New Edit: Guys, you'd notice that among the chapter list, there are new new ones; exclusive chapters also known as Story Branches. So after reading this part, if you want to see an alternative side to which this chapter could have gone, then you absolutely need to read the branched part.

Preview of the the Chapter 28 story branch: Instead of Israel leaving the stadium in anger, he goes to confront Sky and the girls.

I swallow again, my eyes lowering to his lips. Thankfully they had no trace of orange on them and still looked their as soft, as beautiful and as pink. "I-" my eyes moved back to him and now they looked darker and electrified. "I don't really know."

Sky got impossibly closer and I stopped breathing but not in the bad, panic attack way. I barely heard what he said next, his voice coming out as barely a whisper. "Want to find out?"

I don't control my head when I nod and Sky waste no time, with his hands still cupping my face, he brings his lips down...

Please check out the story branch for more juicy details. x

*

° you have to stop
searching for why at some point.
you have to leave it be. °

Chapter 28

The stadium is completely packed full with people and I'm honestly so confused, half the popcorn I bought for the game spilled on my way to my seat, the people are so loud and rowdy. What's there to be excited about concerning football?

I've been to the stadium before, it's the only stadium in town and many different sport were played here. Today it was football, Sky's football. When I was at the stadium, it was for some royal holiday celebration. The place was packed full too and rowdy but not this rowdy. Some people even had Jersey colours painted on them.

As soon my butt hit the seat and I got comfortable, I bring out my phone to text him. Hey, I am here. The millionth seat or something.

Sky text's back after four minutes — Aw, Israel you didn't really have to come. I might not even get to play.

I smile and text back a reply — I'm just keeping my word. You're watching golf with me next.

This time his reply is immediate — okay, then. Thanks and keep your eyes open.

I will. I pocket my phone and try to look down at the field. There's no one there yet, except referees and some guy in suits. I almost finish eating up all my popcorn before the players start coming out in a long line. Just then my phone vibrates. It can't be Sky texting since he's coming out now in the field, looking all handsome and put together.

It's Jamal — Issy, come pick me up after the game over. Dad bailed on me.

I sigh, calling Mal's dad a Good-for-nothing in my head, then I quickly do the sign of the cross and apologize for doing it. I text Jamal back, promising to come pick him up after the game. He left school this morning with his fellow Mathlets for a quiz competition with another school. The bus took them there but their parents were supposed to pick them up. Jamal's dad failed again, sometimes I think choosing to stay with his dad was the biggest mistake he could have ever done. His mum won't bail on him, I think.

The game starts and contrary to what Sky texted, he gets on the field to play. I don't know much about football or anything even but I think he plays pretty well. He's awesome out there, running so fast, I have a hard time believing it's the same Sky I know. I can't run half as that to save my life. Especially with a ball. When he falls, I wince and when he assisted the first goal that was scored, I actually scream although mine drowns in the sea of other screams and yells.

After Sky falls a second time, the whistle is blown. He has an argument with the coach and is benched. I think he was playing pretty well but for whatever reason he's benched. I'm happy and sad about it. Happy because I don't want to see him fall again and sad because I was enjoying him play.

The rest of the game continues and I recognize some guys on the team from school. At the end, Sky's team - the boy in yellow - win the match 3 - 2. Sky is celebrating with his people and I have a big grin on my face, waiting for some people to clear the row so I'd go down. The grin slips off my face like hot cheese when I see two girls run up to Sky and one unceremoniously locks her lips on him.

I vaguely recognize them, Gina and Penny I think. My heart slows and the world could have as well stopped spinning.

Jesus!

I want to walk over to them and pull the girls off him, then land the one with her lips on him a hard slap. Get off him. Get off him. Sky pulls her off him but instead of looking repulsed or angered, he is smirking and he runs his hands over her sides and kisses her. More like a quick peck on the lips but my mouth hangs open and I can't believe I just saw that.

I thought- I can't-

I can't explain the feeling bubbling in me but I feel betrayed. I shouldn't but I do.

Once the row clears out, I basically run out of there and out to the cold night and darkening sky. My eyes sting and I blink furiously trying to remember where I parked my car. I came here for him, for Christ sakes and he kisses girls right under my nose. I know we didn't talk about our feelings but he knows how I feel about him right? I thought I knew how he feels about me too. I thought feelings like that came with an exclusive card.

Well, do I want him kissing me instead? Yes. Would I have kissed him if I was down there? No. Kissing girls is the right thing anyway, the normal thing.

My fingers fist around the steering wheel and I scream.

---

"It was mad I tell you," Jamal says, buckling in his seat belt. "Not that hard but completely mad."

"Uh-huh."

"And I completely beat Diana, hands down," he cheers, hollering and clapping his hands together.

I wince, I am having a slight headache. I take a hand off the wheel to rub two fingers on my forehead, "aren't you both in the same team?"

"Yes but like, I still won. I answered way more questions than her, you should have seen the way I was hitting the buzzer,"  he starts demonstrating with the dashboard, patting it as he speaks. "I was like bam, bam, bam!"

Despite my current mood, I manage a smile. "I'm so proud of you Mal, I always knew you were smarter."

"Exactly," he laughs, then claps me. "So are you going to tell me what's wrong now?"

I glance at him, "nothing's wrong."

"So you're not angry at something? You've been clenching the steering wheel like it is the guy that annoyed you."

"What makes you think a guy annoyed me?"

From the corner of my eye, I see him shrug. "I know. So tell me what Sky did, I didn't think you guys would have your first fight just yet."

My fingers curled tighter on the wheel, "we didn't fight."

"Did he do something to you?" He asks, then groans. "Or did you say something to him from your ass?"

"Mal," I scold, then when I see his face, I give up my resistance. I might as well just tell him, I want to tell someone. Sky has been calling me since I left the stadium, I put my phone on silent and I haven't replied his text. I feel bad for ignoring him but then I think about what I saw and I decide it's well deserved. Why should he look for me when he has Gina and Penny? Sigh. "I was at his game okay, they won three to two."

"And?" Mal prods and I run my tongue over my teeth.

"And, I saw him kissing some girls." I didn't think it was possible for my fingers to curl tighter but they did. They looked kinda white now. "Gina and Penny."

"Gina and Penny?!" Jamal exclaims.

I sigh, "well, not both of them, just one and I don't know which. Maybe he even kissed the other after I left, I don't know."

"Oh Lord," Jamal face palms.

"It doesn't bother me," I lie through my teeth. "I mean we're just friends and it's okay he kisses girls. It nothing, totally normal."

"Shut your mouth bruv," Jamal says, making me turn a bit to glare at him. "I have a hard time believing Sky kissed girls. He clearly likes you."

I shrug, the anger bubbling on the surface. "The girl kissed him first though and his was like a peck."

"A peck, Issy that's kinda nothing."

"It's not nothing," I almost yell, and a little part of my subconscious takes notice that the car got faster. "It's still a kiss and-" I never even got a peck if it's so 'nothing'.

"Issy, fine. Slow down a-"

Jamal doesn't even get to finish his sentence before the noise of sirens pierce through the cold quiet night. Echoing in our ears like song sent from hell.

"Fuck!" Jamal swears, "fuck fuck shit, it's the cops."

"W-wha-" everything starts going too fast for me that I can't think or single out any real thoughts. I want to stop and I want to drive faster.

"Israel, fuck, stop the car!"

And I do. I stop the car, right there and then, so sudden it makes us jerk alarmingly forward, stopping right in the middle of the road. My heart was hammering faster that it has ever, beating loudly in my ears and I could suddenly taste something bitter on my tongue. Dread. I don't even realize I'm sweating until a drop almost enters my eye.

"Fuck, fuck," Jamal keeps swearing while looking back. I look back too and the police car that is still screaming is now packed at the side of the road, the passengers door opening.

I quickly look back in front, almost snapping my neck in the process. My leg starts bouncing and like automatic, my brain kick starts and Mum's words flash through my brain. "Hands on the dashboard," I whisper, placing my shaking hands on the dashboard. "Hands on the dashboard Mal!"

"Yeah yeah-" he says doing what I did. He's sweating too.

I see the harsh touchlight before I see the man in the uniform. He knocks on the glass with his knuckle and I lower the glass. "Pack your car, lads."

I nod quickly, jerking into action as I start the car back and move it until I'm packed at the side of the road.

"Should I video?" Jamal whispers out, darting his eyes to me. "It's our right, right?"

I nod, "I guess but-"

The man returns to the window and I stop talking. He shines his touch in, moving from one face to another, burning our retinas. "Well, what we have here?" He asks and I don't know if he wants an answer. "What are you lads up to?"

"We were-" I start talking and so does Jamal. "It was just-"

"One person," he barks and I bite my lip to refrain from jerking or wincing or hissing.

"We are coming back from a Math quiz competition out of town," Jamal explains.

"So you decide to break the speed limit while doing that?"

"It was a mistake," I say, internally scolding myself for being a stupid teenager.

"License and ID cards," he says standing up and we quickly reach into our bags handing him our cards and I search the car for my license, giving it to him. "Any of you had alcohol?"

"No sir," I reply, I was starting to relax. He didn't seem all that harsh even though he was a white cop with two coloured teenagers. Just following protocols.

I hear Jamal shuffling around in his jacket and my heart skips. The touch returns harshly to our faces and the cop barks, "what's that? What's that?!"

"I- I was just trying to-" Jamal is silenced by the next bark that sends chills down my back.

"Get down from the car! Get out of the fucking car!"

Oh God. We immediately do as he says, I almost fall once my feet touches the ground. I feel so weak like my legs can't hold me. Please Jesus, don't let anything happen to us.

"Body against the car, hands on the roof!" He yells, he seems mad now and trying to count my heart beat is a futile act as it feels like there's little pause. The cop walks to the other side of the car, Jamal's side. "What was that?!"

"Nothing, I was trying to bring out my phone!" Jamal cries out and I actually start crying, I'm so scared, I can feel it in my bones.

The next minutes go by really fast for me as the officier searches us slowly, patting down every pockets and opening every jacket. When he's satisfied searching us, he searches the car. I know there's nothing in there but still my heart remains in my throat in fright. This day couldn't get anymore worst.

After he's done with the search, he scolds Jamal, then scolds us both leaving us with a warning and a speed ticket. We barely went above the speed limit for five minutes. It could have gone more worst he says, he could've taken us back to the station for an alcohol test.

As we drive away, I wonder if this would have been the same experience if we were both white boys. I don't know. I know if he was being normal with us or a bit much. I don't know anything and I'm just super grateful nothing happened to us both and we left there unscathed. We drive for a few minutes before I stop, my hands were still shaking. Jamal pulls me into a hug then, I don't know who amongst us is shaking more.

I keep thanking God and praying in my mind until I drop Jamal off at his house and drive back to mine.

"Israel, you back?" Mum yells out from the kitchen and I hear Nessa's door bang close from upstairs, her feet on the floor as she runs down.

Mum leaves the kitchen, toweling her hands just as Nessa appears on the stairs, saying something. "Is, where have you been? Sky came-" She stops talking.

I just stand there, not believing what just happened on the road and the miracle that I am back home safe with my family. I could still feel the residue fear in my bones, they slightly ached.

"Is?"

"Israel," mum tosses the towel to the ground, running up to me. "What's wrong?"

It comes pouring out then. The tears I managed to trap in, the fear and the grateful all pouring out of me. "Mum-" I reach out and hug her as tight as I could. Happy to be with her again complete. Happy that all the stories didn't come through with me this night. Happy that I am not going to be one of the stories.

Mum hugs me back and I can just imagine the confused worried look on her face as she pats me, humming something in my ears.

I recount everything to them and mum starts crying in relief, understanding why I behaved the way I did. While Nessa just has a neutral face on. We prayed, thanking God for his Mercy. After which I ate the little I could for dinner and went up my room.

I can't sleep. I keep thinking about the experience on the road. Anytime I close my eyes, the harsh glare of the touch light would be there scaring me awake. I thought about the fear we had then, I thought about the cop's loud voice. I thought about his search on my car. What if he had found something? What if instead of telling us to relax on the car, he shoved us to the ground, cuffing us up. What if one of us resisted?

Would I even drive again? I did break the speed limit intentionally or not. I was deserving of that then, right?

I think about movies like The Hate You Give, American son, See you yesterday... And it just gets worst. Getting off the bed, I go to my drawer and search among the things there, sighing in relief when my hand finds the small pill bottle. Darcy's pills. I swallow three of it, falling back on my bed and waiting for the cold embrace of sleep.

I'm okay, that's all that matters now.

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It happens, it happens. Way worst than that. And yeah, the cops are sometimes just doing their jobs but it can't hurt to be way more kinder with less harsher voices. Also just because it happened in the movies and it happens to some people doesn't mean it will happen to you, try to stay calm if you ever find yourself in such a situation.

Be careful on the road people, always try to be of the best behavior and have all your documents with you always. Don't drink and drive and if you know you're gonna have a heated discussion that might affect you behind the wheel, then park and talk. Change beings with YOU and YOU and ME. It's on us to make the world a better place.

#BlackLivesMatter #NoLivesMattersUntilEveryLifeStartsToMatter.

Y'all would love the next chapter, x.

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