Page 16 of Remember Us This Way

“I have spoken to your mother at length in regard to your enrollment here at East View, and if you wish to attend this fine school and graduate at the end of senior year, then there are some stipulations that you will be required to follow.”

Shit.

He gives me a hard stare. “First and foremost, the safety and wellbeing of my students is the primary goal here. As I mentioned, I spoke with your mother at length and am aware of your relationship with Zoey James. And following the reports I received from my office staff this morning, I am quite concerned. She is a promising student who has been through a hell of her own, and whether you have a history or not, I will not tolerate the kind of abuse you spouted at her this morning. Her or any other student for that matter. Is that understood?”

My hands ball into fists at my side, the rage almost hitting boiling point. What the fuck is this guy’s problem, thinking he can come at me about Zoey? I’ll deal with her the way I see fit. Our relationship, or how I handle it, is none of his damn business. The only thing that pulls me up is his comment about her going through a hell of her own, and it fucking grinds on my nerves that I don’t know what the fuck he’s referring to. Has something happened to her over the past three years that I don’t know about?

“Got it,” I tell him, hoping like fuck that’s the end of his bullshit, but apparently, he’s only just getting started.

“I get that you need to focus your anger on someone. You need an outlet, but I will not tolerate that anger creeping up on the football field and putting my students at risk. Violence is not the answer. So if you need to be angry, be angry at me. I will take the brunt of it if it means my students will continue having the safety and comfort this school offers in order to nurture their education.”

“I’m not a violent person,” I spit through a clenched jaw. “I’m not going to hurt anyone.”

“Only yourself, right?” Daniels arches a brow and lets out a heavy sigh. “The fire in your principal’s office and the clenched fists at your side say otherwise. And until you can prove that I do not need to fear for my students’ wellbeing, then I will treat you as a threat.”

I nod, the logical side of me telling me this is fair, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. “You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be the perfect student. Coach Martin has already laid down the terms of me being on the team, and I’m not looking to fuck that up.”

“And yet, you’re out here smoking during school hours,” he mutters. “You’re off to a flying start.”

“Would you have preferred I did it on school grounds, in front of the other students? I didn’t see a designated smoking area in the cafeteria.”

“There will be no smoking on or around school grounds during school hours. Period. What you do following the school day is your business.”

“Understood,” I murmur. “Are we done?”

“Not quite,” he says. “I mentioned stipulations to your enrollment and so far, I’ve only covered one.”

Fuck me. What else could this bastard possibly throw at me that Coach Martin hasn’t already done?

He fixes me with a hard stare, and my hands grow clammy, knowing like fuck I’m not going to like whatever bullshit is about to fly out of his mouth. “On top of maintaining a hundred percent attendance record and the B+ average Coach Martin requires, you will be required to see the school counselor on a biweekly basis.”

My eyes widen in horror, my heart leaping right out of my fucking chest. “Fuck no.”

“Alright then,” Principal Daniels says. “Then good luck finding somewhere else to play. You can clear out your locker and return your combination lock to the student office.”

With that, he gives me a tight smile before turning on his heel and striding back to the school, and as I watch him go, the panic sets in. I can’t fucking sit in a little room and be forced to talk about my brother or Zoey. I won’t. I can’t fucking do it. But without this school, without this team, I’ve got nothing.

My whole body starts to shake, and my stomach twists into knots, watching as my future slips further away, step by fucking step. What choice do I have? Without this, I’m going to spiral out of control. I’m going to end up hurting someone, and not just the surface-level bullshit I’ve been dishing out, but the real, life-changing kind of shit that will live with me for the rest of my life.

I don’t want to be this fucking person anymore. I don’t like hearing my mother cry at night, and I sure as fuck don’t like hurting Zoey and pushing her away. That pain is the only thing I’ve felt in three years, but if I force myself to feel anything else or to deal with the real issues at hand, it will fucking drown me.

“Fine,” I call to Daniels’ back, not ready to give up on myself just yet. “I’ll see the fucking counselor.”

Daniels stops and turns back, his gaze lingering on mine a second too long. “That’s what I thought,” he says, pressing his lips into a tight line. “Welcome to East View High, Noah Ryan. Let’s hope you’re a great addition to this fine school.”

And with that, he walks away.

7

Noah

Making my way to the football field, I let out a heavy breath, dreading what this afternoon’s training session will bring. Day one sucked, but in the grand scheme of things, it could have been worse. It’s not over though.

Coach Martin made it no secret that he’s no fan of mine. Sure, he might be impressed on the field, but that doesn’t mean he wants me on his team. I’m going to have to earn my position. I’ve burned one too many bridges to expect this to be handed to me like it was in the past.

Liam walks beside me, and I have to resist rolling my eyes at the guy. Ever since those cheerleaders offered to show us a good time, he’s clearly decided that sticking with me will be worth the trouble. Suddenly, he doesn’t give a shit that I’m here to take his position on the team. He knows damn well he can’t beat me, and just like every other position I’ve stolen over the past few years, they quickly learn it’s best just to step aside.

He talks shit about the guys on the team, trying to give me a rundown of the players and what I need to be looking out for, only I don’t hear a single fucking word. I have no interest in his opinions. I’ll make my own based on their actual skills on the field. After all, Liam’s opinions are biased, based on experiences he’s had with the players since his freshman year, and considering the kind of guy he is, I can only assume not all of those experiences are positive.

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