Kiss of A Titan

Linder caught sight of me as I left the crowd. He was quick to recognize me since he was also there with Richard when I fell into the pool at Richard's party. Then he lost focus of the game and grabbed hold of Richard's left arm.

"Isn't that the girl who fell into the pool at the party we held at your place?", Linder questioned looking in my direction. Richard followed his gaze and saw me taking a descent through the crowd before arriving at the bottom sidelines of the broad field.

"Yes, I.... guess that's her..", Richard replied watching me leave the arena till I was out of sight, "Obviously, she had come to watch the game", He mumbled, feeling a bit distraught over what happened at his house. "Yes, she did, with someone else, I think", "Who?",

"That girl over there wearing a black T-shirt", Linder answered, gesturing at Amanda with his eyes.

"Her?", "Yeah, I thought she'd come to game with the blonde one but she came with this one instead", "She looks quite familiar", "Yes, she does. She was also there when it happened", Linder explained further and before Richard could voice out his opinion, the crowd roared wildly as the home team scored a point against their fierce opponent to equalize the game. Linder ecstatically joined the crowd of supports in whistling wildly to the empty wind but Richard wasn't too amused or delighted to join in the fun and remained seated where he sat beside his close friend.

Shortly, the rippling shout died off and everybody went back to sit on their seats at the stand Richard's mind suddenly flashed on traced of the previous memory about the incident but he was too ignorant to be reminded of the victim that very day when it all happened in front of his eyes like the way he kept peering at the Lacrosse players in a sort of way that he didn't feel the pain of the sunlight bearing down in his face as well as everyone who was watching the game from the stand.

Both friends kept watching the game go on but it wasn't until some crazy thought popped into Linder's mind that he got distracted again from watching the Lacrosse players. I wasn't back yet and Amanda was getting a bit anxious about my delay.

"Richard, I suggest we change our seats", "You sure about changing seats because I feel totally comfortable where I am sitting", "I still think we need to get a better view from that end", Linder replied pointing out the row where Amanda and I had been seated down ever since the games started.

Richard looked at the row Linder was indicating and quickly caught on with what Linder had in mind.

"Oh, I see what's going on here", "I don't quite get you, What do you see, Dude?", "Linder, it's not happening", "Be lucid here", "You're bent on changing your seats because of those girls, aren't you?", Richard asked, hitting the nail on the head. A sudden flush of anxiety caught Linder unawares instantly and he didn't know when his countenance betrayed right there.

Linder stole a guilty look around the crowd to see if anyone else was listening to their conversation and timidly looked away to avoid Richard's stare. Linder quickly noticed that his buddy had understood his intentions but he quickly adjusted his countenance that went surprisingly cold.

"That's not what I intended to do", he whispered but Richard shrugged.

"You're lying", "No, I'm....not", Linder answered convincingly but his eyes betrayed him.

"You better come clean and tell the damn truth. You really don't have to lie to me of your intentions on getting acquainted", "Fine, you're right but It's not a bad idea to get to know those girls, besides one of them attends the same class with you", "How did you know that she does?",

Richard felt surprised at Linder's discovery and asked once again,

"Have you been snooping around lately?", None of his other teammates with the likes Clyde have ever thought it out to stalk me ever since the incident at Richard's mansion except for Linder. Somehow he got to know a few of my daily routines in school and not only was Richard surprised at this but he was bewildered to know that Linder could be a stalker. A habit he didn't know Linder had inside of him until now.

"Kind of but all I did was to find out which classes she attends and remarkably, it turned out to be yours", "So, what's the big deal, huh?", Richard questioned indifferently but Linder intently chose not to answer his question. "Come on, dude. Aren't you interested in her?"

"Interested? In what way?", "Don't play dumb with me. Clyde told me that you've met her before", "So?", "It's only right that you get acquainted, at least, now that you and Lori aren't a thing anymore",

"I don't see where you are going with this", Linder sighed, feeling too tired to explain his thoughts to his best friend.

"Let's just go ahead with this", "And why do we wanna do that?", "I don't know but I feel it's best we get to know them", Linder said getting up to leave and stood up instead of going.

"You wanna come or....are you bent on staying?", Linder asked, looking down at Richard. Despite knowing that he was obstructing the view two fans watching the game above their seats behind him, he waited for Richard to make up his mind but Richard disappointed him. Richard contemplated hard if it would be in his interest to comply with Linder's request, ruminating about the fact he had intently avoided me on purpose since he knew part of his cold heart had somehow gotten attached without him realizing it and he didn't like that feeling nor did he want to embrace it either but felt it best to keep his distance.

He had come to accept an inevitable realization in his life and that was the heartbreaking fact that he wasn't going to find happiness all summer and he didn't want to get his hopes of doing better in his relationship with others too high for it to get shattered again like his father did to him prior before the school resumption.

He took his time to look at Linder and felt inclined to listen to him.

"This isn't my idea and if anything goes wrong, it's on you", Richard said and stood up from his seat as well.

"I've heard you loud and clear", Linder replied and embraced Richard instead of leading the way to where Amanda sat down staring at the other end of the stand to see if I had returned back with the smoothies I wanted to procure for the two of us.

"Hey! You two! Get the hell out of my face!", One of the two fans yelled at Linder and Richard. People started looking in their direction, hoping to find out what the cause of the ruckus was all about but the two buddies were unfazed by the cold stare they received from the angry fans, most of whom were dressed up in the home teams jersey.

"Shut the hell up, fat-face", Linder cursed and Richard was wise enough to push Linder forward to prevent a brawl to occur between them.

They both find their way to where Amanda sat down. They didn't mind if their unwarranted movements created a whole lot of uneasiness on the way down to sit a bit closer to Amanda on the right.

Amanda was somewhat perplexed as well as bewildered to see Linder and Richard sit beside her though an empty seat bridged the gap in between her and Linder.

Whilst she kept staring at them, the two boys pretended as though they were watching the game and Amanda was smart enough to notice the false impression Linder was putting on an act rather than being focused on the ongoing game like the other fans watching the game.

Few minutes afterwards, she sighted me coming from the far end carrying along two smoothies with both hands. It occurred to her that the empty seat was mine and I would most likely sit down there when I would get to where she was with Linder and Richard sitting beside her under the pretext of watching the game. Then she suddenly changed her seat and sat down on the seat she sat earlier next to me instead. Linder noticed this and a smirk appeared on the right corner of his lips very much oblivious to Amanda who already saw me making my way to return to my seat in the audience.

No sooner had I covered a distance in the midst of the crowd and where I was, making my way through the crowd, I spotted Richard and Linder sitting comfortably beside Amanda whose focus on the game had left her ever since she saw the two boys.

I wanted to stop and go somewhere else, recalling every bit of shame I endured at Richard's mansion and I never thought he would have the nerve to show up at such a place where I wanted to relax myself to forget all that had happened but someone urged me to go on.

I had no choice but to comply. With ease, I slowly made my way through the crowd and finally arrived at where Amanda had shifted herself away for me to sit down. I quietly took down my seat knowing well it previously belonged to Amanda. "Here's your smoothie", I said to her, stretching forth the smoothie towards Amanda.

"Thanks", She appreciated it and went back to continue discussion with Linder.

"So, you're saying Lacrosse isn't better than athletics", "Logically speaking, yes, it's a good spot but lacks the widespread patronages of football and Irish Rugby", "I don't believe you. You only criticize this kind of sport that cuz you're an athlete and your handsome friends is too", Amanda remarked, sipping her drink for the first time.

"You have to believe me. My criticism of this sport doesn't necessarily has to do with me, being an athlete", "Really?, Then where's your opinion coming from?", "From researched facts and of course, the internet", Linder replied and Amanda suddenly burst into a wild laughter. Richard and I, who wasn't part of the conversation, quickly got curious at Amanda's hysterical laughter.

"Now that's ridiculous", "Sounds like it but it isn't", "What makes you so sure?", "Like I said, I have read articles about it", "And you sincerely believe Lacrosse is vanishing from our American society, is that it?", "Absolutely", Linder replied, fixing his gaze on her and watching Amanda drink two rounds of her smoothie. I had barely touched mine and Richard was still distracted with the ongoing game that was about reaching its end. I didn't quite noticed how long before the game ended, Linder and Amanda kept talking to each other since I was feeling upset inside rather than the feeling of thrilling excitement I had at the earliest of the game but I could remember Linder whispering something into Richard's ear and getting up from his seat at the recognition of one of the teammates having a chat with the coach of the Lacrosse team.

The three of us saw Linder descend slowly to the bottom of the sidelines and saw him making his way to some random guy in a black anorak and green pants.

"Who the hell is he going to meet all of a sudden?" Amanda asked, feeling abandoned at that moment.

She was asking no one in particular but Richard felt inclined to satisfy her curiosity.

"Tyler", He said, not too sure of how the name sounded in his mouth

"Who?", "I said he went to meet Tyler", "Tyler? What for?", "No idea", Richard replied and he caught a glimpse of my eye staring at him. We both felt a flush of nervousness and my heart skipped a bit when I saw him even though I was really mad at him.

He too felt this same way but he was quick to suppress the feeling and fixed his gaze at the players on the field even stronger than before. I stole one last glance at Richard but he kept adhering to his silence more profoundly than before. Then I looked down and didn't see any sign of Linder nor did I see Tyler whom Richard pointed out to be the strange guy Linder was going to meet. Linder had called him aside to the courtyard of the school vicinity and they had both walked a couple of distances away from the school field to settle their dispute.

"You got the darn nerve to show yourself after what you did, huh?", Linder warned as soon as they stopped to talk. What had happened at his house was something he had to keep under wraps to avoid the spread of gossip and He didn't want to implicate the entire for his teammates because of the incident at his parents' house though the girls in his team knew about it.

"Look, man, I'm innocent and I'm sorry. It isn't my fault she ended up that way", "She could have died and your sorry ass might not have been able to bring her back", Linder retorted harshly.

"But she didn't, so, enough with the blame already", Tyler pleaded. Linder felt frustrated and anger the same for hesitating to unleash his temper on Tyler.

"If only you weren't a teammate, I would have gotten you sued in court for your ignoble actions,", "I know I deserved to be behind bars but please, don't hold it all out against me. I'm still reflecting on my actions even though I acted in self defense", "Screw that. You wanted to get into her pants so bad but she won't let you and you tried to kill her, huh", "That's not the truth and you know it!" Tyler yelled as soon as his face turned red at Linder's insult. Before the final whistle, Richard left to go find Linder and it was only after the Lacrosse game finally ended that I realized that I didn't drink my smoothie. I was feeling downcast because of Richard and as we left the school field, Amanda offered to drink it in my stead and I gave it to her instead. Seeing Richard was a stark reminder of the harsh humiliation I haven't washed off from my thoughts yet.

Soon the match ended with a lucky win from the home team when the referee signaled the end of the game with his whistle and every fan left the stand as it was concluded. On our way out of the school vicinity, Amanda knew something was wrong with me when I gladly accepted her offer.

"It's better not to waste it", she said drinking the smoothie as we trekked to the front perimeter of the school with a whole lot of the other fans trailing behind us.

"Sweet" she remarked after taking a sip from the smoothie and looked at me. She saw that I was utterly depressed and my countenance too disfigured to look at. "Tell me what's the matter with you", she inquired, "You weren't behaving like this when the games started", "I...just want to go home", "Are you such a sissy?", "A what?", "Come on, deal with it. I know you're acting all weird because what happened in front of Richard", I didn't say anything but I looked away from her more despondent than ever.

"Chloe won't be happy to hear this. It happens sometimes and it is your job to forget about it. It wasn't your fault, anyway", she said and put her hands across my shoulder. As we got a bit closer to the front courtyard of the school; I stopped walking and saw something peculiar. Amanda saw it too and we were surprised to see Richard breaking a squabble between Linder and Tyler.

From the look of things, It was obvious to me that the squabble must have erupted because of what I witnessed at the held at Linder's house.

"Darn it. What would they be fighting about?", "I don't know but I'm sure it has something to do with what Tyler did", "What did he do?", Amanda asked curiously as she put her hand around me.

"I'm not completely sure who's really at fault but from what I saw, he got into a fight with Linder's sister and then she ended up being taken to the hospital after fainting but stained with traces of her own blood", I explained and Amanda's gaze went horrid. She looked at me and then back at the trio tussling in a squabble in the distance.

"Then he's guilty. Where did it happen?", "At her party but from the way things were when we saw them, it was the other way around", "As far he's still in a good shape, he's the culprit", "Most likely though....I didn't quite hear the full story from those were at the scene", I replied and kept walking. Richard by now had succeeded in quelling the tense fight but was having difficulty getting hold of his best friend.

"I don't believe that guy is such a sadistic loser for him to have hurt somebody let alone Linder's younger sister", "Let's not jump to conclusions just yet. It's better if we confirm the truth before condemning someone unjustly", I said in Tyler's defense and Amanda gave me a confused look.

"Why are you staring at me like that?

"I never thought you would be the least to defend a guilty man", "I ain't defending him....I'm just want us to be on the safer side", "There's no safer side when it comes to pointing fingers. He's guilty even though he actually did it or not", Amanda replied and walking briskly ahead of me who seemed more interested in watching the three boys fight themselves than to listen to Amanda's speculations. Because I was curious to watch the fight, I had fallen far behind Amanda and she soon noticed that I was engrossed in the duel and was highly reluctant to follow her.

"Rosalie, you're coming?" she asked from afar and my focus on Richard and his friends was disrupted at that moment.

"Yes...I am", I stuttered after realizing that she had caught me red-handedly, watching Tyler trying to draw himself away from the fight which was obviously in Linder's favor.

It was unpleasant to watch Richard pulling Linder away from hitting Tyler with his fist but in the end, Richard was able to prevent the squabble from happening which would have ended badly with injuries and bruises on the contenders. After we all left for our houses, Linder explained to Richard what had happened to his sister at the home party Richard himself had refused to attend. On hearing about it, Richard received the news with mixed feelings rather than being ignorantly angry like the way Linder had been since his sister got admitted.