Alone • Liam Dunbar

Sixteen

"Alright, I need two team captains. Who wants to volunteer?" Spencer questions all of us, her gray eyes scanning the expanse of our large group.

I do my best to huddle behind some of my peers who are even taller than Scott. They blocked my body from Spencer's view, and the fact that they were raising their hands helped to take any possible attention off of me.

I didn't want to be here. I wanted to leave and get somewhere to clear my head.

My eyes kept traveling over to Hayden as she stood on the opposite end of the group from me, her hands crossed over her chest and head bowed. She looked like a puppy left out in the rain and I hated it. I hated myself for making her feel that way.

I liked Hayden, and I was pretty sure on some level she liked me, or at least she did. It took only a second of rash decision-making on my part to ruin that.

"Diaz," Spencer calls out, picking one of the boys near me.

Despite the fact that he was a junior, Josh was almost always in the same classes I was. He tested so low that he had to be placed with sophomores, yet he still did the work in a passable fashion that was acceptable enough not to be held back. In some way, it was impressive.

He flexes proudly when he stands up front, ecstatic over such a superficial and pointless achievement as team captain.

Spencer continues to search for her next candidate and I visibly shrink, being sure I can't be spotted. Spencer was the type of person who took pleasure in calling out those who never raised their hands, which makes it no surprise when she calls out her second pick.

"Romero!"

Hayden's head snaps up at her name being called, disappointment flooding her soft features. She doesn't argue despite that, knowing Spencer wouldn't listen to it anyway, and shuffles to stand beside Josh. Spencer makes the two of them compete in a short round of rock-paper-scissors, with Hayden coming out as the winner, meaning she got to pick her team first.

I don't bother to pay attention after that, positive that Hayden will let Josh claim me as his. She could use that as an excuse to deliver some payback, pummeling me with rubber balls. I wouldn't even fight her on it, as I understood it'd be a well-deserved punishment.

To keep myself busy, I track Spencer as she leaves us. She settles onto one of the player benches close to the bleachers, not bothering to stick around. Her teaching for the hour had apparently concluded within the first five minutes of class.

She props up an open wide-brimmed umbrella on her shoulder to keep out of the harsh sun and allows her hands to be free as she stuffs her nose into a book with fraying edges. The cover depicted a ripped long-haired man riding on the back of a white steed, so I assumed it wasn't exactly the most thought-provoking piece of literature.

"Jac."

Hayden calling my name ends my internal judgment for Coach Spencer, though only for the time being.

I'm confused as to why she's done it until everyone separates, creating a straight path for me to her. Hayden's picked me first for her team. I swallow my surprise and swiftly join her, getting everyone's expectant and impatient stares off of me for how long I had taken to react.

When everyone's busy waiting for Josh to make his pick, Hayden glances in my direction. She offers a barely-there smile, testing the waters between us. I mirror the gesture, hoping it comes off as cordial and apologetic rather than constipated. She seems satisfied, and her mood brightens as she and Josh take turns building their sides.

Once our class of thirty is split into two, the divide in how Josh and Hayden operate is obvious.

His side is filled with the guys from the swimming and wrestling teams, all of them having pounds of muscle and more than a couple of feet on top of the rest of us. Everyone else that he's chosen is people that he's friends with who share in his lack of humility. Hayden had done the opposite, settling for people who excelled academically and were the type to not even step on an ant.