The Riverside Curse

Chapter Nine: Zeke

Zeke's P.O.V

I knocked on my bedroom door softly but there was no reply. I walked in anyway and looked at my bed filled with used tissues and ice cream. This was worse than I thought.

"Good morning Tahira."

She turned away from me and pulled the covers tighter around her.

"I made you breakfast."

"I don't want to eat right now."

I sat on the bed with a plate of bacon and eggs. "You should eat something."

She rose with her hair disheveled and dry tears stained on her cheeks. Her eyes were bloodshot and watery.

"I can't sleep...... I can't eat....... I can't think."

"Then go back together with him. Forgive him."

Shit. I was going to regret saying that later.

"I can't."

"Maybe you should look at this differently."

She sniffed. "I would think that you out of all people would be mad. You were right not to trust him."

I let her put her head on my shoulder and I pulled her close. "I am mad and I don't like him or trust him. But you obviously care a lot about him and you shouldn't let go of someone you care about this much."

She looks away from me and stares at her lap.

"Don't you believe in second chances?"

She crossed her arms and pouted at me. "No."

"You're kind of being a hypocrite, you know. Lying to your best friend about your secret boyfriend that you had for the past six months then getting mad at him for lying to you."

"Well, this is different."

"Is it?"

"Ughh...I hate when you're right. I'll think about it okay?"

She smiled and we embraced. I was happy because she was finally happy with the fight she had with Clue.

"I'm still keeping an eye on him though."

"I know."

I grabbed my duffel bag and my helmet and was about to leave when Tahira spoke. "Is today the first game of the season?"

"Yeah, it is."

"What time is it?"

A heavy silence settled over us and by the tightness of her lips, she knew what I was going to say. "I don't think it is a good idea if you go to the game."

She rolled her eyes at me. "Of course you would."

She stood up and all I wanted to do was wrap her in my arms and never let go. Damn, she looked so cute in my hoodie and shorts. There was no way I was going to make it if I kept staring at her.

"What if someone sees you?"

"There is always going to be that chance of someone seeing me! But I can't spend the rest of my life holed up in your room. I came back to life for a reason and I am determined to find out why. A killer is out there, and we have to find them."

"You know we can't take that risk. I can't lose you again."

"I just want for once to feel like everything is back to normal again. I'm still your best friend and I have never missed one of your games and I don't plan to start now.

"Fine..... It starts at seven."

I don't like this idea at all but there was no point in changing her mind. She was going to do whatever she wanted anyway. And it was always better to be on Tahira's side than against it.

******

I helped disguise Tahira to the best of my ability. She was wearing my black hoodie and jeans with my jersey over them.

"Make sure to keep your hoodie on at all times and if anyone tries to talk to you, avoid their eyes and pretend you don't know English."

I gave Tahira her ticket and adjusted her hoodie again.

"If you get into any trouble-"

"Zeke, I know. You already went over this twenty times in the car. Stop worrying, I'll be fine."

"I know I just want to make sure you're going to be safe."

She shoved my duffel bag into my arms and ushered me to the boy's locker room. "Go you're already late."

"Okay Okay." I faced her one more time and kissed her on the cheek before heading into the locker room filled with excited teenage boys. 

I opened my locker and put my uniform on. My teammates and I gather around in a circle and wait for our coach to make his speech.

"Listen up boys. This is the first game of the season. Right here, right now is where we show them we are not to be messed with. Whatever happens on that field should be our best performance. We fight for what we want. And what. Do. We. Want?!!!"

"Victory!"

"What do we want?!!"

"Victory!!!"

"Because we are the Riverside Reptiles!!!"

"Yeah!!!"

My vision is swarmed with my school colors yellow and green. The bright lights from the field blind me but I still search for Tahira in the crowd. The ref and my coach are already calling me out to the field but I won't budge until I spotted her between a football mom and nine-year-old eating popcorn.

She waves at me then tightens my hoodie on her head tighter. My muscles relax and my stomach flips. I ran to the field and the game starts. All my focus is on the game until I see him.

Clue Wilson, on the side of the stadium with his hands in his pockets. What was he doing here? I know I said Tahira should forgive him. But this was just weird. Even though my teammates and I are running laps on the field I run off to talk to him.

"What are you doing here?" I growled with a balled fist. I resisted the urge to punch him. He couldn't have come to see Tahira tomorrow? 

I hated how she could care about someone, like someone besides me. I was a fool to think that she would have seen me more than just her friend. But I couldn't bear to see her hurt. I always trusted my gut and I don't like this guy one bit.

"I'm here to see the game."

"Yeah right. I'm watching you."

"What? You don't trust me, golden boy?"

I was seconds away from punching that smirk off his face.

"No. What did you do with the police officer's body? What else are you hiding?"

"All you need to know is that I took care of it."

There was something else he wasn't telling me. I didn't know how but I just knew that he was still lying to Tahira and me. We were in each other's faces, breathing down each other's necks. "Who the hell are you Clue Wilson?"

He smirked at me. "Don't you have a game to get to?"

I stared him down until I heard the cries of my coach and teammates and head back. I get why he didn't want to tell me but why didn't he just tell Tahira? It would make everything else easier on his part. Why did I have to feel bad for this idiot? The game finally starts and the football soars in the air.

I catch it in my hands and run. I run faster and faster away from my problems, my questions, and my burning crush on my best friend.

Do you guys think that Tahira should forgive Clue? Or just dump him? Are you team Clue or Team Zeke? Let me know in the comments below.

Till next time,

-Miss Yanxiet :)