CRIMSON DONOVAN

As I make my way towards the last class of the day, I find myself sneezing again. Damn it, who was talking behind my back? Was I catching a cold?

I descend the stairs when I hear a commotion coming from the direction of the lockers. Against my better judgement, I go towards the scene, only to find a group of boys cornering a freshman. They were clearly harassing him and the poor boy was cowering away, as if he wanted to merge with the metal locker doors.

I couldn't believe that bullying was still happening in this day and age.

However, that doesn't stop me from confronting the boys. "What are you doing?"

The three boys ganging up on the kid- I think he was a freshman- turn their heads to look at me with sneers on their faces. They assess me within seconds and the tallest one raises an eyebrow. "Crimson, aren't you? Do you have a problem here?"

"Oh, sorry, I don't remember your name but I do believe that there is a problem here."

The boys look at each other in amusement. "Maybe we can help this beautiful girl solve her problem, guys?"

"Leave the boy alone," I cut right into the chase, grimacing a little when I remembered the same way scrawny Ken had intervened with us almost two months ago. "Three people ganging up on one defenseless kid, how pathetic is that? What are you trying to prove?"

The eyes of the boy who was trembling on the ground widen as he realizes that someone is here to help him out, and he scurries away from the three bullies and hides behind my back. He peeks over my shoulder with his big doe eyes and brown mop of hair. This unforeseen reaction from the boy momentarily distracts me from the confrontation and the other three goons take that moment to let out scornful laughs. "Running away to hide behind a girl, coward? How funny is that! I admire your courage to talk to us, Crimson. But what we were doing is our business alone and you can go on your way so we can continue...our conversation... with the boy," one guy says, his tone coming out aggressively by the second.

"G-get lost!" the boy points a snappy finger at the goons, still peeking over my arm. This causes the three to cackle and the boy behind me gives an annoyed pout.

"Would you look at that, the cowards got some-"

"And what's going on over here?"

The boys straighten up as a girl appears from behind them.

"It's you," I quietly gasp in recognition of the purple-haired girl even though her face had been concealed by her cap that day at the Abandoned Bridge. 

I could identify that voice, hair and stance very well. This definitely DID resemble the situation with Ken and his goons. She too seems to recognize me as she gives me a small smile before turning toward the three bullies. 

"What is it this time boys? It's been several warnings already."

The boys look at each other before glaring at the kid cowering behind my back. "This isn't over y-"

"Like hell it is. Now shoo," the girl dismisses them with a glare and the three begrudgingly thread their way away from the lockers.

"You seem to have tremendous power over the males in this town," I tell her, my tone no doubt impressed. She gaily laughs, "And you seem to attract the wrong attention from those males."

Then I feel a shy poke on my shoulder. "Uhm," the kid who had been hiding behind me says. "Th-Thank you for saving me."

"Oh, Theodore Williams. Freshman, best in the movie club, won the competition two months ago?" the girl states.

Theodore's face reddens a little but he squares his shoulders. "Yes, that's me VP."

"VP?" I inquire.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Melody Rockwell, Vice President of the Student Council," an unmistakable aura of supremacy resonates from her stance as she says this. 

Now that her face was not covered by a cap like that day, I could see her clear violet eyes - perhaps contacts - and her purple hair cascading seamlessly over her round golden-brown face. It occurred to me that the reason Ayla wasn't able to recognize her before was because she had obscured her features that day with the cap.

"Her boyfriend, Kaiser, was the president of the student council the year before the last. Even if he is in college now, his name still holds power in the school. He is highly respected. That is why nobody messes with her," Theodore affirms which earns a ruffle in his hair from Melody. "Now, now, enough flattery. What happened this time? Are they still bothering you?"

"Not as much as before. But they corner me when I'm alone," Theodore sulks.

"Why do they bother you?" I question the boy.

"Because I won the 'best mini-movie' competition months before. They are not even in the movie club. But they won't leave me alone," he huffs, his short height making the action a little adorable. Then his eyes sparkle and he gives me a bashful smile when he meets my eyes. "Thank you for coming to my aid, Crimson."

I snap the urge to aw and coo at him. "You're welcome, Theodore."

"Now, run along to your class. Make sure to be with your friends, alright?" Melody advices him and the boy quickly nods and sprints to his class after a quick wave of goodbye.

"Crimson? That's your name?" she confirms after the boy vanishes.

"Yes, that's me. How come I've never seen you before?" I ask Melody.

"I had the flu for quite a long time. Now I'm better and back in shape, this week. Say, I reckon we have classes together? Are you a junior?"

"Yes, are you too?" I probe and get a nod in return. "That is cool. And you are already the Vice President of the council?" 

She takes some books from a locker as she speaks, "Yep, I was appointed this year. Were you a new student this year?"

"I was," then I cautiously look around and lean closer to her. "It is unbelievable that someone with a status like you was seen that day in the street racing grounds. Won't you be in trouble if somebody finds out?"

"Oh, I don't mix those stuff with my student life. As long as I do my duties correctly at school and don't let them affect my studies, I don't have to worry," she cheekily answers. 

I wanted my curiosity to be sated by asking her why she was at the street racing grounds that day even when she was sick, but I decided not to robe further, especially when I had to rush to my class. 

"Well, it was nice to finally put a name and face to the girl who helped me twice. I would like to chat, but I have a class right now..."

"I don't think we have the same class now, but it was good knowing you, Crimson. See you later!" she waves and breaks into a run, probably towards her own class and I do the same.

Unfortunately, the teacher was already in the classroom. She shoots me a warning glance but allows me to enter, so I swiftly take my seat next to Zeke, who shares the class with me. 

"Hey, why were you late? I was looking for you so we could come to class together," he whispers.

"Oh, sorry about that. I had a run-in with someone," I answer as I place my books on my desk. He raises his eyebrow but doesn't inquire further as we get on with class.

                "So, how long has it been since you've joined this school?" Zeke asks me as we walk together towards our lockers after the bell rings, signalling the end of the day at school.

"It's going to be three months soon," I answer with a smile as I reminisce the events that have conjured up until now.

"I take it that everything is going well then? You are happy here?"

"Everything is going well, and that's mainly thanks to you guys. If I hadn't made friends with all of you, I don't want to imagine who I would be hanging out with," I reply as I open my locker.

Zeke chuckles and says, "Probably under the clutches of Kash, I presume." I join in his laughter but shudder a bit at the thought. It's not that Kash has been bad to me, but he just comes off as too intense in conversations; too much pressure, to be honest.

"Well, now that you've been here for a while, are you interested in anyone yet?" Zeke asks suddenly, causing my book to almost slip out of my hand.

"W-What? What do you mean?" I ask, attempting to steady myself. Does he know? Was I too obvious? Oh no! I will never be able to look Drexel in the eye now!

"What I mean is...did any boy catch your eye yet? A crush? A love interest, perhaps? You know, all that..." Zeke's voice trails off with a touch of awkwardness in his tone as he poses the question.

 "Uhm, no. Not that I know of," I mumble a lie.

Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know...

Zeke's face deforms to an unreadable expression. "Not that you know of? What does that mean? Are you questioning your feelings toward someone?"

...Well, now they know! Okay, that's enough, Crimson.

"No, it's not that," I dismiss and clear my throat to a tone of finality, "I don't have any interest in anyone."

"Oh."

"Oh?" I repeat.

"Nothing," he says before tilting his head a little. "What if someone did confess to you?"

"Uhm, depends on the person I guess," I mutter thinking of a way to stray away from this subject.

"Then, what if a person you like confesses to you? Will you date him?" he digs.

I close my locker door and shrug dismissively. "Probably say no, mostly." Zeke's eyebrow rises –maybe because that was probably not the answer he was expecting. "Why not?" he genuinely seems confused at this point.

"I have my reasons. I'll possibly say no," I lengthen my answer. "Let's get to your locker now."

"Oh, well, if you do have problems with getting your feelings together, I am always there for you, Crimson. You can come to consult me with anything, judgments are excluded," he bears a compassionate smile as he says this and I mirror his expression, "Thanks, Zeke."

"You're welcome," he says as we make our way to his locker.

As I watch Zeke arrange his books, a feeling of confusion washes over me. I can't help but wonder why he asked me that question. Likewise, lately, my friends have been acting strangely around me, and it's been making me uneasy. Ayla has been giving me creepy smiles, and I haven't seen much of Drexel this week; I felt that he was doing his best to limit interactions with me. It feels like I'm being watched everywhere I go, and it doesn't help that Archer and Jed were giving me provocative stares during lunch. It took all my willpower not to poke them in the eyes with my fork.

If Drexel was avoiding me for some reason, then Zeke was the total opposite. I feel like he is the first and last person I see when I come and leave school, delving me into conversations as if he was trying to get something out of me. I'm starting to wonder if I've offended or wronged them in some way, or if they're trying to test my friendship with them. However, I'm relieved that Rowan has been acting normally around me at least.

Although I haven't directly addressed the change in their behaviour, I'm curious about what they're up to and if they'll fess up. I'm not overly concerned or worried, but if this continues, I may confront them next week to find out what's going on.

"All set? I'm heading home then," I declare as Zeke finishes up. 

"Of course. See you next week, Crimson," he says as we walk out of the school and onto the parking lot where our vehicles reside.

As I'm about to get into my car, I hear someone call out my name in the distance. Straining my eyes against the bright sunlight, I finally spot the source of the voice: Drexel, with his distinctive dark brown hair.

"Drexel?"

"H-Hi... are you going home?" Drexel asks, uneasily swaying on his feet.

"Yes," I reply, still uncertain about why he's here. Should I wait for him to fess up, or just be direct and ask what's going on? I notice Drexel's restless posture and decide to take the latter approach.

"I feel like it's been a long time since we've seen each other," I say, trying to sound nonchalant but feeling a hint of hurt creeping into my voice. "Have you been avoiding me? Did I do something wrong? Is it because of that day in the hospital?"

I wonder if he regrets opening up to me too quickly and doesn't know how to act around me anymore. Does he think I'll look at him with pity every time our eyes meet?

Drexel quickly dispels my assumptions, shaking his head at all the reasons I'd given for his recent behaviour. 

"No, it's not any of those things. And I don't regret introducing you to my uncle either," he adds, his flailing hands settling at his sides as he lowers his head. "I've just been busy with his stuff and haven't had much time to talk..."

I suspect he's not being entirely honest, but I'm just glad he's talking to me now. I'll be patient and wait for him to open up when he's ready.

"...the thing is," he says, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Do you remember the deal we made three months ago?"

"What deal?" I ask, trying to recall.

"The one we made when you saw me street racing. I promised to let you come to a race if you didn't tell Rowan about it."

"Oh, right! I remember now."

"So, next Friday night. Will you be able to come?" he asks, his golden-flecked eyes regarding me nervously. Suddenly, all the tension from our previous conversation evaporates as excitement courses through my veins.

"Really? Are you serious? Of course, I'll come!" I exclaim, almost crashing into Drexel in enthusiasm. 

He breaks into a heartwarming smile, looking as happy as a dog with two tails. 

"You'll come to watch me race?" he asks in a soft voice, his eyes shining with hope.

I don't know why, but the way Drexel asked me that question made my voice match his tone, but in a more timid way. 

"Yes, I would love to," I reply. 

Be strong, my voice.

Drexel bites his lip and takes a step back, likely heading toward his car, "Then I'll be waiting for you to see me race."

"O-okay. Bye," I manage to stammer out.

Drexel waves and dashes toward his car, and I do the same, knocking my head on the roof of my car in my haste to get inside. As I drop onto the seat and exhale loudly, I realize that something about the way Drexel invited me to his race was different, and it makes my heart squirm.

It was like a boy asking a girl out on their first date.

"AHHHHHHHH!!!" I smash my forehead repeatedly into the steering wheel, barely avoiding the horn. Shut up stupid sneaky voice in my head! Don't give me ideas!

...Like as if you would oppose that idea.

"STOP!!!" I shout, and this time the horn blares loudly across the school parking lot, causing me to let out a startled scream. Students all around turn their heads simultaneously, looking like meerkats on alert. "Sh-shit."

"Okay, Crimson. Calm down," I tell myself, taking a deep breath. "Just drive away and forget this ever happened." I can feel the embarrassment rising in my chest, like a river flowing towards its inevitable end. I imagine drowning in that river, and then dying, my body sinking to the bottom so I could escape this situation.

I guide the car keys towards the ignition, but they slip from my trembling grasp and fall onto the carpeted surface. As I bend down to pick them up. I knock my head on the horn again, causing it to blare once more. "Ow!" I exclaim, rubbing my head. Get a grip, Crimson. This isn't like you.

As I search for the keys on the carpeted surface, I suddenly see a face through the driver's window. 

"Omo! What are you-!" I cry out, surprised at my own reaction.

A series of knocks reverberates against the glass. I slightly sink in my seat, hoping the other students in the parking lot would not catch my face as I open the shutter halfway. "Y-yes?"

Drexel peaks in, panting like an engine with steam coming out of his mouth, with Rowan beside him, overlooking from behind his shoulder with concern. "Crimson, what's wrong? Are you hurt? Did something happen to the car?"

My face warms up a little and quickly shake my head with a laugh. "No! No! I just- The key! The key fell and I- I uh, knocked into the steering wheel by accident...many times."

And then Drexel has to worsen my state by feeling my forehead with his long fingers, "Thank God you are not bruised. Are you okay to go home by yourself? I can drop you."

"I am perfectly fine, Drexel. Thank you," I hastily start up my car so he cannot prod me further. "See? Just a teeny tiny mishap."

Rowan gives me a sympathetic smile, no doubt thinking that my flustered face is actually reddening because of embarrassment and not by the concern from Drexel. Well, it is a bit of both, to be honest.

"...Okay then," Drexel does not look so sure, but hesitantly lets go and I take that moment to dash out of the premises with a quick awkward wave.

Now, where is that place where can I cry alone in misery and embarrassment?

Poor Crimson lol

We met the purple-haired girl from the race, Melody! What do you think about the reactions and behaviour of Crimson's friends? They know what's up!!!

4 more chapters until THE RACE!

Why do I take time to write ittttt?!

THANKS FOR 1K VIEWS MY READERS I LOVE YOU!!!! -22.11.2023❤️❤️❤️❤️