competition, allison argent

xxiii. battlefield

"Are you okay, dude?" Danny asks, concern etched in his voice as he watches his best friend pull on his lacrosse pads.

"I'm perfect," Jackson replies, his tone flat and unconvincing.

"Well, we all knew that. But are you okay? You didn't text me back all week. I'm getting kind of worried about you."

Jackson blinks at the sound of his name, staring at the lacrosse stick in his hands as if he isn't quite sure how it got there. Then, a brief moment of clarity seems to wash over him.

"Stay in the goal tonight, Danny. Don't come out. And if you see me coming toward you... run the other way. As fast as you can."

His last words echo across the room to another locker where Scott listens in.

While Scott pulls his own pads on, he doesn't notice his mother, peering in from the door. She glances around, trying to spot him among the other players. But then Coach bangs his clipboard against a locker, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Good morning!" Coach announces.

The team quiets down. Melissa furrows her brow, confused since it's clearly nighttime.

"In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world and you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind."

"What?" Melissa whispers in confusion, looking at Stiles and Cody for clarification.

"Mankind - that word should have new meaning for all of us today," Coach continues, undeterred by the puzzled expressions.

"What the hell is he talking about?" Melissa asks.

Stiles sighs, "He does this every year."

"We are fighting for our right to live!" Coach chants passionately.

Melissa furrows her brows even deeper. "Wait, is this—?"

Cody nods, "Yeah, it's the speech from Independence Day. Coach's favorite movie."

"But as the day the world declared in one voice - We will not go quietly into the night!" Coach exclaims.

"He doesn't know any sports speeches?" Melissa wonders aloud.

Stiles shrugs, "I don't think he cares."

"Today we celebrate our Independence Day!" Coach finishes triumphantly.

The players shout in confidence, cheering as they get pumped up for the game.

"Well spoken, Coach," Gerard says, stepping next to him. Cody notices Melissa tense up at the appearance of the old man. "I might have chosen something with a little more historical value, but there's no denying your passion. And while I haven't been here long, there's no denying my pride in having a winning team for this school. I know you'll all be brilliant tonight, even with only one co-captain leading you."

Cody furrows his brows, glancing over at Scott. Gerard is benching Scott, which means something is going to go down on the field. "Now, I'm your principal, but I'm also a fan. So don't think I'll be content to watch you merely beat this team. Get out there and murder them."

Cody and Scott exchange uneasy looks, recognizing Gerard's choice of words for the sinister implication it carries.

"You heard the man. Asses on the field!" Coach shouts.

The players run out to the field, their adrenaline pumping.

Both teams huddle on the sidelines of the field.

Cody sits on the bench next to Stiles, who leans into him. "You seen Lydia?" Stiles asks.

Cody shakes his head, "You seen Allison?" he asks in return.