Heartstrings ━━ Miguel Diaz ¹

𝟬𝟰. tread lightly

     "I don't see her anywhere, do you? Besides, what's a soccer game without a little physical contact?" Samantha smirked and the boys shared looks with each other. She crossed her arms adamantly. "They think we're doormats. Let's prove 'em wrong."

    "Sam," Raegan said lowly as the others began to run towards the field.

    She stopped and looked back at her, feigning innocence. "What? It's not like they don't deserve it."

     "Doesn't mean you have to do this," Raegan said frustratedly, but Samantha merely rolled her eyes.

     "Whose side are you on?" She asked exasperatedly.

    "There are no 'sides', Samantha." Raegan frowned. "Haven't we learned our lessons?"

    This time, Samantha didn't speak. She didn't even look her in the eyes. She merely bit the inside of her cheeks, turned away, and ran towards their group of friends. Raegan sighed and sat down on the bleachers with the sun glaring at her face as she watched the match begin. Hawk and Samantha. Her friend and her sister. Another fight blossoming once more.

     As the match went on, the subtle hitting and kicking became worse. Raegan tried her best to slip away from their hits and tried her best to play normally, but eventually, she had to duck and block. Soon enough, the Coach caught on to their little scheme and called the game off━and the students involved to the Principal's office.

     Raegan was not having a good afternoon.

     After Hawk exited the Principal's office with Counselor Blatt, she'd announced he and his friends were free to go. But not them. Naturally, it sent an angry flare towards the former group, well, more on Samantha, however, even Raegan was a little caught off guard. Like, they let them off that easy? Sometimes, she really hated school.

     "Unbelievable," Demetri muttered.

     "You've got to be kidding me!" Samantha exclaimed. "What about us?"

     Counselor Blatt looked over them like they had the audacity to speak. "The rest of you will be receiving rehabilitative, not punitive, Saturday detention."

     "Detention?" Demetri said incredulously. A tissue in his nose to keep the blood from dripping. "Oh, great, there goes another blemish on my permanent record."

      "This is bullshit!" Samantha cursed.

     "Sam." Raegan tugged on her shirt, but the damage was already done.

     "Miss LaRusso! That is not how we express ourselves here," Counselor Blatt reprimanded. "I think you need two weekends of rehabilitative detention."

     Samantha gasped slightly in disbelief and suddenly slammed the lockers with her fist. "This school sucks!"

     Then she walked off in anger.

    "I don't know her that well..." Demetri tried to lie, but the guidance counselor didn't buy it. So he just turned in defeat and left with the three of their Miyagi-Do friends.

     Then there were two.

     Raegan clenched her jaw and looked at the counselor. "Honestly, ma'am, with all due respect, you are all doing a really crappy job at whatever... this thing, you're going on about. Open your eyes. What you see isn't always the truth... ma'am."

Counselor Blatt gaped at her as if she just punched someone in front of her. "Miss LaRusso! That is not now how you talk to your superior."

    "Yeah, whatever." Raegan rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath. Her annoyance finally got the best of her. "Give me another detention or whatever that rehab thing you're saying━but that doesn't change the fact that you're all turning a blind eye to what's really going on."