Prank Gone Wrong Chapter 05

Prank Gone Wrong Chapter 05

“Maya? Maya, can you hear me?”

His hands shook. Parkinson’s-level tremor. His voice cracked and splintered.

“This isn’t funny anymore. Get up!”

I opened my mouth. I wanted air.

Blood poured out instead. Thick. Coppery.

Foam mixed with saliva. Spilled from the corners of my lips.

Plink. Plink.

Two white teeth hit the dusty concrete floor. They lay there in the pool of blood. Stark. Obscene.

“Help… me…”

The words barely escaped. Weaker than a whisper.

Connor broke.

The other two athletes were frozen against the wall. Shaking.

“Call 911! Call fucking 911!” Tyler fumbled for his phone. His fingers slipped on the screen.

“Oh my god. Why is there so much blood…” Jackson gagged into his hand.

Connor was still clawing at the zip ties on my wrists. No scissors. Bare hands against industrial plastic.

“Maya! Stay with me! Please don’t do this to me!”

The high-and-mighty quarterback. Reduced to a desperate, sobbing wreck.

“It was just a joke! Don’t die…”

“You ran cross-country till you puked. You never quit. You’re the toughest person I know.”

I wanted to laugh.

I really wanted to laugh.

So this was it. In the high school food chain, the bottom-feeder nerd is the perfect punching bag. Use her however you want. She’ll take it.

That’s why they trampled me without a second thought.

That’s why they thought I’d forgive them. Like an idiot. Like always.

My vision faded. An old TV shutting off.

Connor’s face swam in front of me. His mouth moved. I couldn’t hear him anymore.

Only Harper’s voice cut through. Cold. Calculating.

“Connor, listen to me. I can absolutely claim self-defense. It was dark. I was severely traumatized…”

“Maya’s family can’t afford lawyers. My dad will handle this…”

Then my world went black. For good.

The last echo in my skull was Connor’s raw scream.

“Maya! Stay awake! Look at me! Look at me!”

“I’m sorry! It’s all my fault!”

I didn’t care anymore.