When I returned to the classroom, I found that the two girls had already left. I glanced at the clock on the wall; it was nearly noon. With a resigned sigh, I dropped into my seat and closed my eyes, letting the weight of the morning settle over me. As I lifted my hand to touch my face, I was struck once again by how much I had changed. I was no longer the carefree kid I used to be. In a few years, I'd be a man expected to take on adult responsibilities—marriage, children, a future that seemed like a distant, abstract concept now, but one that would inevitably become reality.
The thought lingered in my mind, a heavy reminder of the life that lay ahead. Would this endless cycle of monotony ever end? Would there ever be a moment when I felt truly content or at ease? My head fell onto the desk, the cool surface pressing against my forehead. Maybe a nap wasn't such a bad idea. I let my eyes drift closed, allowing the quiet of the empty classroom to envelop me. For a moment, I surrendered to the stillness, hoping that sleep would offer a brief escape from the weight of my thoughts and the pressing reality of the future.
The nap didn't last long. I was jolted awake by the cacophony of cracking laughter and shrill screams that filled the classroom. It didn't really surprise me—after all, noise was a constant companion in this school—but what did catch my attention was the clock's display: 12:46. Lunch time had slipped away without me. I looked up and saw the group of seven gathered around a round table, enjoying their lunch.
Their break had been delayed due to their practice session, so they were just now having their meal. The sight of them, laughing and talking animatedly, was impossible to ignore. I stared at them, unable to mask the intensity of my feelings. Their joy was palpable, each smile and burst of laughter a stark contrast to the emptiness I felt. The easy camaraderie they shared, the sense of carefree relief, and the way they seemed to be completely in the moment—it all pressed heavily on my chest.
What I felt was unmistakable: envy. It wasn't just a fleeting emotion but a deep, gnawing ache. They were immersed in a world of connection and lightheartedness that felt so distant from my own reality. Each shared joke and warm smile was a reminder of what I was missing, amplifying the loneliness that I often tried to ignore. It was as though their happiness was a mirror reflecting my own sense of isolation, making the contrast between their world and mine all the more glaring. The envy simmered within me, a mix of longing and self-awareness. I wished I could be part of that laughter, that sense of belonging. But for now, all I could do was sit in silence, watching as the moments of joy that seemed so out of reach unfolded before me.
I realized too late that I had been staring without any attempt to conceal it. When I finally snapped back to reality, I saw that they had noticed me—every single one of them. The school, usually bustling with activity, felt eerily quiet now, with most teachers and students absent for the day. The emptiness seemed to amplify the situation, making it feel like a perfect stage for conflict.
Rob, always eager to assert his dominance, stood up, but there was a playful air to him. His grin spread wide as he spoke, his tone dripping with mockery, though not truly threatening. "Hey, I know you're a bit of a freak," he said, his voice teasing more than menacing, "but staring at girls like that for so long? Even for a freak, that's going too far."
The room felt charged with anticipation, but it wasn't the dangerous kind. The girls exchanged glances, their discomfort turning into a strange excitement. Some even leaned forward, clearly curious, as if they were waiting for something to happen. The tension wasn't heavy—it was more like the room was ready for a show. Before I could react, Daniel tried to step in, his voice calm, trying to ease things down. "It's alright, Rob. He didn't mean anything by it. He's just tired, probably woke up because of all the noise."
Rob turned to Daniel with an amused grin. "Oh, come on, Dan. You might say that, but staring at girls for that long? Who knows, maybe he'll start stalking them next."
Instead of feeling uncomfortable, the girls seemed almost entertained, some watching with smiles and excited expressions. One of them, sitting near the back, let out a soft "Ooh, this is gonna be good," as if she couldn't wait to see what Rob would do next. Rob took a step closer to me, grabbing my collar with a grin on his face, clearly playing up the drama for his audience. The girls were watching intently, leaning forward in anticipation. I could hear a couple of them whispering excitedly, one saying, "I bet he's really going to punch him," while another giggled softly, clearly enjoying the show.
But just as Rob pulled his fist back, ready to strike, Daniel stepped between us, grabbing Rob's arm in mid-swing. There was a noticeable sigh of disappointment from a couple of the girls, one even groaning in frustration as if the punch she'd been waiting for had been canceled. "Ugh, Daniel!" one of them muttered, clearly let down by his interference.
Clara, Daniel's crush, was watching too, her eyes fixed on him. But unlike the others, she didn't seem disappointed. In fact, she looked at him expectantly, as though waiting for him to handle the situation in his usual calm, composed way. When Daniel held Rob back and kept the fight from escalating, Clara's expression softened, a faint smile crossing her lips as she seemed relieved and content that Daniel had stepped in and stopped things before they got worse.
Rob, still grinning, chuckled as he glanced at the disappointed girls. "Come on, Dan, really? They were looking forward to that," he said with a laugh. The girls exchanged glances again, a few giggling quietly. One of them, still hopeful for more action, shouted, "Come on, Rob! Don't let him stop you!"
Rob shrugged, clearly enjoying himself, but he let go of my collar and turned his attention to Daniel. "Alright, alright," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "But Dan, I've always wondered—who would win between us? You with your football legs, or me with my height and reach? The girls might've wanted to see me smack Owen, but I bet they'd love to see us go at it." His voice was filled with amusement, as if he was suggesting a playful match rather than a serious fight.
At this, one of the girls, clearly excited by the idea, called out, "Yeah, let's see who's really stronger!" Her voice was full of enthusiasm, and a few others joined in, cheering them on, their eyes glinting with excitement at the thought of seeing Rob and Daniel go head to head.
Daniel sighed, clearly not interested in turning this into an actual fight. "No need for that, Rob. You're just messing around," he said, his voice steady but firm. He was trying to keep things from spiraling, but Rob was still grinning, enjoying the attention from the girls.
"Come on, just for fun," Rob said with a playful shove, throwing a light jab at Daniel's side. One of the girls cheered loudly, her eyes lighting up as the two boys squared off, even though it was clear this wasn't a serious fight. Rob's smile never faded as he danced around, throwing playful punches. He was clearly just having fun, and Daniel knew it too. But Daniel's focus remained on keeping things from escalating.
Clara watched Daniel carefully, her gaze following his every move. She didn't seem concerned that the fight would get serious—she knew Daniel wouldn't let it. When she saw him calmly block Rob's jabs and deescalate the situation, her face relaxed, and the tension in her posture eased. A small, satisfied smile tugged at her lips as she watched Daniel handle things exactly as she'd expected. She looked content, knowing that he hadn't let the situation get out of hand.
The girls continued to cheer, clearly enjoying the playful fight, but it was obvious Rob wasn't aiming to hurt anyone. He kept laughing and dodging, his movements light and teasing, while Daniel stayed calm, blocking every punch effortlessly. The whole thing felt more like a performance than a real conflict, and the girls seemed to love it, their earlier disappointment fading as they got the spectacle they wanted after all.
Eventually, Rob backed off, still grinning. "Not bad, Dan," he said, wiping his forehead. "You've got some moves." The girls cheered one last time as the two boys stepped back from each other, their energy still buzzing from the playful fight. As the excitement in the room began to settle, Rob shot me one last playful look. "Maybe next time, freak," he said with a wink, clearly not serious but still enjoying himself. The girls giggled softly as the tension finally dissipated, the moment of drama passing, leaving behind only the faint hum of adrenaline in the air. Fights among the students were common at this school.
Unlike my previous institution, where conflicts were quickly quelled, here no one seemed to care. I'd seen Rob get into brawls more than a few times during sports, but this was the first time I'd witnessed Daniel act. With Rob's unfazed reaction, I figured they might have clashed before during their games.
Then, suddenly, like an apple falling from the tree, Daniel collapsed to the ground. My heart skipped a beat, and a surge of confusion swept over me. Josh, the other guy who had, like me, opted to remain on the sidelines, hurried over to Daniel's side. His expression shifted from curiosity to alarm as he assessed the situation. "He isn't breathing," Josh said, his voice quivering with anxiety. Rob's face went pale, his bravado crumbling in an instant. "What? No way—I was completely holding back!" He fell to his knees beside Daniel, his hands shaking as he tried to rouse him. The room erupted into a new kind of chaos.
Rob, now frantic, attempted to wake Daniel, shaking him gently, then more urgently. His panic was evident, his previously tough demeanor replaced by genuine fear. The girls had gathered around, their faces a mixture of shock and concern. They didn't seem so entertained now, and if anything, I hated them more than I hated Rob. All their cheers and excitement had suddenly transformed into terror, but it was too late for any of that. I watched the scene unfold, my mind racing, but not with guilt—just with a gnawing confusion. How had this happened? A simple fight, something as trivial as Rob and Daniel exchanging playful punches, had spiraled into something I couldn't understand. Was it really because of the fight? Did something else happen? My thoughts felt like they were colliding with each other, none of them making any sense.
As Rob continued to try and wake Daniel, I stood there, a bystander to something that was beginning to feel less real by the second. Nothing in this moment added up. People don't just collapse from a few punches, especially not Daniel, who had been holding his own. What was happening?
"I'll call someone!" a girl shouted—Erin, I think—her voice trembling with desperation as she sprinted toward the doorway. But before she could make it even halfway, she too collapsed, her body hitting the floor with a heavy, final thud. "Erin!" another voice cried out. It was Carla Hernandez. She rushed toward her fallen friend, panic in her eyes, only to stumble and fall herself, landing beside Erin's lifeless body. Her glasses cracked upon impact, fragments scattering across the floor.
I stood frozen. Now even the girls were falling? But how? There wasn't anything to trip over. This couldn't be real. But as I watched their still bodies lying on the floor, something dark and ominous sank into the pit of my stomach.
Before I could even process what was happening, the others started dropping like flies. First, Rica, then Josh, followed by the other girl, and finally even Rob. It was surreal—a nightmare playing out in front of me. They all lay sprawled on the floor, unmoving, like grotesque, lifeless dolls. The room, once alive with noise and energy, was now eerily silent.
My mind tried to grasp the situation, but nothing made sense. Could there be some kind of gas leak? Maybe poison? No, but how would it have affected only them and not me? The possibilities whirled through my head like a whirlwind, but none of them stuck. Nothing explained why they had all collapsed, one by one, like that.
In the midst of my confusion, I took a step back, my body unsteady, as if the ground beneath me were swaying. But before I could fully regain my balance, I tripped over my bag and went stumbling backward. My head collided with the sharp corner of a desk, and a sudden, blinding pain shot through my skull.
The impact was brutal, jarring. I heard a dull thud, felt a warm trickle at the back of my neck, but my mind was too foggy to make sense of it. My vision blurred as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed me.
As I lay there, struggling to stay conscious, the world around me spun out of control. The confusion that had plagued me moments ago now gave way to something darker—a terrifying sense of inevitability. The classroom, the bodies on the floor, everything began to fade as the blackness closed in, smothering the last traces of light.
The final shard of consciousness slipped from my grasp, and with it, everything else vanished into the abyss.
I died.