[TAC] THREE'S A CROWD

Chapter 23

Off's excited to see New again at the end of the day because of how he'd promised to help the art class make their environmental posters during his free period, even though he knows he'll probably see New after school anyway. He just can't get enough of being with New; it's like he doesn't even need to smoke weed anymore to get that special high, because New's always there to give it to him.

Their teacher had instructed everyone to go to the gym in order to have sufficient enough space to work on the posters, so they did as told, which later proves itself to be a huge mistake.

Off is waltzing into the gym alongside New, holding a rolled up poster in his hand as he chats to him about nothing, when he catches a glimpse of Tay on the court of the gym, doing the only thing he does decently---dribbling a ball. There are two other players on the court as well, seemingly shooting baskets for fun as the students of the art class slow their steps upon realizing that they, in fact, don't have the gym to themselves, as opposed to what their teacher had said.

One of the students speak up before anyone else can. "Let's just use this corner of the gym to make our posters." Everyone groans from having to crowd in one corner, when the original plan had been to have the entire gym, but they all comply nonetheless.

"You okay?" Off whispers to New as they go over to the bottom row of the bleachers to sit.

New nods, laughing awkwardly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Off opens his mouth to reply, before shaking his head and figuring that if New doesn't want to acknowledge it, he doesn't want to either. He rolls out the poster from his hands and sets it across the floor in front of them, centimeters away from some other girl's foot who's on the floor working on her own poster, and he wonders how exactly they're going to do this with such little space. He doesn't get much more time to complain inside his mind before he hears a disgusting voice speaking to their entire class.

"You guys can't be in here. We're having practice," Tay says from where he's stood in front of a group of girls who are sat on the ground.

No one says anything, instead choosing to look around at each other, unsure of what to do. Off doesn't quite know what to do either, but he does know he's not about to sit here and take orders from Tay Tawan.

"Ms. Namtan told us to come in here, so we're staying here," Off speaks up, shocked by his own courage as all the heads turn to look at him.

Tay tilts his head to look at Off, his eyebrow quirking up slightly as though he hadn't expected that, but he's still going to rip Off to shreds regardless. Then his eyes slide over to New, his teeth biting the inside of his cheek as he holds even tighter onto the basketball that's in between his hands.

His expression is harder when he focuses his attention back on Off. "No, you're leaving."

Off's just opening his mouth when Arm jogs up behind Tay, setting a hand on his shoulder and speaking in his ear. "Just leave them alone. Let Coach deal with it when he gets here."

Tay viciously shakes Arm's hand off of him, taking a challenging step toward Off, even though there are still many feet of space in between them. Some of the students start to murmur among themselves again, and the dribbles of the other basketball player resume, but Off continues to stare at Tay, not backing down just yet. He can see New starting to bite his nail in his peripheral.

"No, I'll deal with it. Isn't that what a captain's for?" he hears Tay say to Arm, right before he turns back to Off.

"We're not leaving, so you can take your entitled ass back to other side of the court with the rest of your team," Off says, mocking the last word.