Motive | D. Lizewski

CHAPTER FIVE ⌖ IN THE DANGER ZONE ⌖

i. Kick Ass

DAVE HAD FINALLY GOTTEN HIS SUIT.  After days of waiting, it felt like Christmas morning when he pulled it from the package. The moment he put it on, he was transformed. He spent hours practicing, mimicking karate, taekwondo, and self-defense moves he found on YouTube. 

Sometimes, he even wore it under his clothes. It made him feel untouchable, like a superhero waiting for the right moment to save the day. The suit gave him an extra dose of confidence, something he didn't usually have, especially around Maya.

Speaking of Maya, Dave spotted her at her locker, flipping through her chemistry notes. He tugged at his jacket, straightening his clothes before taking a deep breath. Alright, just be cool, he told himself. But as he made his way over, his foot caught on the edge of someone's bag. Dave tripped forward, stumbling into the lockers with a loud clang. He quickly leaned against them, trying to play it off like it never happened.

"S-Sup, Maya," he managed to stammer, his face turning slightly red.

Maya didn't even glance his way. She knew it was him just by the sound of his voice. "Hey," she mumbled, not looking up from her notes. She was scribbling something, her forehead creased in frustration.

Dave noticed something was off. "What's wrong?" he asked, trying to sound concerned.

Maya sighed, still not looking at him. "I'm going to kill myself."

Dave's eyes widened in alarm. "Wait—what? Are you okay?"

Finally, Maya looked up at him, her expression softening just a bit. "Yeah, I just hate mornings," she said, her voice resigned as she shut her notebook.

Dave let out a breath of relief. "Oh. Well, yeah, mornings suck." He realized she wasn't exactly in a chatty mood, but something about today felt different. He was more confident—less nervous than usual—and he could tell she noticed. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she observed him.

"Why are you so happy?" she asked, crossing her arms and giving him a suspicious look.

Dave shifted uncomfortably, trying to sound casual. "What, I can't just be happy?" he asked, though his voice betrayed a slight nervous edge.

Maya shrugged, looking unimpressed. "I guess not."

She snapped her locker shut with a metallic thud, clearly about to walk away. Dave's stomach dropped. He didn't want the conversation to end—he needed something to keep it going, to walk with her.

"So, uh..." he blurted, scrambling for a topic. "You thought of a topic for tomorrow's paper?"

Maya raised an eyebrow at the abrupt question but nodded. "Yeah. Homecoming game's coming up in two weeks, so..." she trailed off, clearly not enthused.

Dave sighed, realizing what she meant. He knew exactly what came with the homecoming game—the chaos that was Prank Week. Every year, the rivalry between schools went beyond harmless pranks. This wasn't just about painting sidewalks or egging houses. No, they went all out. There were stories of students burning each other's flags, kidnapping mascots, stealing equipment—things that made the school board turn a blind eye out of tradition, no matter how wild things got.

"Prank Week," Dave muttered under his breath, feeling the weight of it settle over him.

Maya nodded, rolling her eyes. "Yup. It's gonna be a nightmare."