Zack's head turned slowly.
"What did you just say?"
His voice was low. Too low.
The guy smirked, leaning back like he had an audience—which he did.
"Want me to say that again, bruh?" he laughed. "You're a wannabe low-life with nothing going for you. That's why you walk around like you're some alpha—"
Laughter exploded around him.
Loud. Ugly. Unfiltered.
"—when really, you're just some loser that belongs to the streets."
Someone fell to the ground laughing.
Seven girls. Eight guys.
All watching.
All laughing.
Zack didn't move at first.
Then—
Something snapped.
It wasn't loud. It wasn't dramatic.
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
His blood burned. His vision tunneled. The world narrowed down to one point.
Him.
Zack walked forward.
Not rushed. Not wild.
Controlled.
That was what made it worse.
A girl stepped in front of him.
"Hey—chill—"
He didn't.
His hand shot out—fast.
Too fast.
He grabbed her by the head and slammed it into the concrete.
A sickening crack.
The laughter died instantly.
Silence swallowed everything.
Too late.
Zack was already moving.
He grabbed the guy.
Slam.
The sound of skull hitting concrete echoed like something out of a nightmare.
The guy twitched—weak—trying to push away—
Zack lifted him again.
Slam.
This time—
Nothing.
Blood spread slowly across the ground.
For a second—
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Then everything broke.
People screamed.
Some rushed him.
Some ran.
But Zack—
Zack was faster.
A punch.
A crack.
Bone.
A body dropped.
A kick—
violent—
precise—
another head hitting concrete.
One after another.
Like they weren't people.
Like they were objects.
Like he couldn't stop.
Didn't want to stop.
Didn't see them anymore.
Even the girls—
no hesitation.
No pause.
No mercy.
Concrete.
Blood.
Silence between impacts.
Until—
There was no one left standing.
Only bodies.
Still.
Unmoving.
Blood pooling beneath them.
A massacre.
Rick blinked first.
Reality snapped back into place like glass shattering.
"Oh my God—"
He grabbed Zack's arm.
"We need to go! Right now!"
Diane stood frozen.
Kelpie's hands trembled violently.
Then—
They ran.
The woods blurred around them.
Branches scratched.
Breathing was loud. Too loud.
It didn't feel real.
It felt like a dream.
A nightmare.
The car—
Where was the car—
There.
Finally.
They stumbled inside.
Doors slammed.
"Go go go go go!" Diane's voice cracked.
Rick didn't wait.
The engine roared.
The car sped off.
Too fast.
Not fast enough.
"Oh my gosh—oh my gosh—oh my gosh—" Kelpie's voice spiraled as she gripped her hair. "We're gonna get arrested—we're gonna get arrested—we're gonna get arrested—"
Her words looped.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Diane stared out the window.
Her hands wouldn't stop shaking.
Her legs felt numb.
Is this real?
What did he just do—
No.
Don't think.
Don't think.
Breathe.
In.
Out.
In—
"WHAT THE HECK WERE YOU THINKING ZACK?!" Kelpie screamed. "WE'RE GONNA GET ARRESTED—OUR LIVES ARE OVER BECAUSE OF YOU—"
"Shh—shh—"
"—Kelpie shut up!" Rick snapped, sharp and unfamiliar. "We're still on campus! You want to get caught?!"
Silence.
Heavy.
Wrong.
Kelpie flinched.
Tears spilled down her face.
Diane broke.
A sob escaped her before she could stop it.
They leaned into each other.
Shaking.
Crying.
Uncontrollably.
"Mmph…"
Pain.
Sharp.
Blinding.
His head throbbed.
His arm—
His arm was wrong.
His ears rang.
He opened his eyes.
Blurry.
Dark.
Wet.
Is that… blood?
Is that mine?
Memory hit.
Fragments.
A hand.
A slam.
Pain.
He forced himself up.
The world spun.
Bodies.
His friends.
On the ground.
Not moving.
"No…"
His voice cracked.
"No—no no no—"
The house was too quiet.
Too clean.
Too normal.
It didn't match what they had just done.
Zack stood in the doorway.
Blood covered him.
His shirt.
His jeans.
His hands.
Diane moved first.
"Shower. Now."
She didn't wait for an answer.
She grabbed his clothes.
Stuffed them into the washer.
Kelpie sniffled.
Loud in the silence.
No one spoke.
Until—
Zack.
"Look…" his voice was hoarse. "I'm sorry."
No one looked at him.
"I didn't mean to drag you into this."
Still nothing.
"But I did."
His eyes stayed on the floor.
"And whatever happens—I'll take responsibility. I won't let you guys suffer for this."
He finally looked up.
Met their eyes.
"I won't."
Kelpie wiped her face.
"Forget it," she muttered. "I said that in the moment. I'm not snitching."
Rick exhaled sharply.
"Same."
Then—
He straightened.
Forced control into his voice.
"But that's not the point."
He looked at all of them.
"We don't tell anyone. Not parents. Not friends. No one."
Nods.
Slow.
Reluctant.
"Good." He swallowed. "Now the real question is—how far are we willing to go to protect him?"
Silence.
Heavy.
Diane snapped first.
"I don't care what it takes," her voice rose, shaking. "I'm not letting my brother rot in prison for this! I'll disappear if I have to—I'll drop everything—"
"I get it—okay—I get it—" Rick raised his hands. "Lower your voice."
He glanced at Zack.
Then back at them.
"I don't want that either. I'll do whatever it takes. Even leave this school."
All eyes turned to Kelpie.
She froze.
Then inhaled slowly.
"I won't tell anyone," she said. "But if the police question me…I'm not lying."
Zack's breath hitched.
Diane stepped forward—
"Are you serious—"
"Okay—enough!" Rick cut in. "We're not doing this right now."
He ran a hand through his hair.
"We lay low. Watch the news. Stay alert."
Kelpie's eyes filled again.
Zack covered his face.
Rick's heart pounded.
Too loud.
Too fast.
No one slept.
Morning came anyway.
Cold.
Empty.
Wrong.
Rick sat in the kitchen.
Still in the same clothes.
Phone in hand.
Refreshing.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Diane walked in.
"Any news?"
Rick flinched.
His phone slipped from his hand.
"N-no."
She wrapped her arms around herself.
"What if they find him?"
Rick laughed.
Sharp.
Humorless.
"What kind of question is that?" he snapped. "We leave. That's what."
"But the landlord—"
"You're overthinking it."
He drained his water.
"They probably didn't even see his face."
He leaned against the fridge.
"They were getting slammed into concrete. For all we know, they've got concussions."
Diane stared at him.
Really looked at him.
Dark circles.
Bloodshot eyes.
Pale skin.
He looked…wrecked.
"Stop bringing this up," he muttered. "We're already stressed enough."
He walked away.
Later—
They tried to be normal.
Ordered food.
Watched a movie.
No one laughed.
No one paid attention.
Zack barely ate.
Diane watched him.
"I'm worried about you."
He didn't respond.
Then—
Ping.
Everything froze.
Rick picked up his phone.
Hands shaking.
"Criminal act reported…"
The words blurred.
"…multiple students…brutally attacked…"
"…suspects…four individuals…"
"…tall…"
Zack stood.
The chair scraped violently.
The door slammed.
Rick couldn't breathe.
Kelpie let out a broken sound.
Tears spilled down her face.
Diane's body started shaking.
Rick looked up.
Face pale.
Voice hollow.
"We're f*****."
Silence swallowed the room.