Kael was walking down the hall, heading toward the gym, his mind already preparing for the physical chaos that would soon unfold. Gym class was always a workout, but there was one part of the journey that Kael had learned to dread: the locker room hallway.
The hallway by the locker rooms was a no-camera zone. And because of that, it was often a hotspot for fights. No one could prove anything, and the teachers were rarely around to stop it. It wasn't that Kael was scared—he just didn't want to waste his energy on some random fight. He had more important things to focus on, like his friends and the mysterious world of middle school politics. Still, he always kept his head down as he passed by, just in case.
Today, though, Kael had made it past the locker room without any drama. He could hear the faint sounds of grunting and shouting echoing from behind the door, but he didn't stop to listen. He was almost at the gym, where he could just lose himself in the physical activity and forget about everything else for a while.
Kael pushed the door open and stepped into the gym, quickly slipping into his usual routine. As much as he hated the chaos, he didn't mind gym class too much. He was good at basketball and volleyball, and the coach was chill, so it was always a fun escape from the classroom. Plus, it was always good to burn off some energy before getting back to the grind.
After a grueling hour of gym, Kael made his way to science. Science was never his favorite class, but it was tolerable. What made it worse was the fact that his bully, Kyle, was in that class. And today, the universe was once again throwing its worst at him—Kyle was sitting next to him.
Kyle, a kid who had been trying to make Kael's life miserable since the first day of middle school, was sitting there, smirking. Kael rolled his eyes but didn't engage. He was tired of the constant back-and-forth. Kyle had tried bullying him in every possible way—pushing him around, stealing his stuff, and making snide comments about his family. But Kael wasn't stupid. He knew Kyle's weak spots, and he'd learned to avoid getting dragged into his drama.
"Hey, Kael," Kyle said, leaning in a little too close, his breath smelling like stale gum and poorly masked body spray. "You're lucky you're the prince's son. Otherwise, I'd have you crying by the end of the day."
Kael didn't even flinch. He had heard this line a hundred times. Instead, he turned his head slightly, a smug grin on his face. "If you say so, Kyle," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'd be scared, but you're just a sad little bully with nothing better to do than talk trash."
Kyle's face turned red with anger, but he didn't say anything more. He just huffed and turned his attention back to the front of the room, leaving Kael to enjoy the quiet victory of shutting him down. The teacher, Mr. Carter, had already started the lesson, so there wasn't much more to say anyway.
Kael leaned back in his chair, listening to the hum of the class as they started the lesson on cells and biology. It wasn't that Kael hated science—he just found it boring. Maybe if they were studying something more interesting, like the secrets of the universe, he would care more. But for now, he just had to get through it. The bell would ring, and then he could move on to the next part of his day, where the real fun would begin.
And sure enough, the class dragged on, the minutes feeling like hours. But eventually, the bell rang, and Kael was free to head to his next class. Another day in middle school down, and one more day of avoiding Kyle's nonsense.
The end of Chapter 35.