Chapter Eight

That Stalker is Sick

During that afternoon, Richard Grayson was in the library researching. He definitely needed extra credits for him to stay in the football team.  

Mapleton High’s library is huge and there are lots of six-foot tall shelves. The shelves are divided vertically and horizontally as if they were dominos.

Richard was in the Literary Section at the end part of the library. In fact, he was all by himself. It was quiet: a kind of silence where someone will feel weird and freaky. But Richard was a brave dude, so he just ignored the sound of silence and continued scanning for books. When he was at the last shelf, almost near at the end hall, the fluorescent lamps started flickering.

 He glanced at the flickering lights. He thought that the bulb were old. Then, out from nowhere, Willie Hample, appeared at the Geometry Section right in front of the Literary Section. Richard was startled. Willie gave him a gaze for a second then, he went back to what he was doing. He seemed to act weird.

Richard returned one of the books that he was reading on the shelf. When he looked back at where Willie was standing at, he was gone.

Then, he grabbed another book from the shelf.

“Holy shit!” Richard jumped to fright because there was a girl who just appeared on the other side of the bookshelf. However, this girl was not the kind of girl that anyone should be afraid of. The girl even got startled by Richard.

She is Brittany Schoenfield, his classmate in AP Biology. She was wearing a purple tank top perfect enough to fit her slim body. Her hair is straight long, blond and silky. Her bangs are fully cut straight. Richard thought that she had a beautiful pair of blue eyes as it matches her curled up lashes bathe.

Richard was quite mesmerized with her feature.

“You kinda scared me,” he whispered.

“Sorry,” Brittany said softly. “You kinda scared me too!”

That was when they started to converse. They really had a nice talk. Somehow, Richard seemed to flirted with her and after researching, Richard invited Brittany if they could walk their way out together. Brittany reluctantly agreed.

“So...,” Richard shyly spoke as he was stretching his blue cardigan.

“So...,” Brittany repeated as she was grinning.

Richard bit his lips and was feeling awkward but he shouldn’t be because he is popular.

 Brittany was feeling awkward as well and she started to utter something. “Ismail is your friend right?”

 Yeah,” Richard smiled. They stopped at another shelf. “He’s pretty cool, eh?”

“He is,” Brittany nodded, “but, um...”

 “What’s wrong,” he sensed something.

“I saw Ismail being sent to detention due to a fight with a junior,” Brittany quickly spoke.

“What? How? Who? Why?” Richard got worried about Ismail.

“Okay?” Brittany stopped him, “plenty of question much?” Then, she told the back story. She didn’t exactly detail it all. What she told him was what she saw and heard.

After listening to the story, Richard remembered that he will be having a football meeting, so he jumped in asking Brittany’s number.

Brittany blushed and gave her number. After that, they parted ways. Brittany gave Richard a seductive-goodbye look. Richard smiled as if he was tempted. Then, he looked at his wristwatch and he saw the time: he was late, so he quickly rushed his way to the men’s locker room.

When, he arrived at the men’s locker room, all of his teammates were there especially Jude O’Brien: one of the hottest guys at school, number 2 after Edward Lawson. He was also a bully but he does not bully much.

“Sorry I’m late, Coach,” Richard was catching his breath.

“Okay,” Justin McIvor said, their football coach, “sit down now, Grayson.”

Richard sat down on a stool and managed to glance at Jude. Jude winked at him. Richard just nodded back.

Coach Justin McIvor told them about their upcoming game for the season. He also mentioned about Edward Lawson. The team needed a new quarterback, so someone has to replace him.

“It is between Grayson and O’Brien.” McIvor announced.

Richard was the ‘wide receiver’ of the team while Jude was the ‘running back’.

“...but, with lots of deliberation, I decided that...” Coach Justin made the announcement thrilling, “...that, Jude should be the quarterback when offense.”

 Jude celebrated as if he had won a lottery.

“Nice one, O’Brien,” one of their teammates congratulated.

“Who’s the man now?” Jude braggingly said in Richard’s face who happened to not really care but got insulted with Jude’s act. Then, Richard realized that it should have been him.

Their teammates were happy and were tapping Jude’s back for congratulations. Then, Justin adjourned the meeting and Richard quickly talked to him asking why Jude and not him.

“My decisions are final, Grayson, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” McIvor claimed as he entered his room and closed the door leaving Richard standing behind.

Suddenly, Richard’s iPhone beeped. He shoved his hand on to his pocket and started reading the text message:

Poor jerk, you’re upset ‘cause you didn’t get what you wanted. Maybe you’re gonna argue with Jude and break another trophy? You argue, I’ll tell. –E

 Richard’s eyes widened. He turned around to see who texted him but everyone had already left the locker room.

It was the stalker again. He glanced at Coach McIvor’s glass window but McIvor was arranging some documents.

Richard recalled his days with Edward about wanting to be a quarterback. He was quarrelling with Edward about the position. It was two years ago when Coach McIvor asked them to decide which of them deserved to be the quarterback because they were both qualified for the position. However, one of them must decide to step down and give way. Then, they were left in the locker room to decide.  

“Come on, man,” Richard pleaded, “let me experience this.”

“Hell no,” Edward replied. “This is my shot. I thought we made it clear?”

Richard seemed confused.

“That I should always be on top?” Edward recalled.

“But... this is my dad’s dream for me,” Richard said. “Come on, man. I can’t just be the Wide Receiver all the time. I mean...”

“I don’t care about your dad’s dream,” Edward hollered. “Care about mine!”

Richard got fed up. “I always cared about yours, man! You know what? I’m sick and tired of living in your shadow!”

Edward raised a brow.

Then, Richard slightly pushed Edward.

Edward stumbled back and was outbalanced. His fall went rough as he bumped at the table where the golden trophy with a golden football on top, that they won three years ago, fell and shattered into pieces.

“Holy shit!” Edward spit.

Richard’s mouth dropped with his eyes wide opened.

For a second, they did not know what to do.

“Y-you pushed me, Rich,” Edward stammered.

“I’m so sorry,” Richard was so nervous. “What are we gonna do?”

Edward’s eyes sparkled. “I’ll tell you what to do.”

Richard got pale. He was about to have a heart attack. Coach McIvor kept his trophy collection very careful.

“Give me the position or I will tell Coach you break it.”

“What?” Richard got psyched. “You’re the one who bumped on it.”

“If you did not pushed me it won’t be broken by now,” Edward said. “I thought we’re best friends? I’m gonna keep this secret if I will be the Quarterback and I’ll help you fix this. That’s what friends do, right?”

Richard had no other choice but to agree. They try to hide the broken trophy on one of their teammate’s locker.

Up to now, Coach McIvor still does not know who did it. Luckily, he had moved on. But Richard was still scared that someone might know their secret and might spill it because none of his teammates knows about it except for him and Edward. When Coach McIvor had found out about the broken trophy two years ago, he lost it. He turned out to be the maddest creature of all time when he punished the guy who owned the locker room that Richard and Edward pinned on.

Richard reread the text message couple of times. He contemplated but something snapped in his mind, he thought that the one who sent that was none other than Edward.