Chapter 21

Jessica's POV

I woke up to the blaring sound of my alarm not even realizing it was Monday morning.

Shit.

I jumped out of bed and ran into the shower.

I quickly threw on sweatpants,  a hoodie and sneakers, not really caring how I looked. I was exhausted.

I skipped breakfast grabbed my keys and ran out the door.

"Why in such a hurry?" A familiar voice that made my head snap up. And there Tyler was.. Smiling at me through the mask of her helmet. She stretched her arms out wide motioning me to come towards her.

I happily skipped over to her, returning the smile she gave me. She removed her helmet as she slowly got off her motorcycle, Kissing my cheek softly causing them to turn hot and red.

"Heyy you left me this morning!" I said pouting.

"It was a school night baby, I needed to shower, change, and check on my family."

"Is everything okay?"

"As okay as it'll get." She said with a shrug, placing her helmet back on her head.

"Cmon kid we'll be late." She said as she started the engine.

"I'm older!"

"A month doesn't count." She said with a wink a sped off.

I shook my head smiling to myself and drove off in my car.

I walked calmly into first period with a sigh of relief that Demi was no longer their. But to my surprise one of her friends, Dawson, was. Usually they followed her but he was .. Here. Maybe he decided to stop being a follower. Or maybe something is off ..

I was interrupted from my thoughts when Tyler sat on my desk.

"What's going on in that head of yours?"

"Nothing baby." I didn't bother to answer.. I didn't want to worry her especially if something wasn't wrong.

She shrugged as the teacher walked in and kisses me before returning to her seat.

I was zoned out the whole class period. Lost in my own thoughts, I drowned out the surrounding noise.

I was like this for the whole day until last period. Everyone was talking about the last basketball game of the season and I suddenly remembered that Tyler and her friend Derek had to play tonight.

The bell rung and I hurried to Tyler's locker and hugged her from behind.

"Hey hey hey what's up with the excitement?" She asked pulling me in front of her.

"Game Day!"

"Haha yeah the last season game. If we don't win that's it."

"I'll be there cheering for you." I said slowly with a wink.

"And if we win?"

"You get a uh... Winners celebration." I said twisting a piece of hair around my finger.

"If we lose?" She asked raising her eyebrow.

"Then.. I'll make you feel better."

I kissed her and walked away, leaving her there smiling like an idiot .

***

Before I knew it, it was the fourth quarter of the girls game and the score was tied 60-60.

Tyler and two other girls just checked back in with 1:34 seconds left on the clock.

Tyler wiped the bottom of her shoes and the game resumed.

The two teams went back and forth with missed shots until the clock wound down to :56.

Tyler brought the ball up the court and dished it down to the center who bought them made the score 62-60. And soon after a girl from the opposing team made 3.

It was now 63-62, :22 seconds left in the clock, and Tyler gets fouled.

With the gym completely full and the crowd going wild she was under pressure to make these two shots and luckily .. She did.

64-63 .. :22 seconds. The other team desperately tried to find a shot, only for it to get blocked by Tyler. 4 seconds left and another girl gets the ball from her and makes a shot from half court.

The crowd poured onto the gym floor except for me. I wanted to wait for her after all the uproar.

Security and the principal soon made everyone re-enter the stands so the boys game could start. I got up and walked to the door near the girls locker room.

After a minute the team came running and screaming towards the locker room. One of her teammates saw me and smiled.

"Hey y'all Tyler's getting something sweet TONIGHHT!" She exclaimed getting oohs and Ahhh from her team.

She emerged from her team with a slight limp and hugged me.

"Can I get a minute?" She said to her team. They all smirked and resumed their screams into the locker room.

"Why are you limping?" I asked eyeing her curiously.

"I landed weird after the block, plus some kid tried to jump on my back." I touched her face gently and kissed her softly.

"I'll be in the stands near the top after you get dressed baby." I said and pushes her into the locker room so she could go celebrate.

I returned to the bleachers and stared off into space, not really too interested in the game when I caught someone staring at me.. Dawson.

He didn't even bother to look away after a caught his stare but after a minute he pulled his phone out and walked out of the gym.

Now I had to tell Tyler.

A few minutes later she joined me in the stands with a huge smile on her face. But it quickly dropped when she saw my expression.

"What happened.." She asked with worry tattooed on her face.

"One of Demi's friends is still here.. And he's been eyeing me today. It's weird that he's still here cause they follow her like she's God... He was sitting across the gym and then when I caught him staring he pulled his phone out and left."

Tyler didn't bother to respond and quickly pulled out her phone calling all her friends and telling them to be outside on watch and when no one was looking she slid a pocket knife out of her page and attached it to her pants, then covered it with her jersey.

"As soon as the game ends we're going straight to your car. I'm making sure you get home untouched first. But I'm staying with you tonight, to make certain that she doesn't try anything."

Then her phone rang.

A puzzled look crossed her face as she listened to whoever was on the other line.

She slowly turned to me. "Does she have a blonde friend. Kinda tall?"

"Yes." I slightly began to worry. What was she planning?

"Everybody's outside? Where's Demi?"

She paused for a minute.

"Okay..be out front just in case."

When the fourth quarter came She grabbed my hand and we slowly exited the gym.

Dawson and the blonde girl, Nicole stood at the far end of the front wall of the school.

At the sight of them Tyler removed the knife from her pants.

Her friends made their way to the sidewalk.

Demi was nowhere in sight.

We walked to the car Dontae pulled up to the curb.

I climbed in the back as instructed by Tyler.

They all looked around anxiously then a gunshot rang out.

They all ducked on the ground and I ducked under the seat.

I peaked out and saw that Dawson and Nicole were gone.

Tyler stood up. She was the only one without a gun. The blade from her knife was drawn.

"What the hell are you doing?! Get the gun out the passenger seat!" Kayla yelled to her

She waved her off.

She stood out in the open and screamed Demi's name calling her a punk and a coward. Yelling curse words and daring her to come out.

I gulped silently. I looked in the passenger seat and saw the gun Kayla mentioned.

I slowly grabbed it and tapped on the glass of the Window of the opposite door. Motioning from him to grab it.

Everything was quiet. Everything was still. They all soon began to stand to their feet and walked towards me in the car then bang. Another gunshot.

My eyes popped out of my head in horror and I saw Tyler fall to the ground holding her side.

She screamed out in agony.

Three more shots rang out. One hit Tyler again and the others came from Dontae.

Tears flooded my eyes as I jumped out of the car and tried to run to Tyler. The crowd began to poor out of the doors and witnessed the horrific scene. Derek ran through the crowd and held Tyler in his arms. Putting pressure on her sides and begging her to stay awake. People began to call for the police. Shay and Kayla continued to try and restrain me. Tears flooding everyone's eyes. The crowd remained silent, the expressions on the face were full of shock and sadness. The principal rushed through the crowd with security and tried to help aid to Tyler.

Dontae jumped on his bike and sped off behind Demi and her friends who were trying to escape.

The ambulance finally showed up but by this point she could barely keep her eyes open. I finally broke free as the raised her body to the gurney. I grabbed Tyler's face and kissed her cheek.

"Baby say something please! Tell me you're alive please!" I pleaded with her through tears.

As they rose her into the back of the ambulance she whispered and 'I love you'.

I stood there. Shocked. Still not believing what just happened. My heart dropped. My world fell.