Chapter 6

The crowd begins to surround both Rin and Mari. The students begin pushing in closer to the two have both left their belongings on the bleachers and starting to move upwards toward the highest level. 

“Damn it Mari! I told you not to say anything!” Rin said agitated. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t make a connection to the question and thought it was about your wherabouts.” Rin belted as she runs away from the mob of students. 

Like two fawns scurrying away from a hungry wolf. The two girls run with all their might. Once they reach the top of the bleachers they make a bee line to the other side of the bleachers.  Right before they reach the other side Rin notices that there are more student running up the bleachers to cut them off. 

“Damn! They’re like moles popping up everywhere!” Rin thought to herself as she slows down and looks around.  

She then begins to look at Mari and begins to smile. Looking around to both sides of the bleachers looking at which has the most people. 

“Hey! Hey! Everyone relax; I will get to your answer's momentarily. However, I have something more important to share with you!” Rin loudly yells. 

The crowds slows down and stops in their tracks as they look up at the quivering Rin. 

Rin looks down at the crowd like a bird does any land animal; confused at why they are there.

She gathers herself before saying “I know you guys are curious about my performance. I will gladly tell you but so must admit something.”

“There have been some things going on that I must address before we go any further.” Rin says dutifully. 

She looks down at Mari with a smirk. “Oh no anything but that!” Mari squeals in objection. 

“EMMA AND BRAD CHEATED ON EACH OTHER !!!” Rin Blurts out suddenly. 

The crowd of students go quiet as they turn to a girl with long black hair and thick eyebrows.  She looks around as to figure out what she should do next.

“Well! I hoped this would’ve never gotten out. Thanks, Mari!” the girls says as she crosses her arms. 

“What the hell do you mean cheated?” a voice shouts out leaving the crowd of students stunned. 

A tall slender boy pushes through the crowd to get to the clearing where the girl is standing. 

“You Cheated on me? Emma you can’t be serious?” the boy pleads in resistance. 

“Yeah, I did!” the girl nods confidently in response. 

“Why would you ever do such a thing Emma? I’ve given you everything I had to be in this relationship. I even gave a scholarship to play Basketball at my dream college to go to a school closer to you!” as the boy frantically laments to the girl. 

“That’s the thing Brad! You just make decisions for me without consulting me first. I wanted you to be far away so I could break it off smoother but NO you just had to do that. You know how hard it is being in your shadow; girls constantly flinging them at you?” the girl says furiously. 

“I know you went out with another girl after the game last month. You somehow neglected to tell me that but you want me to tell you what I’ve done! Pshh how hypocritical!” says the annoyed Emma before pouting at Brad. 

“Huh! What are you talking about? I wasn’t with another girl last month?” Brad says stunned at the accusation. 

“Wait. I heard from somebody that you were out after your game with a girl.” said Emma. 

“No! Well — yea.”said Brad. 

Haha! So it’s true you were cheating on me!” said Emma. 

“NO! Can you listen for a second; yes, I was with a girl. However, the person neglected to tell you that it was my damn grandma!” Brad said irritatedly. 

“HUhhhhhhuuuUuuuhhh?” says Emma in disbelief. 

“Well she sure had me fooled. They must have really good genes.” said Mari under breath. 

“Be quiet! You got us in this mess and you rumors will be the thing that gets us out.” says Rin in a commanding soft voice. 

“So now that we got that out of the way. Who did you cheat on me with?” Brad asked fiercely. 

“Uhm—well we don’t have to do that her-“ said Emma. 

“No! I gave you an answer to your question now satisfy me and tell me which guy did you cheat with?” said Brad feverishly. 

“Uhmmmmm I’d rather not!” Emma said in a rather flustered manner. 

“We can’t move past it if you don’t allow me to know the truth.” said Brad. 

“Ok. Ok, it was Santana.” Emma blurts out in embarrassment.

“WHAAATT!” the crowd roars in shock. 

See Santana and Brad were both star players on the Basketball team. Brad was the power forward and Santana point guard. 

One was proficient at blocking and the proficient at scoring. The combo led the school’s basketball to the championships two years in a row. Leading them to be state champions the year prior. However, Santana sustained a leg injury this year which prevented him from playing in this year’s final costing them to lose the championship title. 

These two were essentially brothers have known each other since childhood. So to hear that the girlfriend of Brad cheated on him with Santana was an utter shock. 

“Where is he?” Brad asks lividly. 

“I’m not sure but please don’t do anything rash. You can still have to grad—“ says Emma before she’s interrupted by Brad. 

“I understand but I won’t allow him to think he can get away with this!” Brad says before he heads back to the school building. 

“MARIII?” Emma thinks to herself before looking at the bleachers Mari and Rin were but notices the two are no longer there. 

Mari and Rin can be seen running the hallways to get away from the crowd of students. 

“Huhuhuh” the two enxhaling deeply as they stop running. 

“Let’s go into Mr. Pepperidge’s class nobody rarely goes in there since her only does elective classes every other day.” says Rin. 

They enter the classroom door and the room is decked out it many different clothes and props. See Mr. Pepperidge is school residential design instructor. He gets consulted for anything to do the Arts. From set designs for the Art Festival or clothing for any plays held on campus — he’s your guy. 

Mari and Rin look everywhere for Mr. Pepperidge but can’t seem to find him. Mari happens to happen upon a statue of a man wearing a tribal mask and tribal clothes. 

She turns towards Rin and says he must’ve stepped out. As turns back the statue has changed position to a hunched over position with its hand spread out like an eagle. 

“Boo!” says the statue. 

“Ugghhhhh” Mari squeals in terror. 

“Hahaha!” says the statue which seems to be an actual person just dressed in tribal war gear. 

The person removes the mask revealing Mr.Pepperidge as he steps down from the podium laughing. 

“I got you girls good didn’t I?” asking the girls in a humorous tone. 

“Yeah. You did but something important is happening. We need to stay here and hide for a while.” said Rin with a sense of urgency. 

Why is that? The police after you? Pepperidge says laughing. 

“No. It’s even worse there’s a mob of students after us.” says Rin. 

“Now! Mari what did you say now?” Pepperidge says. 

“Nothing— well I told people where we were going to be having lunch. However, I didn’t know it was going to be such a big deal?” Mari answers in a saddened tone of voice. 

Well you should’ve thought about that before you said it. I told you to keep a low profile” says Rin. 

“Well your one to talk you literally look like Blade’s evil twin with that all black leather get up!” retorts Mari. 

“Wait— why would they be interested in where you guys eat lunch?” questions Pepperidge. 

“Well; it’s a long story but I guess I was on TV last night.” says Rin. 

“WHAT! Rin you never let me know you were going to be on TV.” said Pepperidge in amazement.

“Well I didn’t know rather. That doesn’t matter now because everyone is all over me asking about it and I would rather be left alone.” says Rin. 

“Well; I guess you’re right but I don’t think it necessarily a bad thing to be noticed.” says Pepperidge. 

“Yeah, but I sometimes get scared when a lot of people notice me.” says Rin in shy tone of voice. 

“Rin I’m sure they are more interested in your TV debut and the sooner you answer all their question the sooner the move into something else.” says Pepperidge in assurance. 

Right as he is talking to Rin a tall young boy with wavy hair walks into the classroom. 

“Mr. Pepperidge I need to talk to you about my prop assignment.” says the boy. 

“Well if it isn’t my star pupil Santana?” says Pepperidge.