Kyle was still fuming. He had to fake an excuse to get out of practice and had and throughout the day he had just been getting angrier and angrier. He looked down and saw his nails stabbing into his arms again. He shook his head trying not to move. He needed to calm down if he was going to talk to the little loser. He hit his head over and over screaming at himself to calm down. Eric lazily looked over at him from his resting spot under an oak tree, “Will you calm down and man up? It looks like you're having a flipping seizure.”

  Kyle’s neck snapped to face Eric, his springy brown hair slowly following. His face distorted into a sneer as he looked down at Eric “Says the idiot resting under a dead tree.”

  Kyle fingered the yellow caution tape wrapped around the rotting tree. “I like to take chances, you gotta make life fu-”

  He was interrupted by a loud “Kyle hi!” Eric craned to see who was coming up the hill while a smile dawned on Kyles’ face as he saw Jayson coming up the hill.

  Jayson was the stereotype of an irish immigrant which was ironic since he didn’t have any irish ancestors or was an immigrant. His hair was floppy and ginger and skin pale enough he could camouflage into snow. He was also one of the few people that didn’t hang out with Kyle out of some kind of obligation.

  “What are you guys doing?” He asked, peering down at Eric.

  Eric said “We are waiting for a kid named Luke who put a rat in his backpack.”

  He pointed a finger over to Kyle.

  “Wait a rat? Was it alive?” He said eagerly looking over at Kyle's faded backpack.

  “Quiet!” Eric barked. “He is coming. Cmon on Kyle.”

  Kyle immediately saw him down at the base of the hill. And he ran headfirst down the hill there he was the little freak who had embarrassed him and ruined everything! Was right there!

  Kyle barreled down the hill fast enough that when he reached Luke he was still turning around. When Kyle reached him he jumped ahead with all of the force of rushing down hill crushing his knee into Luke’s chest. With a strangled gasp Luke fell back onto the ground Kyle immediately piled on top of him and punched him his fist pulling back and smacking into Luke’s chest almost not hearing the crunch of bone as blood and heat rushed to his ears. He needed to hurt luke! He needed to kill him! He pulled back his arm and felt someone grab him.

  He immediately turned around to face whoever dared stop him to Jayson holding his nose crying. Blood spurted from it like a hose connected by a kid. It was also clearly broken. BIle rose up in Kyle’s throat and he felt like he was going to vomit he had hurt Jay? He didn’t mean to hurt Jay or the other kid. He hadn’t even been in a fight before! He was an only child he didn’t fight, he was just going to talk. Only talk. He moved his jaw wordlessly staring at Jay. Jay covered his nose as tears welled up in his eyes then he sadly said, “I thought you were my friend! I wish you were my friend but you’re obviously not.”

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  “I didn’t mean to hurt you!” Kyle called out to Jaysons fleeting form, "I didn't mean to hurt anyone.”

  He turned around looking down at his hands. It was the first time he had fought someone to try to hurt them. No, he had tried to kill him. Why? Why had he done that? He had never fought someone before. He thought that he was good or good enough not like the monster she said he was.

  Well he stood in shock mind still reeling. Eric was rummaging through Lukes backpack. Kyle shook his head snapping back to reality immediately rushing to stop him, “What are you doing? Stop stealing from him!”

  Eric just chuckled, "No risk no reward! Besides, the prude got away so it's free pickings.”

  He looked around and it was true Luke was nowhere to be seen. He rushed to stop him but paused. What if he hurt him again? He couldn’t stop himself the first time when he was angry and he was angry at the loser for going through the backpack. While thoughts swirled around his head again. Eric let out a massive yelp, “Why the heck does he have this?”

  He pulled out an old gnarled wooden hand rot that had coursed through it and gave it ridges and lumps like a desecrated grave. It was probably originally supposed to be a human hand but the elements rendered it brutal and animalish. “Why would that fool have such a cursed thing?” Eric muttered under his breath. “Why would he have it activated the Qerin are-”

  Kyle loudly interrupted “What are you talking about? You steal from a dude then insult his stuff?”

  He jerked up realizing Kyle was still there, “Oh dude buddy do you want to play a prank?”

  He took off across the field to the school Kyle yelled at him. “What are you doing? You’re crazy!”

  Hesitating, he took after him. Their footsteps crunching through the dead grass and fallen leaves. Eric finally stopped beneath a blue propped open window. He threw up the hand through the window where it landed, inciting a chorus of high wavering screams.

  Eric turned on a dime and ran through a nearby door slamming it behind him. Kyle ran to follow him to ask what the heck was going on but the door was locked. A pissed cheerleader rounded the corner and sighted on Kyle. She marched right up to him and hit him with the arm Eric had thrown through the window. “You” she hissed “Did you throw this into our locker room?”

  Kyle's head snapped to look at the floor taking the safest option of not talking. If he didn’t talk he couldn’t argue and go into that weird rage again. She scoffed, “You really are a pansy not even talking.”

  Kyle bit his tongue to hold back.

  Her lips curled into a smirk, “I wish you would grow a pair and stop acting like a little crying baby boy.”

  She shoved the rotten carving into his arms and stomped anyway. As she walked away he groaned. He needed to get home and away from everything from this crazy day to somewhere he could fix what was wrong with him. But how could you fix being a monster? The door opened behind him which he snuffed letting out a strangled snarl, “Eric why the heck did yo-” He cut himself off as he saw who he was talking to Coach Willaim.

  What wish should be granted