Page 104 of The Rivals' Touch

It’s strange to be back at my old school. Everything looks just as I remember it, but I feel different, maybe because my entourage were my main rivals for so long.

Zayd leans down to grab his cap from inside the glove box, then shuts the car door and pockets his keys. The only thing he’s seen of Hedgewood High is the inside of the gymnasium, so he looks at me expectantly.

My eyes widen. “What? I want no part in whatever this is.” I gesture at the school.

He rolls his eyes and puts his cap on, turning the bill backward. “So, you’re fine with him beating on you?”

I cross my arms over my chest. “That’s not what I said, but threatening Bennett will only worsen my situation.”

“Relax!” Jacob says, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. He steers me toward the school’s main doors. “You’re so serious.”

“It’s smaller than Aycliffe High,” Legacy comments.

I peer up at the second-floor windows. “Hedgewood is a small town. Much smaller than Aycliffe.”

Zayd jogs ahead up the stairs and holds the door open for us. If it were any other day, I would feel nostalgic to set foot in these corridors again. But my throat is thick with unease as students stop and stare when we walk inside. Zayd and Jacob are notorious. If you’re at all interested in high school basketball, you know the main rival players to look out for.

“They play for Aycliffe High!” I hear someone whisper as we walk past. “Isn’t that Remi?”

I cringe.

Amused by my discomfort, Legacy smirks. “Relax!”

As we walk past reception, I duck my head. The last thing I want is to be recognized by the staff and made to answer a million questions about how I’m settling in at Aycliffe.

Zayd cups his mouth and hollers, “Bennett Beaufort!”

“Shut up!” I whisper hiss, my eyes wide. “What the fuck are you doing?!”

He winks at me and does it again. This is Hedgewood, and rumors travel fast here. It’ll take all of two minutes for the word to spread and for Bennett to find out.

As predicted, we’ve only made it past the first corner when he storms out of the cafeteria with his friends behind him. Alex has always been a good guy. Even now, he looks uncomfortable as he scans his eyes over me. I ignore him, glaring at Cali, who wraps her arms around Bennett’s waist. She’s been my best friend from early childhood. This side of her is one I haven’t seen before.

“Well, well, Zayd. I would say what a surprise, but that would be a lie.” Bennett looks at me. “Baby, missing me already?”

I drag my eyes away from the smirk on Cali’s face. “Not even subtle about it, are you?”

Bennett looks down at Cali and shrugs her off. “Is that better?”

I snort, arms crossed.

Zayd swaggers up to Bennett. They’re matched in height, but Zayd is more rugged, dressed in a gray hoodie, with broad shoulders and dark hair peeking out from beneath his cap. “Does it make you feel good about yourself to hit your girl?”

Bennett’s lips curve with amusement. “Did you drive all this way to ask me that?”

Zayd looks away and chuckles darkly. “No, actually, I came here for this!” Then he throws a punch, causing Cali to cry out in shock.

“Shit!” I curse as Bennett collides with the wall, but Zayd isn’t done. He grabs Bennett’s t-shirt and headbutts him. “Not such a man anymore, are you?”

Bennett shoves him off and wipes the blood off his lip. “Is this because of her?! Let me guess. She let you inside her panties, and now she’s got you doing her dirty work? I don’t blame you. It’s a sweet fucking pussy.”

Zayd charges him again. This time, Bennett is prepared and grabs him in a headlock, but when Zayd twists in his arms and elbows him in the stomach, Bennett grunts and releases him.

“What is going on here?!” growls Mr. Jones, the science teacher, barging his way through the growing crowd of students. Close on his heels is the school’s security guard.

Zayd and Bennett are too wrapped up in their scuffle to notice the new arrivals until they are pulled apart.

“I asked what is going on here?!” Mr. Jones growls again, holding Bennett back with a hand on his chest.

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