Chapter 35
On the entrance of the [Raiput High School], the banner written “Victory Beavers” was hung on the school bus. Today was the weekend. If it were normal days, it would be empty, but it was different today. Noisy students crowded outside the gate, and the teachers tried their best to control this group of undisciplined teenagers!
“Hey! Hey! Can you open the door?” Through the school bus door, impatient students patted the door and yelled at the fat driver.
The driver gestured helplessly while shouting: “Look at the notice at the front! This is a player-only bus!”
The students reluctantly moved their bodies, saw the sign at the front of the bus, and shifted their positions to harass another school bus. Of course, these self-centred boys and girls directly ignored the sign in front of the car that said, ‘For Cheerleaders Only’.
The patience of students was disappearing, and the patience of teachers was also disappearing… All patience was worn away by this messy scene, but they couldn’t do anything, because they were not the focus of the attention today, they were the green leaves that were required to appear.
[Raiput High School]’s “Beavers” was playing against [Cosway High School]’s “Goats”. In order to increase morale and win this game, the school used ‘watching the game will earn a credit for social practice’ as ‘encouragement’ to ensure that these green leaves would be present to set off the real red flowers.
Different from the impatient atmosphere outside the school. At the edge of Raiput’s playground, the excited rugby coach summoned his players for the last time to arrange a meeting before the game.
“Victory! Raiput Beavers! ”
After a group of energetic 17-to-18-year-old boys shouted in unison, the coach clapped hands: “Now, go and replace your equipment! Walked out of Raiput! Let the whole school see your ‘battle suits’! Go to Fenway Stadium! And then, win!”
“Yes, coach! ”
The crowd dispersed and headed to the locker room.
These were the focus of attention today.
“Connor!” A sturdy young man took off his training uniform. He was not happy. It could even be said to be very angry! He walked up to another tall man and questioned, “Why are you doing this to me! Right wing?! We all know that asking me to play winger is a waste!”
A boy named Connor ripped off his shirt and raised his hand to push away the boy who questioned him. He was a quarterback and the team leader. How could he be scared by his own team members: “yes, I did that, what are you going to do about it?”
1
Now that physical contact has occurred, what happened next could be imagined. Four or five boys were in the middle of the two, pulling away the two who have begun to kick and punch each other.
“Kyle! Stop it! He is a quarterback! The game is about to start! it is not worth it!” Teammates were trying to persuade the boys who were asking the question first.
But such persuasion did not help at all! Kyle was even angrier!
“Why not? He knew I needed to perform well to get the scholarship! This is the last year of high school and my last chance! I have to perform well in front of the assessment committee! Right wing! Connor! You are doing it on purpose!”
The right wing was the least important position in this kind of game, no one would pay attention to it! Only those who got into the team through connections, or rookies who wanted to experience the atmosphere of the game, would be asked to play this position! Therefore, Kyle, who was assigned to the right wing by the team leader Connor, could already say goodbye to his scholarship.
“Humph!” Connor was pulled away from Kyle by several teammates. He could already feel the heat, and the players were clearly leaning in Kyle’s favor.
“Scholarship? Kyle, do you really need a scholarship? Vince! Tell this guy, who needs a scholarship more?!” Conner was trying to get someone to stand on his side, and Vince was the one who replaced Kyle. And everyone knew that Vince’s family situation was not good. If Vince did not get a scholarship, then he could say goodbye to the university!
Kyle looked at Vince, who has not spoken since the beginning on the side, and then looked at Conner who was with a provocative look, his shoulder muscles arched with force. But he didn’t continue talking, his chest undulated, as he took a few deep breaths, and then pushed away his teammates.
Locker-room once again became quiet, and everyone put on their equipment in silence. If there was no incident like what had just happened, it would give people a sense of calm and solemnity before the game, but we all know that high school has never been related to peace.
The players left one by one. This was the first game of the Barton High School football season. They needed a good start. Arriving early to feel the atmosphere of the stadium and imprint the Beaver’s mark on the field, this was a ‘superstition on the field’, or a tradition. So it was a part of the game to enter before the Goats of Cosway High School…
“Vince, give us a good show!” Kyle looked up and said to Vince, who was heading outside.
The honest Vince nodded, mouthed “thank you” and then left. Soon, there were only two people in the locker room, and they were the two who were arguing earlier. Obviously, the argument affected the mood of the two, and the movement of them was slower than that of the teammates. The consequence of the slowness was that if the two had another argument, no one would be able to stop it.
“Fucking hypocrite!” Connor said to the air.
“What did you fucking just say!” Kyle stood up sharply, throwing away his knee pads.
“You heard it! Do you want me to repeat it again?” Connor turned around and provoked.
Kyle clenched his fists tightly, and his undulating chest became more obvious because of the wide protective gear, but Kyle held back, turned his face away, retrieved his protective gear, and continued to equip himself.
“What? Are you afraid of me? Kyle Barton? The grandson of the founder of Barton, no one can stop us now, but you dare not even touch me?” Connor continued to provoke. Fortunately, he has already put on a helmet, so we don’t need to see his unpleasant and provocative face.
“Don’t push your luck, Connor!” Kyle suppressed his anger.
“Why not? Are you going to hit me?”
Now we can know the reason why this guy put on the helmet. During a fight, the most important thing is to protect your face. Hehe.
Kyle didn’t respond to him, carrying his bag in one hand and helmet in the other, ready to leave here.
“Are you going to leave like this?” Connor stepped forward and pushed Kyle, who was facing away from him, with force, “like a coward!”
Staggered, Kyle quickly held the wall, “if you touch me one more time!”
Connor stepped forward again, “I just did, so what-”
Conner’s voice was forcibly stopped, and the sound of protective gear hitting protective gear sounded in the locker room! Bangs and grunts reverberated between the metal lockers as if a mini rugby game were going on…
When the game stopped, the locker room was quiet again, and only one person’s heavy breathing echoed…
“Kyle, Kyle!” A clear female voice came from the door of the locker room: “Where are you, Kyle?” A young girl with colored balls for cheerleaders stood in the door and peered in, “Kyle! Are you in there?”
“Lola! I am here!” From deep inside the locker room came Kyle’s voice.
“Oh! Come on brother! You need to hurry up! Where is Connor? Everyone is waiting for you two!” Footsteps sounded, and the girl walked into the locker room. “Have you dressed yet? I am coming in!”
“Wait! Don’t come in! Uh, we haven’t dressed yet!” Kyle’s anxious voice came out. “Uh!” The girl covered her eyes with colored balls, and quickly backed away as if disgusted. “Thank goodness, fortunately, I didn’t see anything! Then you two need to hurry up, I will wait outside, this place is as smelly as your room!”
“No need to wait for us!” came Kyle’s voice. “We will drive there ourselves! You tell everyone that they can go to the stadium first!”
“Okay! Please hurry up. We are leaving now!” The girl had moved out of the locker room. The eyes on her youthful face rolled up like typical high school girls, as she imitated her elder brother’s tone, “We will drive there ourselves! Humph! What is there to be proud of that you can drive!”
When the last school bus left and went to [Fenway Stadium], Raiput High School resumed the silence it should have had on weekends.
A black car slowly drove out and entered the main road. Kyle put his hands on the steering wheel and leaned against the back of the chair. His face was pale and his whole body was trembling violently. This road could lead him to the stadium, but it could also lead him to the Barton police station, Kyle’s mind was struggling…
“Hey!”
At the red light, a voice interrupted Kyle’s thoughts, and he turned around in shock, looking to the left. A man with a pair of sunglasses and a hat was smoking while sitting on an old truck. He extended his gloved hand and knocked on Kyle’s window. Seeing Kyle noticed him, he moved his finger, signaling him to lower the car window.
Kyle lowered the window.
“Hey boy, you look terrible. Are you a Beaver player? We are going to watch the game. I want to remind you that you need to fasten your seat belt! I don’t want the team I support to lose one player due to a traffic accident!”
Kyle looked at the fair-skinned man and then something seemed to suddenly come into his mind.