Cross the Line

Halloween

Flicking the switch on my mask’s LED lights to turn them off, I melted deep into the shadows of the haunted house, undetected, watching him sneak up behind a girl.

She screamed in terror, struggling against his body. Hot jealousy burned through my veins, and I gritted my teeth, forcing myself not to react as my teammate-slash-antagonist murmured something to the girl before lifting his mask, running his lips over the exposed skin of her neck.

The corridor echoed with the pounding of heavy footsteps, and Carter came up behind him, ripping him away from the girl and simultaneously giving him a shove, in the direction of my hiding place. I heard him snarl, “You’re not playing fair,” before Carter and the girl disappeared.

I acted on instinct, before I could think it through. Leaping out of the shadows, I threw my body against his, sending us both staggering back against the wall. His mask was still raised, pushed up on the top of his head, and I tore off my own, before bringing my lips to his ear.

“Hello, Kian.”

His whole body stiffened, and I heard his breathing quicken as I ran my nose down his jaw.

When he spoke, he only said one word, but his voice came out as a low, tortured scrape that had my cock stiffening in my jeans.

“Preston.”

1

SEPTEMBER

“You’re off the team.”

At those four words, I saw red.

“Fuck!” Flying out of my chair, I spun and threw it across the room, sending it crashing into the wall. “Fuck!”

“Mate, calm down.” Carter Blackthorne, Alstone High’s football team captain and my best friend, grabbed me in a hold, pinning my arms.

“I’ll ignore your little temper tantrum,” Mr. Anders, our football coach, commented dryly. “What did you think would happen? You were irresponsible enough to bring drugs onto school premises, therefore you have to face the consequences.” He continued as if I wasn’t raging, Carter the only thing stopping me from tearing up his office. “You’re lucky it’s only a suspension. Professor Sharpe wanted you permanently kicked off the team, but I managed to talk him out of it. If you can behave, you’ll be allowed back. That means no more trouble while you’re in the vicinity of Alstone High. I don’t care what you do in your own time, but when you’re here, you behave. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes.” I spat the word through gritted teeth. Shit. There was barely any weed in my locker; it was only supposed to be enough to get Professor Sharpe, Alstone High’s headmaster, to call my parents. Maybe a week or two of detention. Being kicked off the football team and being stopped from doing the only thing I was any good at…that hadn’t even featured on my radar.

Carter released his grip, and I spun towards the door. “You’re suspended from school for a week, as well,” Mr. Anders called after me.

I slammed my fist into his filing cabinet, welcoming the jarring pain that raced up my arm.

Could this day get any worse?

Carter caught up with me as I was stalking across the football pitch. “Kian? What the fuck’s going on with you?”

Sinking onto the bench at the side of the pitch, I put my head in my hands. “I fucked up, alright? What do you want me to say?”

Next to me, I heard his heavy sigh as he took a seat. “They’re not worth jeopardising your future for. Now we’ve lost our star player. What are we supposed to do?”

“I don’t know,” I muttered. Lifting my head, I stared at my best friend. “I’m sorry.”

He studied me for a moment, concern clear in his gaze, before he clapped me on the shoulder. “Lucky for you, Coach gave me a heads-up, and he thinks he’s found a solution in the meantime while we wait for your return. He’d better be as good as they say, otherwise we really will be screwed.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know the new boy? Preston?”

“The American?” Yeah, I knew who he was. Preston Montgomery III. Hard to miss him, really, when half of the girls at school had been panting over him ever since the first day he’d shown up.

He nodded. “Yeah, that’s him. He was on the football team back in his previous school. The coach has seen video footage of him playing, and he said he’s really talented.” His gaze turned to the pitch, looking towards the football goal. “He’s a striker. I’ve invited him to try out for the team. Today.”

“So I get suspended from school, kicked off the team, and replaced, all in one afternoon? Well, today fucking sucks.”

“You’re not being replaced. What else am I meant to do, Kian? There’s no one else that’s anywhere near your skill level.” He climbed to his feet as a blond figure came into view at the far end of the pitch. “Be nice,” he warned me, leaving me to sulk on the benches as he jogged over to greet Preston. I watched as they fell into discussion, Carter gesturing towards the goal and the pitch every now and then.

The rest of the team came filing out of the gym changing rooms, and I steeled myself for the comments I knew were coming my way. I deserved them. This was our final year at Alstone High, one final chance to prove ourselves as football legends before we left for university. Being kicked off the team might have cost us our chance.

“Before you all say it…” I got to my feet as the team neared me. “Yes, I messed up, but you—we’re a team. I’m only on

e player.”

“Our best player.” Chris, one of our defenders, gave me a pointed look.

“Maybe some of you lazy bastards will actually put some work in now.” I clenched my jaw, staring him down until he dropped his gaze.