TWENTY PILLS TWO MANY

"I mean..." Kimberly's voice trailed off, her cheeks flushing with guilt. "It's not that...uh..." She stammered, her eyes darting away from mine. It was the first time I'd seen her so flustered, her usual composure wavering. "Well, let's just forget that ever happened," she concluded hastily, her gaze drifting back to the basketball court.

"So why don't you like basketball?"

I stared into space, collecting my thoughts before responding. "Get hit by a dumb curly-haired kid and almost dying once, I'm sure you'll hate basketball just as much," I said with a wry smile, turning to face her. To my surprise, she'd been looking at me the whole time.

She looked away, her laughter contagious. "Fair enough!" We both chuckled, the tension dissipating. "Just hoping it's not a curse," she added, her giggles subsiding.

I grinned, "Good thing I have my shield this time!" I exclaimed, hiding behind my bag and using it as a shield. "Like, come at me, dumb curly-haired kid!" I taunted, peeking above my makeshift shield.

Kimberly laughed, her eyes shining with mirth, and gestured for me to come out from behind my bag. I just stared at her, captivated by her beauty. It was the first time I'd seen her laugh like that, her guard dropping for a moment. Kimberly Hart rarely showed her emotions, her smile usually a polite curve. Even when Oliver had asked her out and ended up peeing in his pants, everyone had erupted into laughter, but she'd just smiled and rejected him with a quiet firmness. This carefree, laughing Kimberly was...well, it was pretty something.

I was still perplexed about why Kimberly had suddenly decided to start talking to me, but one thing was clear - we'd both become surprisingly comfortable around each other. As we sat together in silence, I finally turned my attention to the game, amidst the deafening cheers of the students. Yet, amidst the chaos, I found peace, and I actually started enjoying the game - or rather, the tackles and Oliver's hilarious falls. What's fun without a little pain, right? Oliver clearly had no clue about basketball, and most of the time, I just sighed and smiled, shaking my head in amusement. But when Oliver took another tumble, I turned to Kimberly, and we both burst out laughing.

After a while, the game ended, with Jonathan's team winning by a landslide score of 26:7. To my surprise, I'd actually had fun. As we made our way back to the school premises, I found myself walking alongside Kimberly, feeling a sense of ease I'd never experienced before. But obviously not everyone was thrilled about our sudden spark - Charlotte glared at me, her scowl darkening her face like a storm cloud.

I tried to ignore her, focusing instead on the events that took place that day.

"So, you're heading home now?" Kimberly asked, her voice casual. I sensed where the conversation might be heading, and my instincts told me she'd offer to give me a ride. But the last thing I wanted was to appear small or vulnerable in front of her. "Uhh...I'm waiting for someone," I replied, choosing my words carefully, trying to sound nonchalant despite my racing heart.

Kimberly nodded and ran her fingers through her hair. "Okay then, see you!" She said with a bright smile, turning to Charlotte, who was watching us with an unreadable expression. They both linked hands, and walked away, leaving me feeling bewildered.

"Bye, Kimberly," I whispered to myself, letting out a shaky breath as I watched them walk away. What the hell just happened? Everything had been so smooth, so effortless. What on earth was going on? I thought, trying to process the unexpected turn of events. "She just talked to you for a day and watched a game with you, it's not like she's going to bring out a ring and ask you to marry her in the school hallway," I told myself, trying to sound rational, despite the fact that I was alone, talking to no one but my own bewildered self.

As I stood there, trying to process everything, I noticed a figure by the locker, struggling to free their jammed books. The familiar face of Fiona emerged, her eyes fixed on me with a piercing stare, indicating she'd overheard my ramblings. She walked up to me, folding her arms across her chest, her expression screaming annoyance.

"I see you finally showed up at the game, since like forever!" Fiona exclaimed, rolling her eyes in exasperation. I nodded sheepishly, feeling a bit caught out.

"Oh, nod all you want, I saw you," she added, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, I didn't see you," I replied, trying to deflect attention, waiting for her to get to the point.

"Yeah, probably because you were too busy drooling over Kimberly Hart," Fiona said, her voice laced with teasing, accompanied by a creepy smile that made me shudder. I gave an awkward laugh, trying to change the subject. "Don't smile like that, it doesn't look good on you."

Fiona punched me playfully on the chest, and I winced, even though it didn't hurt. "Dude, I'm tender here!" I joked, placing both hands on either side of my chest, mimicking a woman covering her nipples in a nude maternity shoot. I realized how ridiculous the gesture was, but Fiona just chuckled.

"What's the point of going to a nude photoshoot and covering some places, right?" I added, trying to deflect attention from my awkwardness. Fiona laughed, shaking her head, and I knew I was in for a grilling about my encounter with Kimberly.

"I hate you!" Fiona yelled, her voice echoing down the hallway, her face red with anger. "And I love you!" I shot back, grinning mischievously. She tried to suppress her smile, but it was no use - I'd caught her off guard, and she couldn't help but laugh.

When you're good, you're just too good...

"I'm sorry, okay? I promise we'll go to every game you want from now on!" I apologized, holding up my hands in surrender. I meant it, too - Fiona was my partner in crime, and I knew I'd been slacking on our friendship lately.

"Whatever!" She said, waving her hand dismissively. Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out, scanning the screen with a flick of her wrist. "Oh, the driver's here!" She looked up at me, excitement in her voice. "If you're leaving now, we could drop you off?"

I nodded enthusiastically. Yeah, yeah I know I talked about feeling small and vulnerability shit, but this was Fiona - my bud, my confidante, my partner in every sense of the word. She knew all my secrets, and I knew hers. With Fiona, I could be myself, no pretenses needed. "Yes, please!" I exclaimed.

Then I remembered...realized rather, that I had to pee.

"Just a sec, I have to pee real quick," I said, already turning to make a hasty exit. "Just go, I'll meet you outside!" I added, not wanting Fiona to follow me into the bathroom.

"But you could pee in the—" she started to suggest, but I cut her off, not wanting to hear it.

"Yeah, no," I said firmly, turning to hurry down the hallway towards the boys' room.

As I pushed open the door, my heart almost leapt out of my chest. My eyes widened in shock, and for a moment, everything went black. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Kevin was standing in front of the sink, a handful of pills in his mouth. He turned, looking just as shocked as I was, his eyes frozen on mine.

We stood there, locked in a silent stare-down, for what felt like an eternity. Kevin was the first to recover, his eyes darting towards the sink, where a small container lay. With shaky hands, he grabbed the container and shoved it into the pocket of his coat, his eyes never leaving mine.

The air was thick with tension, and I could feel my heart racing in my chest. What was Kevin doing? And what were those pills? I had so many questions, but my voice was caught in my throat. I was paralyzed, unable to move or speak, as Kevin's eyes seemed to bore into my soul.

Flashes of my dad popping pills in the bathroom struck me, transporting me back to that fateful day. I could almost hear the ragged breathing I'd tried to stifle, feel the fear that had gripped my heart, and see the pain etched on my dad's face. The memory was like an open wound. I shook my head violently, trying to clear the thoughts and bring myself back to the present.

This wasn't about my dad, or me. This was about Kevin, my friend, the nice guy with the contagious smiles that could light up a room. But now, his eyes looked haunted and his face pale. Was he ruining his life with drugs, or suffering from some chronic disease and hiding in the bathroom to take medications? Even worse, was he contemplating suicide? The thought sent a chill down my spine.

"Don't tell anyone!" Kevin said, his voice low and urgent, sounding more like a warning than a plea. His eyes seemed to bore into mine, as if daring me to betray his trust...