Chapter 10
Not Clark!
After School, I was packing up my backpack at my locker when Sami came running up to me."You aren't leaving are you?"
I zipped my backpack shut. "Yes. Leaving." I said. "That's what I usually do after school."
She said something else, shouting over the loud voices in the crowded hall. I didn't hear her. I was watching a scene at the other end. Two girls held a boy by the arms while a third poured a bottle of water over his head.
"What is that about?" I asked nodding my head towards the scene.
Sami glanced over her shoulder as the boy grabbed the bottle away and began spraying it on the girls. She quickly turned back to me.
"Freshmen," she muttered. "They're animals."
"Sami, what do you want?" I wasn't in a good mood. Clark and I haven't talked to each other in a week. Plus Matt has been in a pleasant mood lately, despite the bruises on his face. And then Mr. Sarchard gave us a pop quiz about the problems.
Sami tugged my arm. "You can't go home, Nikki. You have to come to the gym. It's the team's last practice before the tournament!" She exclaimed cheerfully.
"No I can't. I have to study for the trigonometry quiz this coming Tuesday. I can't afford to fail on this one," I insisted. "And I have to give Clark's stupid sweater back."
"Still mad at each other?" Sami raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," I said flatly. "He's such a jerk. He knew that if he kept going he-" I lower my voice "was going to kill Matt."
"Must have been a good fight," she grinned. "But what I still don't understand is how Matt could have left without you noticing. I mean the only way going out of the girls locker room is by passing the office and you were there."
"Weird," I wondered. I kept thinking about it over and over since it happened, but I still couldn't come up with an answer. I saw Matt unconscious on the floor! Next thing I knew he wasn't there anymore. What's worse is that Ms. Harris thought I was hallucinating or something. She probably thinks I'm drugs. The only thing we saw there instead of that bloody Matt was the towel, folded nicely...
"Come on," Sami urged tugging my arm. She had her pleading looking. "The guys need a big send-off. A lot of kids are there already. Come on, Nikki. Do it for Clark, okay?"
"Okay. Okay," I said irritated. I glanced at my watch "I'll stay a short while."
"Excellent!" She pulled me to the gym. "See you in a minute. I've got to round up some others."
I watched her run through the hall. Weird, I thought. Since when does Sami get excited about sports?
I pushed opened the double door to the gym. I was greeted by cheers from the bleachers and the thud of the basketball being dribbled up and down the count. On the corner of the bleacher a group of boys were huddled together as they passed down a small brown paper bag. One of them kept glancing both ways nervously.
Clark caught a glimpse of me and waved to me as he dribbled slowly to the foul line. I hurried across the floor to the bleachers on the other side of the gym. I saw twenty or thirty kids spread out on the metal benches, cheering the team, talking, and laughing.
Four guys were huddled together at the top, passing a big bag of potato chips back and forth, not paying attention to the practice.
Halfway up, I spotted Justin and Richard Garvin. Kristen sat one bench below. Justin kept messing up her hair, and slapped his hand away.
Nate Golden, a guy from my history class, waved to me from the bottom bench. He sat with a girl I didn't know. I think she was new here.
Shifting my backpack on my shoulders, I climbed up the stairs and slid in next to Kristen.
"Nikki, looking good," Richard winked at me as he ran his hand back his hair. He reached down and squeezed my left shoulder. "You look as hot as I do. I can't believe you and I haven't hooked up yet!"
"Eww. I would be on crack if I do," I cried. "Get your hands off me."
He tossed his head back and laughed.
"Hey you better get your hands off her," Justin said dangerously. "Can't you see she's the star's girlfriend." He pointed towards Clark. A teammate passed the ball to Clark as he prepared to make a shoot.
"Whatever," I muttered under my breath. Kristen heard me and turned around to me full.
"What's wrong?"
I shook my head, "nothing just that Clark and I got into a dumb fight."
"Oh, well you'll get over it," she said cheerfully. Some cheers went up around us. One of the players must have scored. I realized we weren't playing attention to the game.
Coach McDart ordered a time out. All the players went to huddle close to the coach. All except Clark, who came trotted towards where I was. My heart pounded with each step he took as he drew closer to me.
"Ooo," I heard Richard and Justin woo loudly as Clark stopped in front of me.
"Can we talk?" Clark asked sweetly. He was dripping from sweat as he huffed. His black hair was sticked to his head.
"We're talking," I said.
"No I meant in private," he replied.
"Whatever you got to say, say it," I told him. I made no intent to move.
He sighed long as he scratched behind his head looking the other way. "I'm sorry. Sorry for acting like complete jerk and for getting pissed like heck."
He looked into my eyes for forgivingness. I slowly smiled. "I forgive you."
"Thanks," he smiled shyly.
"Look at him sweat," Justin teased. "Just the way you like it don't you, Nikki?"
That got a laugh.
"She likes it more when he takes off his shirt," Richard chuckled.
That got a big laugh.
I gave Justin a hard shove. He bumped against Richard as he laughed. The coach Mcdart called Clark to join the group huddled close in the circle.
He kissed my forehead. He spun around and hurried off.
He was in such a rush he didn't watch his step. A guy, all of the sudden, stretched out an arm in Clark's way.
I screamed as Kristen grabbed my arm. Clark couldn't dodge for some reason, lost his balance, and stumbled forward. He yelled as he did a wild twist landing on the bottom bench. I heard a loud crunnnch that sounded like a branch being torn apart. He hit the back of his neck with the edge of the metal bench. For a brief moment I could see clearly his head angled in a wrong position. With a loud thud rolled once on the hardwood floor, facing up. His body lay sprawled lifeless. Blood dripped from his mouth.
Almost immediately he was in a pool of dark blood. His eyes stared straight ahead while his mouth was open in a wide O of horror.
I felt a lump of fear on my back. Screams ripped and rose through the dead silent. Coach McDart hurried next to Clark checking his pulse. A bunch of kids rushed outside of the gym. Some stayed and walked towards Clark.
I rushed toward him, tripping on the down bleachers steps. Someone stopped me grabbing my waist from behind, lift me up and didn't let go of me.
"Let me go I need to be with him," I urged trying to franticly break free from his grasp. I kicked and wriggled furiously. I felt weak, tried.
"He's dead, Nikki," Matt yelled. "He's dead!"
I felt tears roll down my cheeks. "No! Stop lying! He's just bleeding from an open wound! I need to help him! "
"LET ME GO!!" He hesitated, but reluctantly let go of me. I ran pushing people out of my way.
"STAY BACK!!" Couch McDart ordered. I didn't listen; I kneeled beside Clark sobbing loudly.
"Clark," I whispered. "No, no, no." I grabbed Clark's warm hand. Tears fell on his chest. "No you can't be dead. No, no!"
Coach Mcdart grabbed me by the shoulders trying to lift me up, but I refuse.
No, this can't be happening again!
"Let me go!" I screamed as I wiggled free from his grasp. He let me go. I grabbed Clark face and looked into his lifeless eyes. "Wake up, wake up!"
I shook his shoulders franticly. "WAKE UP!!!"
I heard whisperings but I didn't pay attention to them. Coach McDart grabbed my shoulders with force and lifted me up off the ground.
"No, please let go I need to be with him," I cried. He set me down and spun me around.
"Nikki! He's dead!!!" He screamed at my face. I sobbed loudly. "Everybody leave!"
I turned around and saw all eyes on me. Some girls sobbed while other just stared at me worried. Then through the small crowd I saw Matt. His face stood out among the sea of worried faces. I didn't like his face.
He was grinning wide has he saw Clark in a pool of dark blood...
Why is he grinning like that? Why?
With a terrifying realization I knew why.
He killed Clark!