Echoes of Us

Chapter 3 : Game day

The weekend arrived swiftly, filled with the expectation of something new and exciting amidst the familiar routine of lectures and study sessions.

As part of the tradition for kicking off a new academic year, basketball games are held to bring students together. Rose and I entered the bustling arena on game day. The atmosphere was electric. The squeak of sneakers on the polished floor, the cheers from the crowd, and the adrenaline of competition filled the air. I spotted the blonde girl in a cheerleader uniform that suited her petite shape and her eyes locked on Liam as he and his teammates entered the hall. Liam, Noah and Franklin greeted us warmly, their camaraderie evident as they prepared for the game ahead.

Throughout the match, Liam displayed skillful moves on the court, effortlessly scoring baskets and leading his team with charisma. Watching Liam take all the shots made me wish I could scream his name at the crowd. But they left all the cheering for the cheerleaders. His passion for the game was contagious, drawing cheers and applause from the spectators. Meanwhile, Noah’s strategic plays and Franklin’s defensive prowess added depth to their team’s performance.

Liam’s ability to score from anywhere on the court, along with his added strength, helped us win the game with a three-pointer at the buzzer. The crowd cheered loudly, chanting his name, and girls were talking about their crush on him.

After the game, amidst the post-match celebrations and high-fives, Rose and I approached the boys.

Liam! Liam!

“Serious Rose, stop it”

“Glad you guys made it”, Noah said, his tone friendly and yet genuine. Hope you enjoyed the game.

Rose nodded, impressed by their teamwork and skill. It was great! You guys played really well”.

As we chatted, I found myself drawn to Liam easy going charm and-genuine interest in getting to know me beyond the surface.

Liam was looking at me all the time as if he had something to tell me.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked, his eyes softening as he glanced my way.

Had he finally decided to talk to me after ignoring me the other day? My heart skipped a beat.

“Yes, I’m good. You? I managed to keep my voice steady, though my mind raced. Our friends stared at us, their curiosity barely concealed, as if waiting for something more to happen.

“Anyway, guys, we have an after party at my dorm only. I am going to invite a few people to celebrate our win today. Do you guys’ mind joining us?

Before Rose could even answer, I heard a girl's voice behind Liam.

Did I just hear after the party? It was the blonde girl back hugging Liam.

“You did a good job today, love. See you at Noah’s tonight.”

She kissed him on the cheek. As she briefly left us with the boys.

Pretending to go and grab some water, I left the hall and Rosa was with the boys talking. I was heading to my dorm when l bumped into Derek.

“You really have a problem with watching where you are going, huh,” he said.

“Derek,” I screamed, “it’s nice to see you again.”

“I have been meaning to apologize for the other day, Liam told me what I wanted to do to you. I am sorry.”

“I can’t remember much of what happened that night, but I accept your apology.”

“Mind if you give me a chance to prove that I am not a jerk. I will make it up to you at the party tonight?”

“Yeah, sure see you then.”

******

Rose came into the room just as night fell.

“Where have you been all this time, Rose?” I asked, trying to mask my curiosity.

“I was with the boys, Liam, Francis and Nick. We’ve been friends since high school, almost a decade now.”

“You left without saying goodbye.” She said a bit hurt.

“I was just tired and wanted to sleep,” I replied.

“Have you met Liam before? He seemed interested in you. I even caught him looking at you when you left.”

“Did he say anything about me?” I asked, more intrigued than I wanted to admit.

“No, he didn’t mention anything.”

“Can you believe we met on my first day here? He was the first person I spoke to.”

“Remember, he’s a bad boy. Guard your heart, baby girl.”

I smirked, “I guess I am kind of attracted to bad boys.”

We both laughed, breaking the tension.

“Oh, and tonight, you’re on your own to pick an outfit for yourself.”

“I bet I won’t look as badass as I did last time,” I said, pretending to pout.

After getting ready, we headed to the entrance of the male dorm with Rose. To my surprise, Derek was already there chilling with his boys. I looked around for Liam. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see him. He is probably with his girlfriend somewhere.

“I won’t be here for long. I will text you when heading out to our room," I told Rose as I was heading over to Derek.

“Alright, just be careful not everyone is a friend here. I love you….”

“Here a drink for the most beautiful girl here tonight,’ Derek said, handing me a glass of alcohol.

“Aren’t you so sweet! Thank you very much,” I giggled.

“What’s with you and Liam? I just saw you guys together in the hall after the game, plus he seems to be interested in you.”

“Me? No way” as I took a heavy sip trying to dodge the question “I can’t believe how often I’ve been asked that question today, we aren’t friends and I just see him around campus.”

“You need to stay away from him. He's very dangerous,”

“He seems cool to me.”

“Liam is not what you think he is, he always stirs up trouble and gets away with it.”

“He didn’t even want to come to college. He was forced by his dad.”

“Seems like you know him very well, Derek.”

“We are pretty close, more than you would know. I can even spend the whole night telling you about Liam,”

“Enough about him. I don’t even want to hear more. Tell me about you. I should know you more.”

“Let’s find a more comfortable place to chat, somewhere far away from the crowd and I promise I won’t try to do anything stupid to you. My dorm is just down the hallway, we can go there.

As I wanted to take the first step, my legs felt heavy. I’d only taken a few sips of the drink, but my head was already burning, and I began to feel weak. I'm starting to feel off, I said. My head was spinning and my vision narrowing. A strange weakness started to creep through me. I managed to mumble

“Hey I’m not okay, I feel awful.”

With a smile that made me very uncomfortable, he replied “my room isn’t far,”

“Okay then let’s go there. I need to sit down for a minute.”

I didn’t want to jump to the conclusion or think negatively about him, but then it hit me that I thought I'd been drugged.

Shortly after I realized I was in his room, my vision narrowing, I saw him take off his clothes, the same person that warned me about Liam was about to do the unimagined to me. I cursed myself for trusting him all over again.

My voice was so weak, I was only able to express a whisper, I attempted to scream, to ask him what he was doing, it was as if my neck was blocked, and I was stuck in my own body powerless. My tears began pilling as I struggled to move. If only I had made a phone call to Rose. She would come to my rescue. My limbs felt like dead weight, but still, I forced myself to try to stand.

Out of nowhere, his hand struck me hard across the face, the sting cutting through the haze of my body’s weakness. The impact was so sudden, so jarring that it knocked me back down, leaving my thoughts reeling. He towered over me, his eyes cold and empty, as he began to undress me, his movements deliberate and unhurried.

“What do you think you are doing?” he said, his voice low, cruel. Just stay still. I won’t be long.”

I couldn’t move. I watched him kiss my lips with uncontrollable tears rolling down my cheek. My mind screamed, but my body refused to follow. The weight of fear and confusion pressed down on me, suffocating the last bits of hope I had left.

Just then, I heard a loud bang on the door. Derek!