Braxten High

Chapter 19

Ayden's POV:

Classes end in two minutes and practice starts in seventeen. I was standing with Azriel in the empty hallway where Zara and Scarlett had their last class of the day. The bell rang, and the teacher exited the classroom but not before shooting us a weird look.

Scarlett walked out of the class with Zara and smiled when she saw me. When she was close enough, she hugged me and planted a kiss on my cheek in front of everyone. "Take that, rulebook maniac," she mumbled victoriously, making me chuckle.

"You're coming to watch the final practice match before the big game?" I asked while wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her close. "Of course, you dimwit," she said.

Beside me, I saw Azriel practically demand Zara's presence at the practice and pouting when she laughed. He needs training in how to be nice to people, I thought to myself with a shake of my head and a grin.

I kissed Scarlett's forehead and gave her a smile before heading towards the field with Azriel and Zara beside us.

"See you after the match," I said once we reached and dragged Azriel to the locker room along with me. "Don't break a leg," she yelled after me jokingly at the same time as Zara yelled out a best of luck.

"I can't wait to see you after the match, that is if he doesn't kill me," Azriel said dramatically as I pulled him away. I rolled my eyes at his petulant behavior.

When we reached the locker room, some commotion was going on. Not the usual pre-practice chatter, though. Seeing that, I yelled loudly to get everyone's attention, "What's the matter?"

I was handed a note by one of the members. "Someone found this stuck to the lockers. It looks like a threat," he said.

"If you're smart enough you won't play the match today. And drop out of the final match as well, or else you're going to LOSE."

"The fuck do you mean it looks like a threat, of course it's a threat," Azriel spoke up from beside me.

"It's nothing to worry about. It's probably a cowardly act by Allendale High, we're going to play and win," I said encouragingly, while balling up the note and tossing it in the bin.

After a few moments of revising our strategy for the game, we heard the referee's whistle from outside. The last practice match had started.

We walked out and took our positions on the field. I scanned the bleachers for Scarlett and found her sitting next to Zara, cheering enthusiastically. I gave her a smile before the referee blew the whistle.

Half-way through the game, I was dribbling my way to the goal post when I glanced up and saw the defender from Allendale High running towards me. I tried to tackle my way out but he wrapped his calf around my leg, and had me fall to the ground.

I tried to spin out and prevent my fall, but I fell anyway and heard a sick sound from my foot. The defender got away, and I was replaced with a substitute for the rest of the practice.

"We all saw that, it's fucking unfair the defender gets away with no warning! Are you high?" I heard Azriel yell, and moments later the player got a yellow card after all. I limped my way to the bleachers, getting help from Scar half-way as she glared so hard at the defender, she might as well burn holes through his skull.

"I will kill him," she whisper-yelled under her breath. Zara shook her head from the other side of me and I chuckled breathlessly.

Zara and Scarlett helped me up the bleachers and I winced as she took my left foot and placed it on her lap, being extremely careful. She began to inspect my foot for any signs of a broken ankle.

After a few beats, she looked up solemnly."It's broken," she mumbled and looked back down. I laughed nervously. "You're kidding...right?"

She shook her head and I went pale. Noticing the color drain from my face, she grinned. "Definitely joking, it's just twisted," she said while taking the first-aid kit from the nurse and shooing her away.

And as she tended to my rapidly swelling ankle, I told Zara and her all about the note before we had a repeat of the other note incident.

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Zara's POV:

The practice was over, and while the boys went over things, Scarlett and I headed to the car to get Azriel and Ayden protein bars. And that's when we saw Isa give some money while talking to the same defender who 'accidentally' tripped and made an attempt at breaking Ayden's ankle.

Scarlett spotted them about a second after I did. "Oh no he didn't," she muttered and before I could stop her, she inserted herself right in the middle of their now heated chatting.

"You had one fucking job-" I heard Isa yell and then be cut off by Scar pulling the money out of his hand. He looked up and went pale. "I will ask this once, so you better fucking be honest," she spoke threateningly while grabbing his collar.

"Why are you exchanging money and does it have anything to do with Ayden's fall?" she asked and I decided I was going to join her but I was pulled back by Azriel wrapping an arm around my waist.

"I have better things to do than make your joke of a boyfriend trip," I saw Isa reply and scoff, earning him a swift slap on the cheek. "Wrong answer. Try again," she glared and positioned her knee so she could kick him if he failed to cooperate.

"Where's Ayden and why don't you let me go?" I whispered to Azriel.

He spun me around and pushed me against a car. "Wrapping things up. And it looks like your crazy friend has it under control," he whispered back, leaning in.

Just as things were starting to feel intense, we heard a resonating and unmistakable sound of a smack being delivered and shoes being stomped over to us.

"Turns out they're just dealing fucking drugs and that thing athletes use and is illegal- seriously? School grounds again? Ugh," Scar muttered. "I'll be at our spot; don't get my best friend pregnant," she called out and walked away.

-zoie and dawn