Something was wrong with Ryan, I could feel it. At home, he would space out until we shook him or something. I asked Kate if they fought, but she said no and it's troubling her to see him like that. I thought he would be fine after we reached the academy until he did the most unbelievable thing.

"What are you doing here?" Kate asked, shocked, as Ryan placed his tray on the table we're sitting.

Around us, most students stared at us curiously and whispered among themselves. I squirmed in my seat, not liking the spotlight Ryan put us in.

"Why? I can't sit here?"

Kate shuttered. "But your table is there!" She said, pointing to where the Elites sat. Noah and Hayden, who were facing us, glanced worriedly at Ryan.

Ryan rolled his eyes and started to eat his lunch. Kate and I shared a glance, looking at Ryan in concern. Then, I asked, "Are you okay, Ryan? Something happened with your friends?"

Jane and Hannah, my classmates, who sometimes ate lunch with me and Kate, walked towards us. But when they saw Ryan, they slowly retreated. I sent an apologetic smile to them which they replied with a nervous smile.

"It's nothing. Just a minor disagreement."

I looked at Kate and she shrugged, taking a bite of her sandwich. The rest of the lunch was silent and quite awkward since this was the first time Ryan joined us. He was surprisingly quiet too and did not make a move to start a conversation.

After that, we went to Biology class together. Kate and I sat beside each other while Ryan took his usual seat beside AJ in the first row. After all the students were seated, Mr James greeted the class.

Mr James said we had free time until he finished inspecting yesterday's assignment, so I looked about the class. Ryan seemed to ignore AJ, looking anywhere but his best friend. Some of my classmates looked down at the table to read their notes, some of them whispering gossips or who knows what, while some just stare at the air. Then, I felt Kate nudged my arm, forcing me to look at her.

"Is it just me, or there's bad blood between Ryan and AJ?" She whispered.

"Maybe. After all, Ryan said he had a disagreement with his friends," I said, rubbing my nose.

"Well, that's new," said Kate, putting her chin on her arm. "For three years in this Academy, I've never seen they behave like this."

I shrugged. "Well, it's normal for best friends to disagree," I said, giggling when I remembered the times I argued with Kate. Somehow, a particular memory tickled my heart.

Kate rolled her eyes, knowing why I laughed. "Not funny. I didn't know it's going to rain, okay?"

That day, we're arguing about how to solve the math problem, which method we should use. Then, to prove her right, Kate decided to call Ryan, who was supposed to be with his friends at the backyard. When she's searching for him at the backyard, suddenly rain came down, leaving her drenched from head to toe. It turned out Ryan and his friends were in the game room all the time, and both methods we're arguing about were wrong.

"But it's different. You know it takes a lot to make Ryan angry."

Kate's words were left without a reply because then, Mr James stood up and began the lesson. The hour passed slowly and he gave us another assignment for the day. Then, he dismissed the class and students exited the room.

Someone pushed me to the side roughly when I was about to exit the class, making me stumble on the floor. From the corner of my eye, I saw AJ exited the classroom with a huff. Kate went to my side and helped me to stand up.

"How rude," said Kate. "Who does he thinks he is?"

"An elite, of course," said one of our classmates, Mary, shaking her head.

From that moment I realized, while William and the others considered me immune, the Elites could still hurt me.

***
The final football match of the year finally came. This year, we had the opportunity to host the match between high schools and academies in the country. Last week, Ryan and AJ had settled whatever feud between them when their coach scolded them for not passing the ball to each other. He said if they did not talk it out and settle the problem, he would keep them on the bench. The threat moved them and they're as tight-knit as before. Ryan also had returned to his table at lunch, making Kate disillusioned.

"I'm so excited about this!" Kate said as we sat in the first row of the bleachers, which Ryan had preserved for us.

Uncle Reed and Aunt Sara couldn't make it, because one of their investors decided to make an urgent meeting, even after they had cleared their schedule for Ryan's match. So, Uncle Reed hired a photographer to record the whole match.

I rubbed my nose when the crowd cheered, as the players from both teams entered the field. "I hope we win again today."

Kate nodded and waved her hand excitedly at Ryan, who was doing a warm-up, but he didn't see her. His eyebrows were knitted in concentration and he stared unemotionally at the ground.

I frowned at him. "I think he's sad that his parents couldn't come."

"Poor Ryan. I hope it won't make him lose his concentration," sighed Kate.

Most of the first row was occupied by the players' parents and family. Among them was AJ's mother, who, like her son, was treated with the utmost respect. But unlike her son, she returned it to everyone, even the janitor who nearly made her slipped on the wet floor. Her smile was bright like the moonlight and her pearly white teeth peeked through her lips. It's just my luck I got to sit next to her.

"Ryan is a talented footballer. I'm sure he'll be fine. Although it's a shame Reed and Jane can't come," said AJ's mother, hearing our conversation.

"AJ's father did not come?" Kate asked, leaning against my shoulder to have a better look at AJ's mother.

Mrs Jones' face fell, and I nudged Kate, giving a pointed look at her. But before Kate could apologize, the lady spoke.

"No, he didn't."

I frowned at her words. She said didn't, not couldn't.

"I hope Asher knows that his father loves him. Although my husband rarely shows it, I know he loves our son just as much as I love him. I've gotten used at his ways of showing affection silently. But Asher doesn't. And for that, I'm scared that he would do something that he'd regret," said Mrs Jones, looking at the field as the referee whistled to start the game.

Kate and I shared a glance before she smiled sympathetically at AJ's mother. Then, I realised he only reserved a seat for his family, while his teammates reserved two to four seats.

I followed Mrs Jones' gaze, saying softly, "Maybe he just needs time to know that not everything in the world is how he thinks."

Mrs Jones nodded, smiling. "What are you two name again?"

"I'm Rose and this is Kate."

Our little conversation was cut off when the people around us shouted, "Goal!"

We snapped our heads to the field and saw our team were celebrating. I clapped excitedly as the commentator said the one who kicked the ball to the goal was our striker, Hayden Reese.

"That's my boy, Hayden. I'm so proud of you!" Mrs Reese said, who's sitting beside AJ's mother, clapped her hand.

"Of course, he got it from his dad," said Mr Reese.

Then, they started to bicker about who's the best parent. AJ's mother giggled a little and turned to us, "They're always like this. Hayden is their only son," she whispered.

I smiled. "I think they're cute."

The opposing team, from Sylvia High School, was our rival in the football game. Last year they won the cup while our football team was on the second place. This game was our redemption of last year's defeat, Ryan said. SHC scored a goal several minutes before the first half break, making the scoreboard 1:1.

Fifteen minutes later, the players entered the field, followed by the fans' chants. Every once in a while, I would see AJ barked orders to his teammates, Ryan stole the ball from the opposing players, and the keeper, Andy, leapt to stop the ball from entering the goal. Some players in our team made a few attempts to kick the ball in the back of the net but the SHC's keeper proved to be a great person for his duty.

Five minutes left until the referee would blow the whistle and so far our team was leading the scoreboard. Everyone was watching anxiously, the fans were cheering to keep the players' spirit.

The ball was in AJ's possession and he seemed to be searching for his teammates to pass the ball. The SHC's players were hot on his tail, performing a barrier between him and his teammates. Then, out of nowhere, a player from SHC kicked the back of his knee, knocking him out of balance.

The crowd from our Academy roared at the action and the referee had to stop our players from hitting the SHC player.

Everything after that seemed to be so fast because next time I blinked, the medics ran into the field with a stretcher and took AJ away. Mrs Jones stood up from her seat but her legs were shaking so hard that Mrs Reese went to support her.

***