I still remember that day, though recalling it no longer stirs any emotion in me. It was supposed to be a day of glory, but it ended in tragedy, a tragedy that would mark my life forever.
It was the provincial basketball finals, and my school had made it to the championship thanks to the team's efforts. I arrived an hour early; back then, basketball was everything to me.
Who would have thought it would turn into the worst thing that ever happened to me?
"Oh, you got here really early. You must be eager," said a familiar voice. It was my best friend at the time, Violeta. We had known each other for years.
"I should be saying that to you. Were you that excited to see me shine?" I replied.
That remark made her frown, and she gave me a playful punch on the shoulder.
"Yeah, sure. Too bad Oli couldn't make it."
"Yeah," I responded with a sad smile. "But the next time I see him, it will be with the trophy in hand."
"Hehe, always so positive. By the way, there's something important I need to tell you."
It was unusual to see her so serious; she always had a smile on her face.
"Hey!" A sharp voice called out from a distance. "Why didn't you tell me you were getting here so early? I would have hurried to come sooner."
My girlfriend at the time, Melissa, arrived and took hold of my arm.
"I didn't want to make you wake up so early. Besides, I was busy focusing on the game."
"Still, you should have told me, and I would have come with you. After all, I am your girlfriend."
She said this while glancing sideways at Violeta.
"Oh, Violeta, I didn't realize it was you. How are you?" Melissa asked, not looking her in the eye.
"I'm fine, Melissa, thanks for asking," Violeta replied, clearly uncomfortable.
"Aaron, I think you're running late," Melissa remarked.
"Oh, that's true. It's about time I joined the team."
"Don't forget to dedicate the victory to your dear girlfriend."
"Of course. By the way, Violeta, you wanted to tell me something, didn't you?"
"N-no, it wasn't anything important. Good luck in the game."
After saying that, she put on a bitter smile and headed to the stands. At that moment, all I could think about was the game, so I didn't give it much thought.
I started warming up with the team. I took three shots from the three-point line and made all three. I felt in great shape. Just after sinking the last shot, the coach called us over for the tactical briefing.
I joined my teammates, and the coach laid out the strategy to win this final. And before we took to the court, he gave us a few words.
"Listen, remember that they're going to try to mess with your heads. Don't let them do that. Remember, the mind controls the body. Aaron, as team captain, keep everyone calm. If they don't know what to do, give the ball to him, since we have a future basketball star here. Let's make the most of him."
As he was saying that, the other team entered the court, already radiating an aggressive aura.
"1, 2, 3, WIN!" we shouted our usual chant before games and headed onto the court.
The game started, and we quickly took the lead.
"Aaron, here!" I saw an opening and passed the ball to a teammate, but someone from the other team kicked his supporting leg just as he was about to grab the ball.
The player claimed it was an accident and apologized, but with a strange smile on his face, as if he was lying.
The referee didn't call anything, and the game continued. Then something similar happened again, and after a third time, the referee finally called a foul.
"About time," I muttered, but the referee warned me not to make any more comments, or he would sanction me too.
My mind started to cloud, and my passes and shots became predictable. This, combined with their dirty play, only made me angrier.
Thanks to that playing style, they managed to catch up with us, and we were neck and neck when that same player, the one who started with the kick, now elbowed another one of my teammates. This time I couldn't hold back and went to confront him. The referee separated us and called a technical foul on both of us.
At that moment, I was so angry that I wasn't thinking clearly, so I grabbed the ball and threw it with all my strength in a random direction.
And that was the moment that would change my life forever.
I don't remember much after that.
The only thing I remember is the image of lying on the floor, completely alone, while the crowd yelled a single word at me.
"MURDERER! MURDERER! MURDERER!"
And I remember my thoughts: Huh? Are they saying that to me? But I didn't... I didn't mean to... I just froze there. I just knelt on the court and took in all those comments.
Maybe I deserved it since that was the day I was left completely alone.
And the day I became a murderer.