"An ass in motion stays in motion," Neville slapped the air. "Like, new girl or new teacher?"

"Girl."

"Teacher."

"There's no way she's a physics teacher," Christian said.

"A former porn star?"

Several locker doors slammed, and tennis shoes became the purveying footwear.

Neville scoffed, "Like, no way."

Connor couldn't help himself. "You'd know who she was if she did porn," Connor murmured while closing his gym locker.

"The fuck you say, schizo?" Neville snapped.

He kept from looking Neville in the eyes. "Nothing."

Neville approached Connor and looked down at him. Even when they were kids, he was always a little taller than Connor by about an inch.

"Say it again, dude." Connor tried to step around him, but Neville stepped back in his way. Neville didn't get out of his face. "Do you know her?"

"No."

"It looked like she recognized you. And the new girl literally sat next to you."

"So?" Connor replied.

Neville bumped into him. With that quick shoulder gesture to get a rise out of someone, Connor pushed back, and Neville dove at him, causing the locker room to erupt.

***

Connor and Neville sat across from each other, listening to the keyboards in reception. Their postures mirrored each other, feet apart, arms on their lap, and heads faced down. The principal called Neville in, and he lumbered into the room, avoiding eye contact with Connor.

Neville is a dick.

They seemed to be inseparable until about three years ago. Even Neville's parents had befriended Tabitha as they kept chatting when one family dropped the other kid off at each other's homes. Once the ghosting happened, Connor had texted, emailed, and even called but never got a response for months. Then his other friends, like Christian, stopped responding as well. They weren't as close to Connor, but friends took sides every time Connor walked the hallways in a reverse ghost town scenario.

Just what happened?

"How's Joules?"

Connor sat straight to correct his posture and looked at the woman beside him. She tilted her head with a raised eyebrow and gave a smile. "Miss Saunders?"

"Yup."

He fixed his gaze on her plaited hair and responded after remembering the question, "Joules is great. She's outside."

"I'm glad to hear that." She sat in the chair next to his and straightened herself toward reception. "You never told me your name."

"Connor, Connor Voll."

"Great, I look forward to more pizza."

He perked up. He liked to believe that pizza meant him. "Really?"

"It was good."

"Alright," he said and tried his best with a question. "So, why are you here?"

"It's my first day at work. Principal Bailey wants to see me."

"No, I mean, here in Blue Ashe."

"I used to live here, and I also graduated here."

No way, he thought. Maybe she knows Axel? He shuffled away the idea. "That's cool."

Neville walked out of the principal's office and spotted the two. He hid his surprised look and continued into the hallway.

"Do you still have friends here?" Connor said.

A peculiar question, she thought. "Yup. Why are you here?"

"I was born here."

"I mean here in the office."

"Oh," he rubbed the back of his head where it had hit a part of a locker. "I got into a fight."

She chuckled. "I'm sure you did."

He sneered. "I did."

"Oh really? Was it over a girl?"

"Uh," he was taken aback by how accurate she was. "Yes, sort of."

She double-raised her eyebrows. "Was it that new girl? Teressa? Wink wink, nudge nudge."

Connor laughed. "Be nice if she spoke to me."

"Did you try talking to her?"

"Uh... hadn't thought of that."

Stephanie crossed her legs and thought. "Regardless, I'd give it some time. It's all new to her."

What's new to her? Connor didn't want her to think the fight was over a girl. "How do you feel about locker room talk?"

"I despise it."

"Same here."

"Is that why you're still in gym clothes?" she said.

The principal, with one foot out the door, called out. "Connor."

"Yeah, it happened in gym." He sighed and got up to receive his punishment.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

"Wait," the principal lifted a finger. "Miss Saunders, I didn't see you there. Let's talk now."

She sighed and got up as Connor sat back down. He remained well-postured, not wanting to look bad when she returned, which didn't matter as when Stephanie walked out, she paid little attention to Connor, heading back to class.

"Connor." The principal motioned his head back into his office.

He entered and sat in one of the two public office chairs. Principal Bailey pulled out a file and opened it on top of the pile that cluttered his desk. There was no rhyme or reason to his organization. Papers here, pencils there, and his laptop looked to be in an unnatural spot.

"I'm going to be quick," the principal started. "If this happens again, you're expelled."

Connor was startled at how direct he was.

"Your buddy Neville isn't getting off so easy, but your new teacher vouched for you."

"You mean Stephanie?"

"Miss Saunders. I don't have the time to deal with petty fights. My receptionist just had a kid, and I had to terminate the vice-principal. I don't have the time."

"Do you want to hear what they were saying?" Connor said.

"No, I don't. You're excused."

He felt a sigh of relief as he shuffled from the office and into the hall. Gym class continued, but he avoided it and went to the locker room. He bumped into Neville, an accidental bump this time, who was on his way out and dressed in his regular clothes. The two, after a glance, walked past one another.

Ass, Connor thought as he changed.

The bell rang, and the hall flooded with his peers. He still hustled to his locker even though he had a minute's head start from leaving gym class early. Turning the lock as fast as he could, he was manic and wanted to escape all environments. A thick swath of brown hair entered his peripheral, and he played it cool by pretending not to care. They used to talk some, but unknowingly, she stopped late last year, which is upsetting to get ghosted. Though, if they began talking again, he'd be thrilled.

"Heard you got into a fight."

Connor turned his head to Olivya. They've always connected, mainly because their last names started with ‘V.' Over the years, having shared many classes and sitting next to one another caused a developing crush. And his senior year wasn't much different, as he always struggled to start a conversation with her. Maybe that's why she doesn't chat with me anymore?

"It wasn't much of a fight," he transferred his books. "We just wrestled each other to the floor." Compared to fights against Axel, his tiff with Neville felt like a nonissue.

"A fight on the first day of school. Crazy coming from you. What happened?" Olivya said.

"He talked too much."

"Oh, the stoic Connor thought Neville talked too much? I'm shocked, shocked!"

Connor couldn't hide his grin. "I'm fine with talking, Olivya."

She gave him an intentionally coy look and leaned in. "What do I have to do to get you to wrestle me to the ground?"

His books tumbled all around his feet.

"Uh, it's been a while since you've teased me," he murmured. Not that he was complaining. Her smooth, parted, dark hair and pretty smile were worth the tease. "Much less talk to me."

Olivya chuckled as she stared at a frozen in place, Connor. She helped him gather his books. "New year, new me. Plus, you're cute when you're nervous," she handed them back.

"You're still teasing me."

Olivya is getting a sense the bell will ring soon. As much as she wanted to mess with him, she decided to hurry.

"I'm having some friends over if you want to stop by," Olivya said.

He snapped out of it. It's the first time Olivya invited him to something. "Tonight?"

"Yeah, it's Friday."

"Yeah, should I text you?" Connor asked.

"We used to text each other. Please do."

"Ah crap," Connor just realized. "I have to work tonight."

"Really? Just call in sick or something," she bit her bottom lip.

Even how she looked up at him disappointed was cute, and the lip bite added nerves in his stomach. He has to quit work due to Axel. But to leave his employer high and dry, not Connor. He doesn't plan to give a two-week notice but will quit later at the end of his shift. What will Axel do to me?

"I'm sorry, but my shift will end late as it's a Friday."

"Great. Text me after?"

At first, he was stunned that Olivya had invited him, but now it's people partying well past midnight.

"Yeah, I'll text you."

"Great," Olivya gave a half wink and headed to her class.

Shit yeah, Connor thought. Did delivering pizza all summer and doing some pushups help me get in shape?

Connor rode that high through his next class during lunch and had an extra pep in his step while walking Joules home after school.

His package was waiting for him, the camera he ordered, which he quickly got working and placed on a shelf. It was easy to install and hide somewhere. The evidence in case Axel starts something that felt inevitable.

Connor quickly hustled down the stairs for the car as their mom returned from work.

"Remember, you're quitting today," Axel hollered. "Not even two weeks."

"I know." Connor didn't turn his head as he and Joules went into the garage.

***

His manager was not happy with Connor's soon-to-be departure.

"You're bailing on me," the manager exclaimed.

"My family is making me. Nothing I can do."

"It's the weekend. Can it wait?"

Connor pulled the pizzas into a few bags. "I'm sorry."

His manager muttered a few swears. "Fuck. Are you sure it isn't anything else?"

"That's all it is," Connor hoisted the pizzas and pushed the door with his back. He hesitated in case the manager needed to continue.

"Alright, go," the manager nodded towards Connor's car, parked right next to the sidewalk.

I feel bad. But a one-day notice was better than a no-day notice.

With his last day of work and his current savings, he thinks he can afford to feed her for a little over four months plus some spending cash on himself.

Plenty of time to find a new job, Connor assured himself while he drove to his next delivery.

Joules was in the back, per usual, watching out the rolled-down window. Kids in other cars would point at the dog as they drove by each other, and sometimes at a red light, the driver next to him would roll their window down and ask Connor what kind of dog it was. He just responds it's a mutt if it ever happens.

He rolled into a residential area, and eventually, cars became more congested on the side of the road.

"Twelve oh eight," he said after spotting the house number.

He parked behind a car, and he thought it looked vaguely familiar. He hopped out and grabbed the pizzas. Music blared from the address four homes away, and as he walked closer, he recognized some of the other cars. Several of his peers from school are here.

Great.

He knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked harder. Eventually, someone opened the door.

"Five pizzas here," he said.

"Hey, man," a fellow student of his said.

Connor nodded, having just realized he'd seen him in the hall before. He waved Connor into the party. He noticed some people who were slightly older but stuck around.

"Right here, man." he slapped the counter.

He placed the pizzas on a cleared-out spot on the kitchen counter next to a stack of Solo cups. People gathered around quickly.

"Tip?"

Connor checked the receipt. "Nah, that was done online—"

He spotted Olivya in the backyard next to a pool as the windows in the house were huge, and the entire scene was visible from inside the kitchen. She looked cute in a two-piece and feet in the water. But someone else was sitting next to her. Someone all too familiar.

Axel, the sight knocked the wind out of him.

She was smiling and enjoying herself. Axel laughed at something she spoke as their feet swirled around together.

"They paid by card? Even the tip?"

Connor didn't turn his head. "Yeah."

"Cool."

Snapping out of jealousy, he begrudgingly grabbed the pizza bags, left the kitchen, and went straight out the door.

The pizza bags dragged on the sidewalk before he threw them into the car and hopped into the driver's seat. Lowering the gate, Joules got into the passenger seat, and she placed her head under his neck.

"Thanks, Joules," he rubbed her head, and she let out a soothing growl, as she did every night.

The radio was silent as he finished the final deliveries, dropped off the bags, said his goodbyes to the manager, ignored Crystal, said bye to a few others and left. When he got home, he left his phone on mute and upside down on his nightstand. He stared at the meteor, like before. It looked a little bigger.