The Carter Hollow Murders

Leonidas Ramirez - Challenge Three

User: KnightoftheRealm

The gym around me roared with the noise of a thousand kids. Chatter, yells, running feet and bouncing balls created a cacophony of chaotic noise. I could barely hear myself think, let alone attempt to talk to anyone. Besides, having several hundred kids in a gym made it nearly impossible to find anyone.

Resigned to the noise, I managed to find an empty spot in the bleachers. There was just enough room for me to settle in comfortably with my backpack and read. Absorbed in the escapades of the Three Musketeers, I gladly left behind the hellish horrors that were stalking Carter Hollow.

Sometime after the hundredth page, I faintly heard someone call my name.

"Leo! Over here!" I looked up and scanned the crowded space around me. I spotted Ariadne Rane waving and raised my hand in greeting as she confidently stepped through the grumbling seniors, Danielle Wilde a few steps behind her.

"Hey, stranger!" Ariadne said cheerfully when she reached me. "Whatcha up to?"

"Not much," I replied. "Just catching up on the Three Musketeers, and planning to work on some homework later." I held up my book and gestured to my backpack. I heard Danielle snicker, a confident smirk on her face. Slowly, I unfolded to my full height and gave her my coldest look.

"So what if I care about studying?" I said in a dull monotone. "Not all of us can be star athletes." I waited for her reaction, trying to gauge the success of my "death face."

Danielle rolled her eyes. "Not all of us can be nerds, Leonidas," she said. "Besides, what kind of a name is that?" Danielle added. I stiffened at her words, feeling a surge of family pride and hatred of her ignorance and anger. My lip curled in disgust, and several sharp comments jumped to my lips as I moved slightly closer to her.

Before I could speak, Ariadne jumped in. "Guys, just chill, ok?" She placed one hand on my chest and one on Danielle's shoulder, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Look, Leo, Dani and I were going to play some basketball.

One-on-one is boring because Dani always wins, so we're trying to round up some more people to play."

"No thanks, Ari. I'm no good at sports. Besides, you don't even have a basketball," I pointed out.

"Thanks for noticing that, genius," Danielle said. "We're playing if and when Ari here gets a ball."

I held up my hands in mock surrender. "Fine. I'll play, but only if you get a ball."

"Thanks, Leo," Ariadne said mockingly. "You're the best." The two girls left to find a basketball, picking their way among the crowded bleachers while I escaped into my book.

A little while later, a commotion caught my attention. Following it with my eyes, my gaze landed on the culprit: Ariadne Rane making her way across the gym, a basketball held triumphantly aloft in her hands.

Smiling faintly, I put my book away and zipped up my backpack. After hiding it behind a pile of book bags, I picked my way through the students sprawled around me. A few steps and many apologies landed me on the gym floor. Running softly, I caught up to Ariadne.

"Well, if Ari here didn't get a ball, we'd all still be dying of boredom. So deal with it." Joan's outburst surprised her cousin, and Adam didn't protest.

Immediately, Ariadne dribbled towards me. I reached out to block her, but she passed the ball to Danielle. Adam rushed to block her. Danielle growled in annoyance, but Ariadne sped behind her and took the ball. I ran to block Ariadne, but she passed the ball to Joan who quickly slam dunked the ball.

Ariadne let out a yell and hugged Joan in excitement.

"Two points for the girls!" Coach King yelled. The girls kept celebrating, dancing and screaming as if there was no tomorrow.

"It was a fluke," I said in annoyance.

"Oh, yeah? I'd like to see you do better," Danielle spat.

"All right, we will!" Adam's enthusiastic reply signaled the start of the next game. He dribbled the ball hard and fast, standing perfectly still as Ariadne moved to block him. I caught his eye and nodded in understanding as Adam telegraphed his plan with his gaze.

'Here goes nothing,' I thought. I grabbed the basketball and twirled it on my finger, making sure to hold it up out of her reach. Surprised, Ariadne whirled around. When she saw me, a smirk spread across her face.

"Mind if I join the game?" I asked.

"Not at all," Ariadne said.

Smiling faintly, I tossed the ball back to Ariadne. When we reached Danielle, she and Ariadne greeted each other excitedly.

"Alright, who's up for some basketball!?" Danielle's exclamation brought two kids over. I recognized them as Joan Holmes and Adam Black. I'd seen them around before. Usually, Adam was in the middle of a crowd while Joan lurked around the edges.

For some odd reason, Ms. Maverick was with them. "Alrighty kiddos! How are we going to split into teams?" She said, with a sharp clap. Her outburst silenced the group.

"Isn't it obvious? Boys against girls," Danielle exclaimed.

"What! No," Adam protested, "we only have two!"

Rapidly, Adam pushed aside Ariadne's arm and passed me the ball. It made a satisfying thwack as I caught it, pivoting and shooting in a heartbeat. The ball swished through the net. Triumphantly, I cocked my head and let a smirk creep over my face.

"Two points for the boys," Ms. Maverick declared.

A fierce look entered Joan's eyes. Growling, she snatched the ball and darted down the court. Adam and I raced after her, doing our best to block her.

"Here! Pass!" I heard Ariadne's yell just as Joan shot the ball to her. Seconds stretched into eternity Ariadne jump towards the net, the gleaming ball in her hand. I raced towards Ariadne, desperate to keep her from landing that shot.

I crashed into Ariadne, pulling her down before the ball ever left her hands.

We hit the ground hard.

Gasping for breath, I rolled away from Ariadne. Aches and pains shot all over my body, adding onto the bruises I already had from the beating Ariadne has given me that night in the tunnels.

"RED CARD!" Joan's bellow rang out. A few moments later, she smacked her forehead and grinned. "Sorry...wrong game. I meant foul."

Looking over at Ariadne, I saw her sprawled on the ground. Painfully, I slid over, trying to see if she was okay. Ashamed, I muttered an apology. Smiling faintly, Ariadne patted my hand before dissolving into wild guffaws at what Joan had said. I couldn't believe Ariadne was laughing, giggling at Joan's mistake, chuckling as if I hadn't almost seriously injured her.

But the laughter took over, and I laughed with the others as if nothing had happened at all. I sat out the rest of the games, refusing to play in case I injured anyone else. But it was good to talk with the others after that--to let off steam and try to forget we were stuck in a murderer's paradise.