Playing Games

What I would do to her.

The rest of the week passed quickly. Chase has upped his campaign of trying to attract Maria's attention. She just considered it to be more annoying than anything. Something that seemed to amuse him more. She did this for two reasons. First, because Mona had continued to plead with her on behalf of her future cheerleading scholarship and secondly, because Andrew was starting to get angry about the situation.

‘He is just bored and wants attention’, she had tried to reason with her boyfriend. ‘If you say anything, or retaliate, he will get the attention he wants and carry on, he's literally just hoping to get a rise out of you - don't give it to him’.

'If I don't say anything I'm the one that looks like an i***t, Maria,' he said.

'You don't look like an i***t, you look like someone who isn't into childish games' he had smiled at her when she said that, feeling slightly more reassured.

They had managed to get through the week, with Mona, Max and Maria being the voices of reason. They were all going to turn out to support Andrew, and so on Saturday morning they went to school to cheer him on at the school's swimming pool. He had been training all summer, and this meet was an internal one, to see who would be swim captain for the year. Although the role wasn't important in theory, it helped add something to his college application. Maria felt confident in him. He was a great athlete and scouts would no doubt see that and, combined with his great race times, be more than happy to offer him the scholarship he was desperate to get.

Andrew had confided in her, his home life wasn't great, he needed a free ride at a college in a different area, he wanted to make a fresh start, and she felt confident that if they were still going strong, she would go with him. He had assured her it wouldn't be across the country, just far enough away to let him make it on his own.

As Andrew disappeared into the locker room to change, Chase arrived with his friends. Maria looked at him and this time met his eye defiantly. He looked smug, she decided. She tried to convey a warning look to him, 'don't mess this up for Andrew. Don't make a scene' she tried to make her face say. But she wasn't sure he got the message, because when he looked back at her he just smiled his smug smile and gave her a little wave.

He took the time to take her in, when she looked away. She looked her usual, beautiful self today, he noticed. Her long dark hair was down as always, but today she was wearing a tight red top. The colour made her stand out and it was, without doubt, the colour for her. The tight jeans that clung to her caught every guy's attention as she walked – but she, as always, seemed oblivious.

Andrew and the rest of the swimmers emerged from the lockers. He didn't glance up at her or his friends, and she didn't expect him to. She knew he was focused, in the zone.

Once the coach blew his whistle, the race began. It was over in a flash, she had been cheering him on, and he came second.

Climbing out of the pool she could tell he was disappointed, but his time was really good, he was faster than last season. Maria felt proud of him, but she understood his frustration. He knew how desperately he wanted to win.

Drying himself off with a towel, he glanced over at her and she smiled at him encouragingly. Seeing her there, he couldn't help but smile back. He was glad she had been there to cheer him on.

He signaled that he was going to change and headed back to the locker room, ' He did well', Max said to the girls.

'It's a shame he didn't come first, only because I know how badly he wanted to' Maira said.

Mona nodded, 'but his time was really good, and it wasn't even a full second between them. If he keeps working hard he might take the lead.'

' But not the title', Max said, 'let's head out for some lunch after. Force him to celebrate.'

Maria smiled, she knew Andrew wouldn't feel satisfied coming second, but it was still an achievement.

As they planned where to go for lunch, Andrew emerged from the changing room. His hair was wet and fluffy, all tousled and messy, which she loved. It made him look wholesome and sweet.

On his way over to them, he passed by Chase and his friends. They were sitting in the stand laughing but they stopped once he reached them.

‘Better luck next time mate’ Chase said. Andrew looked at him coldly, ‘I don't need your luck. And I'm not your mate, Chase. In fact, maybe you should worry about your place in your team and pay less attention to me and my girlfriend’. Andrew shot back.

‘And what is that supposed to mean?’ Ryan asked, ‘everyone knows Chase leads the team’.

Andrew looked at him coldly, ‘maybe in feeling but not in title. He isn’t Captain, is he?’ he looked at Chase, 'Why do you think the coach never bothered to make you Captain? I mean he's your own uncle. Surely that should work in your favour? Do you think he wants to motivate you? Maybe you should man up and focus on yourself. Perhaps if you had a little more focus, then he would make you captain. But no, fourth year without the title, so like I said. Don’t worry about me or Maria'.

Maria watched as Andrew spoke to Chase. Chase said nothing in reply. She could feel the tension in the air. Chase just stared at him for a moment and slowly rose so he was standing at eye level with Andrew. She could see his jaw twitching with anger, and she wanted to reach out, stop Andrew from saying anything else, from making it worse.

Evidently her quip about Andrew being a real man had gotten to Chase. Maybe it had been foolish of her. Mona had warned her not to provoke him, but she had wanted to defend her boyfriend even when he wasn't there. The girls had both been nervous, Chase wasn’t known for being overly stable and, from what Maria had heard, his temper could easily get the better of him in a fight.

Instead, Andrew hadn’t listened and now everyone at the meet was watching. No doubt this would travel around school and by Monday everyone would hear about it. Maria didn’t move; she wasn’t sure what to do. Captain or not, Chase was the school’s golden boy, their ticket to the big time. He had already been approached for scholarships and big teams. Not to mention his own mother was the principal, it was weird he wasn't the captain, but then maybe Andrew was right. Maria thought, even his uncle knew not to give him anymore power within the school.

As if he heard her thoughts, Chase spoke 'I think we all know I’m going to be just fine. I unlike you, don’t need a title to make myself feel better…or to have people notice me. Maybe you should focus more on trying to swim better, faster, try to make something of yourself, because let’s be real, Maria is hardly going to stick around for a loser. But then again, speaking of Maria, what could be so very wrong with her that she would settle for the likes of you? I mean, she's nice to look at but there has to be something to make her that desperate. Because let's face it, one day she's going to realise that while she's lying there next to you, she could be under me'. He taunted him with a smirk.

That was the comment that crossed his line. Andrew took insults about Maria to heart and by insinuating that something was wrong with her, he saw red.

Maria saw it happen in slow motion. Andrew punched Chase in the jaw, his fist colliding against his opponent's face. It was probably the first punch he'd ever thrown, she thought later. Chases' friends were standing now, they stepped back out of the way. Everyone else watching the swim meet was watching, there were audible gasps as the first punch was thrown and then there was only chaos. Chase tackled Andrew to the ground, a flurry of fists so fast it was a blur. Maria didn't even remember running towards them, trying to break them up. In the time it took her to get there, Chase had the upper hand. He was standing over Andrew and pushed her back as she tried to separate them.

'Ry' he said, his voice low and dangerous, but his friend understood what he wanted. He grabbed Maria around the waist, holding her back. Max and Mona ran over, 'get the f**k off my cousin!' Mona shouted. Another boy pulled her back as she started swinging at Ryan, 'get. the. f**k. off. me' she shrieked.

Chase paused and looked over at Maria, who was struggling against Ryan's firm grasp. She was currently trying to elbow him in the side of the head. If he hadn't been so preoccupied, he probably would have been amused at her ferocity. She'd obviously watched some self-defense Youtube video. He smiled at her smugly, locked eyes with her, he pulled Andrew further away, and Maria froze as Chase kicked his head.

She could hear the impact and as Chase walked away. Ryan released her and she ran to Andrew, knowing how much he would hate this. To look weak in front of her, to seem defeated and beaten, but she didn't care. She needed to check on him, talk to him and see that he was okay.

The jeers and cries from the crowd grew louder, his friends egging him on more, girls were screaming, and the coach was just watching. Maria looked up and she saw Chase stalking back, slowly, taking his time and savouring the moment, again locking eyes with her as she fell back and crawled away.

'Please' she tried again, but begging was no use. She wanted to beat him, to hurt him like he was hurting her, but she couldn't. In that moment she wasn't sure if he would hurt her as well. He seemed so out of control, and yet so in control. His movements were slow, animalistic even. But he didn't look himself, his eyes were different, cold, frightening.

Chase took hold of one of the chairs and walked slowly towards them. Maria shouted 'no', begging him to stop. He shouted back to her, 'Stop? You want me to stop?' it was like an animal. His voice barely sounded human and saliva flew from his mouth.

He picked Andrew up and dragged him over, shouting 'sorry Maria' as he pulled Chase up and crashed the chair down on him.

Maria was near tears, 'No! Leave him alone, just leave him alone! Why?' she shouted, before begging him 'stop it', but Chase just ignored her. He was out of control.

‘Enough’ boomed a voice. Maria turned to see the coach having approached them. 'Put her down' he shouted to the guy restraining Mona, 'and Chase put that chair down right now'. Chase was breathing heavily. He looked down at Maria, crying and terrified. She had never seen anything like this, she had never seen anyone so violent and so savage.

Chase rolled his neck like he was stretching, he simply stared at his uncle for a moment before shrugging and dropping the chair. He turned and walked away, his friends followed them and Maria was reminded of a hyena pack. She ran over to check on Andrew. He was conscious and talking but very shocked. The coach checked on him and offered to call an ambulance, but Max said he would drive him to hospital to get him checked over. He slowly made his way up, bloody and weak, and Max took him by the arm and helped him hobble to his car.

Mona touched Maria and she jumped. She was shivering and terrified. What the hell kind of school was this? She thought?