The boys were waiting for me outside the school gates.

Wes stood among them; tall, handsome and arrogant.

“I’m impressed, Alaric. You know the rules like the shitty dog you are. Good boy.”

He attempted to ruffle my hair; I slapped his hand away.

“Fuck off, Wes. Just give it back.”

“This?”

Wes flicked the Dark Wolf card between his fingers.

I stared at it.

It was a collector’s edition card that I had spent two years trying to track down.

Now it was in Wes’ filthy hands.

Wes noticed my eyes following the card.

He tucked it into his blazer.

“I’m going to make you work for this,” he grinned, patting his blazer pocket.

He gestured to one of the boys.

They passed me a folded piece of paper. It was an advertisement for the upcoming D.I.E. Regional Championships next month.

Prize money, $500.

I stared at it, feeling my stomach drop.

Fuck. Of course.

This was the first and maybe only time an official tournament would be held in our home town.

I had been preparing for the tournament for months, anticipating it…

And now…

“You want me to withdraw,” I said.

“No, no, no, my dear Al,” said Wes. “In fact, I would very much like you to enter.”

Wes grabbed the front of my shirt and brought his face uncomfortably close to mine.

“What are you—”

“You know I’ve been thinking a lot about you, Alaric Li,” said Wes softly. “How much of an idiot you look… walking around with your head in your little notebooks and D.I.E. cards… always studying your stupid little game…”

“Let me go… you psycho-”

“You think you’re such a smartarse because you know a little more about how to play D.I.E. better than the rest of us… Because without it you know you’re worth… nothing.”

Wes mouthed the last word.

“You’re going to enter the tournament. No, WE are going to enter the tournament in Doubles. And you’re gonna help us win. Once we win, I’ll take the $500 and you’ll get your shitty card back.”

He let go and I hit the ground, hard.