𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗥

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟮

𝗔𝗫𝗘𝗟

Have you seen this?" Hunter, my football teammate and closest friend aside from Kiara, shoved his phone under my nose.

I pushed my blonde hair out of my eyes and frowned at the screen. "The papers just love them, don't they?" A bitter laugh escaped me as I studied the image and accompanying article on the local newspaper website.

A huge photo of the Luxe High School football team dominated the page, their smug grins, and perfect poses framed by the honey-colored stone buildings of their school. Their captain stood front and center, not smiling, but staring at the camera with a challenge in his eyes.

Fucking Zach. He taunted me through the screen. The need to take him on in the bowl was a constant itch under my skin. Why wouldn't he fight me? He hadn't been shy about punching me in the stomach last night by his car. But when we fought, I wanted witnesses. I wanted everyone to see me take down Luxe High’s king.

"The papers might love them, but that means fuck all. We can take them." Hunter gave me a sideways look. "If you can control your obsession with their captain and act like a team player."

I shot him a warning look, and he smirked. Shoving at
at his arm, I pushed through the school gates and onto the grounds of West High Academy. A car passed us, followed by a group on mopeds pulling into the small car park. I felt a momentary twinge of frustration that I had to walk here. But my Honda Civic Type R was the only possession I owned with any value, and in this school, if I parked it here, it would be trashed by the end of the day.

We entered through the sliding doors and joined the queue of students waiting to be scanned by security. Up ahead, a guy from one of my classes was having a knuckle duster confiscated. Amateur. If you wanted to bring weapons into school, you didn’t just stroll in through the front entrance. You used the side door that led into the technology block.

The dusty-haired, beefy security guy swept the wand scanner over me absently. "Alright, mate?" I saluted him with a grin, and he responded with an eye roll. One of these days, I'd get him to crack.

"You can't confiscate that—it’s my grandma’s can opener! It’s a family heirloom!" Hunter's voice came from behind me. The security guy was holding up a small, slim knife, shiny and wicked-looking.

"This." He held it between two fingers, shaking his head. "This is not a can opener, Mr. Reed, nor is it an heirloom. Now go, before I report this to the head. You're already three points away from suspension. Wouldn't want you to miss the match on Saturday."

Hunter shrugged. "Dunno. Forgot."Kiara strutted up to us, effectively ending the conversation. "Who's ready to learn about anatomy?"

“I’m ready to learn about your anatomy.” Hunter leered at her, and she elbowed him in the stomach.

“Your lines get worse all the time.” Swinging her locker open, she pulled out a heavy textbook.“Carry this for me.”

I raised a brow as he silently took the book from her. He caught my look and threw me a wink. “Gotta keep them sweet.” Turning to Kiara, he shifted his bag onto one shoulder, tucking her book under his arm. “K, are you free tonight?”

“I’m busy.”

“That’s what you always say. I’ll wear you down one of these days.”