Of course, Izzy’s the first to mess up.

She throws it too soft and it doesn’t reach the half court line. She has to go and nudge it over the line with her foot.

“Spread out, guys. We don’t want to hit each other by accident.” This time Izzy throws too hard and it doesn’t bounce but Aiden dodges it easily.

“What the hell kind of throw was that?” Tensions are high. When you’re throwing what amounts to bombs at each other, it’s bound to happen.

“Hey, watch it!” Izzy throws another one that sails over Aiden’s head, scattering the watching crowd behind him.

“Throw properly, you dumb bitch.”

“You trying to kill us?”

“Sorry! I’m so sorry!”

“It’s alright Iz. It’s better to undershoot it than overshoot.”

“Hey, why don’t you try rolling it?” Jackson suggests. She does.

Why didn’t I think of that? But before it can cross the line, the ball spins rapidly and rolls back to Izzy.

“Looks like rolling doesn’t work.” Did he just want someone else test it out first?

We continue to bounce pass the ball back and forth.

Approaching the 20 minute mark.

“Can we take a break?” Pat asks.

I look around. Everyone looks strained from the concentration. It might sound easy but when lives are on the line, each throw was a huge effort.

“Should be fine. I think we have at least two minutes.” Each side starts passing the ball to each other, but much more comfortably, knowing we can’t kill each other.

“Hey, you guys know what that count down means?” Jackson calls out. It’s been worrying me, too. Normally we’d play till one side won, meaning the other side was completely eliminated. But this time-

“Is it a time limit? Whichever team has less people loses?” Jackson answers his own question.

“Is he serious?”

“Losing?”

“I don’t think we’ll just lose.”

“What?”

“Yea, he's right."

"Think about it. The game's so fucked up already."

"What's that mean?"

"It's gotta be something bad."

"Like we're going to die?"

“That’s what’s been happening. If you’re out, you’re dead. So if you lose, you must be dead, too.”

I gotta stop them. I can’t let them think that or things will spiral out of control real fast.

But what else could it be? What if they’re right? It doesn't matter. If they start believing that, then more people will die. More than just the losing team. It’s better to keep them calm.

“I set the timer.”

I know I’m lying. But it’s the only way.

“What?”

"Sophia did it?"

“Why did she-”

“Ms. Kennedy asked me before class. After dodgeball, we were supposed to merge with the freshman and sophomore gym class. She didn’t want us to miss dodgeball but she didn’t want us to run over time so I set the timer.”

Izzy looks at me inquisitively. She knows I was with her before class but she doesn’t say anything. Smart girl.

Jackson looks at me the same. He doesn’t believe me.

Honestly, it doesn’t really make sense. The door was locked. Where is Ms. Kennedy? I came late to class. But when faced with the hard truth and an easy lie, we pick the easy way out every time. It’s why ignorance exists. It’s why people deny climate change. It’s why 42 percent of the US still believe in creationism.

In this day and age, all the information you need is at your fingertips. We like to say the Trump supporters are ignorant, but they literally ignore the facts.

Fun fact: Mar loves Trump.

He also loves to spit statistics. That's how I know the 42 percent thing. He’s good with numbers. He whips them out whenever he makes an argument.

I don’t know if he actually believes them or he’s just using them to his own ends. He uses them exactly as how whoever 'acquired' them uses them, to manipulate.

Someone once said there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.

I think he just feels secure in numbers, they feel concrete to him, they make sense of the world. As opposed to people. He thinks he understands people but he doesn’t really. He treats them like machines, input output.

He likes reduce everyone to statistics. He thinks he can predict how they behave this way or that according to the numbers. He thinks them all shallow so all he can see are shadows and blurry figures.

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

One day he’ll find out he’s wrong, he’ll see that people can surprise you. Sometimes the ball lands on zero. Or double zero.

I don’t know why I’m thinking of Mar but it helps. It grounds me the way statistics does him. If things are crazy like this throughout the whole school, I know he’ll still be alive. He wouldn’t die so easily. And it gives me strength. It makes me believe that I won’t die either. That I’ll definitely see him again.

BEEP.

“Time’s up.”

“Alright, let’s line up again guys.” The throws come a little easier now. With practice and rest, nobody’s messing up.

The rest of the class sits around, waiting. It's fine. It’s safer that way. No need to involve more people.

For ten minutes, we’re fine. Up until Jackson throws the ball wide. Like way wide. Izzy throws her ball to me and goes to pick up mine.

“Sorry! My hand slipped.” I can’t tell if he’s lying or not. Why would he though? Everything’s going smoothly.

“Woops. My bad.” This time it’s Aiden. He throws short and Izzy walks carefully to retrieve it.

“Wait!” I put up my hand, trying to stop Jackson before he throws, but he’s already in motion. And it’s going wide. Straight at Izzy.

“Watch out, Izzy!” I take a step trying to reach her. But I’m nowhere near close enough to help. I'm not gonna make it. I told her I would protect her but she’s gonna die.

“Nooo!” I cry out, helpless, as I watch the ball arc towards her head.

WOOSH. It skims right past her face, through her red curls hanging below, and bounces off the ball she was reaching for. She jerks her head back, falling in surprise.

Thank god. She’s safe. She’s safe! In an instant, I’m there and I'm hugging her. She has no idea what just happened but I’m crying in relief, burying my head in her arms. I thought she was gone for sure.

Hold on. Is that screaming I hear?

“Hey, Soph. Jayce is dead.” What did he say? Jayce?

“How?” I look over and there’s Jayce with a dodgeball sized hole in his chest and the culprit rolling around next to him.

Is that the same ball? The ball Jackson threw? It couldn’t be? How’d it get all the way over there?

Then I remember it bouncing off of the ball in front of Izzy.

“But it bounced! I saw it bounce!” Now, Izzy’s crying.

“What’s wrong Iz?”

“He’s dead because of me!”

“You’re wrong. You're just in shock. It’s not your fault.”

“Yes it is! The ball was live!”

“What?”

“As long as it doesn’t touch the floor, it’s still live. I should have got to my ball faster.” The ball that Aiden threw? And then Jackson messing up right after? This can’t be a coincidence. As if reading my mind, Jackson coughs.

“I can't believe that happened but you have to trust me. That was an accident. 'm sorry. How could I have known the ball would bounce off another ball at the perfect angle to hit Jayce in the chest?”

“You threw it at Izzy though.”

“Hey, if I was gonna throw it at Izzy, I wouldn’t miss.” He’s right. It’s almost impossible. Almost. But with ten minutes left, I can’t risk our tentative truce falling apart.

I still need them.

“Fine. But if someone messes up a throw like that, we have to wait before we throw it again.” Another person died and somehow we’re just skimming over it. I don’t know if this is how I want to be.

I walk over to Jayce and look at him.

“His name was Jayce! He died trying to save you guys! Remember that!” I find myself saying to no one in particular. Everyone looks down in shame. At least I hope they're feeling some shame.

“What do we do for the fourth ball?” Silas holds both balls.

BEEP. He passes them to me.

“Any of you want to help?” I doubt anyone will but I still ask. I wish I could cower in the crowd like everyone else. But I can’t. I need to do what I can to save as many of them as possible. Even if they didn't want to try and save themselves.

"I will." All the way in the back a hand is raised. A small pixie girl with a matching pixie cut stands. “Thank you...what’s your name?”

“Vivian.” Pixie voice, too. Small and squeaky. “Uh...Jayce had a crush on me. I never liked him like that but he was sweet.” I didn’t ask for an explanation but it’s kinda cute.

I need to motivate her to keep her head in the game.

“He was brave. I'm sure he wanted to protect you.” When did I start sounding like a general on the battlefield? With all the dead bodies, it definitely looked the part. “You’re brave, too. But don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“Bravo!" Julian claps. "We done with your Gladiator scene?”

“Shut up. This is your fault.”

“Hey, I said I was sorry.” I want to shout at him. A guy’s dead because of you but for some reason I don’t think he cares. So I save it. At least until we get through this.

“Whatever. Let’s line up.” We resume the throwing. But the casualness is gone. With a death between us, every throw is carefully placed. Nine minutes left.

I watch all the other throws as well as Jackson’s.

I can’t slip up again. Jayce’s death is on me. So many people dead cause of me.

Cause I wasn’t strong enough to stop my team's crowd like Jackson did. I could’ve found Silas first and had him help me. I could’ve figured out the rules before Lindsey had to die. Before Ellen kicked the ball away. There’s so much I could’ve done, so many people I could’ve saved.

I look up at the clock, it’s already at five minutes. Five more minutes and everyone here will be saved.

But I need to stay alert. If something’s gonna go wrong, if Jackson has something up his sleeve, it’s gonna happen now.

“Heads up!” Somehow Victor has lofted the ball high up in the air. This time I’m not gonna fall for any distractions.

I’m already running to Izzy when Aiden starts winding up. I knew it. These guys aren’t just messing around. They’re seriously trying to kill us.

I don’t have enough time to pull her out of the way. If I knock her aside, the ball might hit me. What else can I do? I’ll sacrifice myself if I have to but Izzy won’t survive for long if I do. Think.

He chucks the ball without looking. Straight at Izzy. Again. These fucking bastards. What can I do? What should I do?

I can catch it! It’s dodgeball so I can catch it! But will that work? It might just tear through me. I have no choice. I have to try. I reach out with one hand and grab at it, half expecting my hand to explode. But it doesn’t and I feel the ball contact solidly against my palm.  I got it. I tuck it under my arm like a football as me and Izzy tumble to the ground.

“Catch it, Silas!” He had backed away from the falling ball but he doesn’t think twice and dives. A Sportscenter Top 10 Plays kind of dive. It falls right into his hands. I don’t know what to expect on Jackson’s side, but if someone can catch it, then someone’s gotta be out.

“Looks like it’s a little too late to call this one an accident.” Jackson stands over Victor and Aiden, their bodies lying in a pool of blood, their heads a few feet away. "Eh. I'm surprised you fell for the bit this long."

"A bit? Your friends died for a bit? Trying to kill Izzy was a bit?"

"I knew you'd protect her. I really wasn't trying to kill Izzy. But now I am." He juggles his ball between his hands, menacingly.

“Why? Why are you doing this? We had five minutes left!”

“Do you know what’s going to happen when the five minutes end? Huh? No one said everyone gets to live.”

“You have more people left! You would’ve won either way!”

‘Hmmm...you caught me.” He holds his hands up. “That was just an excuse. Still, you got two of mine for one of yours. You’re better than I thought. This is gonna be fun.”

“Fun? You’re doing this for fun?”

“Yea, weren’t you getting bored of all this.” He’s a fucking psychopath. He’s a legitimate psychopath.

“You’re a murderer!”

“Takes one to know one.” He sticks his tongue out. “Come on, let’s have some fun.”

He laughs and chucks the ball at me.

From ten feet away.