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David

Warm wind blon the dark red and brown brick path as I head toward the athletics building

It’s late and the ca of low bushes outside of the ad’s coluhts shine on theround I can taste the salt and smell the ocean on the air, and I let a s on campus when it’s empty like this, with the smell of the sea not far away and the sound of the soft breeze reen shrubbery

In just a few minutes, I’d be tucked away in aain, my ht now, I feel like I can breathe

I turn a corner and sloalk, theaway I frown as my eyes drift over toward another copse of tall, square bushes near the adhts I spot a pair of students tucked just beside the branches, a large boy with a black backpack and a irl, pale ide eyes

It looks like they’re arguing I glance around and don’t spot anyone else The only other sound is the wind, and the cool, dry California air For soaer the object of my mental attention I’m not sure what makesand tense

Maybe it’s because the guy’s frame looks faracefully back over his head He’s wearing a polo shirt and soray shorts with dark blue boat shoes The backpack looks like it’s e froo to this school, except he’s bigger and more muscular by far

But if I’irl that nize her after a moment I’ve seen her around the athletics departh I’, dark hair, wide blue eyes, and full pale lips She’s beautiful in a quiet and understated kind of way, totally unlike the blonde and sporty tanned girls that tend to go to this school Those girls spend all their ti twenty feet away looks like she spends all her time tucked away in the back corner of so obscure French literature

She takes a step back and I catch the sound of a raised voice The guy sounds angry as he ap His body is tense and there’s real fear in her eyes I realize this istoward the pair,hard in my chest

I start tolied to rowls at her, and I know that voice I frown a little bit, head tilted to one side “You said you fucking liked it”

“Erik, coirl answers “I’m just not… I don’t know I’m not interested, okay? You’re cool and all, just stop”

Erik

That voice, that franize hi him out of his uniform But as soon as I hear that name, it clicks in my head

Erik Pacific, star quarterback of the California University Tigers

He takes a step toward the girl again and reaches out She jerks away and says so her backward She staggers away, nearly falls She throws her hands out, defending herself, as Erik grabs her wrist and twists it She cries out, fear in her voice, and Erik says so her wrist tighter

I don’t hesitate As soon as he touches her, I’one, replaced hite-hot anger

I’rab his shoulder and shove hi him backward Erik is so shocked that he stuer, but I’ain in the stomach and throw hiut, doubling him over

“What the fuck are you doing?” I growl at hi with you?”