BUBBLE POPPER

KARMA

Hey! It's Zac. Can't talk right now but I'm sure you know how voicemails work.

Dammit Dalton, pick up your freaking phone!

Hey! It's Zac. Can't talk-

"UGH!"

I throw my phone across the room, interrupting my panicked pacing.

"Sarah?"

I hear mom call from outside.

When did she get home?

My door swings open just as I plop down on my bed and in comes my mom with Ace tailing her.

"Are you okay?"

Mom sits on my bed beside me while Ace just crouches down in front of me.

"I'm fine but i'm pretty sure Dalton just did something very stupid that got him in trouble."

"What? What do you mean?"

Ace asks. Not knowing exactly how to explain, i play for him Hope's voice message. The two of them remain silent for a moment, probably expecting more.

"That's it?"

Ace questions after the cut off.

"Yeah. That's the last message I've received from anyone. Zac won't answer my calls or texts and that's why I threw my phone.

"Okay... Have you tried calling this Hope girl or any of your other teammates?"

I did but my hands froze everytime and my brain kept screaming at me not to do it. Mom is obviously confused by my silence but Ace seems well aware of why I didn't call them. To be honest, i'm not really sure, it's only logical for me to call them but I can't. I'm physically unable to press the call icon beside their names.

"Or Mrs Barlowe?"

Ace adds, saving me from having to explain.

How'd I not think of that?

I rush to my phone, surprisingly the screen isn't cracked, that's why i love samsung.

"Hello."

Mrs Barlowe finally answers after an agonizing 20 seconds of listening to the dial tone.

"What's going on with Dalton?"

I demand.

There is a tense silence before she responds

"Sarah..."

She starts.

"I asked a simple question that should have a direct answer Mrs Barlowe. What is going on? And so help me if you start avoiding the question i will fly back there myself and get the answer by force."

Having considered my threat and probably realizing I'm not kidding, Mrs Barlowe starts to explain.

"After finding out you left, Zaccai became inconsolably furious. He wasn't throwing tantrums or anything but it was quite obvious that he was very angry at those boys. He remained calm for the entire award ceremony so I assumed he'd be fine but..."

"But what? What happened?"

"After the ceremony ended, there was an after party for the participants. That's where everything happened. Zaccai spotted the three Amton boys and they spotted him too. They walked up to him with another four guys backing them up. They challenged him to another fight but it looked like Zaccai was going to beat them up whether they challenged him or not. He fought off the four extra guys first and quickly knocked them out before proceeding to brutally beat the three boys that assaulted you. Even after knocking them out, he continued to kick and hit them. Oscar tried to stop him but Zaccai is freakishly strong. Eventually the security team escorted him out and the three boys had to be admitted in hospital."