Chapter 8

• Mason James stood in the hallway on the first day of senior year and nodded his head at Lee Munroe. Lee had only started playing football last year but he was a natural and they slowly became friends. Lee didn’t talk much and Mason didn’t mind.
• At the lockers Lee nudged him with his shoulder and Mason followed his gaze. “Isn’t that Kelley Alexander?”
• “What the hell is an Elite doing here?” Lee shrugged at Mason’s question.
• Mason and Lee started down the hallway and stopped a few feet away from Kelley Alexander. “Are you lost, pretty boy?”
• There were enough students in the hallway and the sudden hush was almost eerie. Kelley Alexander turned toward them slowly and the first thing Mason noticed was the new scar around Kelley’s left eye. It made him look meaner and somehow it only added a mysterious note and took nothing away from his looks.
• Kelley turned away from them, pulled his backpack over his shoulder again and started towards their homeroom without answering. Mason looked at Lee who’s expression was stoic once again and followed Kelley down the hallway.
• They were in the same homeroom and Mason spotted Kelley in the back immediately. He had his own presence, dominant, dangerous and somewhat arrogant. Lee sat down in the back as well and Mason joined him. Kelley sat to their left and Arlo and Stuart sat on their right. The seat next to Kelley remained open.
• “Good morning, class, and welcome to Senior Year. I’m Mr John Dear. The seats you’ve chosen will be your assigned seats for the rest of the year. Fill in your details on the sheet going around. I’ll also be your teacher contact for this year so don’t hesitate to knock on my door if you need anything.”
• The class was semi quiet with hushed murmurings as Kelley filled in the sheet. He turned towards Mason and held the paper out to him. Mason regarded him coolly, almost examining him. Mason took the paper and Kelley saw a challenge flash in his eyes before he turned away.
• The bell rang and Kelley walked out of the class and headed down the hall. Kelley had expected some ribbing, maybe some verbal fighting but he exhaled a breath of relief since nothing had happened. He’d mostly been worried about Mason James.
• His shoulder hit the locker hard as someone pushed him from behind. Kelley remembered him as Arlo, also a football player. “Oh, I’m sorry, your elitist highness.” Arlo gave him a small bow and then laughter erupted as they walked past Kelley.
• Kelley shrugged it off as he saw Mason and his friend watching him. Kelley mentally added pushing to his list of things to expect. The students at Public High were tough, quicker to fight and had no qualms about getting into your personal space.
• The rest of the day saw Kelley getting pushed around a bit more but nothing that warranted him having to do anything. He was used to orderly rows when going from class to class and Public really opened his eyes.
• When the final bell rang at three pm Kelley only felt relief as he headed to the parking lot and his Escalade only to find Mason James standing in front of his car. “I’m just here to finish senior year. You guys don’t want me here, I get that …”
• Mason’s expression didn’t change as he looked at Kelley. “I was going to say that football practice starts next week.”
• “Oh.” Kelley didn’t know what else to say because he hadn’t really expected that from Mason.
• “Not all of us here at Public are assholes.” Mason looked almost angry.
• “I didn’t say that, but we don’t have the best history and I wasn’t actually planning on playing.”
• Mason frowned slightly at that. “You should try out, you’re a good quarterback, too good for Elite. At Public we might make you even better.”
• “I would just upset the balance…”
• “Yeah…are you too good to play for Public?”
• Kelley sighed as Mason crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s not like that…I have a lot on my plate right now. Your team’s full and you have a good team.”
• “I can imagine how hard your life is, poor little rich boy. Playing football is something you’re good at. Besides, Archie broke his ankle last day of football camp. We’re short a quarterback.”
• Mason turned and left Kelley next to his car. ‘Poor little rich boy my ass,’ Kelley thought to himself as he drove away from the school and headed towards the motel.
• Kelley parked his Escalade in the alley next to Jesse’s dojo and grabbed his training bag. Inside the dojo he changed and started his work out. He spent an hour punching the boxing bag before Jesse stopped him.
• “Talk to me, kid.”
• “I guess it could’ve been worse.”
• Jesse sighed and before Kelley knew it they were going through their normal warm up moves, blocking and punching, some light kicks and Kelley focused on the martial arts. Right there in that dojo with Jesse, Kelley felt at home, he got closure and he knew this was what he was missing out on his whole life.
• Another hour later Jesse held up his hand and they sat down on the mat, each drinking heavily from their water bottles. “What happened?”
• “Arlo O’Neill. It was just some shoving into the lockers in the hallway.”
• Jesse scratched his chin thoughtfully before answering. “Yeah…you wouldn’t have tried killing the punching bag if that was all that happened.”
• Kelley huffed out a laugh. “During lunch Arlo slapped my tray out of my hand. During gym he pushed me up against the lockers and told me to watch my rich ass and during study period he threw my backpack out of the second story window.”
• “So the kid’s a bully and you just took it?”
• Kelley frowned. “What was I supposed to do? I’m not a fighter, Jesse.”
• Jesse laughed and wiped sweat from his brow. “Kelley, you’re a badass. You can do combinations that took me months to master. You’re smart and you’re strong, you have the right to defend yourself.”
• “I’ll get suspended and it’ll show on any college applications.” Kelley ran a hand through his hair, sweat coating his fingertips.
• “Not in Public, kid. If you punch first yeah then it’s assault but kids in Public sort out their differences with their fists. If you want to survive senior year there you have to play the same game.”
• “He hasn’t thrown a punch yet. Look, I won’t be anyone’s punching bag but I hate the rivalry that’s existed for decades between the two schools. I just want to finish out my senior year and rise to a place where I can take my father down.”
• “Don’t ever be anyone’s punching bag again. Don’t ever show fear, Kelley, not to anyone.”
• “I know, fear stinks like musty old socks.”
• Jesse and Kelley both grinned. Jesse clasped a hand on Kelley’s shoulder and pushed himself up. “Come on cupcake, I’ll buy you a milkshake.”
• Kelley shook his head as he followed Jesse towards the diner, located just down the street from the dojo. A black truck with tinted windows slowly crept forward, Kelley completely unaware of it following him.
• Forty minutes later Kelley started his Escalade and drove to the rundown motel. He didn’t see the black truck stopping at the corner as he kicked the door closed with his foot and locked it. He pulled off his clothes as he walked to the bathroom and took a shower.
• Tomorrow would be another day in his self-made hell. Tired and sore from his work out Kelley fell on the bed and slept like the dead, oblivious to the pair of eyes looking at him from the small partition in the curtains.
• Mason James parked his truck in front of Jesse’s dojo and walked inside. Jesse was busy cleaning the boxing bags and he smiled when he saw Mason. “Hey, kid.”
• “Did I see Kelley Alexander walk out of your dojo earlier?”
• “He’s not a bad kid, just like you.”
• “He’s Elite, Jesse.”
• “Is he? Maybe he’s just a kid that needs a helping hand like you did a few years ago.”
• “Once an Elite, always an Elite.”
• “He’s Public now isn’t he? Are you the one giving him a hard time in school?”
• “I don’t bully, Jesse, you of all people should know that.”
• “He’s been messed around enough. Do yourself a favor, Mason, and really look at that scar around his eye and then ask yourself what seventeen year old walks away from getting that and still keeps doing the right thing.”
• “What are you saying?”
• “I’m not telling you his story just like I’d never tell him yours, all I’m saying is that he needs a break and maybe even a friend.”
• The rest of the week was slightly better since Kelley mostly sat in the back of each class, classes he shared with half of the football team and with Mason James and his silent friend, Lee Munroe. At lunchtime he made his way to the cafeteria, eyeing Arlo O’Neill as he sat at a table with a bunch of girls and two other football players.
• Kelley got his food and stopped. The tables were pretty much all claimed and he was about to head to the side door to sit outside when he saw Lee Munroe looking at him. “Sit.”
• Kelley placed his tray on the table opposite Lee Munroe. “Thanks.”
• Lee just nodded his head and continued to stuff food into his mouth. Every bite Lee took had him closing his eyes, savoring each flavor. Watching Lee Munroe eat was like an art, something to behold and the only time his face showed any emotion.
• Mason James wasn’t in the cafeteria at all and he ate his food in silence, every now and then glancing at Lee. The guy was an enigma, a mystery since nobody really knew anything about him. Kelley was glad all the same that he’d shown him some kindness.
• “Sitting with the freaks now, Lee?” Arlo O’Neill stood to one side and eyed them both.
• “Piss off, O’Neil.” Lee Munroe didn’t even look up and his arms flexed on the table as he moved. Pure muscle adorned his frame and if Kelley had been anyone else he’d have felt intimidated.
• “Shut up, you creepy weirdo. You think being quiet makes you seem all mysterious? Just because you’re friends with Mason doesn’t mean you’re not a freak like him. I guess it takes one to know one.”
• Kelley stood up, anger burning in his eyes. “He said to piss off, O’Neill.”
• “Oh look at this, guys! Private thinks he’s got some balls on him. Sit down, rich boy, before I make you.”
• Arlo aimed to push Kelley down in his seat but Kelley didn’t even budge. He took a step forward and grabbed Arlo’s hand. “You’re going to make me?”
• Arlo’s fist hit the square of Kelley’s jaw and his head snapped to the side as loud cheers and yells broke out in the cafeteria. Kelley clenched his fist tightly and his punch landed solidly on the point of Arlo’s chin, knocking him out cold.
• The bell rang and Lee Munroe stood up from his chair and handed Kelley his backpack. He walked out of the cafeteria as if nothing had happened and Kelley followed him, flexing the fingers of his left hand. After two turns he couldn’t hear the commotion in the cafeteria anymore and he smiled to himself.
• Lee stopped abruptly, almost making Kelley walk into him from behind. “Football. This afternoon.” With that said Lee turned another corner and was gone.
• For the rest of the day people scattered to the sides when Kelley walked down the hallways. Nobody bumped into him anymore and nobody pushed him into lockers. Whispers could be heard as Kelley walked past them and Kelley found that to his liking.
• Kelley walked onto the football field and Coach Maxwell and Coach Daris both turned towards him as the team grew quiet. Everybody stared. Coach Maxwell was the first one to react and he clasped a hand on Kelley’s shoulder.
• “I was hoping you’d show up to practice.”
• “Thanks, Coach.”
• Coach Daris nodded with a smile just as Coach Maxwell started talking. “Okay, boys, it’s a new year and a new season. Last year we went all the way to the semi-final state championships. This year we’re going to take it!”
• The boys hooted and cheered and Coach Maxwell waved his arms for silence. “Give me five laps for warm up and then we’ll start on stretches.”
• Kelley took hit after hit from Lee Munroe as Arlo failed to block him. He grunted with each tackle because Lee Munroe was one hell of a tough player, strong and bulky. Kelley knew he couldn’t go on taking those hits and every time he got to his feet Arlo gave him a chilling sneer.
• “Arlo! Get your head out of your ass and block for Kelley!” Mason James’s voice was loud and the players all stood with their hands on their hips, breathing hard.
• “He’s Private, I’m not playing with him!”
• Mason walked closer to Arlo and stopped right in front of him. “He’s not Private, he’s Public now, he’s one of us and either you block for him or you get the hell off my field!”
• “What the hell, Mason!”
• “I’m serious, Arlo! We’re a team and Kelley’s a part of that team now. Now block or go home!”