The next day is the final rugby game of the season. More than half the campus goes out. Rugby is the most prestigious and popular team sport on campus, and though the rugby team isn't recognizable at the national level, it is one of the better ones in the state's league.
Kai is preparing all morning. He hangs out with the other jocks, eating bulky foods and warming up. They've got to win. He needs something good to have happened this semester, without a caveat.
It gets dark out early. The stadium's lights brighten the field, but the sky is still dark above them. It is cold; it is mid-November. All of the initiates come out to support Kai. Even Tom, who is decidedly hungover and in a sour mood.
Evelyn and Felix decided after the Tom fiasco to go together. They arrive early, at Evelyn's request. She's going to talk to Kai after, telling him it's over. She feels bad for breaking his heart, but she knows that Felix is the one for her. He buys her cotton candy, and they sit in the stands.
After a few minutes of giggles and cuddling close to share warmth, Ez arrives. The two scoot apart and so he sits in between them and pulls out a book. Felix and Evelyn share a look and Evelyn giggles.
"What?" Ez asks. He looks at the cover of his book. "It's another collection of short stories."
Vieira comes as well. She was hoping to see other art students and talk to them, but she doesn't recognize any faces in the crowd. Evelyn spots her nearby and waves her up the bleachers. Vieira sighs, her exhale a puff of grey air in the cold. She heads up and joins them as well.
Jetta and Roman join as well. Roman wasn't going to come, except Kai had asked them last night, and so they felt obligated. Jetta almost snuck in liquor but decided to have a few drinks before going. She always gets excited by live sports, and she wanted a bit of a buzz to put her at ease.
"It would be rude not to join them," Luis says to Ellie, beside him. "Almost as rude as murder."
The more time Ellie spends with Luis, the more unsettled she becomes, "probably. We are supposed to be strangers though."
Luis did this to protect his friends, not for anything else. He'll be damned if their indecent act keeps him from them. He grabs Ellie's hand and nods for her to join him, "come on."
They head up the bleachers together and join the others. Evelyn offers some of her massive wad of cotton candy to Ellie, who shakes her head.
Tom comes. He is depressingly sober, but also more awake than he has ever been. He drags himself up into the stands and sits beside Ellie, on the farthest end away from Vieira. He doesn't even look at her.
She looks at him though, and cannot help but feel terrible, horrific pity. It grows and grows, more than her feelings ever did for him.
He doesn't notice. Winter has come on the garden of flowers he grew for her.
"Where's Briar?" Evelyn asks, her voice chipper.
Ellie sighs, "with Artemis, I imagine?"
"Who?" Ez asks, leaning forward.
"Some guy who met Ellie at the masquerade," Luis answers. "She's infatuated."
Ez remembers seeing her with someone strange. Not strange because he was a stranger, but for other reasons.
Down behind the bleachers, Briar is holding hands with Artemis as they walk up.
"Are any of your friends here?" Briar asks. "I'd love to meet them?"
"As I said, I find most people pretentious," Artemis says. "Not like you."
That's all Briar needs to hear. She is not her father's daughter, as rich and powerful as he may be. Instead, she sees the others in the bleachers.
"Is that Vieira Manfeld?" Artemis points upwards.
Briar nods, "she's a bit of a loner though. Doesn't like to chat very much."
"I can see Ellie too, and Luis," Artemis says. "Let's go sit with them."
Briar is about to protest, but he heads off. She trails after him.
He sits down next to Vieira, and the group tenses.
"This is Artemis," Briar says, introducing him to the others, her eyes wide and her lips pressed together. She looks for a sign from any of them, an acknowledgement.
Ez's eyes narrow, "Ezekiel Zagury, but Ez is fine."
He reaches a hand out, over Vieira and Evelyn. Artemis takes it.
Ez knows to listen for the things that people don't say. He's read his fair share of murder mysteries, before all of this. Artemis does not offer up his last name. Ez remembers Poppy's is short for Apolline. The name is French, derived from Apollo.
He doesn't know what it means, but he knows it's no coincidence.
The game begins, and Kai runs out on the field. In the blinding light, he doesn't see the others, nor the person who replaced them. Then, the opposing team comes out as well, and they begin the game.
The fans cheer on as Kai runs and passes the ball backwards. They score several times against the opposing team.
In the stands, Luis is whispering about Artemis to Ellie. Something about him feels incessantly familiar. It's something in the colour of his hair, or maybe the slope of his nose. He can't put his finger on it, but an artist knows a face. Luis has studied people and what makes them unique for so many years.
Artemis talks to Briar, Vieira and Evelyn. He discusses Vieira's art, asking her more about her inspiration. When he finds out about Evelyn's display, he asks her about it too. Evelyn gladly tells him all about her materials and her sewing techniques. Briar likes that he gets along with her friends.
Ez is too close to Artemis to whisper, but he looks at Felix. The dark-haired young man burns with heat, despite the icy breeze. Artemis keeps making Evelyn laugh, and though her laugh is beautiful, Felix wants to cause it. Another man is entertaining her, while he is stuck next to Roman and Jetta.
Jetta cheers and jumps up whenever Hawkwood's Silver Hawks get even close to scoring a try or a goal. Jetta doesn't understand the terms, and even Roman knows little, if they bothered speaking to Jetta. Instead, Roman feels cool air, decides that they have never breathed in such sharp air. They miss home. They miss knowing right from wrong. Maybe they will breathe in daggers and their heart shall stop. While Jetta whoops, they plummet.
Kai scores the last try. The Silver Hawks win, but not because of him. Rather, they win with him. The crowd is cheering, and Kai is living for the moment. He leaps in the air, and is practically tackled by his team just as the time runs out. He will remember their last game for years to come. Hopefully.
Since they are high up in the bleachers, it takes a while for them to come down.
Artemis looks over at Briar, "I have to go the bathroom. Meet me under the bleachers after?"
"Of course," Briar says.
Artemis squeezes her hand and runs down.
"He's so dreamy," Evelyn gushes. She loves love like nothing else she has ever known. "You are so lucky."
Vieira may think Artemis is charming, but he is too good for Briar. He is too good to be consorting with murderers. They are killers after all, though Briar doesn't dare say it.
"He's clearly getting close to you because he's in The Divide," Ez rolls his eyes.
Briar doesn't argue the point. She knows people have ulterior motives better than most. She's used to playing the game of the rich. Artemis may be betraying her, but she is not going to give anything away. He can't get as close to her as he wants, but she will waste his time.
"I found a cottage for us all to go to next weekend," Briar tells them. "They rent to students all the time."
"It's November, what are we going to do at a cottage?" Felix grumbles.
"Commit murder," Luis suggests.
Ez grabs his book and whacks Luis with it, "literally shut your fucking mouth."
"Felix threatened to kill me," Tom says, finally looking up.
"You ever heard of hyperbole?" Felix shakes his head. He isn't sure how much he was exaggerating, however. "I'm sure bookworm over here could tell you all about it."
Ez scrunches his nose but doesn't argue the point.
The group heads down to the exit. Halfway through, they are greeted by Kai. He's still in his uniform. He managed to sneak away from his team while they were in the showers to come say hello to his friends. Kai wants to hug them since he is high on adrenaline, but he knows he smells so he doesn't bother.
"You killed it," Luis says. There is the ghost of thought on his lips. "And her."
Kai furrows his brow.
"Ignore him," Ez interrupts.
"It was awesome," Kai says. "I'm glad you all could make it. Really, I am. It means so much."
"Anything for you," Felix wraps an arm around Evelyn's shoulder, pulling her in tighter. His eyes pierce Kai, daring him to challenge him.
"Are you two together?" Jetta cannot believe what she is seeing. Normally, she is better at reading others. Evelyn and Felix are opposite people. At least, she thought they were.
Evelyn freezes. She drops the empty stick of cotton candy on the ground, and takes a step closer, "I'm so sorry Kai. I didn't mean... I swear we haven't even kissed."
Kai's eyes go wide. He shakes his head, and rubs the back of his neck with his hand, "Evelyn-"
Felix grabs Kai by his jersey and pulls him in close, "wait, were you two a thing? You lied?"
"Felix," Kai begins.
Felix grabs Kai by the throat and pushes him up against the wall of the stadium's building.
Everyone begins to shout. Both Kai and Felix are athletes. Kai is strong, but bulkier. He didn't take self-defence lessons as a child; he always thought he could smooth talk his way out of anything. Now, his throat is getting tighter.
Ez and Jetta are trying to pull Felix off of Kai, while Evelyn is in a ball on the ground. The others are shouting or frozen.
Kai's face is turning red. He scratches at Felix's hand until he draws blood, and Felix leaps backwards. He punches Kai in the stomach with a bloody hand, and due to the poor shape of his fist his hand aches. The blood coursing through him dulls the pain.
Jetta and Ez grab Felix's arms and hold him back, preventing him from doing any other damage.
"What the fuck, Felix?" Briar demands, turning to face him.
"It's okay," Kai wheezes. "I definitely deserved that."
Ellie goes and helps him stand. Kai tries not to put all his weight on Ellie, for though she runs he is much heavier than her.
Vieira comforts Evelyn on the ground, and Evelyn is sobbing, loudly. She never thought they would fight over her. She is devastated, perhaps even broken. She can feel herself sinking deeper and deeper, though Vieira is trying to help her surface.
Luis is laughing hysterically. He cannot help it. He laughs and laughs until his stomach hurts and his throat aches. The sound is more chilling than November.
Roman stands, shocked. That's it, they are irredeemable. It has happened. The seed of corruption has begun to bloom. It's infectious. It's a pandemic. The worst is, not one of them can say they are clean. There is not just one guilty party.
Tom shakes his head back and forth, "we're almost at the part in the tragedy where the heroes fall."
Vieira cannot look at him.
Luis laughs, "you really think we are the heroes? Look at us! Look at you. Heroes don't watch a girl have a seizure until she dies."
Ellie closes her eyes and tries to breathe.
"Shut up!" Briar yells. "Just shut up."
A door swings open behind them, and in walks Artemis.
Jetta and Ez let Felix go. Kai stands on his own, hoping that he won't bruise in the morning. Evelyn picks herself off the ground, but keeps her back turned.
"Am I interrupting something?" Artemis asks. "I can go."
"You should," Ez shrugs, shaking his head.
Briar walks over to Artemis and begins to pull him away.
Just like that, they all dissolve.
~~~~~
Hehehehe. Shit is going down. I'm so excited. It's only going to get more intense from here, promise (well, no guarantees but still).
Also, tried publishing this earlier but apparently it saved as a draft. Whoops!