"The Cut"

Chapter 59- Water Under The Bridge

Chapter 59- Water Under The Bridge

Chase met Evan in the locker room before practice and changed his clothes hurriedly.

He was running late. Carson had texted him out of the blue, and asked if he would stop by on his way home. He needed his wingman to give him some good advice on which direction to take.

 He could easily worm his way out of the visit and blow her off. He was still heated over the break-up and the fact that she'd made a total fool of him in front of the entire school.

 On the other hand, Carson had been through so much. He felt bad for the convoluted situation. While she took part in the once elusive affair with Coach Fullman, he was deceased, and Carson's father incarcerated. Her mother would serve time immediately after his sentence was completed. The Pierce's were far from perfect. Chase knew that she needed a friend.

 Desperately.

 She already withdrew from FHS, and enrolled as an online student for the second semester of their senior year. Bailey had taken over as the Varsity cheer captain and Jess became co-captain. Things had changed, but somehow it seemed like it was for the better.

 Students were kinder to one another. More genuine. Teachers seemed more accommodating than ever to the student body as a whole. The police had gathered enough evidence and questioned plenty of students and staff members of the school.

 Coach Fullman's murder trial was very cut and dry. Only the victims of Coach Lafoe's sexual harassment were pending; a hearing was set for the following February and anyone who had a shred of proof that he was guilty was taking part to ensure there were consequences for his ugly actions.

 Principal McFarland had begun the interview process for two new teachers and three coaches. He decided that an assistant track coach for additional support would also provide an extra set of eyes on the campus to prevent any more indiscretions on his watch. The words "sexual harassment" were no longer treated lightly in the town of Fairview.

 And... there wasn't a single student out of nearly 1,500 that objected to the new set of rules imposed at Fairview High School.

 Chase locked up his belongings and grabbed his cleats as Evan began to stretch on the bench in the locker room. He quickly filled him in on the recent text from Carson and asked what Evan would do if the roles were reversed. Evan wasted no time at all.

He ran his hand through his long, golden waves before he spoke.

"You know, Man, I never thought I'd hear myself say this. But for once, I actually feel pretty sorry for the girl. I can't even begin to imagine what's on her mind right now. Her dad's locked up, her mom's gonna follow. Fullman's dead. She fucked up, I get it, and I'm not condoning it. But, it's still a loss. And... I think she still cares for you, Dude." he shrugged his shoulders as they stood to exit the locker room. 

 He grabbed the door and held it for his best friend. Chase smirked at him.

"What, are you trying to get laid or something? I'm not Grace, ya know." he laughed as he swung at Evan, who dodged his attack. He rebounded with a karate chop to the neck.

"I'm grateful, trust me. Besides, she looks a helluva lot better in her underwear than you do." he fired.

"Is that right? You may have to fill me in after this weekend." he replied curiously. They headed toward the field just a few minutes shy of practice.

"Watch it, Jackass. That's my girl your talkin' shit about." he gave Chase a look of warning, then both of them burst into laughter.

"Don't go getting all soft on me, alright, Buttercup? I know you too well. Kidding aside, I hope you two have a good weekend. I'll keep my fingers crossed that the rain holds off for ya." he slapped him across the back. Evan nodded.