"Guys hurry up alright? Don’t do something funny in there." Sam, the vice-captain of the Silver Valley Volleyball Team, teased as he waved his hand at Andrew and Karl who were still changing their clothes in the club room. He then plastered a whimsical smile at them before finally leaving them alone.
The two looked at each other with a silent agreement of Vice-captain is really silly at times before going back on changing their clothes.
Sam has grayish feathered hair and has small downturned with a pair of hazel-brown eyes. He has an average height, seven centimeters shorter than Karl, and with a slender build. He has slightly thick eyebrows with a birthmark mole under his left eye. His personality was not as bright as Andrew but being the vice-captain, he has a soothing and gentle personality for his teammates and acts as a pillar of support for them. He encourages all of his teammates to never give up, no matter how rough the situation might be. He is known to be the kindest, honest, and most positive member of the team. He listens well to his teammates and gets along pretty well with everyone.
"Karl." Andrew calls when their vice-captain was no longer in sight.
"Hmm?" Karl hummed in response as he was busy changing his pants.
“I’ve changed my mind.” Andrew started as he faced Karl’s direction. "Why don’t you live with me for real?"
Karl turned to Andrew with his head tilting. Andrew was already staring at him.
"What’s with the change of heart? I asked you about it so many times before but you always turned me down." Karl questioned.
Andrew shifted his legs to face his locker and started changing his t-shirt. After changing it, he closed his locker and faces Karl again who is just right next to him. "I just want to feel at ease. I’m having a bad feeling." He replied with a worried expression.
“Why?” Karl asked, “What’s wrong?” he went on, closing his locker to look at Andrew properly.
“I… I don’t know.” Andrew responded as he sighed apprehensively. He hates this feeling of anxiousness.
"Maybe you’re just carried away by Nelson’s constant teasing." Karl pondered as he remembers Nelson and Troy constantly teasing them. He and Andrew were just inseparable. They’re like leeches to each other, where Karl is, Andrew will most likely be there as well. There were also days where Karl sleeps on Andrew’s condo unit and that fact was known to the team thanks to the Nelson and Troy duo who can replace the job of a surveillance camera. And that fact made the duo together with some of their teammates join in teasing the pair to just live together.
Andrew shook his head as he touched the hem of Karl's t-shirt. "No Karl. I… I’m really having a bad feeling. I don’t know why but I just couldn’t help to worry. I just really want you to stay with me. I don’t want to have a second not seeing you around… Please?"
A smile was formed from Karl’s lips. He knows that Andrew was just anxious but he couldn’t help but to think Andrew is too adorable when he begs like this.
He pulled Andrew closer and hugs him tightly. "Alright, Mr. Too Obsessed with me. You’ll see every bit of me in every second." He uttered as he tried to hide his smile against Andrew’s temple.
It was not hard for Karl to move to Andrew’s condo unit since it was not too far from the apartment he was settling in. And he just doesn’t want to take too long not to move with Andrew because as the day went on, he noticed that the latter was getting more anxious. He doesn’t want to lose that bright sunshine from his sun.
"What’s wrong?" Karl asked as he placed his arms around Andrew who’s been sitting on the edge of the bed. The latter was looking at his phone warily.
"I am not sure if I should go." Andrew responded as his eyes were still fixated on his phone.
Karl then looked down at Andrew’s phone. He saw an open chat between Andrew and a person named, Brad.
“Brad? Is he your friend from middle school?” Karl questioned.
Andrew nodded in response. “He’s inviting me over to attend our teammate’s death anniversary.”
"Death Anniversary?" Karl questioned more.
Andrew nodded again. "I-It’s Ralph’s death anniversary." Andrew bit his lower lip and furrowed his eyebrows. He paused for a second as he tried to collect his thoughts. "The last person before Emman who was killed by Allen. The one I talked to you about. His name was Ralph. He’s Emman’s best friend. It is his Death Anniversary this coming Sunday." He continued.
"Don’t you want to go?" Karl asked that made Andrew gripped his phone tightly.
"I… I never went to any of the death anniversaries of our friends. Even Emman’s. I... I..." Andrew then started to tremble. He hunched his shoulders as he freezes from the thoughts filling his mind.
Karl leaned and wrapped his arms around Andrew. "What are you afraid of?" he asked with a calm voice. If there is one thing a relationship could change, that is turning a cold person into a warm assuring person. The fact that he can calm and express his empathy towards a person still amazes Karl.
"I-I can’t face them. Lev, Ralph... Emman. They all died because of me." And the words made Andrew sobbed as if those words he uttered taste metallic.
When Karl first heard about Allen, he thought that guy was a stupid jerk but when Andrew confessed about how Allen had killed two of their friends before Emman, Karl was sure. Allen is a psychopath who’s too obsessed with Andrew.Troy and Nelson who were also Andrew's teammates during middle school once told him that Andrew almost committed suicide when Emman died. He received a year of therapy and was given medications for anxiety and depression. He is also taking sedatives and he’s still drinking those meds up until now. It's a good thing that Andrew's family is rich. Their family is kind of influential so Andrew can receive all the treatments he needed.
They also told him that Andrew never went to any death anniversaries or even gatherings of their friends and when he did one time for Emman’s 3rd death anniversary, he had an episode of panic disorder.
"You don’t have to go. They will surely understand." Karl assured benevolently.
"M-Maybe I can..." Andrew blurted as he faces Karl. "Will you go with me? I’m sure I’ll be fine if you’ll be there with me."
Karl stared at him as he brushes the latter’s hair. "You don’t have to ask me. I’ll always stay with you."
*****
"Isn’t 5 years too long already?" A middle-aged man with black crew-cut hair and a black beard on his face asked the young man in front of him. He’s in a black suit and a blue necktie tied neatly around his collar. He was wearing a pair of eyeglasses over his blue eyes squinting to look at the man he’s talking to.
"5 years is not enough for the crime I did, Mr. Carter." The young man replied as he stared at the man.
The man with the name of Mr. Carter nodded in agreement.
"You are right. But everyone deserves chances and I believe you deserve one. You weren’t sent in the Juvenile for nothing." Mr. Carter concluded as he stood up from his seat and looked closely at the papers he’s holding. "For the past 5 years, all I heard was good things from here. Even those doctors and police were impressed by your records considering those crimes you did. They believe you can go out from the prison." He strolled and walked towards the wall and leaned on it. "I can say that you’ll mostly have a 90% chance of being released."
"Are you sure you are letting me out?" The young man asked with amusement in his voice. A smile then plastered on his face.
"Andreeeeeeeeeeew!!!!!!!"A man with blonde and spiky hair shouted when he saw Andrew in the distance with Karl, Nelson, and Troy. He immediately ran towards him with his arms wide ready to hug Andrew."Terry-"Andrew’s greeting to his friend was immediately interrupted by Karl. He was stretching his long right arm forward with his palm up-front enough to touch Terry’s chest and stopped him from advancing towards Andrew.Terry is one of Andrew’s teammates from middle school. Aside from his blonde and spiky hair, he has hooded-shaped eyes with a pair of brown eyes. He is a bit shorter than Karl. His personality is childish and extremel
“Is Andrew here already?” Karl asked as he peered at the clubroom door. His teammates were busy changing their clothes for the practice. “Did he not tell you?” Sam responded while tilting his head. He was changing his t-shirt in front of his locker. Karl shook his head, looking bewildered. Did Andrew go somewhere without informing him? A sound of a grating laugh and an arm on his shoulder interrupted his thoughts. “That’s a bad omen right there.” Karl turned his head to glance at the man who’s about to annoy him. “When a person goes somewhere without telling you, that means there’s someone- “his next word was turned to a yelp when a ball smacked on his face. “Instead of blabbering there, Troy, why don’t you change your clothes before I could throw something else on you!” Dale exclaimed, who was also changing his clothes next to Sam
“Is it true?” a female student asked as she was talking with her other classmates. “Yeah. I heard it from Dad. The case was so famous 5 years ago,” another female student responded with a matter-of-fact tone of voice.Andrew was normally the type of person who didn’t eavesdrop on other people’s business, but his classmates were talking so loudly. He couldn’t help but listen to what they’re gossiping about. He ignored them as he was about to plug his earphones, but something caught his attention—5 years ago. It rang in his ear like an alarm; an alarm that he doesn’t want to hear but still rings, no matter how he tries to ignore it.“He killed three people but since he was still a minor back then, they sent hi
Karl had just finished taking a shower when he saw Andrew standing in front of the window. He was leaning sideways against the glass window with a worried expression that Karl immediately noticed.“Are you alright?” Karl asked warily as soon as he came towards Andrew. He wrapped his arms around Andrew’s back.“I’m fine,” Andrew responded, but his voice cannot deny his own emotion. He’s worried and bothered.Karl suddenly thought of what Sam advised him. He knows that Andrew rarely tells him about what’s on his mind, but just like what Sam told him, there’s nothing wrong if he tells Andrew that it bothers him.“Andrew…” Karl murmured against Andrew’s head. “Don’t you trust me?” he added that made Andrew turned his body to face Karl.
“What are those?” Andrew asked as he sat down on the chair, staring at Karl with a pile of notebooks and intermediate papers placed on the table in front of him. “Ahh, these… These are the vice-captain’s notes when he was 3rd year. He lent these to me.” Karl answered. “Hmm, that’s so nice of him.” Karl smiled as he read on Sam’s notes. Karl is in the same course as Sam, so it is also the reason why he’s closed with him. Unlike their other teammates, Sam is that one varsity student who not only has talent in sports but has an intelligent mind as well. That’s why as much as possible, Sam wanted to help his teammates, not just in volleyball but also in academics. As Karl read through Sam's notes, he noticed Andrew became quiet. He looked at him and saw that Andrew’s eyes were deeply gazing at what he
Black and white symbolize a lot of things in life. Black represents evil, darkness, night, and despair. It's the color used to convey certainty and authority, and when used in opposition with white, it's a symbol of the eternal struggle between day and night, good and evil, and right and wrong. These two colors also represent mourning, purity, and perfection of the deceased person's spirit. In the hall, everyone wears either of the two-color. Each person coming in and out of the hall has sadness, misery, or even regret on their face. Others are stunned, trying to grasp everything. Others weep and mourn over the death of a relative or a friend. Other visitors are questioning who ruthlessly took on the life of an innocent, positive, and amiable Sam. Everyone who knew him could not imagine who was offended or fought by him. If anything, Sam is better known as a person who will do everything to keep the people around him from getting into trouble. That is why it w
It was already two days ago when Sam was buried and three days ago since Karl disappeared. After a twenty-four-hour search with him by his teammates and relatives, they reported it to the police. He was then tagged as a missing person and they have carried a search out since then. Allen Sanchez was also deemed to be the primary suspect for his disappearance and was also considered being the person behind Sam’s death. “Is it alright for us to gather like this?” Herbert asked as he sat in a chair inside the café. He looked around cautiously, then immediately lowered his head and whispered,“Isn’t Allen Sanchez still on loose?” Nelson and Troy, who were in front of Herbert, looked at him. They were sitting opposite Herbert. Next to Herbert was Dale, who seemed to be infected by Herbert. He also cautiously looked around them. "Even if
A night sky full of blotted stars could have been so calming and satisfying to the eyes. But for this night, the sky is beige, awful, and weeping. The vengeful clouds blindfolded the stars, throwing its sorrow waters down to the land. And for every drop it falls, tears are being washed away from Andrew’s face as if hindering to console his emotions overflowing with hate and guilt upon himself.The drops of rain slowly wiped the bloodstains on his white shirt out, leaving only a few traces. His breath was unsteady and his legs were trembling from the combination of cold and perhaps from the rush he made out of the warehouse heading to the place where his mind takes him. He was no longer wearing any shoes. His pants were grubby on the knees from the constant stumbling and falling on the ground.At one last turn, he stepped on the grass, falling on his knees in front of a tomb named after the man who died because of his selfish love. His