Game, Set, Match

{8}

Nate

Another day of school to go and I find myself wanting to fall back to sleep. But I can hear my alarm on my phone ringing and my mum singing badly downstairs while she makes breakfast. So I jump out of bed and into the shower.

Once my uniform is on, I eat the breakfast my mum made at the table with my parents. There's not much conversation. It is the morning after all. My dad may make a comment about the newspaper he's reading or my mum may tell me to eat more fruit but that's pretty much it. Once done I kiss my mum on the cheek, salute my dad and run out the house to see her waiting for me.

"Good morning babe." She says as she takes her hand out for me to grab.

"Morning babe." I answer then kiss Rachel's cheek.

It's routine for us to walk to school hand in hand and then separate once we reach the gates to our group of friends. Immediately, Josh comes running towards me.

"Nate, Nate guess what?" Josh says excitedly as he nears.

"What?"

"Kyra just asked me to 'help her out' with Biology at her place." He puts air quotes around the words.

"Ok."

"Ok? What do you mean ok? You just found out that a girl is interested in your best mate and you just say 'ok'. Come on man, be more excited for me."

"Congratulations?" I try.

"This is what happens when you get a girlfriend. You forget what it feels like to have a girl flirt with you."

"Even with a girlfriend girls still flirt with me. Why do you think Rachel gets so jealous?" I smirk.

"Aren't you a lucky lad? Girls are never interested in guys like me. They always want the athletic guys like you when I, on the other hand, have the build of a noodle." He raises his arms and drops them by his side to emphasise his point.

"Hey Josh cheer up. Girls are into brainy guys too." I try.

"That's bullshit and you know it."

"I'm pretty sure I heard Kyra say your glasses make you look cute."

"Wait so she really is interested in me? I fucking knew it." I laugh as he does a little victory dance. I might have lied just a tad bit. Kyra didn't say his glasses make him look cute but at least he's gained a little more confidence. And as I'm laughing at my best friend embarrass himself I catch sight of Chase.

Chase covered in bruises.

Suddenly nothing seems funny anymore.

I watch him walk pass the oblivious students with his hands buried deeply in his trouser pockets and head hung low. Some students seem even more scared to see him like this. To know that he's recently got himself in a fight, got someone so enraged that they decided to hit him and leave behind some reminders.

But that's not the way I left him yesterday.

Coach comes out of his car in the parking lot and spots the bruised Chase. He quickly storms over to him and then he walks over to me with Chase slowly strolling behind.

"You two in my office now!" Coach yells. I do as I'm told.

*

"You two are unbelievable, do you know that?! How many times do I have to say no more fighting?! This team won't be able to work if the two captains are at each other's throats all the time. I can't believe that-"

"It wasn't him." Chase interrupts.

"What?" Coach says.

"We didn't get into a fight Coach. It wasn't him."

"Is this true Nate?"

I turn to look at Chase, his black eye and cut lip and bruised cheek but I should have known he wouldn't look my way.

"Yes Coach. It's true. We haven't fought since that match in Killsbury."

"Oh, ok good." Coach sits down in his chair behind his desk and looks around as if he doesn't know what to do next. "If that's the case then you guys are free to go."

I pick up my bag slumped on the floor and walk out of Coach's office which is becoming a familiar occurrence.

I walk side by side with Chase. His pace is much slower today so I can actually keep up with him.

"Hey Chase? What happened?" I ask and he pauses.

"I erm just got into a fight with some dude yesterday on my way back from yours."

"Oh." I reply. "Well, I would hate to see what the other guy looks like."

Chase

Not a single bruise on him.

Nate

He just shrugs his shoulders and we continue to walk in silence.

I don't get why I feel so concerned for him. He gets into fights all the time. He literally got into a fight with me. But looking at him, covered in bruises from someone other than myself makes me feel...something.

Are things supposed to be different now? Am I supposed to care? Yesterday we hung out, we ate pizza together for goodness sake. But does that mean we're friends? Is that a question you can even ask someone?

"Chase are we-"

"Oi Ronaldo." Calls a girl with silver hair.
Chase perks up at that and walks over to the girl who happens to be standing with some guy.
I recognise them to be his friends.

"Stevie. Niall." He greets, joining them by the lockers. I decide not to follow and I kinda just watch him instead. I can tell just from the way he's standing straighter that he's a completely different person with his friends. He's laughing and smiling and now I'm smiling.

They don't mention his bruises.

I realise now that Chase and I aren't friends. He would never act that way around me because when he is around me he's the Chase that everyone else knows. And fears. With them he's different. He's himself.

I wonder if I'll ever see this side of Chase?

************************
I know there's a lot of Nate's POV right now but don't worry I haven't forgotten about Chase. He's coming up next.