Darkson High

1.11

Earlier That Day

The courtyard was alive with the usual buzz of students—clusters of chatter and laughter echoing off the brick walls, the sharp crack of a ball being kicked around, the shrill call of a teacher trying to maintain some semblance of order. Jake stood at the edge of it all, leaning against a tree, his posture deceptively relaxed. His eyes, however, were far from it. They were narrowed, scanning the crowd like a predator assessing the herd, searching for something—or someone—among the throngs of students moving between classes.

Next to him, Trey and Ricky lounged on the low stone wall that bordered the courtyard, trying to appear casual but frequently glancing at Jake. There was an unspoken tension in the air, a tautness that coiled around them like a snake ready to strike. Even in the open, sunlit space, Jake's presence carried a weight, a dark undertone that seemed to seep into the atmosphere, making it colder, sharper.

Harry, perched a few feet away, his back against the tree, was more perceptive. He noticed the way Jake's gaze cut through the crowd, how his jaw clenched with a rhythmic, almost methodical tension. "You sure about this, man?" Harry asked, his voice low, barely audible over the ambient noise of the courtyard. He kept his tone neutral, but there was a flicker of concern in his eyes.

Jake didn't answer immediately. His eyes locked onto something—or rather, someone. Across the courtyard, Kyle Davenport was laughing with a group of friends, his posture cocky and self-assured. Jake's lips curled into a thin, humorless smile, a dark glint in his eyes. Kyle was too far to notice, too wrapped up in his own world to sense the danger heading his way. But Jake had all the time in the world. He could wait.

Finally, he turned his head slightly, just enough to acknowledge Harry's question. "I'm done letting these idiots think they can do whatever they want," Jake said, his voice a low, gravelly rumble. "Especially with Nikky."

Ricky chuckled nervously, trying to mask his own unease with bravado. "You're really on the warpath today, huh?"

Jake's gaze snapped to Ricky, and the chuckle died in his throat. There was a sharpness in Jake's eyes that silenced any further commentary. "This isn't a game, Ricky," Jake said quietly, his voice cold enough to send a chill down Ricky's spine. "You saw what he did. You heard what he said."

Ricky nodded, his confidence faltering under the weight of Jake's stare. "Yeah, man. I get it. I'm with you."

Trey shifted uncomfortably, glancing between Jake and Harry. "Look, Jake," he began carefully, "I know Kyle's a piece of shit. But we've all got a lot riding on this year. Maybe we don't need to go nuclear, you know?"

Jake's eyes turned to Trey, his expression darkening. There was a moment of silence that stretched too long, a tension that settled thick in the air. "If you're not in, Trey, just say it," Jake said slowly, his voice devoid of emotion, yet carrying a weight that implied far more than the words themselves.

Trey held up his hands defensively. "I'm in, man. I'm in. Just saying we gotta be smart about it."

Jake's gaze shifted back to Kyle, still oblivious, still laughing. His hand clenched into a fist at his side. "We're done letting him get away with shit. Today, he learns."

There was a finality in Jake's tone, a resolution that brooked no argument. Harry sighed, recognizing that look in Jake's eyes—the same look he'd had when he'd decided to face down a group of older kids in freshman year, the same look that meant trouble for anyone in his way.

"Alright," Harry said, pushing off from the tree and cracking his neck. "But let's keep it quick. In and out."

Jake nodded once, a curt, determined gesture. "Kyle's on borrowed time, and he doesn't even know it yet."

A ripple of unease went through the group, but they fell in step behind Jake as he began to move, weaving through the crowd with a purpose that was hard to miss. The closer they got, the more their demeanor changed—shoulders squared, eyes hardening. The casual postures of teenage boys shifted into something more dangerous, a pack closing in on its target.

As they neared Kyle and his friends, Jake's presence seemed to cast a shadow over the group. A few of Kyle's friends noticed, their laughter dying down as they saw the intensity in Jake's eyes. One by one, they nudged each other, whispers of warning spreading like wildfire. Even Kyle, in his self-assured bubble, began to sense it—like the shift in the air before a storm.

Jake came to a stop just a few feet away, his eyes boring into Kyle's with an intensity that made the other boy straighten up, his bravado faltering. The courtyard seemed to still, a bubble of silence expanding around them as the other students sensed something brewing.

"Jake," Kyle said, a forced smile stretching across his face, though his eyes darted nervously to his friends, who were slowly backing away. "What's up, man?"

Jake didn't respond immediately. He let the silence stretch out, letting the tension build like a coil winding tighter and tighter. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, almost a whisper, but it carried a weight that made Kyle swallow hard. "You and I need to talk."

Kyle's smile wavered, and he glanced around, looking for support that was rapidly evaporating. "About what?"

Jake's smile was cold, almost cruel. "About you forgetting your place."

And with that, Jake nodded to Harry and Ricky, who flanked Kyle, gripping his arms with iron-tight hands. Trey took a position behind them, keeping watch, his face tense with a mix of anticipation and dread. Kyle's friends backed off entirely now, unwilling to get caught in whatever was about to unfold.

Kyle's eyes widened with fear as he realized he was trapped. "What the hell, man? Let go!"

Jake leaned in, his voice a low, threatening growl that sent a shiver through everyone within earshot. "You're coming with us, Davenport. It's time for a little reminder."

Kyle's face drained of color, and he glanced around frantically, but there was no escape, no help. Jake's eyes were locked on him, cold and unyielding, like a predator who had just cornered his prey.

And then, with a silent nod from Jake, they started moving, dragging Kyle along with them into the dim, abandoned corridor where the real lesson would begin.