The Demon Inheritance

ELEVEN

It was Wednesday. School was over with, but it had been decided that the last basketball game of the year would be played in the school gym. For whatever reason, I agreed to follow Dillan and his group to the game.

That reason was called Croma - more information on Mary! And she was alive!

To my dismay, it seemed the entire school had decided to come, too. The bleachers were packed with screaming fanboys and cheering fangirls. Some had gone all-out, painting their faces school colors and bringing posters to cheer on a team. Funny enough, it was only a casual game.

Delta, Fango, and Dillan all sat down, grinning down at the players in front of the bleachers. I followed behind them, distancing myself just enough to have a gap between the boys and I, and Oliver followed closely behind me. The April rain drummed on the roof outside like furious, never-ending fists of liquid. It was only a murmer over the headache-inducing screaming of basketball fans, but still recognizeable.

I glanced behind me. Rows of people erupted into primitive shrieks, and I clasped my hands over my ears to muffle them. Why do I hate sports and people? This is one of the many reasons.

We were sitting in the middle of the bleachers, watching volunteers show off their skills in basketball. Rain drummed against the roof of the gym harder still, and a pipe leaked loose close to the boy's locker room. It was only the five of us - me, Dillan, Delta, Fango, and Oliver - sitting there. The old guys of Dillan's clique had been kicked out, losing their popularity as much as their title. As far as I had seen, they weren't in the gym, either.

"They were assholes anyway," Dillan had explained. "They were only my friends because I was popular, and fought over the chicks I turned down. Seriosuly, I have no regrets."

Being in the 'it' crowd was uncomfortable. Boys in the school had had no problem checking me out before, but now I had people asking me out and flirting with me. It took all my willpower and an overprotective Oliver to keep me from flinging them into the wall with my air. Used to, Dillan and his gang had only spent lunch with me. Now, it was an all-day thing, and everyone in Millton knew. Girls wanted to be me, guys wanted to see me. It was the daydream of any other girl my age.

I hated it.

Sitting against the seat behind me, I lifted my elbows to it and sighed. At least I am with the crowd of popular guys and not girls... That would be Hell. Shuddering, I pictured the three boys as stereotype females, obsessed with makeup and weight loss and magazines, indulging in boy bands and fashion. Then again, with fashion, it was hard to picture Delta's enthusiasm about shoes to be any stronger than it was.

Delta Waters, listening to a high-heeled shoe and comparing it with a tennis shoe. His shoulders up so he can listen to both. He is speaking shoe. It is his most fluent language. My lips trempled with the urge to smile.

And Fango Mills. What would he love? Ah, he'd be the boy-band type. Writing weird fan-fictions about his favorite singer. Uhm, he'd

My eyes skipped from player to player as they dribbled the ball. One tossed it into a basket, causing more sheers and annoying screaming to echo around me. I was not familiar with the sport, and so each and every movement was foreign and meant nothing to me. The other boys seemed to be enjoying themselves and understanding it, though. I don't get it. They're just hitting the floor and shouting. Seems primitive, if you ask me.

Mary didn't like sports that much, either... I slouched a bit, dipping my head towards my shoes. I'd enjoy myself if I was with her here. We could talk and ignore this stupid game. Ignore everything and talk about acting and music. We wouldn't even be here, actually. We'd be in the forest.