Pride

Chapter 2- Chase

"So, what's the damage?" Levi asks in a tone that strangely reminds me kind of a disappointed but very tired parent.

"Both of us are off the team permanently if we have one more incident."

Levi shoots me a look. "I told you this would happen. Ms. Marks isn't stupid. She was bound to threaten something like that eventually."

"I know, I know."

"You know that you have to stay away from him, now, right? We need you on the team. You're the best we have. You're the captain, for crying out loud. So you can't let yourself get kicked off the team because of Jordan."

"I doubt they could really kick me off. They don't have any proof that I'm actually doing anything."

He stops walking and places both hands on my shoulders, giving me a stern look. "I wouldn't be willing to bet on that. And taking unnecessary risks right now- after that especially- is a horrible, horrible idea. Stay away from him, Chase. Antagonize someone who won't get you kicked off the team."

Levi is just barely taller than me, so he's actually able to speak down to me if he holds his head a little higher than usual. He's not the tallest person in the school, but he's one of the tallest guys on the basketball team.

"Alright, alright. I'll leave Werewolf alone."

He rolls his eyes. "It would probably help if you didn't call him Werewolf."

I smirk a little. "It's perfect though. His last name is Wolf, and he's like a crazed animal. Bad at talking and constantly resorting to violence."

"And really buff, so it would probably hurt if he actually did get a hit in?"

I flap a hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. Keyword being 'if'." Because Werewolf's right hand man is always around to pull him back, and then he gets in trouble anyways. So it's pretty much completely risk-free for me to antagonize him to the point where he loses it. Which is extremely entertaining, and it's less 'mean' because we've actually got an established rivalry, and he usually picks fights with me, instead of the other way around.

"Maybe I should tell Nathan to let Jordan have a go at you," Levi grumbles, and I grin.

"Except, if we get caught almost fighting again, we're both off the teams permanently."

"Oh, now you decide to care about that little detail?"

"I said I'd leave him alone, didn't I?"

"I want you to stay a minimum distance of twenty metres away from him at all times."

"We have bio together," I remind him.

"Then all other times, and in bio you can't do anything to antagonize him. And you're not allowed to say anything to or about the football team in their presence or to anyone other than me."

"Okay, Mom."

He delivers a slap to my shoulder as we finally get to the chem lab, giving me a look.

Our chem teacher pretends not to notice that we're coming into class about five or ten minutes later than we probably should be for coming from the principal's office. He used to be a basketball coach, so he's a little partial to us. Like, he doesn't go out of his way to catch football players doing nefarious things or whatever, but he might turn a blind eye to things he might not usually tolerate when it's us. Especially me. I'm the captain, after all.

Eventually, chem ends (my altercation with Jordan occurred between third and fourth period, and a lot of chem was eaten up by the trip to the office, during a significant portion of which Jordan and I sat outside the office and glared at each other while Nathan and Levi explained what happened to the principal, and our coaches pleaded for us to stay on our respective teams). Levi and I leave together, going to our lockers which just so happen to be next to each other. I'm nearly done putting all my stuff in my locker when there's a tap on my shoulder.