April

"Hey, how did Aunt Soo Hee let you come to the party?" Ha RI asked, her curiosity written all over her face.

"She's in Busan dealing with some paperwork," I replied, pulling my socks up to my knees. "Really? Is she selling that house?"

"Yeah, I think so," I confirmed. Exiting the changing room, we geared up for our final basketball tournament of the day. Ha Ri and I had been on the same team since middle school, and our winning streak was often credited to her long legs.

"Hurry up, I'm waiting downstairs!" she called out as she headed off for warm-ups, as I still tackle the task of tying my shoelaces. As the tournament started and we got ready to play, our captain, Shin Ha Ri, gave me a look that said, "Be ready." I crouched down and kept my eyes fixed on the ball. Even though I felt excited, I also felt a bit nervous in my stomach. It was only my second time playing basketball in a long time, so I told myself not to think too much and just focus on the game. The whistle blew and the only good player on our opposite team passed the ball, ha ri approached her and I ran off for her backup. She passed the ball to me and I shot.

As the ball sailed through the air, I felt a surge of excitement. The swish of the net confirmed what I already knew.

It's a Goal!

Ha Ri's grin was contagious as she bounded over, her long legs eating up the distance effortlessly.

 "Nice one!" she exclaimed, high-fiving me as we exchanged a glance of understanding. We have been through countless games together, and our teamwork on the court is unmatched.The tingle in my stomach becomes a little vibrant. It’s weird I just did my first goal. We changed our positions, it's our turn to toss the ball first.

The whistle blew once more! I quickly passed the ball to one of our teammates who charged ahead, then swiftly returned it to me. All eyes were on Ha RI, ready to make the shot. I made a move forward, but an opponent blocked my path. In a split-second decision, I threaded the ball between her legs and dashed towards the goal.

 Suddenly, a jolt spark through my brain! She intercepted the ball, and the next thing I knew, their team erupted in cheers for their first goal.

"Hey, meyers!” It was Ha RI's voice the third thing I heard, I realized I got stuck on my feet by her voice.

She ran towards me.

"What did you do? That was our goal!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing as if she were shouting in a valley. I glanced at her, puzzled. Why was she shouting? I'm fine. I'm fine! My gaze shifted to her hair, a beautiful caramel brown. But suddenly, it seemed to morph into neon colors. When did she dye her hair? "April!" she called out my name, snapping me back to reality. When did I ever lose my senses like this?

Everything was fine, I looked around and looked at her.

"Hey, are you alright?" Why is she saying that? " If you're not feeling right you can rest," she said shrugging my shoulders with a concerned look.

" I am fine dude what's wrong with you?" I said plainly and she looked at me weirdly.

"Okay" she stretched the okay in her usual way and we took positions again.

With the score tied, we needed two more goals to win. Ha Ri signaled for me to cover the defender on her so she could score. When the whistle blew, Eun Ji passed me the ball. Two opponents rushed at me from one side, while Ha Ri waited on the other. I ran fast, crouching low to dodge one defender, but another blocked my way. So, I passed the ball back to Eun Ji. She did a tricky move that confused the opponents for a moment spinning around and darting backward,. Then, she passed the ball to Ha Ri, setting her up for a shot at the goal.

The expressions on the faces of the opposing team were priceless; they had been our rivals, and the team in blue had always been the champions of the school until Ha Ri and I joined.

The whole gymnasium was full of cheers and excitement, with students waving banners in support. I circled my eyes in the gymnasium and at a pretty distance I noticed a figure standing at a distance, looking tiny from where I stood. It was him. his hands casually tucked into his pockets. I hadn't seen him since the party a week ago, and now his face appeared somewhat blurred as I tried to focus on him. But before I could dwell on it further, the first buzzer snapped me back to reality, and I hurried to take my position on the court

It was our final goal, but I wonder if he watching since the beginning, why am I thinking about him right now? I shake my head at the thought. I need to focus on putting that big brown ball in the hoop because if not then ha ri will surely kill me.

The last whistle blows. My anxiety rises.

Players dribble the ball, passing it between teammates, while the crowd cheers on. I hear player's Sneakers squeak on the polished floor as I sprint back and forth, aiming for the hoop. Ha ri passed the ball to me throwing it backward. My pulse rose as I dribbled down the court, the crowd's roar became a distant hum. With each step, the tension increases between me and the defender. My heart pounded in rhythm with the noise that my sneakers made against the polished floor of the court. The defender dashed onto me, but I smoothly sidestepped her, driving toward the hoop.

I saw time getting slower as I launched into the air, the ball leaving my fingertips with a perfect arc. It feels like a movie playing in front of my eyes. The entire gym fell silent for a split second before erupting into cheers as the ball swished through the net smoothly like a perfect bite of cake. A rush of adrenaline surged through me as I landed, my teammates jumped on me to congratulate and I almost fell to the ground. I heard Ha Ri teasing the opposite team players.

"Boo princess go home and fix your nails" we all laughed as we saw their crying faces backing off. Then they all swing me in the air in their arms.

Another victory!

It's the last game we played in high school as we all going to pass out in a few months.

Their roar of happiness, and tears of excitement, all make me question the future and as I start drowning in my thoughts my smile vanishes with a little streak of pain in my head.

The team put me down and rushed towards the celebration to hold the final trophy. But my vision became more blurred, suddenly I felt that all the cheers started to turn into screams.

I back off separate myself from the team and immediately go towards the seats, drinking some water might do something, and with that thought, I chugged down the whole water bottle without realizing, that half of the water spilled and wet my whole shirt, now I feel the water and my sweat mixing under my shirt. I feel like something suffocating my throat so I start breathing heavily.

The world feels like it's spinning, or maybe it's just my head spinning. The voices around me are getting louder, and I hate loud noises. They remind me of that awful night... The night of the gunshot. My parents...

Suddenly, a vivid image of them appears before my eyes, kneeling by a creek, pleading for their lives. But he shoots them anyway.

BANG!

I scream at the image, seeing my mother's brain splatter on the carpet. "Mom!!!" I cry out, lunging forward to hold her, but I slip down the stairs.

Then, out of nowhere, someone grabs me by the waist, stopping me from falling. I don't know who it is. I don't know anything anymore.

"April!" A voice calls out to me, but I can't place it. Whose voice is that?

 "April," my mother's voice echoes in my mind.

"MOM!" I scream in anguish.

BANG! Another gunshot rings out.

"NO!!! LET ME GO!" I struggle to break free, desperate to save her, but the grip around me only tightens.

 "April, it's me," Ha RI’s voice breaks through the chaos. "Please, stop."

"NO!!! LET ME GO!" I continue to fight, scratching at the hands restraining me. I don't care who gets hurt. They killed them! Then,  I heard more gunshots in a row.

Three.

Four

 Five.

I scream, covering my ears, and drowning out the horrific sounds.

"APRIL!!!" A loud, deep voice cut through the chaos, snapping me back to reality. It was him. He shook me forcefully, urging me to focus.

"Look at me... please," he shouted. I obeyed, meeting his gaze, and in his eyes, the haunting image of that bloody night dissolved in his eyes. It was him. Those clouded grey eyes belonged to him. He gently placed his hand on my neck, and I felt the warmth of his touch soothing me. When did he arrive here? I glanced around, realizing that the entire gymnasium was staring at me.

My head started spinning again, and then everything faded to black.