MY COCKY BASKETBALL PLAYER

Chapter 12

Monday morning. I was in second period when the intercom crackled.

"Ms. Nora Vance, please report to the principal's office."

The whole class looked at me. I felt my face burn. I stood up. I walked out.

I could feel their eyes on my back the whole way down the hall.

***

The principal's office was cold. Too cold. I sat in a chair that was too big for me, across from a desk that was too polished. Principal Hayes sat behind it. Beside me was a counselor I'd never met. Mrs. Alvarez.

There was no one else in the room.

Principal Hayes folded her hands.

"Nora, thank you for coming. I know this isn't easy."

I didn't answer.

"We've seen the video. The one from the cafeteria."

I stared at the desk.

"We need to know what happened. In your own words."

I didn't answer.

Mrs. Alvarez leaned forward. "Nora, you're not in trouble. We're just trying to understand. We want to help."

I looked at her. She looked kind. She looked like she meant it.

I took a breath.

***

"There was a rumor," I said. "That Derek and I were... together. Because someone saw me leaving his house. I'm his tutor. That's all."

Principal Hayes nodded. "Go on."

"I was walking to my table. His friends were laughing. Maya stood up. She blocked me."

"What did she say?"

"She called me a charity case."

Mrs. Alvarez's jaw tightened.

"Then she flipped my tray. Food went everywhere. On me. On my books."

"Did anyone touch you? Physically?"

"No."

"Did anyone threaten you?"

"No."

"Was Derek involved?"

I paused.

"He laughed."

Principal Hayes wrote something down.

"Did he say anything?"

"No. He just laughed."

Mrs. Alvarez spoke again. "Have you experienced this kind of treatment before from these students?"

I looked at her.

"Yes."

"How often?"

I didn't answer.

"Nora."

"Every day. Since I started tutoring him."

Mrs. Alvarez looked at Principal Hayes. Something passed between them.

"Why didn't you report it?" Principal Hayes asked.

"Because it wouldn't have changed anything."

She didn't have a response to that.

***

The meeting lasted another twenty minutes.

They asked more questions. I gave more answers. They took notes. They nodded. They said they'd handle it.

When it was over, Mrs. Alvarez walked me to the door.

"We'll speak to the students involved," she said. "There will be consequences."

I nodded.

"Thank you for coming in."

I walked out.

***

The next day, I was called back to the office.

This time, it was just Principal Hayes and Mrs. Alvarez. Maya was there too. Sitting in the chair across from me. Arms crossed. Legs crossed. Unbothered.

Principal Hayes cleared her throat.

"Nora, we've spoken to Maya. And we've reviewed the video."

I waited.

"However, after speaking with Maya's family, we've decided not to pursue disciplinary action."

I stared at her.

"Maya's father is a significant contributor to this school. He's made it clear that he doesn't believe his daughter did anything wrong."

Mrs. Alvarez looked at the floor. She didn't say anything.

Principal Hayes continued. "The incident was unfortunate. But we don't believe there was malicious intent."

I looked at Maya. She smiled at me.

"Maya has agreed to apologize. And we consider the matter closed."

Maya didn't apologize.

She just sat there. Smiling.

"On behalf of Maya," Principal Hayes said, "I'd like to apologize for any distress this caused you."

On behalf of Maya.

I looked at Maya. She didn't look sorry. She looked bored.

I looked at Mrs. Alvarez. She still wouldn't look at me.

"I understand," I said.

I didn't.

***

We were dismissed.

I walked out of the office. My hands were shaking. My chest was tight. I needed air. I needed space. I needed to be alone.

I headed for the bathroom.

I didn't make it.

***

I felt a hand grab my hair.

Yanked back. Hard.

I gasped. My head snapped back. I stumbled.

Maya.

She pulled me by my hair. Dragged me into the empty hallway. Her friends followed. Two of them. Laughing.

"Where do you think you're going?" Maya said.

I tried to pull away. She yanked harder.

"You think you can tell on me and get away with it?"

"I didn't—"

She slapped me. Across the face. Hard.

My cheek burned. I tasted blood.

"Shut up."

She pushed me against the lockers. My head hit the metal.

She grabbed the collar of my shirt. Pulled.

"Let's see what the charity case looks like underneath."

I heard fabric tear. I felt cold air on my skin.

"Stop," I said. "Please."

She didn't stop.

She pulled harder. Her friends were filming now. Laughing.

"Smile for the camera, nerd."

I tried to cover myself. She slapped my hands away.

"Hold her," she said.

Her friends grabbed my arms. Pinned them back.

I couldn't move.

I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't—

***

Then I heard it.

"Get off her."

A voice. Loud. Sharp.

Maya froze.

I looked up.

Derek.

He was standing at the end of the hallway. Not smirking. Not laughing. His face was hard. Angry.

"What did you just say?" Maya asked.

"I said get off her."

He walked toward us. Fast. His fists were clenched.

Maya let go of my shirt. Her friends let go of my arms.

I slid down the lockers. My legs wouldn't hold me. I sat on the floor. Shaking. Holding my torn shirt together.

Derek stopped in front of Maya.

"Don't touch her again."

Maya stared at him. "Are you serious right now?"

"I said don't touch her."

"She's nobody. She's a—"

"I don't care what she is." His voice was low. Dangerous. "Don't touch her again."

Maya's face twisted. "You're defending her? After everything?"

Derek didn't answer.

Maya looked at me. Then at him.

"Fine," she said. "Whatever."

She walked away. Her friends followed. They didn't look back.

***

Derek stood there for a moment. Just standing. Not looking at me.

Then he turned.

He walked toward me. He knelt down. He didn't say anything. He just looked at me.

My shirt was torn. My face was wet. I didn't know when I'd started crying.

He didn't ask if I was okay. He didn't ask what happened. He just looked at me.

Then he reached down. He picked me up.

Like I weighed nothing. Like I was nothing.

I didn't fight him. I couldn't.

He carried me down the hallway. Past the empty classrooms. Past the lockers. Past the staring students who had come out to see what was happening.

Everyone was watching.

No one said anything.

He carried me out the front doors. Into the parking lot. He didn't stop until we reached his car.

He set me down gently. Opened the door. Helped me in.

Then he got in the driver's seat.

He didn't start the car. He just sat there.

I looked at him. He looked at the steering wheel.

"Why?" I asked.

He didn't answer.

"Why did you do that?"

He didn't answer.

He just stared straight ahead.

I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to feel.

He'd just saved me. He'd just defended me. In front of everyone.

And I didn't understand why.