RedZone Read online

  “This shit hurt man.” Trey said pacing back and fourth across the room. Bryce reached out to touch his friend on the shoulder but he jerked away.

  The next few days were awkward and uncomfortable for the two of them. Bryce couldn’t stand not speaking to his friend. They had never had a falling out before. Trey took his frustration out in the gym and practice. He hated the feud as well but he also hated the fact he got betrayed by both his best friend and girlfriend.

  While Trey was at the gym Sevynn showed up. She looked sad and nervous as she approached him. She spotted him lifting by the window. She stood and took a deep breath before walking over to him. “Hey.” She said softly.

  Trey didn’t say anything he just stared at her from the mirror. She looked down at her feet and began to speak again. “Baby, I’m so sorry. I was upset with you because you weren’t spending time with me.”

  “Oooh. So that’s what you do when you’re upset, sleep with peoples friends?” Trey shot back sarcastically.

  “You never spend time with me Trey, you’re always in here.”

  “Then I guess you figured Bryce would take care of that?” Trey wasn’t interested in hearing what his newly ex girlfriend had to say, he continued to lift. “I’ve been invisible for 3 fucking years, cause nobody sees me unless I’m around Bryce.”

  “What are you talking about?” Sevynn asked confused.

  “I live in his shadow, I can’t even have a girl to myself. I can’t even get you to let me spend the night with you, but you try and fuck him. A fucking slap in the face.”

  “Look I’m not going to keep apologizing.” Sevynn said with an attitude.

  “Then don’t!” Trey said walking away from her.

  ***

  “Football. Football. Ready Okay!” The cheerleaders pumped the crowd up. The stadium was packed everyone was wearing Kelly Green and White, and a small section of the other team wore Red and Black. This was a big day for Bryce. Some of the scouts from the PFL were out there. CSC and Local news vans were parked out front. All of S.U.’s best players would be interviewed after the game.

  The guys in the locker room were hype with excitement. It was usually loud and noisy before a game with the men chanting the schools alma mater. The atmosphere in the locker room was light and fun but the vibes between Trey and Bryce was heavy. Trey still wasn’t speaking to Bryce, even with all of Bryce’s efforts to reestablish his friendship. It was beyond what happened with Sevynn. Trey just wanted to play football. He was sick of riding the bench. It was his junior year and he had only played 3 times in 3 years. He was ready to snap.

  Angel noticed the feud between the two friends and decided to intervene. “What’s happening my dudes?” Angel asked the two of them.

  “I’m chillin!” Bryce smiled and continued to snap his helmet on his head.

  “How bout you Trey? You’ve been a lil standoffish lately.” Angel turned and looked at Trey who kept his focus on his phone.

  “I’m good.” He said nonchalantly.

  The game was intense, the score was close, closer than they’ve been in a few years. The crowd was pumped everyone on the team was pumped except Trey. He knew he would not be on the field, so he didn’t have a reason to get excited.

  It was approaching the 2-minute warning, and S.U. had the ball. Their first string Tight End had the pocession but was hit hard, causing him to be benched. The team didn’t have another Tight End because in the first few years that Bryce and Trey played the position was filled. This Tight End was second string until the previous year. One of the coaches got worried because they were short a man. Coach Booker then remembered Trey played Tight End in High School.

  “Pittman get over here!” Coach yelled gesturing him towards him. Trey, startled by hearing his name, hesitated to get up at first, he wasn’t sure if he was imagining things. When he realized it was his name called he rushed over to the coach. “I need you out there, son.” Coach continued, “Bryce needs you out there!” Trey nodded but in the back of his mind he was not pleased with the coaches decision. He was still pissed and didn’t care if Bryce got hit or not.

  Bryce had the ball in his possession. Trey didn’t want to play the part. He didn’t want to block, he wanted the ball. When the DE on the other team came hurdling towards Bryce, Trey moved out the way and Bryce got hit. The impact of the hit caused him to flip up in the air and land on his back. Coach Booker called a time out.

  “You could’ve gotten him killed, Pittman! What the fuck is wrong with you?” Coach yelled at Trey. “You’re out!”

  “Bryce are you hurt?” The Coach asked concerned. Trey stared angrily at the coaches interaction with Bryce. He was filled with rage and wish Bryce was hurt at that point. He didn’t regret not blocking for him.

  “Yeah, I’m good. Put me back in!” Bryce insisted. Upon going in Bryce got the winning touch down of the game. Trey sat on the bench as the other players and coaches ran onto the field cheering and praising Bryce.

  ***

  Sevynn set in the bleachers of the stadium. She saw Michele cheering Bryce on with the rest of the squad. She needed to talk to her but she wanted to speak with her in private. When the game ended, Michele walked to the bathroom. Sevynn pushed threw the crowd and hurried to follow her. “Hey Chele.” Sevynn said walking up to her in the bathroom of the stadium. “Can I speak with you?”

  Michele didn’t have a clue what Sevynn wanted. She saw distress on her face and decided to listen to what she had to say. “Hey, are you okay?”

  Sevynn managed a way to build up tears. “No, it’s about Bryce.”

  ***

  “Yo man, what’s your problem?” Bryce asked Trey in the locker room. He noticed what Trey did but wanted to find out why.

  “I’m cool.” Trey answered quickly avoiding eye contact. He pulled his equipment off and slammed the locker door. “Did you sleep with her?”

  “Trey, I told you I didn’t! That’s why you miss that block cause you think I slept with your bitch?” Bryce snapped back. It was the first time he had ever gotten angry with Trey “You’re going to mess up over 15 years of friendship because you mad at some thot?”

  “It’s more than that Bryce.” Trey confessed.

  “Then talk to me man. I’m your bro!” Bryce said with sympathy. He could see Trey was stressing and he felt guilty about what had happened that night with Sevynn.

  “You know man, I ain’t mad no more.” Trey said after a couple of seconds of silence.

  “Seriously?” Bryce asked.

  “Yeah, we’re good bro.” Trey said reaching his arm out for a hand shake and a hug. He continued to walk towards the shower.

  Bryce started to feel uneasy about how fast his friend went from having an attitude to suddenly getting back to normal. He shrugged it off and walked towards the ice tub. “You going to that party tonight?” He asked making small talk to see if Trey was serious about forgiving him.

  “You know I don’t party man. Besides I know everyone will be tearing my ass up for not blocking you.”

  “Come on, you haven’t been to a party since freshman year.” Bryce insisted.

  “Nah, I need to rest.” Trey said stepping into the shower.

  0:05

  Bryce scanned the party for familiar faces, when he spotted a few of the guys from the team. He jogged over to them greeting them with hand pounds and chest pumps. Everyone who came over to the guys congratulated them on the win and gloated over Bryce’s MVP award from the game earlier that day and asked him about his feelings for the upcoming Homecoming game that next weekend. “You think we can win homecoming?” One of the players on the team asked. “We’re going up against a nice ass team!”

  “Man we’ve been whipping their asses since I’ve been here. We’re good!” Bryce laughed

  “You’re definitely going to the pros!” One of the frat boys said handing Bryce a beer out of the cooler.

  “Yeah I got invited to the combine in the spring” Bryce mentioned proudly.


  “Word! So you’re not going to finish school?” One of his teammates chimed in.

  “Yeah definitely. I’m just going to see wassup. I just want to finish this season out with a bang.” Bryce insinuated.

  It was pretty comfortable night for it to be mid-October. Some of the women at the party had on jeans and hoodies while the promiscuous ladies had on mini skirts that barely left anything to the imagination. Bryce noticed Sevynn staring at him from across the room. “Yo, that broad is always looking at you man.” Angel said to Bryce nodding his head toward Sevynn. Bryce turned his head to avoid eye contact. “Ain’t that Trey girl anyway?”

  “I don’t know what the fuck she is. She’s a thot if you asked me.” Bryce said in an annoyed tone.

  Sevynn, began walking over to Bryce. She wore her hair straight that evening, with a little eye shadow and lip-gloss. She had on a pair of tights and a short shirt that left her behind out in the back. All of the men surrounding Bryce stared at her big butt as it bounced towards Bryce. She tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. Bryce rolled his eyes as he turned around.

  “Yeah?” Bryce asked now facing Sevynn.

  “Can I speak to you in private?” She asked suggesting that they find somewhere away from the other men.

  “About?” Bryce didn’t budge from where he stood.

  “Bryce, for real.” Sevynn said frustrated at his behavior towards her.

  He began to walk leaving her following him. He found a spot outside on the patio since no one was out there. He stayed close enough to the door so his teammates could see him.

  “What Sevynn?” Bryce asked still annoyed that she pulled him from the party.

  “I want to apologize for getting between your friendship with Trey.”

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Bryce asked low so no one could hear the conversation.

  “What’s wrong with me?” She asked, “I was trying to make sure you two pussies weren’t gay!”

  “Look you little bitch.” Bryce said ferociously, “That man has been my friend since we were kids. You want to go around being a ‘team player’, that’s on you but don’t bring that shit to my door.”

  “Bryce, why are you frontin’ darling?” Sevynn asked slyly, looking Bryce up and down, “You were enjoying our little moment until he walked in.” She continued. “If I recall, you were already a little hard. I bet if he hadn’t came in I would’ve had you cumin’ all over the place.”

  “Get the fuck out of my face.” Bryce said backing up towards the patio door. “Stay the hell away from me, you crazy bitch.”

  Bryce needed to clear his head the house was so crowded he really didn’t have anywhere to go. He asked one of the guys from the frat where a bathroom was and he headed up the stairs. He looked in each door down the hall trying to find the bathroom. It was so many rooms in the house, it had to have been at least 10 on the second floor, and even with the directions from the frat guy he still hadn’t found the right door.

  When he did find the bathroom, it had been locked he could hear moaning coming from the other side. He snickered at the audacity of whoever was in there. He figured he would just wait in another room until they were finished taking care of their business. The room next to the bathroom looked to be an empty room as if someone had moved out. He stepped in a looked around. It was dark with only a chair in the middle of the room.

  The only light that showed was from the balcony door, which didn’t have curtains. Bryce walked over to the window and looked out he could see some of the people leaving the party, some drunk, some sober. It was an eerie silence in that part of the house even with the commotion of the party down stairs. It gave Bryce the creeps as if someone was in the room with him. No one was there.

  His best friend popped in his head. He still felt bad about the situation with Trey and Sevynn. He still couldn’t believe what she had done that night, and then tried to seduce him again.

  “Yo Trey, ya girl is trippin!” Bryce said through the phone once he heard Trey pick up. It was normal for them to just start phone conversations without saying hello.

  “That ain’t my fuckin’ girl, Bryce.” Trey answered. “Why, what happened now?”

  “She tried to come on to me again. The bitch is crazy.” Bryce said.

  “Yeah she tried apologizing to me too.” Trey said then fell into an awkward silence. “She’s at the party?”

  “Yeah, I had to get away from her, she came over to me in front of the team.” Bryce continued, “I just don’t need Chele finding out about this shit.”

  “If she hasn’t already.” Trey said suggestively. “I mean campus is but so big. And the video is all over UrbanVideoWorld.com.”

  “I know.” Bryce said shamefully. He then was startled by a presence in the room with him. “What are you doing here? Trey, I’m call you back” Bryce hung up the phone.

  ***

  ‘AAAAAhhhhhh” a horrific scream came from outside. Everyone in the frat house ran out to see what was happening. The scream could be heard through all of the noise and music in the house. “Oh my GOOOOODDDDD!” Another scream came from another direction. The crowd surrounded the gruesome scene. Blood and glass everywhere, women screaming, and men looking around for suspects. Angel, Bryce and Trey’s teammate, ran over pushing people in the crowd out of the way. “What the fuck happened?” He questioned standing over the lifeless body of his teammate, Bryce. “Who the fuck did this?” He screamed.

  Bryce laid on the ground with his neck twisted and shattered glass from a broken beer bottle next to him. A puddle of blood poured from his head mixing with the beer. His eyes were opened and blood red from the impact of the fall. “Call 911!” Someone yelled. People in the crowd pulled out their cell phones, some started to dial the police, others sneaked to take pictures of the body in the middle of the walkway.

  “Bryce man wake up!” Angel said trying to wake his obviously dead friend. “Who the fuck did this?”

  “Somebody gotta call Trey!” Another teammate cried out. “Someone has to call his mom!”

  “What happened? Did anyone see?” One of the frat boys questioned the crowd looking for witnesses.

  ***

  “Hart!” One of the officers yelled out. “We just got a call from S.U.”

  “What another fight?” Detective Charles Hart said uninterested looking down at his book. “Isn’t that what Campus Security is for?”

  “No. I think you want to take on this one.” The officer replied walking over to Detective Harts desk. “Some kid fell out of a window.”

  “Fell or Pushed?” Detective Hart put his book down and hopped up from his seat. He grabbed his jacket and badge, and headed down to the campus.

  ***

  Blood dripped down the concrete walkway, and into the grass. Blinking yellow and red lights glared in the background, while police pulled yellow tape around the scene. The crowd of students stood around in shock looking at the body, barely covered with a plastic blue blanket. “It looks like an accident.” One of the officers said writing on a note pad. “Kid must’ve been drunk or something. Looks like he fell from the balcony” The officer that stood next to him kneeled down and pulled the blue plastic off of the victims’ head. “This was one hell of an accident.”

  “Did anyone see what happened?” Another detective asked walking over to the scene. It was Detective Hart. He kneeled down and examined the body. “This is that cat, Bryce Henson.” He pointed out. The other officers looked puzzled at the identification of the corpse.

  “He was a prospect for the pros. He just got the winning touchdown in the game today.” Detective Hart, rubbed his bald temples in empathy. “Did anyone inform his family yet?”

  “Yes, his mother is on her way. Apparently he’s from Philly, so they should be here in no time.”

  Detective Hart bent over again and talked lowly to Bryce’s body. “Damn man, you could’ve been something.”

  ***

  Trey was trying to fall asleep w
hen he heard a loud banging on his door. He jumped out of his bed and answered. It was Angel. He had bloodstains on his hoodie and tears in his eyes. “What, What happened to you?” Trey asked in shock at the gruesome sight.

  “Bryce. Bryce is dead.” Angel began to cry hysterically.

  “No, I was just talking to him!” Trey said in disbelief.

  “He fell from a balcony at the party.” Angel told the story from his knowledge. Trey sat in silence, with a blank look on his face. All he could think of doing was getting over to the scene. He rushed putting his clothes on and begged Angel to lead him to Bryce. “I have to call Michele.” Trey added. “She’s already over there, she’s like a zombie right now.” Angel mentioned as they rushed out of the building door.

  ***

  “Are there any witnesses?” Detective Hart stood up and asked the kids in the crowd. A short, chubby, young woman raised her arms slowly. She was the one who found him.

  She walked slowly over to the Detective, her eyes were filled with tears and her body trembled as she walked closer and closer towards the body behind the police tape. Detective Hart grabbed her hand and escorted her away from the scene. He saw how shaken up she was, but he needed as much information as possible. “What did you see, Ms.…” Hart asked.

  “Lindsey. I didn’t see much.” She answered looking down, “I just walked out of the back patio door and heard a hard thud sound. When I turned around he, he was….” She began to sob, Detective Hart handed her a tissue from his pocket.

  “I know this is hard for you, Lindsey. We are going to find out what happened.” Detective Hart had suddenly been distracted by another scream. This time it came from Bryce’s mother.

  “My Baaaaaaabbbbyyyy!” The woman wailed. She tried to fight her way pass the two police officers and exhaustedly slumped to the ground, still screaming.

  The sight of her mourning made everyone around the scene sob. Trey had arrived with Angel. When Trey saw Bryce’s mother he asked the officer if he could go comfort her, and that was his best friends mother.

  “Trey, what happened to my baby?” She asked hugging on to Trey tightly.