Donovan sank onto the bench in the boy's locker room and stared down at his running shoes. Around him, the ruckus sound of boys filled the space.

No matter the age the locker room seemed to always be a place where the stupidity of teenage boys coalesced. Donovan felt like he was surrounded by twelve-year-olds again and it made him want to yell at them all to grow up.

Next to him, a boy matching Donovan in height had taken his shirt, twisted it around, and snapped it at another boy's legs. The victim flinched and shrank away from the pain.

When the boy wound up and flicked his shirt again, Donovan snatched it and yanked it from the boy's hold. He glared at the boy, daring him to try anything.

The boy looked like he wanted to go after Donovan, but stopped. Donovan wore a medium gym shirt where a large would have fit more loosely. The boy saw how muscular Donovan was and though they matched in height knew a fight with him would not end well.

When Donovan flung the boy's shirt back at him, he caught it and walked away.

Donovan looked to the bullied boy and realized it was Edmund, the boy Carter had defended last week. He figured if anyone wanted out of high school as much as he did, it would be Edmund.

Edmund nodded thanks to Donovan and slipped out of the locker room. As Donovan tied on his running shoes, he heard Link approach. The pair left the locker room together, stepping into a cool day. Carter stood on the outskirts of the crowd of students, stretching. When a boy walked over to her, she straightened and shot him a fierce glare.

Donovan wondered what he'd said, or if this was simply how Carter greeted anyone who interrupted her warm-up. When he noticed her clutched fists, he figured it was more than that.

"Miss Owen please refrain from assaulting your fellow classmate," the gym teacher called out.

Carter took a step back from the boy and raised her hands. As Donovan and Link joined her, they passed the boy. From his pleased smirk, Donovan knew whatever he'd said hadn't been pleasant.

"What did he do this time?" Link asked.

"Nothing," she said. "I just don't like the way his face looks."

Donovan felt the same way, some people had a face that begged to be punched. Usually, it had to do with their self-importance and a sadistic soul.

"That's usually why I get into altercations with people too," Link said.

Carter laughed her dark expression vanishing. After a week, Carter's laugh still managed to surprise Donovan. She put off such an intense dislike of the world that he thought laughter would be a foreign notion to her. But apparently under all that dislike was buried a girl who could find happiness.

"All right class!" Mr. Danes said, cutting through the multiple conversations.

The class quietened and reluctantly turned towards their teacher.

"Today," he said. "You are running a mile and then playing a friendly game of flag football."

The class let out a round of groans. Donovan didn't understand why they did, this was about average for PE. He didn't understand how complaining ever made it better.

"Okay, get to it!"

Mr. Danes blew his whistle and the class sluggishly moved into action. Carter slapped Donovan's arm with the back of her hand and nodded to an eager group of girls.

"Might want to watch out," she said.

When Donovan followed Carter's line of sight to a group of girls, they all smiled and waved at him. Though they all looked friendly, Donovan found himself inwardly echoing the groaning of the class. Almost four years at their previous high school had meant he didn't deal with this type of thing anymore. All the girls had realized he wasn't interested and left him alone. But now he had to bear through the looks, smiles, giggles, and advances yet again. He clenched his jaw, trying to keep himself from reacting badly to their attention.

"Better get running," Carter said.

She dashed off, cutting ahead of the class. For a moment, Donovan simply watched her. She ran with an easy, graceful rhythm. And he found he didn't want to look away from her.

"Are we going to go?" Link asked.

Trying not to look like he'd been staring at Carter, Donovan broke into a steady jog. Link joined him. They said nothing as they rounded the track and the rest of the class slowly spread out. Eventually, Carter lapped them and once she did, she spun around, continuing to run backward. Donovan couldn't help being impressed, that was not an easy thing to do without crashing to the turf.

"That's all you got?" she asked, looking Donovan up and down. "Based on your muscle tone I expected a better display of physical endurance."

At the jab, Donovan wished she would stumble and crash to the track, it would be gratifying. Carter's self-assurance was attractive and equally annoying to him.

"Come on, Donovan," she said. "Scared for the first time in your life that a girl might actually be better than you?"

Donovan met her gaze with cool indifference, but a competitiveness his brothers had created in him from birth sparked to life.

"You only have to race me one lap."

Still, Donovan didn't react. He wasn't going to do this.

"All right, later slowpoke."

Spinning around, Carter increased her speed, outdistancing them. Donovan watched her, fighting the urge to chase after her.

"You're really going to take that?" Link asked.

Donovan shot him a look. "Shut up."

Then he sprinted after Carter.

His muscles knew this type of eagerness. It was the same energy he felt when he challenged one of his brothers. It was a drive that pushed him forward. When he gained on Carter, she laughed and ran harder. But Donovan was in it and wasn't going to let her win.

They cut through layers of dawdling groups, dodging around them. They were neck and neck as they came to the end of the lap. Donovan felt his heart pounding in his chest, the same hard beat that he got when wrestling his brothers. It made him feel fully awake!

As they raced towards where they started, Donovan pulled ahead. They bolted over the starting line and staggered to a halt. Endorphins flooded Donovan's veins and he wanted to run another mile just to keep hold of the feeling. Slightly breathless, Carter closed the distance between them, grinning.

"I didn't think you had it in you," she said. "That's me wrong for once."

The barest hint of sweat formed on Donovan's forehead.

"I didn't think you would be able to keep up," he said, unable to control that smile that broke across his face.

Only when Carter hesitated did he realize this was the first time he'd smiled around her. It felt nice to not have to be so controlled all the time.

"You wouldn't be the first male to think that," she said as she started walking again, Donovan beside her. "You know something, Donovan?"

He glanced at her, not knowing what she would say next.

"You're kind of cute when you're flirting."

The statement hit Donovan and he paused, realizing what he'd just done. Carter might not follow the same tactics as some other girls but that didn't mean he wasn't seeking his attention. And he'd smiled at her. A mistake. One he wouldn't make again.

"Come on," she called back as she jogged away from him. "Link must be lonely."

Donovan caught up with her, but schooled his expression, hiding his emotions. Carter glanced sideways at him and he met her gaze but said nothing.

"Did you have fun?" Link asked in a bored tone as they reached him.

Carter slowed to match his pace.

"Yes," she said. "I've been curious to see if Donovan flirts and now I know. Totally worth losing the race for."

Link laughed and Donovan flexed his jaw irritated but wondering was that what he'd been doing?

*****

By the time the shrill whistle punctured the air, Carter, Link and Donovan already sat on the field waiting as the rest of the students trickled in.

"I'm going to break you up into teams," Mr. Danes said.

"This should be interesting," Carter said.

Interesting was hardly how Donovan would describe it. He hated team sports in PE. Having grown up with organized drills with Marines everything else seemed stupid and like what it was, a bunch of disorganized kids running around. Which was proven even before they got to playing since everyone had to be told twice which team they were on before they moved. When the class was finally divided, Carter landed on the team opposite Donovan and Link.

"Be careful," she said, heading away from her companions.

"Why?" Link asked.

She pointed to Donovan. "I was talking to him. Mr. Danes might have said flag football but that doesn't mean some of these girls haven't been looking for the opportunity to tackle Donovan."

Link snorted and Carter gave Donovan an encouraging salute. He hated that even though she was mocking him, she was probably right. It wouldn't be the first time some girl had tried to use tackling him as a flirtation tactic. It was one of the more irritating of the tactics.

"You prepared to be tackled?" Link asked, grinning.

Donovan stared at him but too many years together had made Link impervious to Donovan's glare.

"No," he said.

"If you need help, just scream and I'll come running."

Donovan shoved Link's shoulder which only made Link laugh. At least one of them was amused by Donovan's predicament. One of their fellow teammates nominated himself captain and told everyone what position they would play.

Mr. Danes called the teams to line up and everyone moved into rough formations. Link faced off against Carter, which made Donovan breathe easier, at least Link wouldn't be hurt during this game by some overeager boy. Unfortunately for Donovan, he faced off with a girl.

"Hi," she said. "I'm Amber."

Donovan did nothing but stare right back at her. Which helped distract her when the ball was hiked, since Donovan slipped past her defense easily. He used different maneuvers each time to never have to come in contact with her. By the last play, she seemed ready for the whole game to be over. That made two of them.

In this play, Link managed to catch the ball, Carter hot on his heels. But instead of grabbing his flag, she crashed into him instead. They rolled a couple of times, Carter ending up on top. Both of them laughed.

Donovan left his spot and jogged over to them, noticing how Carter froze as she stared down at Link. Donovan didn't know what to make of her expression but didn't want her studying Link for longer. He slipped his arm around her waist hoisting her up, trying not to think about how toned and slender her waist felt against his arm.

"And you said I was the one who needed to watch out for girls tackling me," Donovan said, pushing the thoughts from his mind.

As Donovan moved to release her, Carter shot out her elbow, aiming for his head. Donovan reacted, blocking the blow. Carter grabbed his hand from around her waist, spun out of his hold, and twisted his arm. Donovan countered the move, putting her in a lock.

Instantly, Donovan let go of her, realizing she'd used a defensive military move on him. One he'd reacted to in kind. One that could give away everything.

Donovan backed up, controlling his expression, not daring to let any emotion of surprise or worry betray him. As Link retrieved his glasses, Carter looked back and forth between them, a little line of concentration forming on her brow.

"You all right, Carter?" Link asked.

"Of course, fine. Sorry about tackling you," she said.

Though Donovan saw how she worked to school her face. His heart rate spiked, not knowing whether to say something or let it be. Was it better to be on the offense or defense?

Link winked at her. Clearly, he didn't think anything was amiss. "It's not the first time some girl has used that tactic to get close to me."

Carter smiled but Donovan could see how forced it looked.

Mr. Danes blew the whistle. "Class is dismissed for today. Go change," he said.

The class let out sighs of relief as they headed towards the locker rooms. Carter jogged ahead of the group. Donovan watched her, fear slowly creeping in. Link looked to Donovan.

"Everything all right?" he asked.

Donovan saw as Carter glanced back at them once before disappearing into the girl's locker room. No, everything was not all right. They had a serious problem and Donovan didn't know what step to take next.

**********************************************************************

Hello my dearest Noodle!

I wish I had something humorous or witty to impart on you today but I'm going to be honest with you, this week my mom had a rough time with her health and since I helped take care of her I'm pretty dead right now. It's honestly surprising that I managed to upload this chapter.

I hope you liked it and if you want to say something about it feel free!🗯💬💭

I love you and hope you're having a good day!

Vote, comment, blah, blah, blah!

(And yes, exclamation points can be deceptive)