[center][sup]Collab with: [@lovely complex][/sup]

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[b][color=0ed3af]Location:[/color][/b]  Anywhere but here.
[b][color=ffff99]Interacting With:[/color][/b] Primarily, Coach.[hr][hr][/center]
[indent]For the past minute, Ray quickly went over the rules and held onto his whistle, getting ready to signal the start of the game. They knew the drill but for the sake of those who didn’t listen, he would reiterate himself  - as per usual. Dodgeball wasn’t an odd occurance in his class. He loved it. It truly gave his students the chance to experience the exhilaration of competition and perhaps one day he’d take them to Denver and have them play at Sky Zone. [b][color=FFA07A]“--No team time outs. Gym class is only so long, kids. This is an elimination game. Objective. Take out the other side until there’s no one standing. Easy enough? You’re out when the ball hits you, if the ball rebounds off of someone and hits you, or if a defending player catches the flying ball and nopes it from being counted as a hit. Got it? Get it? Good. Headshots aren’t permitted. Hit someone’s head, you’re out. Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge.”[/color][/b] He paused for a second and glanced over at his son, [b][color=FFA07A]“And for god’s sake, [i]try[/i]. This should be fun for everyone.”[/color][/b]

Remy gave his father two thumbs up and a faux grin, but really, he just wanted to leave. Too bad his father would notice him missing in an instance. Sighing to himself, he broke eye contact with Ray and scanned the red rubber balls at the center of the court, preparing himself to run and getting sweaty hands from nervousness.  

[b][color=FFA07A]“At the blow of my whistle, the game begins.”[/color][/b] Coach signaled the almost beginning of the game. 

[i]Thwump.[/i]

There was a loud noise as the lights hit and darkness fell across the gym, near complete darkness; it was October in the mountains of Colorado: it was cloudy and the windows didn’t give much light; the sun was blocked out. So, in the darkness, Mariah froze, her heart still.

[i]Fuck the dark.[/i]

Mariah didn’t like the dark, she didn’t fuck with the dark, she didn’t play in the dark, and she sure as [i]hell[/i] wasn’t about to play dodgeball in the dark. What devil had cast this hell upon them? [color=0ed3af][b]“See ya. I am [i]not[/i] playing in the dark,”[/b][/color] the tiny girl said, tossing the dodgeball up above her head. [color=0ed3af][b] “I hereby willingly submit to any punishment that you see fitting of this, but I’m ollie fuckin’ outtie, coach. I don’t do the dark. Nyctophobia, look it up.”[/b][/color] As she spoke, Mariah was already heading toward the hallway, where her friend the light still existed. Freedom.

It wasn’t even like she disliked dodgeball! Just darkness. Darkness was terrifying. People die in the dark, far more often than in the day. Hasn’t anyone ever watched a movie? Don’t play in the dark, dude.

Ah, fuck. Who the hell turned the lights off? These kids really didn’t want to play, did they? [b][color=FFA07A]“I don’t want to be responsible for injuries, so I’m going to check the breaker box. And alright, Mariah, you’re usually on top of things so you have my clearance.”[/color][/b] What? He wasn’t dumb. Kids messed with the breaker box all the time. [b][color=FFA07A]“If it isn’t the breaker, then gym class is cancelled. Unless. You can convince me otherwise.”[/color][/b] Huffing to himself, he pulled out a small led flashlight that was in his pant’s pocket and switched it on.  

Remy took this as a perfect opportunity to escape. Segwaying to the exit, trying his best to avoid the human traffic, Remy shyly voiced, [b][color=ffff99]“I, uh, you know how I get… dark… hit things… injuries. I should make sure Desi doesn’t leave school, or something, yeah? Yeah…”[/color][/b]

[b][color=FFA07A]“If I let you leave, everyone will want to leave, Remy.”[/color][/b] Coach scoffed. 

[b][color=ffff99]“I’ll bring my a-game next time! PLEASE.”[/color][/b] The lanky blonde boy begged in the dark. Why couldn’t his dad let him have this one thing? He NEVER missed class. One wouldn’t hurt! GODDAMMIT. 

[b][color=BA55D3]“Coach! You have me, I’ll kick booty even if we’re at such a huge disadvantage and now it’s completely dark! Spoopy. Let’s do this!"[/color][/b] Rachel excitably cheered. No fear, no game. She was prepared, regardless of where they stood. She was going to have fun. 

[color=08c7d1][b]”Eh, coach don’t even worry about it. Me and my boys boutta throw down in this dark shit ain’t got nothin’ to fear, let your boy roam free. Ya ever seen Free Willy? With the whale? Well this Free Remy. Free his ass to run after lil ol’ Desi and keep her alive. Save her. Keep ‘er safe. Chill chill.”[/b][/color]

[b][color=FFA07A]“... fine.”[/color][/b] Begrudgingly, Coach agreed and added one last thing before his son made a successful escapade, for once, [b][color=FFA07A]“Keep me and Tempest posted. I’ll be home late for dinner, got a big game coming up soon.”[/color][/b] At least big for a tiny school. 

Oh thank goodness. Thank you Christopher Robin!  [b][color=ffff99]“Got it. See ya later."[/color][/b] If Remy could, he would give Jareth a personal goodbye but it was too dark so he turned on his heel and scurried out the exit, where there was light. [b][color=ffff99]“Desi! Wait up!”[/color][/b][/indent]