FenceStriking Distance - Sarah Rees Brennan Page 0,4
After a pause, Coach called out, “Harvard! I’m going to need you to get Eugene.”
“Fine!” Aiden snapped. “Deal.”
Coach was smiling. Aiden wasn’t.
It was Aiden’s policy not to care much about anyone or anything. If Aiden knew one thing for sure, he knew that the person who cared more always lost.
This time, Aiden had lost.
2: HARVARD
Harvard was worried about his team. Most of all, he was worried about Aiden.
Harvard always worried the most about Aiden, but right now he had new reasons. Harvard was standing in the hall, leaning against the ebony paneling and listening to the muffled sound of voices behind the door, Aiden’s easy cadence unmistakable. But then Aiden had gone quiet. Aiden hardly ever went quiet. When he did, it was a very bad sign. Harvard wondered if he should go back inside.
Just then, the rest of the team showed up and distracted him. Seiji was leading the charge, heading for Coach’s door like a guided missile in a crisply ironed uniform.
“I wish to speak to Coach further about this absurd team bonding idea. It has been haunting me all day,” said Seiji, just as Nicholas Cox checked Seiji’s stride by grabbing on to his sleeve. “Release me, Nicholas!”
“Nope,” Nicholas said.
He and Seiji were like that sometimes. Nicholas grinned while Seiji glared, and Eugene tried to creep up behind Harvard so he could listen at the door. Eugene was a big guy. His sneaking was not subtle.
“Seiji, Coach Williams is talking to Aiden right now,” Harvard said, trying to calm the constantly troubled waters between their star fencer and their scholarship kid. “You’ll have to come back tomorrow.”
Seiji’s almost-black eyes narrowed. “Captain, it’s insanity to be wasting time forming human connections when we should be fencing.”
Harvard liked Seiji, but he was very intense. He intimidated many of the other students at Kings Row. He didn’t appear to intimidate Nicholas significantly, though.
Nicholas rolled his eyes. “Team bonding is gonna be cool. You just don’t wanna do it because it means talking to people.”
“Exactly,” said Seiji. “I’m not temperamentally suited to bonding, and I won’t do it.”
Harvard tried to speak reasonably, as was his job as captain. He also made a gesture to Nicholas to tuck in his shirt. As usual, Nicholas was breaking every rule of the dress code.
“Coach thinks this is our best shot at winning the state championship. We’ve never even come close to the finals, not since Robert Coste was a student. When we go up against Exton, we have to be the best team we can be if we’re going to have any chance of beating them.”
At the mention of Robert Coste, both Seiji and Nicholas jolted as though electrified. Harvard wasn’t sure why Nicholas would care about Robert Coste. Maybe he was being sympathetic to his roommate. That was nice. Harvard gave him an encouraging nod.
“Oh, I’m going to beat Exton,” said Seiji, his voice deadly calm. “Tomorrow I will explain to the coach that I can do it on my own.”
“Wow, Seiji. You need me. I’m your rival,” Nicholas muttered.
“You’re not my rival,” Seiji muttered back. “You’re very bad.”
“Let’s not insult our teammates, guys,” said Harvard.
Seiji blinked, finally breaking his intense gaze. “I didn’t mean to be insulting, Nicholas. What I meant was, your fencing is very bad.”
“Really?” said Nicholas. “Really?”
He started to shove Seiji, who turned and walked away down the corridor. Nicholas followed Seiji so he could continue shoving him.
Normally, Harvard would’ve sent two boys who fought as much as Nicholas and Seiji to their dorm, but since Nicholas and Seiji shared a room, that seemed like telling them to go kill each other in private.
Harvard realized Eugene had his ear pressed up against the door of Coach’s office, and intervened hastily to pull him away.
“Whoa, bro,” said Eugene. “Captain, bro. Do you wanna know what Coach just said to Aiden?”
“No, I don’t,” Harvard told him sternly, “because eavesdropping is wrong.”
Whatever Eugene had overheard, it would be all over the school by nightfall. Harvard opened his mouth to order Eugene not to gossip about Aiden’s business.
The door to Coach’s office swung wide. Harvard pushed Eugene immediately out of the way.
Aiden didn’t glance at Harvard, or anyone else, as he stormed, white-faced, out of Coach’s office—and not, Harvard noticed, in the direction of one of his usual make-out spots. He would’ve chased after Aiden if he didn’t have to meet with Coach next. Harvard had responsibilities. He couldn’t just run off and do whatever he wanted.