CIRCUS!

Chapter 4: Fans

_____

E D A

Men and women frolicked their way to the main event on the rugby arena. I heard that Alexis had become the talk of the campus, and like a genuine fan, I rushed to the scene.

Alexis, back on the field. How could I miss that?

He repeatedly announced his intention to retire from rugby indefinitely and focus on other priorities, such as running for school Vice President in the footsteps of his sister, but I suppose passion is passion because there he is, on the field. Doing his first love—okay, that sounds wrong.

I was the first to rush up to the field in order to witness the uproar for myself, and I was not disappointed. Geno and Alexis brought their own teams. I wonder what made our footballers take up on a match with the rugby athletes? So, that is why every one goes gaga over the event.

Alexis versus Geno.

One trained for football his whole life and the other grew up playing rugby.

While a part of me was delighted to see them play together, the rest of me was frightened. Geno had only recently recovered from the flu, and Alexis seemed to roughhouse him whenever the opportunity presented itself. They almost appeared to be abandoning their pursuit of the ball in favor of tackling one another to the ground. Obviously, someone who has been raised to play rugby can easily defeat someone who has been trained to play football.

Geno kept forgetting that he was meant to receive the ball with his arms and not his legs.

It was difficult to watch Geno, Eastwood High's known big bad Alpha, get tackled to the ground by a straight A, model student.

I wanted neither of them to get hurt but who am I to overthink like that? One is my partner in a science project and the other is my ultimate crush. Both has nothing to do with me but still, I cannot shrug off the worry.

Alexis suddenly flung the ball hard to the ground before tackling Geno, taking him by great surprise. We could only hear distorted echoes of their screaming due to their far distance from us. But nevertheless, the spectators, including myself, began to feel nervous, and it wasn't until one of their teammates attempted to separate them that the referee was summoned.

Everything happened too quickly, and the two were hurling fists at one another in the blink of an eye. Five men attempting to dismantle them did not appear to be sufficient. It took almost the entire team to step in and prevent the two from tearing each other's heads off.

Their crowd has begun to fear, and soon everyone is yelling for them to stop.

I bit my lip, getting anxious as ever, as I witnessed them snarl at one another's throats. It wasn't until blood began to splatter that I gathered my composure and stood up to leave.

I'm sick of seeing them squabble, and for what? Nothing appeared plausible enough to provoke such two men into a petty brawl. However, nothing makes sense these days. I was under the impression they were foes until I heard whispers about them being ex-bestfriends.

Once I freed away from the heated mess, only then I was able to take a deep breath in. I placed my palm on my chest to calm down my heart racing crazily.

"What was that?" I asked inwardly before shaking my head and trudging my way to my locker to grab my things.

I'm skipping school.

_____

G E N O

What crept up this man's behind to challenge me to a friendly match? Nothing in this stupid match is friendly as long as he's launching his body onto mine every two seconds! I could barely breathe give me a damn break!

"Hey man, take it down a f*****g notch! This is not world cup," I hissed at him when he clashed his body onto mine.

I raised my eyes to the referee, who merely glanced at me. Useless. Pretty sure that one of those tackles was a foul!

Or, was it? I'm not sure. Rugby's mechanics are much too severe for someone like me to fathom. Why, in the first place, did I agree with him? Was it pride? Or am I simply amusing myself by getting on his nerves?

He hasn't trained in over a year, which is why I agreed to a friendly match, but why do I have the strong feeling that this was just a cover for him to blatantly bash me up in front of large crowd? Is he afraid of tarnishing his fragile reputation? If he desired a fight, he could have asked for it plainly. He didn't need to use sport as a pathetic excuse to throw a man to the ground.

"Time out!" I screamed aloud, clutching my balls, which he probably had kneed intentionally.

"Stop behaving like a f*****g baby," he growled back at me as he dashed for a touchdown.

Prick.

The entire crowd cheered him on, but my gaze was drawn to one girl sitting timidly in the midst of the rowdy crowd.

I could see her from miles away. Such a pretty little girl she is.

I have no idea how, but I just do. My eyes would just find her among these hideous faces. She is instantly recognizable.

"I'm not going to catch him. I couldn't even if I try," Franco panted, drawing my focus away from her and toward him. "What does he gain from this pointless match? He is outrageous! You and your ex-bestie are sure crazy motherfuckers," he smacked me on the arm in frustration before collapsing into the grassy field. His legs trembling with exhaustion. Franco's the football team's wide receiver but even him couldn't keep up with Alec.

"Suck it up," I deadpanned. There is really nothing I could advise him. It is Alexis we're facing after all.

"No!" he screamed as he kicked his legs. "How am I going to defeat him?! He serves as a prop, fly-half, and hooker. If this is the Marvel, he is Captain Marvel, for f**k's sake," he moaned in defeat as he sprawled onto the ground.

"Just brace yourself. He's just getting started," I ruffled his hair before running to my position.

I'd like to believe that I know Alexis as well as the back of my hand. He was once a brother to me before he turned into the judge, jury, and the executioner asshole. And this is coming from Eastwood High's resident douchebag. That should convey a great deal.

Under those straight A facades, lies a cunning man, even more so than I am. It's still a mystery to me as to why we had a falling out and why he began behaving like the pope and I'm now compelled to play the bad guy card.

He looked like a joke trying to be nice to everyone. But then again, Franco is right, Alexis is one crazy motherfucker.

We were called to the bench for a quick break but it seemed like Alexis didn't hear that. I quickly ran and asked him to slow down when he suddenly glared at me like as if I just stepped on the tail of his dog.

"Woah, easy, Alec," I chuckled humorously but it came out into an obnoxious smugness. I can't help it!

"Don't f*****g call me Alec," he snarled back with an attitude that would have gotten him banged up if he wasn't Alexis Donovan.

My last shred of respect for him is fading. I cannot even recognize him anymore.

I'm not going to lie. I was beyond pissed hearing him use such tone on me.

"What is your problem?" I barked back. My ego almost deflated at the sight of his jaw tensing.

Here we go.

"You're my f*****g problem!" With a loud grunt, he threw a fist square to my jaw.

I staggered backwards, thoroughly taken aback by the impact. I thought for a split second, if I fall, I'm letting it go, but if I manage to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground, I'm hitting him back twice harder.

My head swung sideways; my eyes swollen shut from the strike. I wasn't gonna lie, he could still pack a solid punch.

Good.

I wouldn't have to hold back either. "Now, we're talking," I sneered, smirking with a busted lip as I threw an unexpected jab to his gut.

_____

E D A

My trembling fingers struggled with my locker key, twisting it in a hurry. When I straightened up, I failed to notice a pocking slab of steel peeping out from my neighboring locker, slicing my arm from elbow to wrist.

It took me a moment to register, not until I felt blood trickle down my arm and onto the floor. I hissed in pain as I hurriedly grabbed my spare shirt and wrapped it around the wound to stop the bleeding.

"No!" I exhaled heavily, dropping my backpack and hurried to the infirmary, clutching my arm closer to my chest.

_____

"I've been seeing you often, Eda," he spoked with disappointment in his voice. My eyes averted to the floor in embarrassment. I couldn't even look at our school doctor in the eyes.

I sat quietly as I chewed on my lips.

"You'll be needing to get this sutured—" I cut him off.

"I can't—" only to get cut off.

"In a proper hospital. After I clean your cut. Yes. You are going straight to the hospital immediately before this becomes infected. I already called an ambulance," he sternly scolded before speaking softly, "This is going to scar. It cut deep," he frowned with a long sigh.

"I-I c-can't. Please no hospitals..." I nearly choked. I felt hot tears swelling up in the corner of my eyelids. My memory of the trauma seeps back from the darkest recesses of my mind.

"You have to, Eda. I don't have the proper equipment to stitch you up here in the clinic," he reasoned out. "You have to be wheeled in the E.R. as soon as possible."

My head filled with flashbacks I helplessly tried to get rid of. My head shook tremedously. "Please no..." I cried out in hoarse voice.

"Eda, you have to."

"Please, no, Dr. Lacroix. Don't send me to the hospital," my lips quivered in fear.

"You have to. Stop moving so much, it'll bleed—"

"Please, no. Listen to me, please. Don't send me there," I stepped off the stool and threatened to go, only to be pushed back into the chair, with him holding either of my shoulders firmly in place to keep me still.

"Stop moving," he clicked his tongue and locked his gaze on me.

Tears began to flow from my eyes, startling the poor doctor, who was fully unaware of my history with hospitals.

"I'm sorry; I understand how much this hurts, but just bear with me for a moment. I'll be finished shortly—" his kind words were cut short when two lunatics slammed the door open like barging cavemen.

Dr. Lacroix and I leaped to our feet in reaction to the huge bang. I was horrified to see Alexis and Geno assisting one another in dragging their bruised and battered limbs into the room. Geno slung his arm over Alexis' shoulder.

My jaw dropped as I observed Geno's fractured collar while Alexis's dislocated his shoulder and busted his perfectly plump lips.

They were both bleeding profusely from their heads, but they appeared unconcerned, whereas here I am, crying over a damned cut.

I'm so pathetic.

I bowed my head in embarrassment. Trying to make my body seem small as possible so they wouldn't notice my presence.

"Where have your manners gone, young men?" Dr. Lacroix lectured them both, unconcerned about their ghoulish appearance. How were they all able to maintain such calm composure?

"You old man, what were you doing to her!" Geno grabbed Dr. Lacroix by the collar of his white coat, only to release him when he felt enormous pressure on his collar bone as a result of his abrupt movement.

"To whom do you believe you are speaking, Mr. Barrueco?" Dr. Lacroix asked, puzzled. I, too, was taken aback by their sudden outburst. "Have you two hit each other's heads so hard that your reasoning abilities have been yanked from your skulls?"

Alexis finally spoke up, suffering from his dislocated shoulder, "We overheard you, Dr. Lacroix, forcing yourself on Eda."

I gasped in disbelief, raising my head up to look at them with wide eyes. Until it struck in me...

"You have to. Stop moving so much, it'll bleed—"

"Please, no. Listen to me, please. Don't send me there."

"Stop moving," He clicked his tongue and locked his gaze on me.

"I'm sorry; I understand how much this hurts, but just bear with me for a moment. I'll be finished shortly—"

"I'm going to contact the FBI, you pedophile!" Geno hissed, trying his best to grab his phone from his trousers but he didn't even have pockets in them. Both him and Alexis are still in their gym clothes.

"Do not even attempt to reason yourself out. You are not getting away with this," Alexis made a threat against Dr. Lacroix. "Eda, please come here," he instantly snatched me away from my hiding spot behind the doctor, drawing me in between the two monstrosities of men.

I had never seen the two of them this furious before, and it was the most terrifying sight I had ever witnessed. I'm not sure which of them scares me more. I had no idea Alexis possessed such a disturbing demeanor.

I wanted to speak up but I was to terrified to get shut down. At the same time, it was unfair for Dr. Lacroix to get accused of something he didn't do.

"D-Don't talk to him like that," I cautiously drew my bleeding arm out from Alexis's stranglehold.

He immediately saw my pained expression and pulled away to examine what had happened to my arm.

To say he was surprised is an understatement. He appeared to be capable of murder the minute he saw my sliced forearm.

"What is going on, Eda? Who did this to you?!" he screamed angrily.

"Tell me who did this to you," he tried to speak in a much calmer voice but anger was still noticeable in his tone.

"I—I did it to myself," I cowardly answered.