Strange incident
1213 Words
Mira
I wasn't sure what I expected when Kael said he would be our basketball coach, but it sure as hell wasn’t this.
The gym smelled like rubber soles and decades-old sweat, and the polished wooden floor squeaked under our sneakers as we shuffled into lines. The basketballs bounced against the ground in rhythmic thuds, echoing like war drums through the cavernous room. Kael stood in front of us, a whistle hanging around his neck and a clipboard under one arm.
He looked like he belonged in a darker world, maybe a battlefield, or the nation's army, but here he was, in gym shorts and a sleeveless black tee, veins prominent in his arms and jaw tense. It was unfair how attractive he looked even in something so casual.
"We'll start with drills," he said, voice flat, emotionless, and just this side of bored. "Some of you think you know how to play. I assure you, you don’t. So when we start, I want you to show me what you know."
The whistle blew, and everyone scattered.
"Dribbling. Right hand first. Keep your eyes on me."
I bent low and started bouncing the ball, doing my best to mimic what the others did. The ball kept running away from my palm, and I chased it across the court with red cheeks.
"Left hand. Keep your knees bent. Chest up. Eyes forward."
Kael paced in front of us, eyes scanning like a hawk. He corrected our stance, nudged arms into position, and barked short commands.
It should’ve felt ordinary, but under his gaze, everything felt more complicated. Just then, I heard the sound of heavy sneakers against the floor. I looked up to see Raven, but she was with her friends.
Lilac, with her silver hoop earrings and gum-smacking mouth; Riley, tall and cold like she’d rather be anywhere else; and Veronica, who had the kind of smile that meant she was either going to compliment your outfit or bury your body. They strutted in like runway models lost on their way to detention.
Raven, of course, led the pack.
Golden hair in a high ponytail, thick lashes that fluttered like she was born to seduce, and a body that she knew how to weaponize. She walked straight up to Kael and tilted her head.
"You're the new coach? Wow. If I'd known gym came with a show, I'd have worn something lighter."
Some girls giggled, but I rolled my eyes.
Kael didn’t even blink or move. "Line up with your fellow students. You're already behind."
Raven raised a brow. "No warm welcome? Not even a smile? Or an introduction? Rude."
"You’re here to sweat. Not flirt. Now get the f**k out there and start dribbling."
Her smirk wavered and I almost chuckled.
Kael turned and clapped his hands. "Mira. Show her how to run a zig-zag drill."
Oh, perfect. With burning cheeks, I picked up a ball and began the zig-zag movement across cones, trying not to trip on my own feet. I barely made it halfway before Raven nudged me hard in the ribs as she passed, sending my ball flying.
"Oops," she said sweetly, flipping her ponytail. "Sorry, buttercup."
Snickers followed. I clenched my jaw and bent to retrieve my ball.
We continued practicing. Every time I passed near Raven, she'd either bump into me, step on my shoe, or whisper something nasty under her breath. My patience frayed like an old sweater.
At some point, I grabbed a towel from the bench and wiped my face. When I looked up, Raven was grinning, holding a bottle of water.
She raised her brows. "You seem hot, aren’t you?"
And then she poured the whole thing over my head. People gasped and then broke into laughter.
Cold water drenched my scalp and soaked into my shirt, trickling down my spine.
"Raven," Kael's voice cut through the noise.
She turned with a fake innocent look. "Just helping her cool off."
Kael strode across the court and snatched her wrist mid-air before she could saunter away. His grip wasn’t rough, but firm enough to halt her completely.
"Get off the court."
She blinked. "What?"
"Now. Or I’ll make it official."
She yanked her arm back with a scoff, shooting daggers at me before stomping off with her clique.
Kael knelt beside me, his hand gently brushing my elbow as he helped me up. For a second, his touch sent a strange shiver through my arm.
"You okay?"
I nodded, water clung to my lashes. My pride was more bruised than my body.
"Get back in line," he said. "Don’t let this hold you back."
I didn’t.
Later, after training, I lingered by the locker room, waiting for the hallway to clear. My shirt still clung to me uncomfortably, and I was debating skipping the cafeteria altogether.
Kael appeared around the corner, walking toward me like he already knew I'd be here.
"You need to stand up for yourself, Mira," he said.
I crossed my arms, feeling another wave of embarrassment. "You don't understand but thanks for helping back there. I can handle myself."
He stopped a few inches away, towering over me. His eyes were unreadable.
"Can you?"
Before I could turn around and walk away without responding, he grabbed my arm, fast, and slammed me back against the lockers.
The metal rattled. I gasped, heart thudding.
We were alone in the corridor and that terrified me. Kael leaned in close, his breath brushing my cheek. He looked down at me like he could see every single secret I was hiding.
My heart fluttered for the worst reasons. I hated the way his nearness made my head swim.
"You're too pathetic to be a problem," he said coldly.
The words stung, like ice water over an open wound.
He pulled back and walked away without another word, his footsteps echoing.
I stood frozen.
At the cafeteria, I found Juno and plopped into the seat across from her.
"You ever feel like you’re going crazy?" I asked.
She looked up from her smoothie. "Are we doing this again?"
"I wanted to tell you last night but you were asleep. I saw someone watching me, Juno. And this morning, my wounds were healed. And then Kael—"
"Kael?" Her eyebrows rose.
"Forget it. You’d just say I’m paranoid."
"Mira, maybe you are. This obsession with signs and feelings… it’s not healthy. Maybe you should stop reading those books about magic and dragons."
I fell silent. Is this how my twin brother felt? Everyone calling him crazy, locking him away, refusing to listen?
The thought chilled me more than Raven’s water.
A sudden roar of voices snapped me out of my spiral. Students were running, toward the woods. I stood and followed, heart pounding. By the time I pushed past the crowd, I saw the body of a student. Or what was left of him.
His insides spilled out onto the pine needles like a horror movie. There was blood everywhere.
My breath caught, but when I turned around, I saw Kael standing at the edge of the trees. He watched, not one expression of bother on his face. It was like he knew exactly how this happened.
And that made me walk up to him.
- Writer
