K A D E N

"What can I get you?" Instead of Jenna behind the counter, there was a redhead chewing gum, looking like she'd rather be anywhere than where she was right now.

"Espresso." She looked up long enough from her phone to tell me the price but stopped short and smiled.

"Coming right up." My foot tapped impatiently on the ground as I waited for my drink.

"I'm Isabel. What's your name?"

"Kaden."

"Are you new in town?"

I sighed. "Yes."

"Well, if you ever need anyone to show you around, I'm more than happy to do it." She batted her eyelashes and slid over the styrofoam cup with her number scribbled on a napkin. "Just give me a call."

"Thanks." I said dryly.

"No problem." She batted her eyelashes once again at an unnatural pace.

"I think you have something in your eye." I said.

The smile dropped and she instantly whipped out a mirror to inspect her eyes. I shook my head as I left the diner and returned to my car where I'd left Sam.

He was in the middle of playing candy crush and looked up with a frown. "Where's my drink?"

"I asked you and you didn't reply." I shrugged.

"Thanks for taking my silence into consideration."

"You're welcome." I placed my coffee cup between my legs then decided against having burnt thighs and handed it to Sam.

"Are you even allowed to drive?"

"Not really." I admitted. My other hand was still in a cast. "But no one needs to know."

"If I die it's on you." His words made me flinch.

"Noted."

"And how can you drink this stuff? It's disgusting." I took my eyes off the road for a second to see him make a gagging face.

"Whatever you drink is disgusting." I retaliated.

"I'm deeply offended." He held a hand to his heart. "Seriously though, all it is a black, bitter sludge."

"Are you being racist towards my coffee?"

His eyes widened. "What, no!"

"Then I suggest you stop shaming my choice in beverages so I can get some peace and quiet before school."

"Fine." He grumbled and miraculously stayed quiet during the rest of the ride.

The sombre attitude didn't last though. As soon as we'd rolled into the parking lot he restarted his word vomit. I tuned him out as we walked the short distance to the entrance but I didn't get that far. Someone knocked into me, making me spill the scalding hot coffee down the front of my shirt.

"Shit." Sam said as I turned around to face whoever had caused this.

"Sorry." Someone muttered and then I realised the voice was coming from a boy sprawled out on the ground.

Another bigger boy stalked towards him with a sneer. Before I could think about it, I stepped in front of the boy on the ground.

"Get out of my way." The bully growled, trying to shove past me.

I stood my ground, realising I was still holding the empty cup before chucking it somewhere to the side. "Do you really want to do this?"

"The fuck would you know what I want. I won't ask you again, get out of my way."

"You just did." I pointed out and that seemed to be the last straw for him. He raised his fist but before it could connect with my face I ducked down and tackled him to the ground.

He blinked in surprise, probably wondering what he was doing on the ground when he was the one throwing people there in the first place. "Big mistake, mate."

"Leave him alone." I said.

He swiped an arm across his mouth and only then I realised a crowd had gathered around us. "You're new here, aren't you?"

I just about refrained from rolling my eyes. "I'm failing to see your point."

He slowly stood up from the ground, shooting me a dark glare. "My point is you just crossed the line, mate."

"Line? What line? Could someone show me where the line is?" That earned a few sniggers from the onlooking students. I was aware of how a few of them had their phones out. On an afterthought I added, "I'm not your mate."

His face was a picture of fury as he once again lunged towards me. I was vaguely aware of the boy on the ground earlier having got up and run away. The brief distraction was enough for the bully to land a punch on my gut. I grit my teeth, reminding myself how I couldn't afford to get in any trouble.

He smirked down at me triumphantly when I didn't fight back. "Not so high and mighty now, are you?"

I'd only just gotten back on my hands and knees when I felt a kick to my side. I could feel my self control slipping away. "You're pathetic. All smack and no balls."

He took another shot, making me land on my back. For a second I watched as the clouds peacefully drifted by. The murmurs from the crowd seemed muted with only the guy's voice ringing in my head. His words only adding fuel to the burning inferno inside of me. The blue turned to red and just as a shadow fell across my vision I rolled away and was back on my feet. A moment of doubt crossed my mind but was quickly erased when I saw the smug look on his face.

"You want to say that again?" I retracted my fist, having the element of surprise on my side and socked him in the jaw. From then on, it all tumbled downhill, except this time I was the one in control.

We grappled around, both of us trying to lay one on the other. The blood rushed to my head, adrenaline pumping through my veins as I finally got the upper hand.

"Don't. Ever. Underestimate. Me." I paired each word with a punch using my cast clad hand to push against his throat.

He began to make choking sounds.

"That's enough!" I heard someone shout.

My knuckles turned red, split open.

"I mean it!"

I didn't stop. I couldn't.

"Kaden." A familiar voice said and I looked up, fist held back.

Phoenix inclined her head behind me and I heard the footsteps fast approaching. I let go of the guy, watching in disgust as he rubbed his throat, blood dripping down his nose mixed with my own, and shot me an evil glare.

"You motherfu--"

"Enough, all of you." A teacher said, taking in the chaos that had unfolded. "Hampton, principal's office. Now."

He scowled at me once more before stalking off. She turned to me next. "And you as well. Everyone else, get to class."

As the crowd dispersed, what I'd done finally sunk in. My chest heaved up and down and the sharp pain in my knuckles just beginning to register. If it hadn't been for that and the stain on my shirt then I would've thought that the past two minutes hadn't happened.

But one thing was for sure: I was in trouble.

-

I'd expected at least a couple more days to pass before I arrived at the principal's office. Two days was a new record for me.

We were told to wait outside on the chairs. The guy I'd fought with sat on the chair at the farthest end and I had the same idea. Between us was the other guy, the one who'd pushed into me and made me spill my coffee. At one point he'd tried to smile at me but that was shortlived when I looked away.

Truth be told, I was more irritated at myself than anyone else. I was the one who couldn't hold my temper, the one who allowed myself to lose control.

Phoenix was there too, reasons why were unclear. She sat on a chair opposite the rest of us and all of a sudden broke out in a laugh. "Look at you all. So macho."

"Fuck off, Astere." Hampton growled.

"Looks like somebodies already screwed you over." She smiled sweetly at him which only made his glare intensify.

"Guys, I think we should all just--"

"Fuck you too." Hampton snarled. "If it wasn't for you then I wouldn't be here."

"You brought yourself here." I decided to add.

He scrutinised me for a second with something that looked like a newfound respect. The blood from the cut on his lips and nose now dried. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"Want some pointers, Hampton?" Phoenix smirked, enjoying this way too much. "You're right. Your punches are becoming lamer by the day."

"No one asked you, loser."

"You don't have to ask. It's what we're all thinking."

Both the other guy and I snorted at that. Hampton looked deeply offended but it was hard to tell with the scowl dominating his features. "Fuck all of you."

"No thanks. I wouldn't want to catch any STIs."

His nose flared. "As if anyone would want to sleep with you."

"Was that supposed to be a blow at my self esteem? Wow, I'm so hurt." When Hampton failed to come up with a comeback, Phoenix smiled in triumph. "That's what I thought."

"Shut up." He mumbled, turning away from the rest of us.

I chuckled at that. Curiosity getting the better of me I inclined my head towards Phoenix and asked, "Why are you here?"

Just then the principal's door opened. She walked out along with another business suited woman. She paused briefly by Phoenix's side before swiftly moving on.

"That's why." She said, getting up and joining the stony-faced woman as she walked past us. She trailed behind in a bored fashion and rolled her eyes, making a small smile form on my lips.

"What have you boys done now?" I turned at the voice. Principal Vandenhoff put her hands on her hips and looked directly at me.

"It was all his fault." Hampton yelled, pointing to the other guy who looked up with wide eyes.

"There will be no pointing fingers, Mr Hampton." She disciplined by holding up a hand. "Noah, I can trust you to tell the truth. Tell me what happened."

So that's what he did. In his version, Hampton had laid it on him without reason and that's when I stepped in. It turned out that I was let off with a weeks detention whilst Hampton was suspended. As for Noah, he was let off with a warning.

When we were free to leave and after Hampton had glared holes into our backs on our way out, Principal Vandenhoff stopped me. "Mr Mordecai, a word please."

Unwillingly, I turned around. "Yes?"

"I understand that what you did today was because you thought you had good intentions but you must know that if this happens again then I will be forced to take disciplinary action." I had a feeling that it wouldn't be a three day suspension like Hampton had received and my fears were confirmed when she carried on. "With your past history--"

"My past history has nothing to do with this." I replied with my jaw set.

She nodded as if to rebuke her previous statement. "All I'm saying is, perhaps you've forgotten how a normal school runs compared to the rehabilitation programme you underwent."

My brow raised in amusement. She hadn't the slightest clue what it was like. "You're right. Rehab's worse."

She seemed momentarily thrown by that before regaining her stern composure. "Violence is not tolerated in this school but I'm willing to overlook this just this once on the terms that it doesn't happen again."

"I understand." I said curtly even though it took great strength for me not to spit out the words. My fingernails dug into my palms and stayed like that.

"Good. You're dismissed."

On my way out I shut the door with more force than needed. From the murmurs coming from inside, I had a vague idea of her being on the phone with my parents. A sense of deja vu washed over me as I remembered being in this same spot a while back. Except, that time there was a cop with me.

Today just wasn't my day.

"Hey, I never got to thank you for stepping in like that." A voice pulled me out of my thoughts. When I looked up, I saw Noah with an awkward smile on his face.

"Don't. It won't happen again." I shoved past him expecting it to end there but he didn't give up.

"I'm Noah by the way." I stared down at the hand he stuck out and back at him.

"This morning's events don't make us friends."

He shrugged, putting his hands into his pockets. "I'm cool with just being acquaintances."

"Whatever." I sighed, not having the energy to fight anymore.

The rest of the day went on in a blur. Noah hung around for the majority of it, including sitting down with me at lunch which earned a few stares. My stony silence didn't seem to faze him either. He carried on just being there.

From the anxious look on his face, he was beginning to get uncomfortable. So when Sam appeared to break the dominating quiet he breathed out in relief.

"Track tryouts. You should totally go." Sam said, slamming a flyer on the table and sparing Noah a peculiar look.

"Not interested." I went back to mindlessly chewing my food.

"Come on, I saw your running shoes." He said, reminding me of when he'd gone through my things without my permission. I narrowed my eyes at him but he carried on. "Plus there's pizza for everyone that goes."

"That's only a bribe to encourage more people to join these things." Noah quipped in.

"For the pizza." I said bluntly.

"Who says no to pizza?" Sam puzzled.

"People who don't want high cholesterol or heart disease." Noah said making Sam scrunch his face in thought.

"But pizza." He emphasised, waving the flyer around once again.

"Okay, yeah. Whatever." I agreed to stop him rotating his wrist as a fan. "Now stop doing that or else you'll attract flies."

He grinned in satisfaction and plopped himself on the seat opposite mine. "So what happened with Hampton?"

"Can we not talk about that?" I pleaded.

"There's already a video of it online."

"Fantastic." I deadpanned as he whipped out his phone and showed me.

I pushed his hand away, refusing to see any of it and he finally gave in and turned to Noah. "You're in it too. What'd you do to get Hampton so riled?"

He shrugged. "If I knew, I would have stopped doing it."

I frowned at that. Instead of saying the words on the tip of my tongue I kept my mouth shut. I reminded myself that this was the better option. It always was and one event couldn't change that. Today shouldn't have happened and I was going to make sure it didn't happen again.

But even as I thought those words I couldn't help but feel that I was wrong. If there was one thing worse than fighting with others, it was fighting with yourself.