Page 49 of Sporty Girls Don't Fall For Loners

But something makes me turn around. My eyes widen to epic proportions when the guys pounce on Kade and start beating him.

“Hey!” I yell as I race over to them. “Get away from him!”

Kade wastes no time hitting them back. It’s three vs. one, but he’s doing a good job throwing punches and defending himself.

“What’s going on out here?!” Principal Nakamura cries as Kade punches one of the guys. “Stop it this instant!”

With the help of teachers, they manage to break up the fight. I gasp when I notice bruises on Kade’s face. He must also be hurt in other places on his body, but he’s hiding it.

“Zoey!” someone calls.

I turn around and find Uncle Brayden rushing toward me. “Where are you? Practice started ten minutes ago.”

When I look back at Kade, he and the other guys are following the principal to her office.

“I, um…”

“Come on. The team is waiting for you.”

I nod and hurry to the girls’ locker room to change into my gear. Throughout practice, I can’t help but think about Kade. Worry about him. I mean, he was a jerk to me and maybe doesn’t deserve my sympathy, but the way those guys attacked him? It wasn’t right.

***

Uncle Brayden gives me a lift home because Aunt Ally and Uncle Zack tell me they can’t make it. After waving goodbye to him, I enter my house and find my uncle and aunt sitting in the kitchen with Kade. He’s leaning back on his chair with his arms crossed over his chest, hair falling into his eyes and a ticked-off expression on his face. My aunt and uncle look exasperated and super worried.

“I know how hard it is to hold back from punching every one of their faces,” Uncle Zack says to him. “I, too, wanted to smash the living heck out of all the people who wronged me. But your situation is different from other kids, Kade. I’m trying to find you a good home, and getting into fights and being suspended from school makes things much more difficult. You understand what I mean, don’t you?” he asks softly.

Kade doesn’t say anything, just tightens his arms over his chest.

“What’s going on?” I ask as I slide off my backpack and drop it to the floor.

Aunt Ally sighs as she falls back on her chair. “Kade got suspended from school for starting a fight. He’s lucky he didn’t get expelled. Edenbury High School has a zero tolerance for violence policy, but they’re giving him a second chance because it’s his first time and he was well-behaved before today.”

“But he didn’t start the fight,” I say. “He was just defending himself.”

Both my aunt and uncle glance at me. “What did you say?” Uncle Zack asks.

“Kade was defending himself after the guys pounced on him.”

Aunt Ally sits up. “Wait, you saw what happened?”

“Yeah. The guys blocked him from leaving and said some horrible things to him. Then all three of them punched him.”

They stare at him in confusion and shock.

“Is this true, Kade?” Uncle Zack asks him.

He looks away, tightening his arms over his chest even more.

“Why don’t you say anything?” I demand.

He ignores me.

“Kade.” Uncle Zack leans over the table and looks into his eyes. “Did those boys start up with you first? Tell me the truth, please.”

“You won’t get in trouble,” Aunt Ally assures him. “We just want to know exactly what happened.”

Kade keeps quiet.

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