White Lies (Book 1)

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The day Jennifer and Robert became official had been a day like no other.

I had been granted the torturous experience of a high school Gym class. Coach had made us run laps along the track and field track for our warm up. Then there had been a game of field lacrosse.

Unfortunately, we had played mixed teams that day. And I had been the unfortunate midfielder, picked due to my lankiness and height advantage. Since we were playing men's rules, we each donned our helmets and padding. My hands felt sweaty under my gloves, and I found myself readjusting my grip on the lacrosse stick over and over.

It was supposed to have been an easy game. My team consisted of a decent chunk of the school's athletic department. Not including me, the only other girl was much shorter, and much brainier than all of her counterparts. Lucy McGowan held her stick the wrong way and was prone to distraction, moving in and out of defense at whim.

But something had felt a little off on the field that day. Like something was simmering, about to boil over.

It had started during first quarter – Noah Lincoln on the opposing team shoulder clocked a few of my teammates, who were half his size. And Noah was extremely formidable, both in size and reputation. He charged for the lacrosse ball and made no qualms about sportsmanship, stick checking and weaving through opponents tirelessly, relentlessly.

Goal after goal after goal.

"Save some for the rest of us!" Howard cried, ripping off his helmet in between set up. "Don't take your lady problems out on the game."

Noah bristled at the comment. He turned, pointing his finger to Howard. "Shut your fucking mouth."

His comment had been just loud enough to be overheard from the coach's area – it was followed swiftly by a sharp whistle. "Language! Lincoln, bench."

But he couldn't remain benched forever. Soon he was back on attack, standing face to face with Howard in the midfield during face-off. Everyone waited with bated breath, bracing themselves for a different type of face-off entirely.

Bracing for a fight.

And Howard wanted to give it to us. He started getting lippy under his helmet, possibly in the hopes that getting a rise out of Noah would work to his game advantage.

"You heard about Jenny? She's with Robbie now. I can't remember – did she toss your ass before or after you got her that car for her birthday?"

Too much, too soon – far too low of a blow. What happened next was entirely unprecedented.

One second he was upright, the next he was on the ground. Noah had pushed Howard's lacrosse stick aside, using his full strength to tackle him down to the hard earth beneath. A sickening crunching sound followed, the sound of bones colliding. The hard impact of Howard's head against the earth his helmet flying. Then there was the blood. The whole world stopped fleetingly, before crashing and moving at once. Shouts and screams ensued, with bodies rushing and colliding to get to the spectacle. The game was, all of a sudden, very over.

"Call the school nurse!" the coach shouted. She sprinted over to the scene in front of us – two boys on the ground, one unconscious. The other with a lacrosse stick in his hand, driving it down with force towards Howard's head. Students circling, shouting, trying to stop the carnage. "Get the ambulance on the phone now – Noah get off of him! Move!"

But Noah was too far gone.

I pressed myself against the sea of bodies that crowded around them. More and more people followed, encircling, crying out in shock and horror. Three students attempted to restrain him – using their collective strength to pry the stick from his hand. Another person was trying to grab hold of his offending arm, trying their best to intervene, to slow down his momentum. And another was bent over Howard's head – Lucy had taken off her shoulder pads, and was using the edges of her lacrosse shirt to desperately mop up the blood pouring from Howard's skull.