Dave strolled into the locker room, to use the washroom, only to find KC clenching his stomach, curled up in a ball on the ground. He ran to his side, as he screamed, "Help, somebody help me," hoping that roars of the gym wouldn't muffle his screams.
KC face was slowly turning grey, his body was growing colder, "KC what happened?" Dave was so scared, he didn't understand what was going on. He held back the tears that were coming on quick. This wasn't the time to breakdown.
"Everything will be better now," KC said, in a voice no louder than a whisper; his breathing was shallow.
"What will be?" What was he talking about, Dave wondered. What would be better; cause he couldn't see how couldn't understand how everything would be better now. His best friend was dying in his arms and there was nothing he could do.
"Tell Clare I love her always and forever," he said, before his eyes closed shut.
"KC wake up, wake up," he cried, shaking him, trying to stop him from fading away.
This is the new Varsity Basketball Coach Carson" Mr Armstrong said introducing him to the bunch of boys, before leaving them be.
"I don't care how long you've been on this team, that's not what gets you a starting position on the line up. I choose players by their hard work, dedication and talent."
He walked back and forth taking a look at them, "Now we're going to start with a scrimmage, so I can see what you guys have got."
"Guthrie," he called out as everyone left back to the locker room. "You need to work on that jump shot, it's a little weak from the left side of the key."
"Okay," he was always happy to hear of ways to improve his game.
"If you like I can always help you with it," he smiled.
"Really," surprised that a teach was so eager to help him out. In his life there were very few willing to help him out, especially after they find out his past. After that point they usually treat him rather different.
"Yeah, you're one of my best players. I want to make you a stronger player, especially as you're one of my youngest."
"Thanks," he smiled.
"How about tomorrow after practice?"
Darn, he thought to himself. That wasn't a good day."Tomorrow's no good, my girlfriend and I have plans."
"You want to be a better player don't you?"
"Of course."
"Well then you need to practice. I'm sure you girlfriend will understand, if she cares about you. If not then there are defiantly plenty of fish in the sea, ones that are defiantly better looking then her too."
"You're always blowing me off lately for your coach, and I'm sick of it," Clare yelled. Frustrated that he never seemed to have time for her anymore.
"Well I'm trying to better myself, I thought 'you' of all people would understand that. I'm sick of what others think of me. Believing I won't amount to nothing. Well I'm going to show them," he shouted.
"So I don't count anymore. My feelings don't mean anything?" this wasn't the same KC she fell for, the thoughtful, and kind guy, no this guy was careless of her feelings.
"I didn't say that," wondering why she couldn't see where he was coming from.
"Oh then what are you saying, cause it seems all you can talk about is about that precious 'coach', when we're together. Instead of how I'm doing? You miles not even be here"
"Grow up!"
"ARH........." she stormed out his door, not looking back.
KC picked up the nearest itemed and threw it at the wall.
KC spun his neck around, trying to stretch it out, after a long work out with the coach. He sat down, and quenched his thirst.
"You look tense, let me take care of that." Before KC could respond, the coach was massaging his shoulders, his back. "You've really improved KC, won't be too long before you're the star," the coach said,
KC began to feel uncomfortable. But he was unsure what to do about it. He trusted this guy, and he didn't want to lost his help, but something about the way he was touching him didn't seem right.
He quickly got up, moving away from him. "Thanks again for helping me. I've gotta head out now, I can't be late for dinner."
"See you tomorrow."
As KC walked away quicker then normal; he kept telling himself that he was overreacting. The coach probably didn't want him to be stiff tomorrow for the game; the way it made him feel dirty, was all in his head.
Clare noticed that KC didn't seem to be paying attention to their project. He was zoned out, he had been like this since he arrived at her house. Something had changed, but she was unsure what.
"Is something wrong KC?" she asked concerned.
"No," he lied. "I guess I'm just tired from all this extra time I'm putting into practicing. So where were we?" looking down at the work in front of them.
"How about we take a break?" believing he could use it.
"Alright. I'm sorry Clare that I'm not more here tonight." he felt bad because he had promised her he would be more attentive.
"It's alright."
"No it's not, you deserve better then the way that I've been treating you."
Jenna and KC were playing one on one in the court. Jenna had begged him to teach her how to play. But it really was just a chance to get real close to him. Everyone could see she had a crush on him, but him, well at least he refused to see it.
Jenna tripped over KC's foot as she was trying to get by him with the ball, causing them both to fall; her on top of him.
She looked into his eyes before leaning down and kiss him.
KC didn't know what to do, how to respond, he was in shock. She was suppose to be Clare's friend, but she here she was kissing him.
"KC," Clare muttered, in shock. She couldn't believe her eyes, her boyfriend kissing her supposed best friend. What a tramp, she thought. She wanted to rip her hair out.
KC jumped up, causing Jenna to hit the ground. "Clare!" His worse fear of happening at this moment had come true. She had showed up at the wrong moment.
Clare slowly backed up, as tears formed in her eyes. She was devastated.
KC's heart broke at the sight of her crying. He had never wanted to hurt her. She was the one true good thing in his life. He walked closer to her, putting his hands out towards her, to try to stop her, "It's not what you think?" And it really wasn't, just bad timing.
"LIAR!" she roared. "I HATE YOU!"
"I didn't...." he tried to explain before she cut him off.
"I don't want to hear it. You stay away from me KC. We're through, you hear me, through."
With that she was gone. And KC was left to plunder what just happened. Tears ran down his face, as he watched her walk away from him, from them.
He stormed off before Jenna could say anything to him. He wasn't about to hear anything she had to say. She had just ruined his life, and that wasn't something he would easily get over.
KC was the last one out of the shower after practice. By the time he got out there was no one was left in the locker room. He was in just his towel, coming to grab his clothing out of his locker.
He hadn't heard anyone come in.
Coach Carson came up behind him. KC just froze at his touch.
"You know, everyone needs a little practice so they can be good at pleasing their ladies."
KC heart was beating real fast, and he tried so hard not to cry. It all happened so fast, KC was unsure how to stop it.
*******************
KC rushed out of the locker room, never looking back. Tears fell from his eyes, as he thought of what just happened, it made him want to puke. On his way out the door he bumped into Clare, almost knocking her to the ground.
He didn't even stop to help her pick up her books like something he would usually do. He just needed to get out of there as soon as possible, in hopes of not seeing him again.
Clare watched him as he rushed out the front doors. She noticed the fear, and sadness written on his face. And something in her gut told her something was wrong.
But instead of running after him like she usually would, she let him go. She let her anger for him get the best of her.
KC laid in a ball on his bed. He hadn't moved since he came home. He declined to eating that night. They had wanted to take his tempeture, wanting to make sure that he wasn't sick. But he lied, and said that that coach had bought them something after practice.
He wanted to sleep but everytime he saw his face, the images of the encounter. But he couldn't seem to get away from it when he was awake either.
He could feel the bile slowly coming up his throat. He quickly got up, and puked in his garbage can.
He laid down on the cool floor of his room, curled back in a ball. And began to bawl.
"KC will start tonight," the coach said.
KC just sat there, not saying a thing. Wondering if he thought he owed him for this honor.
Carson, placed his hand on his lower back, causing KC to flinch at his touch,"You earned it."
After the coach left, "Someone the new coached pet," a fellow teammate taunted him.
"Am not," he sneared.
"Are too! We all know you've been kissing his butt to take our spots."
"Take it back!" he roared.
"Aren't we the defensive one. Got to defend out boyfriend, don't we."
It was then that KC snapped, he couldn't take it any longer. He could no longer keep in the anger he was holding, even it wasn't for the guy standing before him. He shoved him in the locker, "Now shut your mouth, and don't speak of things you know nothing of," he roared.
KC sat alone in the ravine with a bottle of whiskey, trying to drowning away the mess he made of his life, the pain he felt inside, the images that constantly haunted him.
He walked towards his locker when he saw a few officers talking to one of his teachers. His heart stopped, he began to panic, he had to get out of here. He had skipped out on his curfew, that was his last chance, they were here to take him to juvie.
Everything in his life was spiraling down a dark hole, and he didn't know how to stop it. He was so stupid, he ruined everything he touched. Everyone would be better off if he was gone.
Clare walked by, "Should you be at your 'oh' important basketball game?"
KC didn't respond.
"KC, are you alright?" she saw the same look on his face as the other day. she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.
He didn't want to be this vulnerable in front of her. He couldn't bring himself to say all that he left unsaid. He wished he did so many things different with her. "I screwed up more times to count, but hurting you was the defiantly the worse."
His hands were now trembling, Clare step forward to grab his hand, but he back away. "KC, what's going on?" pleading for him to tell her.
He shook his head, "I can't, nobody would believe me, I'm just a criminal."
"Please KC," wanting to help him.
He was already too broken to be fixed. He took a second to look at her, "Good-bye Clare."
"KC," she screamed. But he kept on walking away, not looking back again.
A tear ran down her cheek as she watched him walk away. Why did it feel like it really was good-bye, she thought.
KC grabbed the pill bottle from his locker, pouring the whole bottle in his hand. He stared at his self in the mirrors, trying to contain the tears.
This was the best for everyone. He would no longer be around to destroy peoples lives, and he would get to forget what the coach did, the pain that came from it, and scars that his parents had inflicted on him.
No more worrying at every step he made. No more lonely nights at the group home. No more worrying what he would do once he was 18, and on his own. He would be free, in a place that there was be no pain.
Clare sat in the Zen Garden, staring off at nothing in paticular. She had been lost since she had got the news. She hadn't ate, slept, or talked in a span of 48hrs, not that anyone could really blame her. This use to be the place she would wait for him after class. Those days were now gone, and she wouldn't get them back, and that thought hurt.
She blamed herself for not stopping him that day. She knew something was up, but she just never knew it was that bad, that he'd take his life. She wondered what she could have done or said to stop him.
Dave sat down beside Clare. He didn't say anything, cause he knew nothing he said would could take the pain away. He just wanted her to know that he was there.
"I never even got to tell him that I loved him; despite all that went down between us."
Dave put his arm around her, "You didn't need to tell him, he knew it already. And he wanted you to know he loves you always and forever."
Clare buried her head in his shoulder, and began to bawl her eyes out.