just felt like it was higher than the trees a

me way I had before he walked in

s to hang out, a routine that started shortly after my father had ped away. Sometimes I'

ther tried to wear me down more every day while denying w

outside the windows, and I falter

it

leaned over, handing it to Claudia with my bag and whisper

ed together, looki

lready slipping out of my desk

ped behind my back. "May I use the restroom, pleas

student. Oh, Betty Sandra? The demure one who's always in dress code an

he door, not even hesit

I may still get in trouble, but it would already be too lat

ing around the corner of the building. I wasn't planning on asking them if I could come or letti

uldn't eve

Alex's black Mercedes G-Cl and dived behin

he cars!" som

e cluster of cars and tossed a beer to a guy in the bed of a pickup truck. His black hair was pushed back, hi

irst-hand knowledge of their demeanors at school, but I'd seen plenty of him at the Crist house to know that somet

e way Alex di

eam and some girls, but school would be out in less than an hour, whi

" one of the guys as

pping Damon on the shoulder as he ped. "Whe

Raptor, climbing up and standing between the

tyled in a faux hawk and his seductive green eyes laughing. "Hey, did yo

his silver mask on top of his head, and

" Will went on. "A year

Damon said, opening the penger door t

rear driver's side door of his G-cl and toss a duff

eak. What the hell was I doing? I shouldn't be d

call. "It'll be a long night.

d him respond i

was Kai. "Dude, I dare you," he challenged like he knew so

ear did her a lot of good, too. Sh

ys talking abou

napped, sounding

heir words. I needed to get out

in the cars,

a deep breath and squeezed the handle on the

the door and quickly dived inside, pulling the door closed and hoping

n't be d

orbed their conversations and mannerisms, noticing t

talking? Oh, Jesus. I rolled my eyes

ted, and car doors s

e!" I heard W

d I widened my eyes as peo

d shut, the silent cabin now filled with th

tting my head rest on the floor, not sure if I should feel good that I ha