Prompt: How Beckett ended up as a Maroon
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Beckett Townsend had never felt so stressed out in his entire life.
He'd been studying nonstop, and the workload of Constance Academy was starting to get to him. He was the top of his class, but Leon Constance was just a fraction behind him and catching up quickly.
Beckett flipped the page in his notebook, wanting nothing more than to go outside and run until he felt better. His parents had set up homework time and study time for him to help him stay on top of his work. He hated it.
He'd been angrier than usual lately. And now that he was at the Academy, Emmett was being worse than ever to him, jealous over the praise Beckett was getting for his grades at such an elite school.
But the pressure was getting to Beckett. If he slipped up even once, Leon would be ahead of him. His parents had such high expectations for him.
"Beck, your mom and I are going outside. We're going to cut up that wood in the backyard," his father, Ken, said, poking his head into Beckett's room. "Keep studying. Emmett and his friends are downstairs, but I told them to keep it down so they don't bother you. And don't forget to practice your piano songs later. Make us proud, kid."
Make us proud. His parents always said that. Sometimes Beckett thought his only purpose in life was to make them proud.
He gripped his pen tightly and waited until his father left the room before flinging it across the room. It hit the wall and fell to the ground, and Beckett balled his hands into fists, trying to breathe evenly like his mom had taught him. She always warned him that he had a bad temper, but he could feel it getting worse.
Beckett tried to focus on his work, plotting out an essay he had due next week. He wasn't sure how much time passed, but he could hear loud noises coming from the backyard.
"Beckett."
He jerked in surprise and turned to face Emmett. At fourteen, Emmett towered over Beckett, but Beckett tried not to be intimidated. He was not in the mood for his brother to push him around today.
"Go away. I'm studying," Beckett said.
"Go away," Emmett mocked in a cheap imitation of Beckett's voice. "Shut up, dumbass. Where's the third controller for the PlayStation?"
"Not here. Get out," Beckett said, his temper emerging quicker than usual. He could see Emmett's friends, Zach and Miranda, standing behind Emmett.
Emmett ignored his little brother and entered the room anyways. Beckett grabbed his yo-yo off his desk. He practiced his tricks and aim with it constantly, one of his only stress relief methods.
"Get out!" Beckett repeated firmly, hitting Emmett with the yo-yo.
Emmett winced in surprise and glared. He stormed over and yanked Beckett's chair so that Beckett hit the ground. Emmett snatched the yo-yo and hit Beckett in the face with it.
"You're such a little prick!" Emmett snapped.
Beckett struggled and managed to squirm away, but Zach caught him and threw him back at Emmett. Emmett grabbed Beckett's arm and twisted it behind him.
