PE is the last class for today, but I rarely skip it because it's one of the few classes that doesn't seem useless or boring to me. Plus, it's too cold outside, and my body craves activity without the risk of frostbite.

Clad in our sports uniforms, we step into the gym. I notice Tanner isn't there - perhaps he decided to skip. But Noah walks next to me. While waiting for the lesson to start, the guys are busy with various activities - some are doing pull-ups, some are playing with a ball, but most are just chatting. Noah and I walk to the far wall, where mats are piled under the windows. There's nothing remarkable here, but it used to be my favorite spot.

I look at Noah. "Bet I can reach the window," I say.

Noah shakes himself a little, as if I've distracted him from his thoughts. He looks at me and then scans the wall for the window I'm talking about. The windows in the gym are located about three meters high, so it's no surprise when Noah's lips curl into an incredulous smile. "This window?" he clarifies, pointing upward.

I nod. I don't even know why I suggested this, but my fingers tingle pleasantly from a mixture of excitement and something else.

"I feel like there's a catch," Noah laughs. "But okay, let's bet!"

I flex my muscles a little, although I'm mostly just stalling for time to make the performance look more interesting. Then I step back to give myself enough room to build up speed.

"Come on already!" Noah good-naturedly urges me on.

I accelerate straight into the wall, place my right foot against it, and push up. Muscle memory kicks in automatically - my right hand reaches up to grab the window sill, followed by my left hand to help support my body weight. I pull myself up and sit on the narrow ledge, looking triumphantly at Noah.

"Aren't you overdoing it, Spiderman?" he asks, smiling. But I can see in his eyes that he's impressed, though not like Coach Williams, who also witnessed my performance.

"Brynn! Come down now!" the coach grumbles, looking at me sternly. I linger for a couple more seconds and then jump down. "If you had nowhere to put your energy, you should have stayed on the team."

His remark doesn't faze me.

The coach blows the whistle. "Okay, let's get ready! Warm up!"

The students scattered around the hall lazily join the general formation, and I see Tanner among them. He decided to come after all.

"Moses, keep up! Carter, move your arms! Don't forget to breathe!" Williams thunders as we run around the gym. "Stop!" Whistle. "Split into pairs. Stretch."

I don't even begin to look for Tanner because Noah is next to me, and all my attention is focused on him. We sit on the floor, facing each other, legs spread wide. My feet rest against Noah's ankles. I grab his forearms, and he wraps his arms around mine in a similar way. I pull him toward me first, and then Noah does the same.

The usual exercise, which I've done many times with different classmates, now gives me an inadequate amount of sensations. Strangely, I'm pleased. It's nice to be so close to Noah, to hold his hands, to catch his awkward smile when our eyes meet...

Afterward, Noah gets up, and I remain seated on the floor. He presses his hands into my back, encouraging me to bend forward.

"Is this okay?" he asks, his palms on my back seeming nervous.

"Push harder," I say confidently, feeling him apply more force until my fingers touch my feet.

"I don't think I can bend like that," Noah chuckles as we switch places.

"Exhale and bend," I instruct, placing my palms on his back and pressing. "Tell me if it hurts."

"Uh-huh," he grunts. It's amusing. I also enjoy feeling his breath under my palms, something I never thought I'd pay attention to.

But my pleasant state is suddenly interrupted by Tanner, who jumps on me. My first instinct is to spread my arms and remove them from Noah's back to prevent the double weight from crushing him. This causes me to lose my balance and fall forward, landing face-first against Noah's back.

"Yeehaa, bitch," Tanner neighs, jumping off my back.

"Are you okay?" Noah asks me.

"Yeah..." I grumble, a bit embarrassed. I want to repay Tanner somehow, but the coach is already dividing us into teams to play basketball.

Tanner and I end up on the same team. We usually make a good tandem, but right now, Tanner seems more interested in targeting Noah at every opportunity. Of course, nudges and pushes happen during every game, but Noah gets Tanner's special attention.

As Tanner dribbles the ball down the court, he makes a sharp turn, deliberately bumping into Noah's shoulder and causing him to lose his balance. Noah stumbles but picks himself up and continues playing.

It's okay. It's just a game. A bit rough, but Noah can handle it just fine. I don't understand why I'm so frustrated, noticing every nudge, every shove disguised as a bump. What kind of shit is that? I thought I had a plan.

Tanner scores to everybody's cheering, and on the way back to our half, he crashes into Noah, causing him to fall forward.

"Tanner, what the fuck?!" The words burst out of me.

"What?" Surprised, Tanner turns to me and then looks at Noah on the floor. "I was running backward! I didn't see him. No offense, man."

Technically, he's telling the truth, but I know Tanner and his excuses all too well. I just have nothing to confront him further. Maybe I've already said too much.

I grit my teeth, watching Noah get back to his feet. He gives me a small nod that I can't quite interpret. The game resumes with all of Tanner's dirty moves. So I try to keep him out of the game, hogging the ball to myself, making shots and passes, ignoring him. As expected, he doesn't like it.

"Scarface, are you fucking blind?" he shouts across the court. "Come on!"

I shoot at the hoop but miss.

"What the hell are you doing?" scowls Tanner, coming closer.

I'm tempted not to answer him at all because I'm so pissed off. "I'm playing a game, what else?" I reply, not hiding my annoyance.

"Tsk," Tanner grimaces and walks away. The next few minutes become more of a competition between us than with the rival team. I'm fine with that, having all of Tanner's attention on me, although he's getting rougher and rougher, openly pushing or even tripping me. Williams notices this too.

"Scott! Brynn! Get off the field!" The coach's shout follows immediately after the whistle. After exchanging glances, Tanner and I move to the sideline. "What the hell are you doing out there?" Williams continues to lecture us. "Have you forgotten where you are?! 30 push-ups, now! To cool your ardor."

I hate push-ups. But I find them oddly satisfying because Tanner is huffing nearby. I glance at the court where the game is still in progress. Noah moves swiftly around the court, dribbling the ball confidently, and his shot is precise. He scores and brings victory to his team. With that, PE ends, and we all head to the locker room.

As soon as we're out of the coach's sight, Tanner jumps me and grabs me in a headlock. It's pretty humiliating and irritating.

"What the hell, Leighton?" he asks. "What the fuck is wrong with you today, huh?"

I tuck my head closer to Tanner's side, defending from possible strikes, and grasp Tanner's other arm near the wrist. With my left hand, I go for his face to provoke a reaction. As I press under his nose, Tanner has to throw his head up, avoiding the touch, and his lock on my neck loosens. I break free, but Tanner continues what seems like a friendly brawl. He tackles me, and I hit the lockers with my back. Not too painful, but noticeable.

"Fuck off, dude," I say, pushing Tanner away.

"Fuck off, duuude," Tanner mocks me and slaps my cheek lightly.

This fuels the anger in me. "I said, fuck off!" I push Tanner harder, keeping my voice down.

To my surprise, Tanner backs off with a sneer. "What's up, baby? Why so moody? Been pent up lately? Should I find you a girlfriend? Just say the word. Anything for my best buddy."

I glare at him wordlessly and march out of the locker room without taking a shower. Screw that.

"Leighton!" Noah's voice echoes behind me as I head down the hall. I turn and wait until he approaches. "I... um... I was going home too. So... um..."