Priscilla

  She didn't run into Peter again for a few weeks. She had been quite busy. She failed woefully on her last test. She had to put everything aside including her job to focus on her slipping grades. She had been working her ass off with Janet's help to get them back up.

  It had also been a tough week for her mother. Her half sister's husband passed away this week after a long battle with illness. She rarely got to meet her because of how far she lived from them, but she knew how much her mom loved her. They kept in touch with each other with long duration of phone calls. She was the only one other than Priscilla who brought smiles to her mom's face since Dad's death. She was so heartbroken when she heard the news. Priscilla was confused whose death again could cause her so much pain.

  Her mother took a few days off work and traveled to meet her. Something she rarely did. Leaving Priscilla alone to herself.

  "I heard the man was caught in a street CCTV camera but they are yet to be able to identify him," Janet said.

  She and Priscilla were sitting in the campus café. It was becoming their favorite spot these past few weeks to cool off after class.

  "They said the video was too dark. Besides, he was wearing a raincoat and had a nose mask on.".

  "I can remember clearly it wasn't raining that day," Priscilla said.

  "He wore it to prevent being seen. He knew what he was doing," Janet replied.

  "Which means it was premeditated, not a random reaction to an altercation. He had a motive behind it," Priscilla sighed.

  "I really hope he is caught soon."

  "My mom has been freaking out ever since she heard about it. She literally throws a fit whenever I am a couple of minutes late. I doubt if I will ever resume my job."

  "When is she coming back?"

  "I'm not sure. Probably Tuesday or Wednesday."

  Janet nodded.

  "What about the woman that was attacked?" Priscilla asked. "Is she ok?"

  Janet was interrupted by a towering figure.

  "Look who we have here," Janet said with a sarcastic tone. "He finally decided to grace us with his presence."

  Priscilla turned around to see whom it was. It was Phil. The third member of their friendship group. He had ghosted them these past few weeks. But it was nothing to worry about. He does it a lot.

  "Hey, Phil."

  "Hey, Priscilla," he replied calmly.

  "Hi, Janet."

  She knew something was amiss.

  "Where have you been? It's been a while."

  "Like you have been avoiding us," Janet said.

  "Not at all," he said, giving a dry subtle laugh.

  "You look gloomy. Are you good?" Priscilla asked.

  He was silent for a moment.

  "I've been spending a lot of time with Daniel," he said.

  Priscilla and Janet shared a look. They figured it out. Phil usually hang with them less when he has a new boyfriend.

  "So things are going well then" Priscilla said with a smile

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  "Really well" he replied, the gloom on his face lifting slightly.

  "I asked him out and apparently he felt the same way about me. We've been spending a lot of time together ever since"

  "Oh, Phil!" Priscilla said, hugging him tightly. "I'm so happy for you!"

  "Careful now, don't squeeze me to death," he said laughing.

  "I'm so happy for you, Phil," Janet said.

  "I'm sure you are, witch," he said with a smile.

  "So you've just been abandoning your friends for a new man," Janet said with a raised eyebrow.

  "I missed you both too, I promise," he said laughing

  "When do we get to meet him," Priscilla asked.

  "Soon enough," he said, grinning from ear to ear.

  "Actually, tonight" he said.

  "Tonight?" Priscilla asked.

  "Yeah."

  "We have a football match with Gangslow tonight. I invited him along."

  "Has Peter started playing football again?" Priscilla asked.

  It was the first time he thought of Peter in weeks.

  "No, there was speculation all week, but he won’t be playing. He should be there to watch though."

  “He should take as much time as he needs.” Priscilla nodded.

  "It's the most important game of the football season. The whole school wish he was playing."

  "He is still grieving his mother's death," Priscilla said firmly.

  “True. But I bet the Gasglow High Players are buzzing."

  "That's quite insensitive, Phil."

  "It was a joke."

  "Quite an expensive one."

  "I never knew he hired you as his advocate," he said, rolling his eyes.

  "Whatever."

  "Will you be there?"

  “It depends on Janet,” Priscilla answered.

  “Since when does the witch watch football?” He asked, puzzled.

  Priscilla faced Janet.

  "Do we have to do any reading tonight?"

  “It’s a Friday night…” He interjected.

  Janet rolled her eyes.

  "You’ve worked really hard this week. I guess we can take a foot off the gas and cool off a bit," Janet said.

  Priscilla was elated but managed to hide it.

  "Are you our Janet or were you swapped with an alien when we weren't looking?" Priscilla asked, pulling her cheeks.

  "Don't push it," Janet replied dryly.

  "And there is the cold witch I know," Phil said with a laugh.

  They were soon at the school stadium. Phil suggested they came early to get a comfortable seat to watch the game. He went to pick up his boyfriend after dropping them at the field. It was a good idea to come early after all. The stadium was filling up really quickly.

  The players were already warming up.

  Priscilla whined after a few minutes.

  “I’m very hungry.”

  “You ate a few hours ago,” Janet eyed her.

  “Yeah, a few hours ago.”

  “Now I am hungry.”

  “Phil is on snacks.”

  “He will get them on his way.”

  “No, I can’t wait. I’m famished.”

  “Go and get it yourself then. I’m not leaving this spot.”

  Priscilla had no problem with that. She stood up and headed towards the stands.

  “Priscilla.”

  She heard Janet call her name, so she turned around.

  “Get me some too. I love you,” Janet shouted.

  Priscilla cursed under her breath.

  She headed towards the stands and joined the short line to order two cokes.

  “I didn’t know you watched football,” someone said.

  She turned around to see Fiona, her classmate. They weren’t exactly the closest of friends, but they communicated well whenever they bumped into each other. She was a sweet, ever-smiling girl. Priscilla was always bemused by her warmth.

  “Hi, Fiona.”

  “I came with someone actually. I didn’t know you watched football either.”

  “Probably because you are never here,” she replied. “I have literally watched every home game we played.”

  “Perhaps you could join Janet and I,” Priscilla said.

  “I actually came with my boyfriend. We’ve already saved a space. I came here to get some snacks.”

  She noticed how Fiona said the word boyfriend with a click of her tongue.

  “Oh, okay.”

  “Perhaps we can run into each other again after the game.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Later then.”

  “Later, Fiona.”

  She watched her turn and walk towards the bleachers.

  It wasn’t long before she was done and moving away from the stands when someone bumped hard into her. She felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. She would have dropped the bottled coke if she wasn’t holding on to it hard enough.

  “Hey! Watch where you are going,” she said angrily.

  The words froze back in her mouth as he turned around and a familiar, dark, very angry and irritated face came into view. It was a bad idea, coming to watch this game. She had forgotten totally the odds of running into her ex. After all, his school was playing.

  “Hi,” she said silently.

  “You are here.”

  “Of course I am here.”

  “My school is playing.”

  She could detect so much hatred in his voice.

  “It seems you’ve blocked my number. I’ve been unable to call you.”

  “No, David, I didn’t,” she lied.

  “You deceitful bitch.”

  She felt a shiver down her spine at the aura of pure hatred.

  “You don’t mean to call me that, David,” she replied quietly. “I know you don’t. It’s your emotions speaking.”

  “Don’t act like you know me, bitch. You never bothered to. You deceitful whore.”

  She was pained and angered at the insults he was hurling at her. She understood he was angry, but he couldn’t call her that no matter his state of mind.

  “You can’t call me that,” she said quietly.

  “Or what?” he said, taking a step toward her with a clenched fist. “What will you do?”

  Surely he wouldn’t hit her. He couldn’t hurt her. She took a step backward.

  “Call her a whore again and I might probably show you,” she heard a familiar voice behind her as he put his hand across her shoulder in protection.

  She looked across her shoulder to see who it was.