m a v e r i c k
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"Alright boys! Take a break, get a drink!" Coach Anderson calls.
I stop, dropping my football and going to the cooler to get a cold bottle of water. Mayer watches as I walk by, rolling his eyes.
"You got a problem, bud?" I ask, setting down my bottle of water and looking him up and down.
"Nah, just don't like you." He says, glaring at me.
I huff and a teammate, Isaac, comes in. "Dude, just stop! He didn't do anything."
Mayer laughs, looking around the field.
"What's your problem, anyway?" I ask.
He laughs harshly. "You. You're my problem."
"I didn't do a thing, dude. Just leave me alone."
And then his fist collides with my shoulder.
I get up, turning around and bracing myself, punching him squarely in the jaw; I get punched in the eye. I try pushing him back when he shoves me on the ground, pinning me down. I try to kick him, but his fist collides with my eye again, sending searing pain throughout my entire face and I start to see spots.
"Hey!" Coach Anderson shouts.
The last thing I see before my vision goes completely black is someone pulling Mayer off of me.
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I only blacked out for about five minutes, and it was only from pain. Still, I have to get checked out at the ER after we leave.
"A fight?! Maverick, what were you thinking!?" Dad says as we stand in the cafeteria, waiting to go into the principal's office. "We raised you better than this!"
My little sister, Savannah, is sitting on the bench outside the office; Savannah is sixteen, only two years younger than I am.
"I—" I start.
"I don't care what happened! You do not fight with someone on the football field at practice!" Dad says.
My eye is definitely black and swelling, my jaw bruised. As far as I know, Mayer only ended up with a black eye and a small bruise on his jaw.
Mayer and I have never gotten alone, but we've also never fought before. I don't even know why he hates me so much, but ever since seventh grade, he has hated me more than anyone else I can imagine.
"You may come in." Ms. Walker, the secretary, says.
"We'll be back, Savannah. You stay right there." Mom tells her.
When we walk into Principal Ellis's office, Mayer and his mom are already sitting there.
"In all of my years here, I have seen very few fights." Principal Ellis starts.
"I'm so sorry, Principal Ellis. I have no clue what got into our son. We taught him that fighting was never the option." Mom says, looking at me. I practically can feel her disappointment and Dad's anger on the back of my neck.
"Yes, I agree, sir." Mayer's mom chimes in. "I raised my son never to fight. Especially never to start a fight."
"You are both very bright boys, and I have no clue what's gotten into either of you. As punishment, you will be doing detention together for one week after school starting on Monday. That will be five detentions, since it will only be a school week. You will be doing tasks for teachers, helping Ms. Walker, and cleaning classrooms. You will start directly after school and will finish at 5:30. You both are suspended from playing in the next two football games. I'm letting you off easy since this is both our your first offenses." Principal Ellis says.
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"I think he let you off easily." Dad says, glancing at me in the rear view mirror as we drive to the ER.
"You may keep your phone, only so that you have a way to contact us after school and because this was the first time. We will not tolerate fighting, and if there is a next time, the punishment will be more severe." Mom says firmly. "If we find out that you have skipped detention, you will lose all phone privileges for at least a month. Even if you did not start the fight, you fought back."
"I wasn't gonna just stand there!" I say.
"Watch your mouth, or we'll increase your punishment." Dad says in a firm tone that indicates the conversation's ending. Savannah looks from me to our parents, but says nothing, looking at her phone and scrolling.
