Chapter 16: Chapter Fifteen

At lunchtime I felt better when the five of us stood in line and we swiped our cards for our food. We chose a table towards the back in a corner, and I sat with my back to the wall. I would see anyone coming toward us.

Josh kept giving me dirty looks and I knew what was coming. We all knew it. Alexander wasn’t going to be happy because at some point, I was going to fight Josh. I could feel it in the air around me and I knew Josh knew it too.

“Good first day. At least nobody’s bled yet,” Endri said.

“The day’s not over yet,” Castiel said.

“Not today, but soon,” Sloan said with a smile.

“He’s the jock of the school. He thinks he’s untouchable,” I said, and Sloan shook his head.

“I’m just saying, you don’t have to take his bullshit. He pushed you first,” Sloan said.

“He what?” Miles asked and his fists clenched together tightly.

“He’s just trying to show me my place. Ignore him. People like him will always be up in your face about something. It’s a load of bullshit,” I said.

After lunch we headed to Coach Ramsay’s office. The gym smelled stuffy and sweaty and Castiel knocked on the office door. A loud, boisterous voice yelled for us to come in and I pushed the door open.

He was smaller than I thought he’d be, and I almost smiled at the short man sitting behind a desk. Trophies lined a glass bookcase behind the desk and pictures were framed on the walls.

“You wanted to see us, Coach,” Endri said, and he looked quizzically at us for a moment.

“Are you the Hawthorne boys?”

“Yes, Coach,” I said.

“Football season is coming up. We start drills on Monday,” he said.

Castiel lifted his hands and shook his head. “I’m not hurting my hands playing football.”

Coach Ramsey snorted and Endri stuck his hands into his pockets. “The only one interested in sports is Kage. I’m definitely not going to play football.”

“Which one is Kage?” he asked.

“I am,” I said.

Coach Ramsey looked me up and down and grinned. I had the physique to play football, but it was the last thing I was interested in. He was already salivating at the idea of getting me on the field and I almost felt sorry for him.

“You’re tall, and have a nice big build. We could use a boy of your size on the field,” Coach Ramsay said.

“I play hockey, Coach. I’ve already spoken to Coach Petter,” I said.

“Damn shame, a real damn shame,” Coach Ramsay said.

We left his office and went back to the main hallways. Miles grinned and shook his head. “No offense, Castiel, but you looked like a real girl when you lifted your hands. I thought Coach Ramsay was going to pop a vein.”

“I don’t really care what I looked like. These hands were made for brain surgery, not hustling a football,” Castiel said.

“I’m with you there, Castiel,” Sloan said and inspected his own hands.

Madison shared all my classes and her boyfriend, Josh, only shared History and English with me. I already disliked him, but he’d get what he wanted. None of us would show up for football try-outs. We had no interest in it.

I lived and breathed hockey and after my birthday, training with the Rangers, I was more determined to make the hockey team. I wanted it badly, like nothing I’d ever wanted before. I had another dream now too; I could go to college.

The rest of the day went by without any hassles, and I sat next to or behind Madison in every class. I leaned against the back wall with my arms crossed over my chest, watching the clock. The teacher was late, and Madison leaned closer to me.

“Hey,” she said and poked my arm with her finger.

“What?” I was somewhat irritated by her attention because she’d already gotten me into trouble with her boyfriend. I wasn’t looking forward to a repeat performance and I didn’t even look her way.

“I just wanted to say sorry about earlier in the hallway with Josh,” she said.

“You shouldn’t be apologizing for other people’s actions,” I said.

She pushed her hair behind her ear and rested her one elbow on her desk. “So, are you going to try out for football?”

“You can tell your boyfriend his team is safe. I don’t play football,” I said.

She opened her mouth to say something else, but I was saved by the teacher’s arrival. She was a pretty girl, but I wasn’t interested in getting to know her. Girls were trouble and this one was trouble with a capital T.

When the bell finally rang to signal the end of our school day, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Even though people still whispered, nobody got into our faces like Josh had and when I walked toward my bike, I felt less restless.

I waited ten minutes for my brothers to show up and Sloan had a smile on his face. I was already sitting astride my bike, and I pulled the helmet on and started my bike when they reached me. Castiel shook his head, but he didn’t say a word. He didn't need to say anything, I already knew what he was thinking.

Madison was standing near a car with a group of girls, and they were all watching us. We sped out of the parking lot, and I just wanted to get home. I needed to vent my frustrations out onto the boxing bag, feel the leather against my knuckles and it was a day that I really missed Joe.

The school was just far enough away from the farm to make the drive back a pleasurable one. We took the long way home and nobody deviated from the route, and they all followed me home. I was already pissed off and it showed.