Beverly Lights

7

Asher Adams could hold a grudge like no other. You ticked him off in the slightest and he remembers it for a long time coming. So there was no surprise that he blamed the loss against Hawthorne on Spencer.

The Eagles had another early morning practice the following Friday on their bye week. There was so much hostility that it ended with an argument in the locker room. Jordan finally realized that what Juliet was saying is true. He didn't give Spencer the chance because he was too busy being angry with Asher.

"Hey, you." Juliet said to Jordan as she walked up to him at his locker. "Hey." He replied. He was tired and she could tell, but his face still lit up when he saw her.

"My parents are going out to dinner tonight after practice and I wasn't sure if maybe you wanted to come over? Maybe we can grab some dinner of our own?"

"This isn't some trick to see if I'm going to try to sleep with you, is it?" He asked.

"No," Juliet laughed at him. "Although it's a good idea, I genuinely just want to spend some time with you- alone."

"Alright, then yeah. That sounds great."

"Perfect." She replied as he closed his locker and the two started to walk down the hall way. "So what were you thinking? Thai, pizza, Italian?"

"Chinese." He quickly replied.

"You always want Chinese."

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for some orange chicken."

"You really want Chinese?"

"You know what, how about you surprise me?"

"I can do that." Juliet told him as they rounded the corner. As they did, they looked down a hall full of people who were looking at Spencer as they laughed. On the other end stood Asher with a few other football players. Spencer dropped his book bag from his shoulder and started to walk towards them, he was clearly ready to fight. Jordan lunged forward and grabbed Spencer by the arm. "Whoa Spencer, don't. One fight, Principal Landon kicks you out. Come on, you know that." Jordan told him. "So I ain't supposed to stand up for myself?" He snapped at him as Juliet walked up to them. "Asher and his boys been talking smack and pulling crap like this all week, and I'm just supposed to keep turning the other cheek, huh?"

"No, they're just being them. Okay, they do this to everyone when they mess up a play, even me. It's not personal."

Spencer looked down the hall to Asher who was staring them down. "Not personal? They made a meme out of me fumbling a 40. But, yeah, that's not personal. I guess you would see it that way." He let out a sigh and walked around them. He turned back and said "That's your people."

"Spence, come on." Juliet sighed but he turned and kept walking away.

She looked up at Jordan and saw the defeated look on his face. "What the hell was that about?" She asked. "Asher isn't letting Friday's game go. He picked a fight with Spencer after this mornings conditioning. I'm just sick of it, you know?"

"Yeah well, Asher is an asshole. I can't help but notice that it seems like he's getting more angry with each day that passes. Is he uhm- is he okay?"

"He hasn't said anything to me." The bell rang letting students know that it was time for first period. Jordan looked at Juliet and said, "Tonight?"

"Tonight." She repeated.

All day long at school Juliet couldn't help but think about Asher and if he was okay. She'd love to be able to just ask him but she knew that would probably set him off. He had such a temper.