Infinite Clarity

five

[ five : I suck at math ]

 “Dad, hey,” Dylan said as his dad walked into the upperclassmen’s lounge. This is where most of the upperclassmen spent their free period catching up on homework, studying, or goofing off. You’d either find them here, in the gym, or at the library. “What’s up?”

           “Is Luke here?” Coach Martinez asked his son. Coach was a tall, well and muscly-built man with a 6’4” stature, a stubble-covered chin, and a firm-set jaw. He had always been hard on the boys, but we all knew that he loved every one of them as if they were family to him. Luke’s head snapped up from across the room where he sat on a couch with Carter and Ryan playing the Xbox. “Ah, there he is. Luke!”

            “Uh, yes, Coach?” Luke stood up, arms hanging at his sides.

            “I’ve got some great news for you, boy. After some hard thinking,” Dylan chuckled at that part and Coach glared at him, “I’ve decided that I’m going to let you join the team.”

          I couldn’t help but interject right then and there. I stood up. He already had to live with me, and now it was being made official that I’d have to see him after school during the time period that was originally my hour and a half without him-how could I not stand up? “Excuse me, Mr. Martinez, are you sure about this? He’s not even that great.”

           “Adrienne, come on, now. You saw the kid play yesterday. He’s amazing.”

          The smile on Luke’s face as he stood next to Coach was annoyingly bright. “Did you expect anything less?” I shot daggers at him with a heated glare. He gestured to his body. “Prepare yourself for more of all of this.”

           “I’d rather be beaten to death.”

           “Ha-ha,” he said, his voice lacking any kind of humor. To Coach Martinez: “Thank you, Coach. I’d be honored to be on your team.”

          In a way, I think Luke was only joining the team to annoy me. I’m not even sure if he enjoyed soccer; maybe he just happened to be good at it.

           “That’s what I like to hear.” Coach beamed. “Practices are every Tuesday and Thursday.”

           “Alright, sir. I guess I’ll be seeing you at practice tomorrow, then.” With that, Coach left, leaving us and a few other students to ourselves in the lounge.

          I hated Luke. I honest to god hated him.

           “Congrats, man,” Carson said to him, clapping him on his back.

           “I told you that you’d make it,” Dylan said.

           “And I knew I would.”

          I took a deep sight through my nose, wanting to punch him so hard right then. Eli and Wes were warming up to Luke in a way, but I knew they weren’t as on board with him as much as Dylan, Ryan, and Carson. The three of them loved him, said he was awesome. Huffing, I sat back down between Lindsay and Grace. Blaire was sat next to Grace.