Quiet || hs

28

Coach Payne was halfway through our workouts when Harry walks in. He was wearing his usual black hoodie, but added a brown jacket and a snapback that was quite attractive. He sets his bag down that hung from his shoulder onto the bleachers as he spoke to coach Payne. The girls and I were currently doing sit ups. I stared at the two while I held Monique's feet down.

"Coach Styles is looking good." Monique breathes out, laying on her back. "You're a lucky girl."

My eyes snap to her and I pat her knee. "You aren't finished with your set." I giggle softly. "Ten more."

She rolls her eyes and continues her sit ups. I turn to look at Harry again and I see his cut lip. The movement of his plump pink lips got me in some kind of trans.

"Hey, it's not fair that you get to stare." Monique removes her feet from under my hands then sits up. "Your turn, girly."

I lie on my back, getting ready to start. Then I spot Principal Parker enter with two policemen behind her. I stop Monique and we watch the scene. Parker walks up to the two coaches and Harry turns around. He didn't look fazed by the policemen. He kept a serious and calm facial expression. Their voices were inaudible, but then Harry glances over at me. He nods following the two men then coach Payne notices all of us stopped our workout.

"No one told you to stop." he says very deeply.

"Rylee Eversteen." Parker calls me. "Can you come with me to my office please?"

I look at Monique with a worried expression. She nudges me to stand up and tries to calm me down.

"It could be anything." she whispers. "Don't panic, okay?"

I breathe in slowly, nodding and follow principal Parker out of the gym. We walk down the empty halls into her office. Harry was standing next to a woman in one of the chairs. He stuffs his hands in his pockets, looking down at his feet. The woman looks over her shoulder and I realize it was my mom. Zayn was sitting in the other chair and smirks, turning his head to focus on principal Parker. He stands up offering me the chair then moves aside. She sat behind her desk while each officer stood on either side of her desk.

"Have a seat, darling." my mom pats the chair next to her.

I hesitantly sit down and look at the very serious people in the room. "Am I in– in trouble?" I gulp nervously.

"Rylee, Mr.Malik here reported an incident that happened Friday night with coach Styles. According to Mr.Malik, you were a witness to coach Styles' violence toward him." she explains the reason I was here.

"Pauline, you can call me Zayn." he chuckles. "We've been friends for how long now?"

"Yes, but I'm working here." she nods then continues. "If coach Styles was the one who made the first hit, Mr.Malik can charge him of assault and coach Styles will be temporarily terminated as interim coach and sent to court for further investigation. We just need a witness to verify what happened that night."

"He should be charged!" my mom jumps in, pointing at Zayn. "This guy is a-"

"Mrs.Eversteen," Parker stops my mom. "We only have you here because it is mandatory to have a parent here during an investigation on one of our teachers, involving a student." she explains. "Since Rylee is a witness to the incident, we need her to speak and clarify things that happened. Go on honey," she nods at me.

"I-I don- he's a great coach, principal Parker." I stammer out, looking at Harry who already had his eyes on me. I couldn't tell if he was upset about this because he had no expression at all.