Wolf Heart

Chapter 4

JAMES

Rule of Thirds. One of the many essential techniques in photography. He sat against the Starcross post to catch an angled moment of time while Thomas and Perai practiced their passes between the fields. He tried to adjust the lens to catch the movement of the ball, but Dad's old datacam couldn't quite match up to what he wanted out of a perfect moment. James fiddled with the small buttons and knobs to fix it, then frowned when Jon whistled at him.

"James, we need to have a talk."

"Oh, boy." James set the datacam in his lap. "What is it, Jon?"

"As you well know, we're going to need a vanguard frontliner before season goes into full swing," Jon said as he whipped out his datapad, where squiggly lines denoted his complicated plays and their team roster on the side. "I wanted to get your opinion before try-outs on things to look out for."

"Why do you want my opinion?" James ducked out of the way of a loose ball, then shoved his datacam into his schoolbag. "You're the one that's captain. I'm sure you can make up your mind when people try-out for the frontline placement." James zipped up his bag when he checked the time on his wristpad. Almost time to head to the collegiate and get our Quad timetables... He got up, narrowly escaping Jon trying to grab him.

"Usually you would be correct, I have all the executive decisions when it comes to strategy and team spirit." Jon leaped to his feet. "Except, Ranier, you're the one that puts them into motion. You're the one that sends my ideas out to everyone else! I remember last season when you and our previous frontliner just couldn't work together."

"Right, and I offered to just sit out the team for the quad." James shuffled off the pitch as his classmates poured into the school courtyard, where their name spread out in a hologram over its platform.

Jon waved his arms. "Except I need you this season! You and I mesh well, but I need you to help me find a vanguard frontline to complete the connection between the fields," he complained as he smacked his hands together. "I really need you to find someone to work with, Jamesy. I want us to win this Quad."

"Alright, alright." James pressed his hands into Jon. "I hear you but can't it wait?" He motioned for the curling doors of the school, which slid open to let the wave of students inside. "Starcross season isn't going to start for a while. We have time."

Jon clutched at his heart. "I know."

James smiled at him before taking the lead into the main entrance of the school. Long holoboards with student names separated into smaller screens as students tried to get their schedules onto their timepods. Some elbowed. Others called over their friends to share their classes. Jon pressed his forearm into James' back. "Look."

"Where?"

Jon pointed with a finger at the farthest end of the holoboards.

Oh, it's him. The guy who got lost and somehow waddled his way onto the pitch. He smirked at the image and baffling improbability. James hummed. "It's the guy you almost murdered."

Jon gasped, causing some other students to turn their heads. "I'll have you know that was not on purpose," he whispered quickly.

Rayan shuffled on his feet, an infopod tucked between his fingers as he tapped his tab on the screen, creating a small picture in front of him. Jon tutted. "Is that not just painful?"

"Painful how?" James readied his own infopod when a space in the holoboard opened up.

"He's probably not used to a small school. Schools in the Kestran cities tend to go up to the thousands when it comes to the number of students," Jon explained. "I remember when I came to Eteran and I thought this number equated to a ghost town. Hey!" He grabbed his shoulder. "Maybe we should go offer our assistance!"