Kill of the Night [BXB]

Chapter 28

 It seems that the game with Springfield has caused much excitement, because the crowd is restless and talkative today. I hear the friend group below me whispering about a fight. I tune it out and watch the gym doors with anticipation. Sascha looks utterly at ease, closer to sleep than to consciousness, and I slap his arm lightly. His eyes shoot wide open.

"How are you so relaxed?" I ask him, checking the time.

"Well, we're not doing it now. Obviously."

"So you're making me wait three hours?"

"Hey, I'm waiting too. In the meantime, you get to see your boyfriend's gorgeous ass for three whole hours uninterrupted."

My face heats. "God, he's not my boyfriend. He'd kill you if he heard you."

"Luckily he didn't."
I forget what I was going to reply with when the doors open. There he is, candy cane number one, helmet in his hand to reveal—bwah!?

"That's a big bruise," I say.

"Yup. The other guy got his head slammed into a locker. You didn't see?"

"Uh, no." I'm mildly disturbed at that information. I haven't really considered the idea of him getting into a fight, especially since he said himself he's not that type. I wonder what got into him.

Rion's team circles around one of the benches. Behind them, the other team is led out by a man and a scrawny boy by his side. His uniform is black and orange, and it doesn't take a genius to realize that the boy is probably Ryan. With a flick of his hand, his team takes the other bench. He starts talking to the coach, who looks a lot like him, and across the way, I see Rion glaring daggers into his back.

I let myself drift away to dreamland again, to a better place, where I can enjoy Rion's scent and presence without his stubbornness. In a way, it's more than a dull pain in my stomach that tells me to be close to him. It's my mind and every emotion that comes with it. Every negative emotion of mine has me wanting to run into his arms and never let go, and every negative emotion of his has me hoping he trusts me enough to do the same. Despite the bitchiness and the stubbornness and the rejection, I can't hate him. Instead, all I want is for him to give up on running away and come to his own conclusion.

Eventually, the game ends, and I see on the board that we've scraped out a win. Sascha gets up and starts down the stairs beside us, and I dutifully follow before he gets lost among the crowd. I step onto the field and chase the echoes of Sascha's stupid denim jacket, and before I know it, I'm indoors again in a large, glossy-floored gym. Sascha heads off to one side and into another room, and I step inside and see him cross his arms and lean against the wall. He's visible in the door, so Ryan will know immediately he's here. I stand beside him, trying not to look too out of place. I look around the room to pass the time. It's covered in tile and there are two doors facing each other a few feet away, and I assume they lead into locker rooms. A boy appears in the open doorway and takes a single glance at us.

"Yo, we got visitors," he calls back. Ryan appears beside him and immediately starts scowling.

"Jesus, so they sent a rogue to take care of their shit?" he asks. "Fuck off. I've gotta change."

Sascha grins slyly. "I'm sure you do, princess. I think you have a few minutes to spare, don't you?"

Ryan rolls his eyes and walks off. Sascha follows, and I trail behind him. We leave the gym and stop outside in the desolate hallway.

"Okay, so what?" Ryan asks.

"Business," Sascha replies.

"Yeah. Business. What about it? Are you surrendering?"