Back at Silver High Mark was in class studying. It was a free period, but he couldn't really focus. He was busy thinking about the confrontation with Bruce to come. He knew it wouldn't be easy but he made up his mind to see it through.
He leaned back on his chair, the plastic groaning faintly under his weight, while the environment around him was noisy.
There were squeals from girls in class, high and sharp, cutting through the stuffy afternoon heat. This of course had something to do with Adrian — his chair tipped back, that easy grin doing all the work. On the other side, some boys were arguing about last night's game scores, voices overlapping, a chair scraping hard against the tiled floor. The air smelled like chalk dust, old wood, and someone's too-sweet deodorant.
Just then a thought crossed his mind, his mother. He hadn't told her about any of this and it made him feel guilty inside, a cold knot settling in his stomach. But at the same time he knew she might not take it well to find out that her son has been getting into fights for almost everyday since they arrived in the city.
He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and slumped on the table. His cheek hit the open page, the paper warm from the sun slanted through the window.
"This is damn stressful."
He murmured to himself, his head on the open book atop the table, the words muffled.
"Looks like something's weighing on your mind."
Hakim's laid back tone broke through his thoughts as he dragged a chair over — metal legs screeching low — and sat beside him. His white blazer was still faintly scuffed from earlier today.
"Oh, hey Hakim."
Mark says lifting his head with a small smile, the book leaving a faint crease on his cheek.
Hakim looked at him and smiled, calm as ever.
"Looks like Brookhaven has started getting to you mentally huh?"
He says, his voice laid back as the smile on his face.
Mark chuckled lightly at his words, but it didn't quite reach his chest.
"Am I that easy to read?"
Mark said.
"Nah, I just know that look," Hakim said, leaning back, arms loose over the chair. "So tell me what's got you stressin'."
Hakim asked, his tone still laid back but softer now, lower, so only the two of them could hear it over the class noise.
Mark sighed, the tension leaking out of his shoulders, then told him everything that was bothering him — Bruce, the fight club trap, his mom, all of it spilling fast. At the end of it Hakim was nodding thoughtfully, eyes steady.
"I see, yeah that is a tough situation but one thing I've learned is this. Follow your heart and do what you feel is right. It may be tough sure but anything which isn't wouldn't be worth doing so take a breath steady yourself and face your problems head on."
Hakim said now smiling reassuringly, his hand warm and firm.
Mark nodded in understanding, the knot in his gut loosening just a little.
"Thanks Hakim, you've helped me more than you know."
Mark says with a smile, real this time.
"Ey of course, I gotchu."
Hakim says patting his back with a laid back smile on his face, the pat thudding solid against his uniform.
---
Meanwhile the battle on Emily's side had died down and everybody was retreating. Although the Silver High fighters were inspired at the time, they couldn't do much against the pressure of Blue Academy and the ranked bear Bob, but the fighting stopped when Joshua received a text and they had to get back to their school.
So now everybody had scattered and the cops had shown up and arrested stragglers that were left behind, and Emily was hiding in one of the alleys as she saw the situation unfold. The alley smelled like wet concrete and trash, sirens wailing thin in the distance.
"That was close, but I wonder why they decided to leave."
She murmured to herself, breath still uneven, shinai slick in her grip.
"Same."
A calm voice came from behind her making her jump, but she doesn't scream, only goes on guard, wood snapping up.
"Relax, it's only me."
Sato says stepping up to her, hands in pockets, blazer dusted. After seeing it's him she visibly softens up and wears a glad expression, but she soon pouts and starts punching his arm a bit. Soft thuds against his sleeve.
"Where were you when I needed you."
Sato just stood there taking the hits.
"I was handling a situation, sorry."
He says calmly but softer than usual, and with that Emily softens up too, shoulders dropping.
"Yeah it would be weird if you didn't face any resistance. So what did you run into."
Emily asks curiously, wiping sweat from her temple.
"I'll tell you as we walk home, it's almost exit time so there's no point going back to school and since you live in the area I live in it's more convenient."
Sato says with his usual calmness as he walked and Emily followed beside him, their footsteps echoing in the alley.
---
Back at Silver High the exit bell had just rang and the Geography lesson in the class was just coming to an end. Chairs scraping, chalk dust hanging in the hot air.
"Alright class yuh heard the bell but before that let me group you for next week's map work class."
Mr Gregor said as he pulled a piece of paper and started reading the groups he'd made. Mark didn't really care who he was grouped with but he'd prefer to get grouped with people he'd at least grown familiar with like Adrian, Hakim, Austin and even Connor, but he realized that may not be happening. A few groups had been called so far and Austin was in group A, Connor in group C and Hakim in Group D. Now it was only Adrian and him left.
Mark could see around the class that the girls were hoping to be on the same group as him and some were even praying to every deity they knew for the opportunity. When he noticed this Mark quietly shook his head.
'I understand that Adrian is handsome and charismatic but isn't this a bit overkill?'
He thought to himself. Just then he heard his name.
"Mark Wilson, Cassie Lee, Maria Key and Lucian Frank will be group E."
Mr Gregor said causing Mark to look for his group mates. He saw Maria Key who seemed friendly and even waved at him with a smile, Cassie only nodded at him politely and the guy wasn't even there, probably still fighting outside was the thought that came to mind. After that the group announcement went on rather quickly and it seemed the girl's prayers from before worked because she was in Group G with Adrian.
"Now go do some research on maps, the old school ones not Google maps. You're dismissed."
Mr Gregor says causing the students to exit, bags zipping, feet shuffling. As they exit Mark decides to wait for his teammates by the door. He figured getting acquainted would do them good. The first one to come out was Maria and her bubbly aura was evident a mile away, pigtails bouncing.
"Hey you're the foreign transfer from Africa right?"
She asked with a friendly smile, pigtails practically bouncing. This made it easy and hard for Mark to communicate with her because although she was approachable at the end of the day he was still an introvert by nature.
"Yeah that's me, my name's Mark."
Mark said scratching the back of his head nervously.
"I'm Maria, look forward to working with you Mark."
She says with her bubbly charm.
"Likewise."
Mark responds with a polite smile. The ice breaker with Maria had gone great but Cassie on the other hand was a whole different story. Mark tried to greet her but she just looked him up and down and scoffed and walked away, perfume sharp in the hallway air. This confused Mark and he instantly knew she'd be hard to win over.
'I just hope Lucian isn't like that too.'
Mark thought as he walked through the hallway. Just then he felt an arm fall around his shoulder. He didn't even react because he knew the smell of the cologne before the arm even fell on his shoulder.
"Hey bro, I saw you get shut down by Cassie there. This happens you know, besides you already have Bianca and that girl Alicia from your lil sis's party that day who seem to be interested in you."
Connor teased him as they walked.
Mark clicked his tongue before talking.
"It aint like that, I was just trying to be friendly with someone who will be in the same group and another thing Bianca and Alicia aren't into me."
Mark said deadpan.
Connor patted his back.
"You are one dense dude for someone so observant but I guess it happens."
Connor said with a smile as they walked out the hallway doors towards the school gates, the late sun cutting across the tiles.
---