Private School Kings

Duels and Daring Pt.1

It was the day of the Lord's event and Madeline and I were sitting in the journalism office, like always. She was trying to figure out what exactly it was the Lords were planning for that night.

"It's got to be something involving competition. They need to eliminate some juniors from the running for next year's king." Madeline muttered, her voice was bored but her hands were clutching her iced coffee so hard the plastic was starting to dent.

I winced, remembering the competition Fletcher had told me about, the one that had ended in a fatality.

"They did poker last year." She mused, "Finn Goauche lost 100,000 dollars."

Every muscle in my body tensed at that. "I don't have 100,000 dollars." I couldn't even imagine being able to stake that much money on literally anything, but Madeline laughed.

"Whatever it is, the Ladies won't compete. Just the Lords, and they don't like repeats. So, it won't be casino night again."

I took a deep breath, thanking myself for sexism for the first time in my life, but I was still thinking about the money. In fact, I was so distracted I didn't hear the door creak open. I didn't see Madeline's face change as she took in who was standing behind me. I didn't notice anything at all until a throat cleared and a voice said, "Ready for tonight?"

When I turned, Fletcher was leaning against the doorframe, #1 Mom mug in hand and smirk in place. He looked unbothered, nonchalant, like he hadn't been ignoring me for weeks.

Madeline was the first to respond. She stood, bracing her palms against the wood of her desk. "That's my cue." Her eyes flicked from me to Fletcher as she looped her bag over one shoulder. "You two have fun." Then, to Fletcher, she said. "Don't be an asshole. Murphy will tell me if you're an asshole."

He scowled, but it was a playful one. He was so comfortable with her, joking in a way he never had with me. I was reminded again of just how good of friends they were. It didn't make me jealous exactly, just sad, like I was missing out. "Glad to see you two are so close now." Fletcher said, eyes dancing between Madeline and I.

"You would have known that if you had been around these past few weeks." Madeline answered. For a moment I thought I detected a note of genuine annoyance in her voice, and I realized I may not have been the only one Fletcher's absence was getting to, but before I could think about any of that, she was gone. And he and I were alone in the room.

All of sudden his air of calm faded. It wasn't gone exactly, but duller, covered by a thin layer of shame. "Murphy," He said, an apology in his eyes.

"Fletcher," I answered. I was pressing my lips into a thin line, working hard to keep my face neutral. "It's been a while."

He rubbed at the back of his neck as he spoke. "That's my bad."

That was such a simple, understated way of putting it that it made me angry, and I couldn't keep my emotions from getting the better of me the way I used to. "It was definitely your bad." I said in a voice louder than I meant for it to be.

"I know. But things got a little tense... what happened in the car-" The kiss, I knew he meant the kiss. I wish he would have just said it. "It shouldn't have happened." I knew he regretted it. How could I not know? What with him going into hiding and all... But it still hurt to hear it. It hurt pretty bad.

"You kissed me Fletcher. YOU kissed ME." I pointed as I said it, first to his chest and then to mine, eager to illustrate the point.

A hand went up to rub his eyes and for a moment he looked so tired, so impossibly drained, that I almost forgave him right then and there. "I know."