The practice was winding down when I noticed Hadassah and Patrick walking off to the side. They were laughing again, their heads bent together, and I felt my irritation flare up once more. Something about the way they were interacting still felt off to me. I couldn't shake that feeling, and I was determined to keep an eye on them.Just as I was about to head over, Travis stormed past me, his face twisted in disbelief. "Butker!" he yelled, and I perked up, heart racing. "Get over here!"I rushed over, panic surging through me. "What's going on?"Travis pointed to a group gathered a few yards away. I squinted to see what the fuss was about. To my horror, I saw Patrick surrounded by Richee Rice, Willie Gay, and Chris Jones. They were holding him down, and the looks on their faces were serious. "Cut his dick off!" Richee shouted, his voice ringing across the field."What?" I blurted out, disbelief flooding my system. "Travis!" I yelled, my heart racing. "What are they doing?!"Travis rushed over, and I followed closely behind. As we got closer, I could hear Patrick trying to protest, his hands struggling against their grip. "Guys, come on! It was just a joke!""Joke?" Willie laughed, shaking his head. "You think it's funny to creep on Hadassah?""Wait, wait!" I shouted, panic bubbling in my chest. "What's happening? He wasn't—"Travis interrupted me, his voice low and fierce. "I swear, Patrick, if you were trying to mess with her...""Guys, it's not like that!" Patrick insisted, finally managing to sit up and look serious. "We were just talking!"But just as he said that, Isiah Pacheco came limping back onto the field, a crutch under one arm. His leg was in a brace from that nasty injury, but he looked fierce as he surveyed the scene."What the hell is going on?" Isiah shouted, striding over, his crutch swinging in front of him like a weapon. "Just a little friendly chat about respecting boundaries," Chris said, rolling his eyes but not letting go of Patrick. "Yeah, and it seems Patrick forgot to read the room," Richee added, snickering.Isiah pushed through the crowd, glaring at Patrick. "You need to back off, Mahomes. She's just a kid, and you know better. We all do.""I wasn't doing anything!" Patrick protested, finally managing to wriggle free from their grip. He shot me a look of desperation. "You all need to trust me. I'd never hurt her.""Then why are you always getting so close to her?" Travis shot back, crossing his arms."Because she's cool! She's part of the team now," Patrick replied, exasperated. "We were talking about plays and having fun. That's it!""Fun?" I scoffed. "Does 'fun' involve whispering secrets to a thirteen-year-old?""I didn't—" Patrick started, but I cut him off."Just stop. If you think this is okay, you're dead wrong." Hadassah appeared behind me, looking confused and a little worried. "What's happening?"I glanced at her, my heart sinking. "Just a misunderstanding, Haddie. No one is in trouble."Patrick straightened up, looking at Hadassah with a mix of concern and regret. "Haddie, I promise, it wasn't anything weird. They're just messing with me.""Yeah, messing with you by holding you down," Isiah said sharply. "That's not cool, Patrick.""Enough!" Travis shouted, cutting through the tension. "Everyone needs to back off for a second. Patrick, if you have any respect for Hadassah, you'll keep your distance until this gets sorted out."I nodded, feeling a mix of relief and frustration. Hadassah deserved better, and if that meant calling out Patrick, so be it. As I watched them all, I realized the chaos had just begun.In this crazy world, things could spiral out of control in an instant.
