Only one more day of school stood between Ty and his revenge. He wouldn't even have to wait twenty-four hours.
As he sat at the thin, wooden dining table of the Samuels family that Friday morning, slowly shovelling spoonfuls of cereal into his mouth—more a force of habit than any hunger—his mind was already hours into the future when he'd face against the Vikings that night.
His bag lay under his chair. Meg sat opposite him, the twins on either side of her. Ty hadn't responded to her greeting. He hadn't even flinched when Josh had thrown a piece of Froot Loops at him, for which Josh was quickly scolded.
Meg wasn't offended Ty ignored her, nor worried that he was so vacant. He hadn't heard her, and therefore couldn't respond, because he was focused. She actually admired him for that, wishing she could focus so intently while studying.
Their mother came into the room, jostling her bulging handbag over her shoulder, still applying the finishing touches to her makeup. She picked the twins up, even as they complained, and kept moving towards the door.
'You'll be late for kinder, should've ate instead of playing with it.'
She looked back at the two at the table and blew them kisses. 'Bye kids, love you.'
Ty snapped to attention, his head whipping around. His mouth dropped open, but the door slammed shut before he could get the words out. "She would've said no anyway," he told himself.
He got up, dumped his empty bowl into the sink. 'I'm going,' he told Meg. 'My game's tonight; I'll be home late.'
'Tonight? Playing under the bright lights, that's exciting. Where is it?' Meg smiled, despite all the dishes that she knew she'd have to clean up. She'd be on time if she hurried … she hoped.
'Don't know. We're taking the team bus again. Probably over an hour away.'
Her smile dropped. 'Oh… r-right. I don't think I can make it.'
'No. Doubt our mother or father would take you. You can ask if you see them again.'
'Yeah.' Neither of them sounded hopeful. 'G-Good luck though. I know you'll win, so I'll come see your next one.'
'Thanks.' He smiled at her. It was good knowing he could always count on her. And she was right. He WOULD win.
He left through the same door his mother had dragged the twins out of, closing it much more gently. A short bike ride later, and he was at school.
The day passed in a blur after he sat down. Some part of him was listening, reading, and filling out his work, maybe his subconscious, because Ty sure as hell only had enough room in his mind for the Vikings and Marshall.
When the last bell tolled, Ty looked up. It felt like no time at all had passed since he'd first sat down, but suddenly he was in a different classroom, with a different teacher droning on, and the sun was much lower in the window.
He grabbed his things, ducked out of the classroom, and headed for the parking lot.
The bus—only a single-decker this time—stood out like a beacon. Already the team gathered around it, only the varsity members present this time.
Closer around the door were the coaches, organising the players and counting heads, double-checking everyone had their gear.
As Ty approached, he noticed everyone was a lot quieter than they had been last week. It wasn't just because of the lesser numbers, either. The air was tenser around the team.
A few jokes and laughs were sprinkled throughout, but they were all short and muted. They never beat back the intense, stern expressions for long.
The door opened and Coach Long motioned for everyone to get on board. 'Single file, no pushing. There's seats for everybody.'
'Let's get this show on the road!' Coach Norman helped shepherd everyone on, whilst Coach Hoang stayed out of the way, waiting until the last student was on.
Ty stepped on, heading down the narrow aisle for the back of the bus. Someone tugged his arm and pulled him back. Stephen shoved by, looking down at him. 'Seniors at the back, freshies at the front.'
Ty opened his mouth to spit out a response, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He locked eyes with Deshaun, who also shuffled past, squeezing through rather than shoving Ty out of the way like Stephen had.
Deshaun stopped before continuing further, the two still looking at one another. 'We need you to play good today. We've got this shit.' He thought about offering a fist bump, but lowered his hand and turned away.
'Maybe if you don't hold us back this time.'
Deshaun started to turn back, then stopped. He shook his head and swallowed his retort.
Ty huffed, but slid into the nearest available seat. He didn't want to sit near those obnoxious assholes, anyway.
As Ty settled into his seat, Zayden glared at him, the two touching elbows. The back of the bus didn't seem so bad anymore, but Ty didn't get up.
The coaches filed in after the players, most sitting in the row ahead of Ty and Zayden, with Coach Hoang just in front of that.
Zayden's glare softened. He sighed and shifted over in his seat, closer towards the window. 'I've got your back today,' he said.
'I don't need your help. Worry about Deshaun and what'll happen on his side.'
'Just take the fucking… whatever.' Zayden shook his head and slipped his headphones on. Ty looked away and did the same, putting in his earbuds.
Once everyone was settled into their seats, their bags secured in the undercarriage, the bus pulled out of the parking lot and they hit the road.
Though the drive had begun, the mood didn't pick up. Even through Ty's music, he could tell the bus was quiet. He glanced around. Everyone was concentrating, looking more like a test hall.
He saw it on their faces. Everyone knew how important the game was. Everyone knew they had a mountain to climb if they wanted to win.
Stephen's stamping foot rattled the back of the bus, even after repeated complaints from Cole and Benny sitting closest to him.
Deshaun's face was sullen, looking as if he was preparing for a funeral. He had a lot to prove. Even if some thought he was an old dog, he still had plenty of new tricks to learn, and he wasn't about to be upstaged by some puppy bitches; Isiah wasn't the only young pup he couldn't let get the better of him.
Chris's knuckles turned white from the death grip he had on the headrest of the seat in front of him. He remembered little from the previous meeting with the Vikings. He knew he'd gotten knocked out, and he knew who hit him. That was unforgettable. If there was one thing he remembered from the game, it was those wild, purple eyes.
Part way through the journey, Bella turned back in her seat, her eyes peering over the top of her headrest at Ty. They scanned the length of the bus, then went back to Ty. He didn't notice her gaze.
She sat back straight, and shortly after, Coach Long stood from beside her and approached Ty's seat, tapping him on the shoulder.
Ty switched his music off and pulled a bud from his ear.
Coach Long held a banana out to him. 'You got something to eat, son?'
'I'm good, Coach. Thanks.'
Coach Long didn't move the banana away. 'It's important to eat. I wouldn't want you playing on an empty stomach, Tyrese.'
'I don't mind. I can focus better without it. Thank you,' Ty said more firmly.
The banana was unmoving. He heard a crunch beside him. Zayden bit into an apple. He still had his headphones on, looking out of the window. When Ty turned back to Coach Long, he was still there, and so was the banana.
'Alright, you don't have to eat it if you don't want to. But you hold onto it. It'll be there if you change your mind.'
Ty reluctantly took it. He knew Coach Long wouldn't go away otherwise. "You're as stubborn as my sister."
Satisfied, Coach Long returned to his seat. Ty pocketed the banana, and as he put his earbud back in, he could've sworn he heard a frustrated sigh.
Eventually, the bus came to a stop. Roughly an hour and a half after their journey had begun back at Dominguez High, it stopped in streets that were unfamiliar to Ty.
The location wasn't important; as long as there was a field, he'd play on the moon if he had to. But this at least meant that it was neutral ground again. The stands surrounding the field were small, but they were even.
The bus eased into the parking lot, and bit by bit, the Dons filed off it. Coach Hoang came first, then it emptied front to back. Coach Long oversaw everyone coming out, whilst Coach Norman and Bella helped with the gear.
As Ty grabbed his bag from Coach Norman, thanking him for it, a second bus pulled into the lot.
Ty stepped aside, slinging his bag over his shoulder as he watched the second bus park. Then the Vikings spilled out one by one. Like a little trail of ants, that's how Ty saw them, even if the Dons were doing the same.
The massive frame of Mike Ironbark lumbered down the steps and onto the pavement. He grinned at the Dons waiting around their own bus, then hollered back to his teammates.
Nathan came next, then Marshall after him. Ty didn't notice who else came after that.
Players grabbed their gear from their respective buses, then instead of moving on, they stood and stared across the parking lot at the team mirroring them.
Chris's knuckles turned sheet-white again, this time around the strap of his bag, as he locked eyes with Myles. The wild boy flashed his sharp teeth, grinning as he waved at Chris, his memories of their prior contest much fonder.
Stephen stepped up beside Chris. 'The fuck are you staring at?!'
Each player from either team bristled, preparing for the worst. Maybe their differences on the field would have to wait, and their problems would be hashed out right there in the parking lot.
Myles laughed, still waving. 'I haven't forgotten about you either, big guy!' He wiped his nose, a memory of pain sparking at the touch. 'No. We'll have plenty of time to play more, too.'
'Day! That's enough. Get moving. Or do you wanna go kiss him?' Coach Hoang said.
Stephen tore his eyes away from Myles and started towards the field. 'I can think of a better word that has four letters and starts with "K" for what I want to do to him.'
The coaches on both sides stepped in and broke up the rest of the staring contest, waving the boys away and herding them towards opposite ends of the field before things escalated.
'Enjoy your last game of football, nigga!' Isiah laughed, eyes locked with Deshaun.
Deshaun clenched a fist. Stephen wasn't the only one who thought it'd be more cathartic to solve things off the field. But Deshaun kept moving, flipping Isiah off as the two drifted further away.
Isiah's laughter continued until he was out of earshot, his cackling slowly fading.
With both sides leaving the parking lot, only two players remained at the buses, standing motionless even as everyone moved around them, like two rocks within a raging river.
Fifty yards stood between Marshall and Ty, but they felt face-to-face. Neither blinked, neither backed down. They both knew something the others didn't—the game would come down to them. Others would play a role, of course, but in their hearts that's how they both felt. The last man standing between the two of them would be the victor.
'Yo, Ty.' JJ came back, taking Ty by the arm. He looked across at Marshall. 'Don't worry about that cabron, you'll see him plenty on the field. Come on.'
Ty said nothing, but turned and followed JJ, catching back up with the others.
Marshall, meanwhile, was still alone. He watched Ty go, then looked to his team. None had even looked back at him. He stalked after them without a word.
As both teams marched towards their locker rooms, the sun dipped ever closer to the horizon. When it set, the game would begin.