After That Tragic Night

"Those eyes. I’ll never forget it."

(Scene: Outside the School Gate, Hong Kong. Mid-December, 2019. A normal school day. YOU, a 13-year-old boy, are running up the steep slope toward the school gate. The school bell is about to ring, and you skid to a stop in front of MR. MAK, the teacher on duty.)

Mr. Mak: Alright, Kin. You made it. But don’t push your luck tomorrow, alright?

You: Thanks, Mr. Mak! I promise, tomorrow, you won’t even see me.

(You dash toward the stairs, your backpack bouncing on your back. As you climb, you mutter to yourself, smug and excited.)

You: Now that I’m on the school team, Elaine’s got nothing to say. Shut her down—completely.

(You imagine Elaine’s face—the girl from your year who bet you wouldn’t make the school team and swore she’d quit basketball for an entire year if you did. Now, you’ve made it. You can’t wait to see her reaction.)

(You enter the classroom, still grinning, but something’s off. MS. CHAN, your class teacher, stands at the front, her face unusually serious. The atmosphere is heavy. Several seats are empty, including those of Jay and Cindy.)

You: Good morning, Ms. Chan-Chan!

(She doesn’t respond immediately. Her gaze lingers on you, and the class stares.)

You: Did I do something wrong?

(Your eyes shift to the empty seats. Jay and Cindy’s absence stands out.)

You: What’s going on? Everyone’s on sick leave today?

Ms. Chan: Kin, come outside. I need to talk to you.

(Just as you’re about to respond, MR. WOO, the gruff gym teacher, storms in, his voice booming.)

Mr. Woo: Late again, huh? What’s your excuse this time?

You: No, Mr. Mak let me in. I wasn’t late!

Mr. Woo: Doesn’t matter. You’re all in big trouble. Come to the Principal’s office.

You: What? What did I do?

(Ms. Chan’s eyes soften with sympathy, but she remains silent. Mr. Woo, without waiting for a response, motions toward the door with an impatient flick of his hand.)

🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀

(Scene: The Benches outside the Principal’s Office. YOU sit next to TAN, FAT BO, and FAI. They’re unusually quiet, their faces pale. You lean toward Tan to ask what’s going on, but MR. WOO cuts you off.)

Mr. Woo: No talking! Sit still and wait.

(Moments later, MARCO strides out of the Principal’s office, calm as ever. He spots you and gives a sly wink.)

You: (whispering) Marco, what’s happening?

Marco: (hurriedly) It’s Jay and Cindy. Don’t say a word—

Mr. Woo: Marco! Back to class!

Marco: Yeah, yeah. I’m going.

(Marco whistles as he walks away. Anxiety churns in your stomach as the secretary steps out and calls you inside.)

🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀

(Scene: The fourth-floor Male Toilet, later that day. YOU lean against the cold tile wall near the window with MARCO, TAN, and FAT BO. FAI stands by the other window, quietly smoking, as Marco recounts the events of Saturday night.)

Marco: It was chaos. The police closed in, and we were running for our lives. But Jay… Jay stopped.

Tan: Why would he stop?

Marco: Because he’s Jay. He saw a kid getting beaten, pinned down. He couldn’t just leave him.

(Marco pauses, his voice tight with emotion.)

Marco: He pulled the kid up, shoved the police officer off him. The kid got away. But when Jay ran, he turned a corner… and bumped into two guys in black. Thought they were with us—protesters. But they weren’t.

You: Who were they?

Marco: Undercover police.

(A heavy silence falls. Fai, who’s been smoking by the window, turns to listen.)

Marco: They were dressed like us—gas masks, yellow helmets. Jay told them to run… but they grabbed him instead.

(Your breath quickens, your hands gripping the windowsill.)

Marco: They beat him. Right there. Twisted his arms, kicked him, slammed him to the ground. Cindy… she couldn’t take it.

You: Cindy?

Marco: She ran to him. Tried to shield him. I begged her to run, but she wouldn’t listen.

(Marco rolls up his sleeve, revealing a bite mark.)

Marco: She bit me. Hard. Just so she could get to Jay.

Tan: She didn’t leave?

Marco: She stayed. She threw herself over him, yelling at them to stop.

(The boys fall silent again. The weight of the story is crushing. Your throat tightens as your eyes well up.)

You: (choking up) And now?

Marco: They’re gone. No word since. The school’s hush-hush. Nobody’s saying a thing. But we all know… they’re not coming back anytime soon.

Tan: Maybe Ms. Chan knows something?

Marco: Probably.

(You feel a heavy guilt in your chest.)

You: I was celebrating… drinking… with the seniors after they won the championship. Jay was at the game too. If I’d just asked him to come with us, none of this—

Marco: Don’t, Kin. You couldn’t have known.

(Marco turns his gaze out the window, his voice softer.)

Marco: You know, Kin… Cindy was something else. The way she glowered at me that time. Those eyes. I’ll never forget it.

(Fai flicks his cigarette out the window, his voice quiet but firm.)

Fai: She stayed with him. Everyone else ran, but she stayed—she couldn't just leave Jay behind.

Marco: They didn't deserve this.

Fai: None of us did, Marco. None of us.

(You all stand in silence, the wind stirring through the window. The world feels colder, heavier. You close your eyes, wishing you could turn back time, but knowing you can’t.)

(Posted on 14.1.2025)

#HongKongLostFriendshipStory

(Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual people or events is purely coincidental.)