7

The sharp, acidic smell of the chemistry lab was still clinging to my clothes as I shuffled out into the hallway, my brain fried from balancing equations. All I wanted was to find a quiet corner to decompress before my next class.

I didn’t get the chance.

Ben materialized in front of me like an over-excited ghost, his eyes wide behind his glasses, practically vibrating with unspent energy. He grabbed my arm, his grip surprisingly strong.

“Elliot. You are not going to believe this. You are literally not going to believe it.”

I sighed, trying to gently pry his fingers off my sleeve. “I don’t know, Ben. Did they finally confirm the existence of extraterrestrial life on Mars?”

“This is bigger than aliens!” he hissed, leaning in so close I could see the faint remains of a chocolate bar on his lip. “This is about the social hierarchy of Northwood Academy being fundamentally shaken!”

“Just tell me, Ben. My will to live is fading by the second.”

He took a dramatic breath, savoring the moment. “Jax Ryder.”

The name alone was enough to make my stomach clench.

“What about him?” I asked, trying to sound bored.

“He got into a scuffle. A big one. With Mark Sable.”

My eyebrows shot up. Mark Sable was a hulking senior on the wrestling team, not someone you picked a fight with for fun. “What? When?”

“Like, an hour ago! Right outside the gym! Apparently, Sable said something, Jax said something back, and next thing you know, they’re shoving each other and Coach Miller had to pull them apart.”

This was unexpected. Jax was cocky, but he was usually smart about it. He didn’t pick fights he couldn’t win.

“Okay,” I said slowly. “So they got detention. Big deal.”

Ben’s eyes gleamed with triumph. “Oh, it’s so much better than detention. Coach was so furious he blew a gasket. Said he wouldn’t tolerate that kind of behavior from his ‘star player.’ He suspended Jax from the team!”

The noise of the hallway seemed to fade into a dull roar. “What?”

“He’s suspended! Indefinitely! He won’t be playing in the away game on Thursday!” Ben was practically jumping up and down. “The ace of the soccer team is benched! Do you know what this means? The entire social ecosystem is in chaos! It’s beautiful!”

My mind was reeling. Suspended. Jax, who lived and breathed soccer, who wore his position on the team like a crown, was kicked off. Because of a fight.

“Wow,” I finally managed, the word feeling inadequate. “That’s... huge.”

“Isn’t it?” Ben beamed. “It’s the best news I’ve heard all year. Maybe ever. Serves the arrogant jerk right.”

I just nodded, my thoughts a tangled mess. This should have felt like karma. A satisfying dose of cosmic justice for all the times he’d looked at me like I was dirt. But all I felt was a strange, hollow confusion.

“But isn’t Jax, like, their best player?” I found myself asking. The words felt traitorous coming out of my mouth. “Benching him for a crucial away game seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face. Doesn’t the team need him to win?”

Ben shrugged, his excitement undimmed by logic. “Oh, for sure. The team is freaking out. I heard Asher Hayes is trying to smooth things over with Coach, you know, being all diplomatic and captain-y. But apparently, Coach Miller is done. He said Jax has been ‘testing the limits of his patience’ all season and this was the last straw. Said it’s ‘finally time for consequences.’”

He said the last part in a deep, mock-serious voice, puffing out his chest.

My mind snagged on one part. Asher was defending him. Of course he was. That fit the image of the kind, loyal captain perfectly. It also fit Jax’s own irritated description of him, He’s too nice for his own good.

“Consequences,” I repeated, the word tasting strange.

“Yeah! Consequences!” Ben said, gleefully. “It’s about time someone handed that guy a consequence. He walks around this school like he owns it. Well, not anymore. Now he’s just a guy who can’t play soccer.”

The bell for next period rang, a shrill interruption. Ben, finally releasing my arm, bounced off toward his class, already no doubt planning to spread the news to anyone who hadn’t heard.

I walked to my next class in a daze and all I could think about was Jax.

What had Mark Sable said to him? And why had Jax reacted so violently that he’d risked everything?

************************************

The final bell felt less like a release and more like a signal to retreat. The news about Jax had spread through the school like wildfire, and the buzz of it was inescapable. I’d heard a dozen different versions of the fight, each more dramatic than the last.

Instead of heading straight to the cafe, I found my feet taking me on a detour around the back of the school, toward the practice fields. I told myself I just wanted some quiet, but a deeper, more stubborn part of me was looking for something.

That’s when I saw them.

Tucked away on the concrete stairs leading to the rarely-used east entrance, partially hidden by a large rhododendron bush, were two figures. One was standing, holding a water bottle. Asher Hayes. His captain’s demeanor was clear even from a distance. The concerned tilt of his head, the earnest set of his shoulders.

The other was sitting on the step below him, slumped forward. A white gym towel was draped completely over his head, hiding his face. His elbows were on his knees, his fingers interlaced so tightly the knuckles were white. Even without seeing his face, I knew it was Jax. The broad shoulders, the tense posture, the blond hair curling over the edge of the towel, it was him.

I froze, ducking instinctively behind the thick trunk of a tree. My heart hammered.

Asher’s voice, usually so warm and easy, was strained with frustration. “…how many times have I told you to control your temper, Jax? I get it, okay? I do. Even if Sable said that, I know he had no right. He probably deserved that punch.”

My breath hitched. Said what? What could Mark Sable have said that would make Asher, the perpetual nice guy, admit someone deserved to be hit?

“But we’re talking about your future here!” Asher continued, his voice rising. “Scouts are coming to the game on Thursday! This was your chance to really show them something, and now… I don’t know what’s come over Coach that he’s being so adamant. I’ve been in his office for an hour trying to reason with him.”

There was a long, heavy silence from the towel-shrouded figure. He didn’t move a muscle.

Then, a low, muffled voice came from under the towel. It was flat, devoid of its usual arrogant edge. It was just… tired.

“Forget it, Ash.”

“I’m not going to just forget it!” Asher protested, running a hand through his hair. “This isn’t right.”

He lifted his head just enough that I could see his profile, his jaw tight. “Coach isn’t going to back down. Not this time.” He let out a short, bitter laugh that had no humor in it. “I had it coming.”

The resignation in his voice was a physical thing, a weight that seemed to press down on the air around them. I had it coming. This wasn’t the Jax I knew. The Jax I knew would be furious, defiant, scheming his way back onto the team. He wouldn’t be sitting here, accepting his punishment, admitting he deserved it.

Asher sighed, a sound of utter defeat. He placed the water bottle on the step next to Jax. “Just… drink some water, man. I’ll… I’ll try talking to him again tomorrow.”

Jax didn’t respond. Asher stood there for another moment, looking down at his friend, before turning and walking away, his shoulders slumped.

I remained behind the tree, my chest tight. The image of Jax, utterly isolated and defeated, was burned into my mind. Seeing the invincible boy brought low, and it was unsettling.

I watched him for a moment longer. He didn’t move. And for the first time, I felt a pang of something for Jax Ryder that wasn’t fear or anger.

It was pity.