The Savage Brothers | ✓

CHAPTER 17.1: Team Savage

CHAPTER 17.1: Team Savage

B R A N D O N

I'm so pissed. But I'm more angry at myself than anyone else to blame.

The Impeachment Debate was over and Lilly Anders was smirking confidently while walking away with her set of emo friends out. Not once did she look back to me. Students filed out of the room.

I was shaking. My fingers were trembling on a tight fist.

I guess Bryan's friends are too afraid to approach. I have failed Bryan. I'm going to be dead once he sees the recorded replay of our debate. It will be all over their school's site. If Bryan does get impeached because of this-no, no, don't think like that, Brandon. C'mon, men! Calm down!

Gritting my teeth, I tried to listen to my conscience but it was hard to. Bryan would cancel out my plan of this switcheroo-thing if he gets impeached . . . and I can't let that happen! It took me weeks just to convince him that this is the right thing to do. I'm so gonna fail if that happens.

So I must win. I have to.

But I fucked things up. Again.

It's the only thing I'm good at, huh? Fucking things up.

"Pathetic." Dad's voice echoed inside my head. My eyes sting with tears but I fight them off. I can feel the sharp pain of my own nails against my palms, tasting blood, but soon turned numbed.

Fuming, I raced out of the room and only Nikki and that Aussie followed me. I guess the Asian dude was too tired to follow and Javier and Violet were too stunned to even react. Maybe they're still digesting the events that had happened but . . . whatever.

"Nikki," I growled, not once slowing my pace. "What's my next class?"

I guess Bryan likes his minions since they follow him around. Like mice. "Um, let's, like, see," Nikki opened her phone and scrolled to her notes as we keep walking. "You have, like, Physical Education next and, like, Lunch right after that. Oh wait. Um, like, Bryan, you'll also prepare, like, for your-"

"Good," I cut her off. I didn't mean to, but when I'm angry at myself I needed release.

And PE is just what I needed.

***

"Boom! That's another three points for Team Savage!"

I was quiet the whole game; letting my team do all the cocky remarks and the adrenaline in my veins take control over me just like it always does whenever I play sports.

Many say I have this resting-dumb look on my face whenever I'm at a boring lecture (but that doesn't mean I'm ugly to their eyes-at least that's what's written on every letter I get from all the anonymous people (although some aren't)-on the contrary they say I look cute which made me smile. A lot. But Amanda didn't find that amusing-at all), but once I step into the battlefield of playing, my face changes and my aura becomes serious.

It's like I'm possessed by this spiritual energy I could never explain in words. I guess people say that I'm a man of few words because I am. Bryan's the one who's good at words so I let him do all the talking and negotiations.

Right after the last shot, me and my team separated to ready our defense. Our shoes were doing a chorus of squeaks as we gallop back through the newly-waxed basketball court. My chest burns with every breath I take-but the burn feels great. A salty sweat trailed down from my forehead to my lips and then slides down from my cleft chin as I prepared for the next move of our opponents.