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Chapter Four.
A bloodcurdling scream tears through the air, Lottie and Sade immediately stood, searching for the culprit. They gather around a fearful Laura Lee, eyes wide and to the sky at a hanging body. The colorful sunflower yellow and royal blue jersey ripped and bloodied, yet covering most of the recognizable features of Coach Martinez, whose mangled flesh lay in between high tree branches. He was impaled in the abdomen, blood spilling onto the ground.
Natalie's breaths waivers, her speech airy. "He's got to be dead, right?"
The sound of thumping stomps causing the teens to look away at the dead coach, the rustling belonging to a devastated Javi, "Dad!", he cries, tears rolling down his tanned face, "Dad!"
"Javi-" Sade calls, but stops when Shauna grabs ahold of the boy, pulling him close to prevent him from leaving. He breaks her hold with a struggle, collapsing into Sade instead, arms folding around her and wet tears staining her sullied clothes.
A feeling of nauseating smugness overcomes her as she makes brief eye contact with the doe-eyed girl. After speculation, Jackie proposes to throw objects at the man's body to assess his condition. Van and Taissa move towards Jackie, "You want to throw rocks at Coach who fell out of a fucking plane?", she spits lowly in disbelief.
The Taylor girl sighs heavily, arms shrugged in exasperation. "I didn't say rocks," she explains, "someone's. . . shoe or whatever." Van scoffs, "Oh, yeah, that's a fuck-ton smarter", the girl quips. "You're on fire today, Jackie. Oh, wait. That was supposed to be me and Sade, huh?"
Sade uncomfortably shifts on her weight at the moment mentioned, continuing to soothe Javi. Shauna suddenly steps up in the direction of the brewing argument. "Okay, guys, stop. We need a plan here." Laura Lee suggests that the group lower him with either rope, or vines, but Natalie immediately shot the idea down, causing Sade to sneer.
"What the fuck should we do then? Not hearing brilliant ideas from your smart-ass." She rubs a still sobbing Javi's back, trying to cover his ears from the harsh conversation.
"Yeah, you got a better idea?" Jackie co-signs, snapping at the punk girl.
"Than shoes and vines?" Natalie snips. "Sure. Let's just. . . cut the fucking tree down."
Among the noise of trembling voices, Travis runs towards the group—clawing up the tree to rescue his father. Sade feels relieved at the knowledge of the boy's condition, but was replaced by worry about his current actions and mental state.
