rematch | ishman

CH: 2

Ishan wondered if he’d get in trouble for roundhouse kicking a visitor. Mayank’s best friend senses were tingling all over, he debated if he should intervene yet.

“But I guess that’s how it’s been for you, hasn’t it? Boring. Without a trophy, Without me-”

“I’d say being Man of the Tournament every year is far from boring. Though I guess some trophy winners can’t relate,” Mayank remarked with a wry smile.

Shubman felt his smile falter at the familiar figure. Surya elbowed Rishabh again before he could hoot, as Mayank stood next to Ishan. The latter felt a twinge of relief when the sides were equal. Well, Abhishek wasn’t technically siding with his asshole of a friend but that’s just how Ishan had always felt.

Shubman smirked with a tilt of his head. “He suck your cock good?”

“That’s it,” Ishan merely muttered before he found himself harshly tugging at Shubman’s collar.

Surya reacted first, rushing closer to the group. “Woah, woah, Ish. We’ve got the league coming up, don’t get us in trouble!”

Ishan couldn’t see anything apart from the smug look on Shubman’s face and boy, did he want to punch it off?

“You never change, do you?” Shubman let out a grunt as Ishan pushed him against the wall. “Putting others at stake to satisfy your ego. Selfish-”

Ishan was dangerously close to knocking  the guy’s teeth out. Before he really ended up doing that, he headbutted Shubman, hard. The groan that followed from the latter was loud enough to draw Shastri out of his nearby office.

“Ishan! What the hell?”

Ishan knew he was in some shit because Coach never called him by his name unless he was really mad.

“I thought you were supposed to find players, not find ways to assault opponents.”

“Assault is an exaggeration,” Ishan argued.

“Ahhh,” Shubman let out a deliberate moan of pain. “It hurts so much.”
Abhishek rolled his eyes as he pressed the ice pack on his friend’s forehead.

Ishan blinked. “I swear this guy had a record of taking seven headbutts in a row in school,” he tried to defend himself when Coach shot him a pointed look. He ignored the subtle widening of Shubman’s eyes.

Shastri sighed. “I apologize on the behalf of my student.”

Shubman winced. “Gee, you don’t have to. Though I’d appreciate it if the assaulter did.’

Ishan swallowed a dozen curses. “Sorry,” he mumbled, fighting every shred of bloodlust in him.

But of course the absolute prick of a human leaned in with a smile. “Hm? I didn’t quite get that.”

Ishan felt his ears heat up as he saw Abhishek giving a sympathetic look. It was for an odd second that he was whisked back from Shastri’s office to his school infirmary, where he could practically hear the school nurse scolding him while tending to Shubman’s third injury of the week. And there was Abhishek, barely holding back his giggles as they managed to skip yet another History period.

Ishan looked at the boys in front of him. He felt himself grinding his teeth but he forced out a smile at Shubman. “I’m sorry you’re such a delicate little flower.”

Shubman blinked as Ishan left saying that. He turned to Shastri. “Is he always like…that?”

“Yes,” Shastri observed the reddish blotch on the boy’s forehead, but he did not seem to need the ice pack anymore. “Why are you here, Shubman?”