Demons of the Heart

"What does this mean for humans?" Remm asked.

"Frankly Remm, I have no idea…" she said ominously.

Back in the Demon Dorms, Riley Kain was trying, unsuccessfully, to cheer up Zero. "Cheering Up" people was not one of Riley's strong suits, and that's one of the reasons he was best friends with Zero Kedd, the boy was never down, and you could rely on him to be shallow and emotionless, that is until Brad Jameson had come along.

"Look man, you didn't actually care about the idiot, you just loved to torture him…" Riley said unconvincingly. "He's a jock numbskull who doesn't care about anything but himself."

Zero, who was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling, didn't say anything.

Riley decided to try a different, less girly, tact, "Okay…Zero, you've lost your mojo, the girls used to die over your arrogant charms, and look what this macho air-head has reduced you to, a simpering…human." He said mockingly, "I just don't see the man I used to know, you've kind of turned into a coward, hiding in here, like this."

Zero's face turned grim, and he whispered, "I know man, that moron has completely thrown me for a loop…when I saw him kiss that other kid, I wanted to hurt someone." He paused, and then sat up, "I really am pathetic, aren't I?" he whispered.

Riley snorted, "Just a little bit man, but you can come back."

"Yeah…Yeah!" Zero shouted enthusiastically, "No one needs to know that Brad Jameson got the better of me this time around, when I can beat him in the next round!"

"Zero…this isn't a competition…" Riley said, starting to get worried again.

But it was too late, Zero's eyes were glowing in excitement over the battle he would have with Brad, he was ready to wear down the kid so much that he wouldn't have any fight left in him. It was the "Zero" way of doing things. If Brad Jameson thought he could simply walk away from their little skirmish, he was very much mistaken.

"Of course this is a competition Riley, and right now Brad is beating me to a bloody pulp." Zero said.

Riley than commented, "Well Zero, then you've put yourself in a very odd love triangle, you're the outsider looking in, and Orin and Brad are only looking at each other."

Zero dismissed this comment and said, "Love has nothing to do with it, and I could squish that little blue-haired maggot any day, besides, Brad will realize that he doesn't want or need some little, fragile glass figurine that could break if you touched him too hard, for a boyfriend."

"What," Riley asked sarcastically, "He'll want a real man? You? I sincerely doubt that."

"I'll make him want a real man." Zero said confidently.

Zero could only sigh.

Fortunately for the rest of the school, the students were not aware of the emotion drama swirling about the Football team. Everyone was too preoccupied and excited over the fact that Melean had it's first football game that day. All of the students wanted to know how the Demons would perform. They had heard that the new football players were the best, but they wanted to see them in action, and the fact that they were playing against another team of Demons made it all the more exciting.

No one thought about how the human football players would be sitting on the sideline benches, watching the game, useless for their school. They had all gone to their parents, who could only tell them that it was a Demon's World at the moment, and they were just living in it, and they were better off just following along quietly.

Brad had still not been able to reach his father, and he had completely given up on doing so. Even if he got a hold of him, Brad figured, he would probably just tell Brad the same thing that all of the other parents had told their kids.

What hurt most of all for the human team was that their school had abandoned them, and had simply moved their allegiances over to the Demons. The nerdy girls no longer baked them cookies, the cheerleaders were no longer hanging off their arms, and all of the weaker boys no longer idolized them. It was down right depressing.

In the locker room, while everyone was getting ready for the big game, against a school named Kellerforth, Brad was just sitting on a bench, wondering if it was even worth it to change.

While he was sitting there, staring at the ground, he felt a presence over him and he looked up. There was Mark Hone, looking as contrite as could be.