Shadows

15. It was a shame, really.

"So then-" Ashton began, but was interrupted by the door clicking open. Instantly, there are low growls at who's at the door. 

Aiden, captain of the football team, with unruly blond hair and brown eyes like freshly upturned soil, walks in with his aura of pissed-arrogance, as everyone puts it, followed by his pack.

He smirks, "oh, well won't you look at this herd." His group, the football team, snickers behind him. Everyone glares daggers at them.

The four boys look at him. Spencer, Axel and Xander on the bed. Xander between them, with the heel of one leg rested on the other leg's knee, causal I-don't-give-a-damn style, he had offered his sea to Mary, captain of the swim team,who had a broken leg.
Axel has his feet on the bedside table, his elbows on his knees, and his head in his hands.
Spencer pets the kitten sleeping on his lap, and Lance goes back to busying himself with fixing a clicking pen that he unconsciously took apart on the floor.

Spencer snorts, "that was supposed to be a joke?"

"You should look into a mirror." Axel says, then frowns, "but you probably do that for a living. Maybe try looking into a river next time."

There is a burst of snickers in the room.

Xander looks at him disapprovingly, "Axel, don't be rude to blind people."

Even Aiden's teammates are trying to stifle their laugher.

Aiden glares at Xander, who coolly stares back. You could almost feel the roiling hatred in their stares, one end so hot it feels cold, the other so frozen it burns.

Those two have hated each other the moment they laid eyes on one another.

"Get your nose out of this." He spits.

" 'This' isn't even there. Get out. "

Aiden smirks, "so... blunt. Don't  tell me what to do. I'm not even here for your highness." He looks at Axel, "you, you're an Alanis?"

Axel stares at him for a few seconds, then his gaze hardens, "you're an Elias?"

Everyone looks between them, confused, even Xander looks like he's trying to figur- oh, he knows now.

A contemptuous scowl appears on Aiden's face, "you think you can throw a punch?"

It's like the mood in the room plummeted down a roller coaster heading towards an inferno. Even Lance sensed that there was something wrong.

Axel glowers at him, "I'm afraid I'll break your skull."

Aiden snorts, "really? I bet that's what your brother said befo-"

Spencer starts coughing, coughing, coughing, his coughing echoes through the room, I know he's trying his best to avoid where this is going.
Lance jumps up, trying to play along, he pats- no, that's not the right word, he starts smacking Spencer's back, making as much noise as possible. While Spencer looks like he's about to have heart failure. Coughing and glaring at Lance.

But even then Axel's stare never leaves Aiden, a murderous glint flickering somewhere. I'm about to speak up but Aiden beats me to it.