Logan squeezed his tray onto the small table, pushing aside the unorganized labyrinth of belongings that were owned by Cyrus and Ben.

When Ben came back holding two desserts, Logan informed him that each member of the student body was only allowed one cake.

Ben set the cakes on his backpack and plopped down next to Cyrus, making his blond hair fly up. "One," he smiled insincerely, "is for you."

Logan knew that wasn't true, but reached out and plucked up a cake anyway. "How thoughtful of you."

Ben sat forward, "Hey, wait—"

Logan popped it into his mouth, "Thanks, bro."

His left eye twitched, "No...problem...bro."

Cyrus held his tray with one hand as he shoved his backpack to the ground with the other. "Hello friends."

"Hey," Logan said, while Ben just grunted as he peevishly chewed on his remaining cake.

Cyrus tried the chicken wing, "Hm." Then he turned to Logan, face serious, "Vincent Winston is still here."

The name alone sent a stab of uneasiness through the table's occupants.

Ben sat up, "Where?"

Cyrus indicated with a slight tip of the head. Indeed, the boy with curly black hair was standing near the sinks, talking to Katie Tsai.

Luckford High had never been a bad school. There were no tormentors, harrassments, fist fights, or crimes.

But that all changed when Vincent Winston enrolled in the school and did...something. It was an unspoken rule to never talk about it, for no one wanted Vincent to find out everyone knew what he'd accidentally done.

They all hoped, or wished, that it was just a rumor.

And now, to put it simply, everyone was scared of Vincent.

"So he really did fail twelfth grade," Logan murmured.

Cyrus shook his head, laughing, "C'mon guys, let's stop thinking about it. It's only a rumor."

"Right," Ben said disbelievingly.

At this point he realized there was a brown-haired boy awkwardly standing behind Cyrus.

Logan immediately gestured at an empty seat at their table, "Oh hey, wanna sit?"

"Oh thanks so much," the boy said gratefully, "but um..." He looked at Ben's backpack, which was in the way.

Logan put the bag on the floor, and the guy sat down, "Thanks again."

Cyrus smiled at him, "Are you David? I think you're in my Pre-Calc class."

He nodded.

"Your bag looks heavy," Ben commented.

"Oh," David looked embarassed, "just a few books I got from the library this morning."

Ben squinted at him, looking incredulous that book could be enjoyed by people, "You read?"

"Yes," he said simply, like he was bracing himself to get teased.

Logan gave Ben a scolding kick under the table, "I'm Logan. This is Benjamin, and that's Cyrus."

"Ben," Ben cut in. "Not Benjamin. Don't ever call me that."

David nodded. He looked relieved, like he couldn't believe he had actually made friends on the first day of school, "Nice to meet you guys." He put his backpack under his chair, "Hold on, I'm going to grab some water."

With a smile, he strode over to the water machine and waited his turn to fill a cup of water.

Ben's eyes followed him. "So healthy," he commented with distaste.

Logan shrugged. David's choice to drink water over milk tea or grape juice wasn't that strange. "How were classes, guys?"

"Horrible," Ben said savagely. He angrily swallowed his bite of chicken wing. "It was horrible," he clarified.

Cyrus waved his fork in the air, "Why? You've got to support your statement with evidence, mister."

"That Mrs. Murphs? She's a devil reincarnation. Logan, did you see the way she zeroed in on me? And did you notice how she seems to love Cocoa Kiyomi? That is so unfair. She's not even a good student; she just sits there cute and doesn't do anything!"

Logan frowned at him, "Hush, don't talk about Cocoa like that. She just naturally attracts teachers' approval because she behaves."

Ben gave him a huffy look, "Why can't I talk crap about her?"

"Because," Logan rolled his eyes, "it's mean."

"That's a stupid argument," Ben muttered, then took a sip of his milk tea.

David returned, "I'm ba—"

Vincent Winston knocked into him, and water spilled over the top of his cup and splashed onto the table.

Logan jumped. He had not noticed Vincent walking by.

Vincent looked over. It could've been an accident, but either way, his green eyes were glinting with cruel intent. "Oops. Accident."

David looked from the water forming a pond in his tray, and back at Vincent. Logan was about to step in, but it was too late. David could clearly see Vincent had done it on purpose, and he put the cup down angrily. "You should clean that up."

Vincent's features twisted, "What?"

David's breath hitched, and he immediately put his hands up, "No, nothing. It's okay, really."

The bully stood there a few seconds before he growled, "You've got some nerve, kid." Suddenly he grabbed David's shoulder in a bruising grip, "You think you can just boss me around, huh?"

David gasped as he was shaken back and forth, "No, that's not what I—"

"New kid thinks he's so cool," Vincent was bending down over him now, staring him right in the face.

"Vincent," Logan said diplomatically, but he didn't dare to stand up, not yet. "C'mon, it's chicken wings today. You have better things to do."

The senior released David roughly before tossing his head and walking away, each footstep a warning of who owned the territory.

Logan regarded David with worry, "Your shoulder okay?"

David gave his shoulder a few rolls, "Think so, yeah."

"That was amazing," Cyrus said. He was quick to explain, "I mean, when you told him to clean up the water. That took guts."

David looked anxious, "Thanks, but I...I didn't realize he'd react that badly."

Ben bobbed his head, not looking the least bit tired. "He's going to get revenge."

Cyrus kicked him under the table. "Don't say that. Vincent might forget this. Just, don't do it again, okay?"

"Whatever," David said finally. "I'm used to bullies."

"Not this one," Cyrus said, lowering his voice. "You don't know what he's done."

David looked bewildered, but he agreed. "Okay. Okay."

Logan was determined to turn the mood around. "Lighten up guys. It's just a rumor, as Cyrus said earlier. David, how are you liking Luckford?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I like it. Really different atmosphere from DC."

The conversation grew steadily merrier as it continued.

Logan wasn't sure who would show up at the field.

Cyrus did, of course. Ben decided to join, but David said "some other time" and sat on the bleachers and pulled out a book.

Soccer was mainly a junior thing. Their grade lived and breathed the sport, and the field was their treasured territory. The other students didn't care much, and preferred the sports you play on the courts.

But one senior did come to play, Jack Montreal. He wasn't...the best player on the field, but they never kicked him off due of his enthusiasm.

Cyrus came running, "Got the ball." He tossed it underhand to Logan.

"Thanks," he said, dribbling it between his legs as he waited for more people to come onto the field.

He kept an eye out for any new students, and a redhead talking to Dennis caught his eye.

Logan flicked the ball in the air with his feet and caught it, then walked over to the two.

Dennis greeted him first, "Hello Logan Romero West-Rodriguez!"

"Uh, hey Dennis Lo." Logan wasn't sure why the guy insisted on calling him by his full name, but he decided to roll with it. Dennis was just weird like that. He turned to the other boy, "You're new, right?"

He bit his lip, "Mm yeah. I'm from the next town over, Cranchester. I'm Jordan Bell."

Logan nodded. He passed the ball back and forth between his hands, nervous about how piercing Jordan's blue eyes were. "I'm Logan, as Dennis said."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," he purred.

Logan shook his head, "Yeah, same here."

He quickly left and jogged over to Cyrus at the goal post, who was pulling on his goalkeeper gloves. "Think we should start?"

Cyrus leaned on the pole and surveyed the field, "Yeah, we have enough people."

"Guys, we're starting!" Logan yelled. "Pick your side!"

Everyone got into position. Ben was on his side, but Logan knew he had no clue whether he would be defender or offender, and would probably end up being both and just doing his own thing.

Today, their team had seven players, and the other had eight. Logan was about to kick the ball to Dennis, who would start the game, when a girl suddenly marched straight onto the field. He recognized her as the one who'd bumped into him in the hallway, and the one he'd had a stereotype battle with in Technology class.

"Oh boy," Jordan mumbled. When Logan looked over he was grinning.

"What?" he asked. Jordan just shrugged, smiling coyly at him, "Oh, nothing."

Logan sighed, and was about to say something to Drew, but Jordan interrupted his thoughts. "Not going to press me for answers?" he teased.

He rolled his eyes, "Stop doing that."

"Doing what?" he asked innocently.

"You should spread out more," Logan answered, ignoring the question.

"Hey!" Max yelled at Drew. "Can you please get off the field faster?"

"I'm playing," she said, planting her feet down. She'd reached the middle of the field.

Max faltered, "You are? Well..." he looked over at Logan.

Logan wasn't sure what to do, but his kindness won out. He did know that she loved soccer. "Yeah, of course she can play."

Max cast him a look of distrust, "Seriously?"

Then Dennis Lo did this weird movement/gesture thing he always does, "Pfft, just let her. If she want, she can."

That was when Max relented, not wanting to start a fight, "Yeah, whatever."

Logan nodded decisively, "Drew, you can join my team. That'll make it even." He pointed out the players on his team.

The game began.

Logan reared his foot back and kicked the ball to Jordan, who dribbled it past Max, and passed it to Ben, near the goal.

Ben waited for it to come to him, then feinted towards the goal as Max ran at him and kicked it to Dennis, who shot, but the ball was saved by the other goalie.

The goalkeeper, Wilby, kicked the ball at the girl, who was near the center. Logan wasn't sure what Wilby was trying to do, or maybe it just was an accident.

Drew spun into action. She dribbled the ball, weaving through the defenders like she did it in her sleep.

Logan positioned himself in Ben's original spot, since his friend had decided to walk back to his side and strike up a conversation with Cyrus.

Instead of passing the ball to Logan, she kicked straight at the goal.

It was a long shot, but it went in with a definite swoosh. And as the net settled, everyone looked at each other with dropped jaws and wide open eyes.

Logan had to admit, when she'd said she loved soccer, he hadn't taken her seriously. He hadn't realized she could play.

Wilby broke the silence, "Amazing." He looked unfazed that the ball had flew past him before he could even blink.

When nobody else moved, Drew frowned. "What is it with you people?" she demanded. "Are we going to continue or not?"

They did continue. Logan's team scored goal after goal. In the end, they won by seven to two, largely due to Drew's contribution.

A bell rang, signalling that there were five minutes left before class began again.

"You're not going to ask?"

Logan turned around to find Jordan behind him. "What?"

Jordan smirked and flicked his eyes in Drew's direction. "That's Drew Gedaway."

"I know that. So?"

"Oh, it's just that, well, she's joining the soccer team."

At this point Cyrus had come over, and he stared at Logan, watching his face change to shock.

"Are you serious?" Logan asked, slowly putting all the puzzle pieces together. Drew was Canadian...the new player was Canadian. "But she's a girl. It's a boys team."

Jordan shrugged. It was a small gesture, but it was obvious he knew what a bombshell the information was. "Well, I don't know about the stability of that last statement, because she told me a thing or two in art class. We have second period together, see."

"Don't tell me...will Coach let her try out?" Logan demanded.

Jordan checked his nails, "From what she said, yeah. And from what we just saw, there's no chance that she won't get in."

"Logan," Cyrus muttered, "we should get to class. Ben and David already left."

But he had to know more, "Do you know anything else about her?"

Jordan raised his red eyebrows imploringly, "Give me a kiss and I'll tell you."

Seething in annoyance, Logan turned on his heel, "Never mind."

He heard a laugh, "Fine, I'll tell you for free. She's going for captain of the team."

Logan continued to walk, but horror was filling him all the way to the brim at the new information.

"Logan?" Cyrus asked. Logan could hear the concern in his voice.

"It can't be," he said, looking to his friend for comfort. "I want to be captain."

"You will, Rodriguez," Cyrus said confidently. "You've been here longer than she has. Coach wouldn't choose a new kid. And she's, well, a girl. The team is more likely to listen to you than her."

"You have a point," Logan said, mostly to himself. But he relaxed slightly at his words.

But he still didn't like it, not one bit. Since he was young, he'd dreamed of becoming captain of a sports team, just like his dad, and he did not want that stolen from him.

Especially by a new girl.