Chapter 4

Gabriel's POV

I locked myself in my dorm for three days. Whenever I ordered food, I waited until the hallway was empty before slipping out to pick it up.

I took the time to make sense of everything I was feeling. As the departure date drew closer, I found myself slowly letting go of the negative thoughts in my head.

The next afternoon, I had a fitness class. After lying in bed for three days, I was starting to feel restless. It would be nice to get out and move around for a bit.

The sunlight over the field was glaring. I changed into my workout clothes and headed to the gathering point. Esther and Lionel were already standing next to the volleyball net.

The teacher blew her whistle and said she needed someone to head to the equipment room to grab some volleyballs and mats. Then she called my name.

I nodded and got up. Esther stood nearby and didn't budge an inch. She scrolled through her phone, as if she hadn't heard a thing.

Lionel glanced at me before raising his hand. "Gabriel, I'll help you carry those things. I messed up the other day. Let me make it up to you."

With that, he walked toward me. Only then did Esther look up. "You're going too? Let me get the cart for you."

I ignored them and made my way to the equipment room. The shelves reached all the way to the ceiling, crammed with volleyballs, basketballs, and mats.

Esther stayed outside, looking for a cart, while Lionel and I went inside to grab the volleyballs.

The aisles between the shelves were only wide enough for one person to squeeze through sideways. I was all the way at the back, while Lionel stood in front of me, reaching for the volleyballs on the highest shelf.

Lionel glanced sideways at me, his voice softening. "Gabriel, I really did send that picture by accident the other day.

"We've been best friends for years. Are you really going to fall out with me over this? You were never like this before. Why do you get so angry easily these days?"

I felt nothing. Back then, I was naive and would give in whenever he said stuff like that. But now, I could see right through him.

"We're not friends anymore. I don't want to talk to you."

Lionel turned to look at me, his expression shifting as he pressed his lips together. Without warning, he slammed his shoulder against the shelf. It shook, and everything came crashing down at once.

Several shot puts came rolling down. All I heard was a dull thud, and my forehead started tingling, as if something had just burst inside my head.

I clutched my head as I lost my balance. I slid down against the shelf, collapsing onto the floor. I touched my forehead, and my fingers came away wet.

"Help! The shelf just collapsed!" Lionel suddenly raised his voice.

Esther dashed into the room almost immediately. "Lionel, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Gabriel just walked into that aisle, and everything on the shelf came crashing down. I have no idea what happened."

Esther froze for a moment. Then she immediately came to her senses and scowled at me. "Gabriel, are you really still upset about that picture?

"Lionel was kind enough to help you carry these volleyballs. He even apologized to you. How could you do something like this just to get back at him?"

"I didn't…" My lips were trembling, and the pain in my forehead kept flaring up.

"All you ever do is play the victim. Can't you own up to what you've done?"

Esther looked down at me with a condescending expression, just like she did back then. "There are only two of you in the equipment room. Are you saying everything fell on its own?

"Come on, Lionel. I'll take you to the nurse's office and get that checked out."

"But Gabriel's still trapped under…"

"Just leave him be. He can stay there for a while."

Esther helped Lionel out of the equipment room. The moment they stepped outside, she shifted to the side so he would be out of the sun.

"Does your knee hurt?"

"I'm fine."

"Your knee is all red, and you're telling me you're fine? Don't try to act tough with me next time…"

Their voices grew fainter, muffled on the other side of the wall.

I sat on the floor, blood trickling through the gaps between my fingers and dripping onto the back of my hand. It was still warm.

A deep ache stirred inside me. It hurt for a while, but eventually, I went numb.

Just then, the teacher entered the equipment room. The moment she saw me sprawled on the floor, the anger on her face gave way to shock.

"What happened, Gabriel?"