Ever since my little tussle with Solace, the athletes have been giving me more hell than usual.

They don't actually touch me -- they know I'll kick their asses and get them removed from the various teams they play on. They just leave nasty words on my locker and make derogatory comments.

"Pst, di Angelo!" Travis Stoll, the star track runner, whispers to me during History class.

I ignore him.

Until--

He starts throwing fucking paper wads at me.

"What?" I hiss giving him my strongest death glare.

"Why don't you come to the soccer game tonight? I'm sure Solace would love to see you there."

Instead of replying, I roll my eyes and go back to doodling a dragon on my notes. Like I of all people would be caught dead at one of those prep fests.

---

"Come on, Neeks!" Haz whines, pulling at my hand.

"Why?" I laugh, setting down the book on my lap. I pull my stash from under the couch and open the Tupperware container.

"It'll be fun! You never go to school games. All you go to are those pretentious university games."

"That's where that boy plays --you know, the one I've been fucking around with? -- and he drags me along, Haz. He's basically told me he'll cut me out if I don't watch him kick a ball around. You know that. I have zero interest in petty high school soccer." I say without looking up from the joint I'm rolling.

"Nico!" She takes my weed out of my lap.

"Haz, give it back." I demand.

"No. Not unless you come to the game with me." She gives me a challenging look.

"Not my scene, sis. C'mon, fork it over."

"So, instead of actually doing something fun with your little sister, you'd rather let her go to the school, alone, at night, so you can blaze it?"

I huff out an annoyed breath. "Fine. I'll go. Give me twenty minutes."

"The game starts in fifteen!"

"Just give me a second!"

---

Twenty-five minutes later, I cut the engine to my bike and pull off my helmet.

Hazel yanks hers off and plants a kiss on my cheek.

"Thanks, Neeks."

"Yeah, yeah. Run along now, little gem. You're missing the game."

"I'll save you a seat!"

"Be there in a minute."

---

After chain smoking three cigarettes and messing with my hair some more, I walk into the school's stadium.

I find Hazel quickly; her bouncing golden hair and joyous laughter giving her away. I make my way over to her and take the seat she saved me.

"You finally made it!" She throws her arms around my neck

"Of course. What did you expect me to do, hide in the bathroom?"

"Well... no, but I didn't expect you to actually come over to sit with me."

Smiling shyly, I pull my large Aviator jacket tighter around me, melting into the seat. I watch the game with an obvious lack of interest and try to avoid speaking to anyone.

I just want to go home and get high. Is that too much to ask?

"di Angelo!" I hear a familiar voice call.

I groan inwardly with an obvious roll of my eyes.

"Grace."

"Since when do you come to our school's games?" He laughs.

"Since my sister dragged me here." I say, motioning to Hazel watching the game excitedly. "What do you want?"

"Just wanted to know if you had any weed on you. Feeling in the mood."

"Even if I did I wouldn't give it to a prick like you."

"Hey, now. What happened to that guy I knew past year?" He attempts to playfully punch my arm, but I recoil.

"You happened, asshole."

"Whatever. See you later, di Angelo."

"Don't count on it."

He flashes me a begrudging smile and walks away.

I go back to not paying attention to the game. Something surprises me, though.

Solace is looking at me with a blinding grin on his lips. He has his pale, sky-blue eyes trained on my obsidian black ones. Now, I know most people would find that unlikely. A crowd of hundreds and he picks out you? But I know when someone is staring at me -- especially when we make eye contact -- because I've spent my whole life feeling other's eyes trained on me.

A shudder rolls through me as I study his eyes as best I can.

His grin turns to a smug smirk and he goes back to running across the field, chasing the ball.

"What the heck was that?" Hazel asks me, leaning into my space.

"I-I have no fucking idea." I say, eyes still following Solace.

---

I spot Solace across the hall laughing with his friend the next morning and make a bee-line for him.

When I make it over, I roughly grab his shirt and slam him against a set of lockers.

"What the fuck was that shit last night at the game?" I growl.

He motions for his friends to back off when the start to come to his defense.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Neeks." He uses my sister's nickname for me in a patronizing way.

"Don't-" I slam him into the lockers again to make a point. "-call me that."

He puts his hands up in surrender, his grimace melting into that same smug smirk that pulls his lips uneven.

"I have no idea what you mean, Nico."

"Bullshit, Solace! You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. But anyway, I suggest you let me down before you start a problem with the entire soccer team."

Reluctantly, I let him go. I give him one last solid glare before walking off to my locker.

---

»»One Week Later««

"Nico," Mr. Dynard called to me as I was making my way out of the classroom. "Stay back a moment, please."

I look back and notice Will standing awkwardly by Mr. Dynard's desk where he's been for about ten minutes now.

"Mr. Dynard, I have to get to my next class."

"We both know that's not where you're going to be for at least another fifteen minutes. Just stay here, alright?"

"Fine." I take a seat at one of the desks in the front of the class.

"Now, Nico, Will, I've asked the two of you to stay behind for one reason." Mr. Dynard turns to Solace. "Will, you're flunking my class."

"Wh-what? I turned in all my make-up work! I shouldn't be flunking!" Solace says.

"Yes, well. You didn't do very well and you missed an entire paper. If you get that paper into me within two weeks, I will grade it and it should pull your grade up at least one letter grade. If you don't get this D up, Will, I'll have to tell Coach Hedge and he will remove you from the team. You're already on probation from your fight with Nico."

"Um, sorry," I start, raising my hand in confusion.

"Yes, Nico?" Mr. Dynard asks, smiling kindly.

"What does his grade have anything to do with me?"

"I was just getting to that. Will has the lowest grade in this class and you, Nico, have the highest. I want you to tutor him and help him write his paper to get his grade up."

"What?" Both of us demanded in unison.

"Nico is going to be your tutor, Will."

"No." I say immediately. "Not happening."

"Boys, if you put aside your differences for just two weeks, long enough to write Will's paper, I will give both of you three points extra credit to your overall grade."

"I have a 102.5 in this class. It is literally the only class I do anything in. I don't need extra credit."

"I'm in if he is." Solace sighs.

For a moment, they both stare at me expectantly. Mr. Dynard has a smile set on his face before I even say anything.

"He's in."

"Really?" Solace asks skeptically.

"Whatever." I roll my eyes. "Meet me at my bike after school."

With a huff, I walk out of the class.