"He scored again!" Hanna shouted excitedly but her voice was barely heard over the roaring crowd.
Damien had just scored a three pointer, solidifying Oakwood High's win against their neighbouring county rivals. This was the third win in a row for their school and the girls were ecstatic.
Damien jogged around the court, drinking in the praises and cheers being thrown his way. Some had even thrown their underwear his way.
His white basketball jersey clung to his torso, slicked with sweat and his damp hair stuck to his forehead. He looked so happy and Lola could see all the girls in the front rows openly ogling at him.
"Quite the star, huh?" Lola teased Nalini by nudging her shoulders but Nalini just nodded absent mindedly.
Her gaze was fixed on Eva's light brown head swing from side to side as she danced her cheer routine.
It was obvious that Nalini had kind of lost interest in Damien over the time the group had got to know each other. But this growing interest in Eva was something new and it had started ever since the night they studied together.
The mutual animosity they used to have for each other seemed to evaporate into thin air and now Eva was as friendly as ever. Needless to say it was definitely messing with her friend's mind.
"Do you think she told me that just to mess with us?" Nalini leaned in and asked Lola the same question she had been haranguing her with for the past two weeks. "She told us not to hang out with each other but we have been doing so and nothing has happened. Maybe this is just her twisted way to get in my head and make me fail my Chem test."
Lola snorted. "She doesn't look like she's competing with you anymore. In fact I'd say you two have become pretty close."
Nalini leaned back looking offended. "Excuse me. It was one dinner at my house and then a few study sessions that's it."
"Which you enjoyed. You always came out smiling afterwards," Hanna interjected.
"How could you guys betray me like this?" Nalini feigned hurt by clutching her chest. "Yes, I admit she's quite nice sometimes. The operative word being sometimes, okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah, whatever you say, Nals," Edward squeezed past two students standing next to Hanna and winked at the girls. "I brought chips, some sour patch kids and a chocolate bar for Hanna."
"Yuck, never call me that again," Nalini complained as she took a packet of chips.
Hanna grabbed the bar of chocolate. "You know me well."
The two shared a look which made Lola and Nalini feel like they were suddenly third wheeling. Hanna and Edward had been spending a lot of time together recently. Aside from their assignments, the two have been going out for meals almost every other day.
Everyone knew that Edward was head over heels in love with Hanna but now Lola could tell the feelings were slowly being reciprocated. She wouldn't be surprised if Hanna sprung news of their new relationship anytime now.
Thinking about that made her think about Julian. He told her he wasn't coming today because his mother wasn't feeling well but she knew they would meet later in her room at night. The thought alone made her heart skip a beat.
She felt scared to admit it, but their relationship was slowly growing stronger day by day. They spent more and more time together, either in school in groups or at night in her room. Those were her favourite moments, just the two of them watching a k-drama on her bed with Julian making fun of the storyline or the main leads.
Then they'd fall asleep in each other's arms and Julian would sneak out in the morning. He was still under heavy attention from the media so Lola decided to wait for things to calm down before they went out together in public.
She was fine with their stolen moments together when they sat with their friends and their rendezvous at night.
They'd become so close, it sometimes frightened Lola how attached they were. Even now she missed him and wished he were here.
"My favourite girls!" Damien wrapped his sweaty arms around her shoulders and Nalini's, pulling them into a group hug.
Nalini shrieked in disgust and pushed him away, making the group laugh.
"My man! You were amazing!" Edward high fived him, looking proud.
"Happy you guys came to support me." Damien ran a hand through his wet hair as he smiled at them.
"We didn't come for you. We're here to support Oakwood High." Nalini stood up straight and crossed her arms over each other. "But congratulations. You were somewhat good."
Hanna and Lola both rolled their eyes. Nalini just loved fighting with everyone.
"If you say so, Nals," Damien teased making her glare at him and then Edward.
"You people better stop calling me that."
"So are you guys coming to the after party at Tyronne's? Come on, it'll be fun," Damien nudged an unenthusiastic looking Nalini.
"Sounds good," Both Hanna and Lola agreed.
The crowd was thinning out. The game was was over, announcements had been made and now everyone was either going home or heading to the party Damien mentioned.
Edward's phone rang, interruption their conversation. "I got to take this. Be right back." He squeezed Hanna's shoulder and then walked into the hallway outside the basketball court.
"You girls need a ride?" Damien asked. "I brought a change of clothes. Will probably shower at Tyronne's so we can head there immediately."
"Yo, Damien! You coming or what?" Tyronne bellowed from one of the exit doors. He was surrounded by cheerleaders, one of them being Eva who was staring at them, Nalini specifically.
"Leaving now," Damien waved him off and Tyronne nodded briefly before leaving. The group of girls with him left as well but Lola saw Eva lingering for a few seconds, her gaze fixed on them.
"See. She's playing with my head," Nalini whispered. "She never used to spare me a second glance."
"Please. You are the only person she ever noticed in school and that's a fact," Hanna countered and it was one of those rare moments where Nalini had no smart comeback.
They waited for awhile, till the basketball hall was empty and the janitor asked them to leave.
"Where's Edward?" Hanna's face was scrunched up in a deep frown as she dialled his number. She paled and looked up at them. "He's not answering. He always answers."
"Can't be anything. Where did he go again?" Damien walked past the bleachers and headed down the stairs. The girls followed him as Hanna continued to call Edward.
"He headed that way," She pointed at one of the open doors leading to the darkened school hallways.
They waited for the janitor to busy himself with cleaning up before they slipped out into the empty hallway.
"I don't feel good about this," Hanna said in a nervous voice. She found Lola's hand and wrapped her fingers through hers tightly.
"Maybe he's outside waiting for us? Maybe he got lost?" Damien tried to lighten the mood as he fiddled with his phone's torch light.
"He got lost in a school he goes to everyday?" Nalini muttered sarcastically.
"Let's just calm down and look for him. Hanna keep trying his phone," Lola said, trying her best to keep calm despite the buzzing nervousness that made her toes and fingers tingle. Every instinct was telling her to bolt and run.
"Hey man," Damien answered his phone, wiping out the source of light they had. "Edward's lost so we're just looking for him and then we'll head to Tyronne's. Should be fine. Yeah, nothing to worry."
He ended the call and used his phone to light the hallway in front of them again.
"Who was that?" Nalini asked.
"Julian. He texted Lola but she didn't answer so he got worried."
Lola grabbed her phone from her pocket. She had been so engrossed in the game, she'd barely touched her phone all night. Just as she was about to check her messages she saw a flash of light coming from the room on her left.
"Stop," She half shouted-half whispered, making Nalini curse.
"You're freaking me out," Nalini complained.
"I think I saw something." Lola headed to the door and turned the knob. It was unlocked.
"I'll go first," Damien suggested and then he walked inside.
One by one, the girls followed slowly, their steps light and barely audible. The classroom was dark but light shone through from the windows, illuminating the rows of tables and the half open cupboard at the back.
Someone groaned and she felt the hairs on her skin stand.
"Is it him?" Hanna asked in a shaky voice as Damien walked slowly towards the cupboard. He lifted up his phone and pointed it at the dark space behind the open door.
He gasped softly. "What the? It's him."
Hanna rushed to the cupboard and pulled the door open quickly. Sure enough Edward was lying inside, his head resting on the side and his eyes droopy. He looked drugged.
"What happened?" Hanna cried, shaking him.
Just then they heard a click and Lola turned around to see the door shut behind them. She heard the lock turn and ran to the door. There was a shadow behind the panel of glass. Someone in a hood was watching her and it made a ball of fear lodge in her throat.
She shook the door handle trying to open it but it was jammed. She then felt something wet hit her feet and Nalini pulled her back quickly.
"Take of your shoes! It looks like oil." Nalini bent down and pushed Lola's shoes off her feet as fast as she could.
She had barely got them off when the puddle of liquid went ablaze with bright orange-yellow fire. Nalini threw her shoes into the mess and they backed away from the door that was now ablaze with a thick blanket of fire.
Lola's hand tightened around her phone. She grabbed it and tried to call the police but there was no signal. Why was there no signal?
She turned to her friend's panic stricken faces and they held up their phones as well. Everyone looked at each other helplessly and all Lola could think about was the hooded figure outside the door.
The murderer was here and they were next on his list.
Heyyy sorry for the delay guys I've been trying to get in my groove of writing but its been a struggle I don't know why. Anyway hope you've been doing good and thanks for reading :) :)