Dwight entered his seventh-period class and sat in his assigned seat. At first, the session seemed to be mostly focused on the teacher's daily lecture and not particularly eventful. Students in the far back hid their earbuds underneath their long hair, pretending to pay attention.
During the lesson, Dwight could not bring himself to focus. After how his day had gone so far, he put the dictionary away and pulled out his personal notebook. As everyone around him either fell asleep or jammed out, Dwight spent most of class time drawing for fun while keeping it hidden from the teacher.
For quite a while, nothing else really mattered. As Dwight finished up his final drawing for the day, the bell sounded. Students left their seats and began packing up for their next class; before Dwight could finish packing, his teacher, 'Miss Hervi,' called his name.
Confused, Dwight waits by his seat. As soon as everyone had left, the room fell silent. Miss Hervi spoke one-on-one with Dwight about his academics, asking him if he had spoken with Mister Caulfield yet. Dwight nodded in response, falling right back into a negative mindset about the whole thing.
Miss Hervai went on giving the same casual advice she generally gave to all her students, "If things continue this way, you will not be able to pass or graduate. And I know you do not want that. There is potential in you, Dwight. I have seen it many times before. Please, do not give up now."
Dwight, wanting to leave, agreed to everything she said and asked if he could go, which Hervai allowed. Before he could open the door fully, she handed him a letter. Miss Hervai tells him to open it when he feels it is the right time. Dwight is perplexed. He moves away from the door until he notices the name inscribed on the letter, which causes him to hesitate and let go of the doorknob.
Without hesitation, Dwight unfolded the paper and began reading it to himself. Miss Hervai stood there, anticipating his reaction. As Dwight finished reading the note; a tear streamed down his cheeks. He rubbed his eyes, putting the paper safely in his pocket, as Miss Hervai patted him on the back.
Due to Dwight being emotional, Miss Hervai sits him down; they speak with each other for a couple of minutes until the next class comes in, prompting Hervai to send Dwight off. Both of them exchange a wave as Dwight walks all the way downstairs towards the school's basement, where the gymnasium is located.
When Dwight got there, students were already seen doing the warm-up for class. He carefully walked up to the changing room, not wanting to draw attention, and discovered it was already locked. Dwight lets out a heavy sigh, knowing it means that he will have to attend gym class without his uniform, therefore meaning points will be debited from his credit.
After finishing up the warm-up for today, the students formed into small groups for volleyball instructions. Dwight tries to sneak into one of the groups but is immediately caught. Turning around, Dwight noticed the gym teacher, 'Mr. Sakowitz,' an overweight guy, wearing a sweaty tank top.
"D! Why are you here too late? I told you about tardiness like this, have I not?" Sakowitz exclaims, capturing some students' attention. He inspects Dwight's choice of clothing for class and calls him out. "And what are you wearing? I have already told everyone about wearing the uniform during class."
"It was not my intention to come here late. I just got caught up with—" Unfortunately, Mister Sakowitz cuts off Dwight mid-sentence, making him unable to finish explaining himself.
"I don't hear it! Enough! I am not here for any excuses. You get to class at a certain time. No ifs or buts. Now, I have to do a last-minute group change," Sakowitz says, checking each group that already has six students. "Alright, from how it appears, a lot of the groups are already filled. I would say join anyone that you assume is good. Afterwards, come to me so I can assign you to that group. Get going!"
Dwight follows ahead with his orders, going up to each group and asking if he could join. He goes to group 1, who apologized before declining. Group 2 did not even face in his direction and pretended like they did not hear him. Group 3 consisted entirely of all the girls who had watched him approach each group and ask if he may join. The look in their eyes was clear; they hoped he did not ask.
Wanting to avoid awkwardness, Dwight didn't waste time asking and went straight to Group 4, which appeared like a respectful team with members of different sizes, genders, and cultures. Dwight had no issue asking them until he saw Cuff and two of his buddies in that group.
Dwight groans in annoyance and walks away; he tries not to draw attention as everyone plays. Suddenly, Dwight heard his own name yelled out by Cuff.
"Hey! Check it out. It's Dwighty Boy." Cuff called out, grabbing the attention of his group.
Dwight stops in place, clenches both of his hands, and mumbles under his breath, "Motherfucker..."
Cuff approaches Dwight while smirking. "Hey, bud. It's such an unexpected surprise to see you at gym class—I honestly doubted you would come today. But hey, I am proud to see you worked up the courage to do so," Cuff says in a surprisingly welcoming voice. Dwight could not read his attitude, whereas his buddies that stood behind looked not so approachable. Cuff catches on and gestures for his friends to settle down. "Hey man. I am here to say, do not worry about me or the other guys doing anything crazy. After this morning's incident, it's all water under the bridge. You and I are cool—from a distance. Which I should clarify. Just make sure to keep your friend Oliver out of our business. It would be best for everyone, okay?"
Dwight is hesitant. He pauses for a second before responding, returning with a slight nod that indicates that he understands but still looks noticeably annoyed. Cuff responds by giving Dwight a firm pat on the back and smirks.
"Good boy. Glad we could work things out, Dwighty boy," Cuff responds in a demeaning fashion, leaving Dwight with some parting words. "Anyway, I should head back to my team. You should go find one soon. I overheard what Mr. Sakowitz said before. From his tone, you better hop to it, Dwight. I know how much you desperately need credits—see you around."
His words leave Dwight stuck in place for a few minutes. Before continuing to find a team that would accept him, Dwight stares at Cuff and feels a lump in his throat while clenching his hands, turning them into fists. Even though he was furious, Dwight could not yell or fight back but mumbled under his breath again...
"Fuck you... Fuck everything you stand for, you piece of shit waste of space..."
Following that, Dwight sits alone on the bench, mentally blaming himself for not joining a group. Students can be heard all laughing together, but he was fixated on what Cuff had said; his comment got under Dwight's skin.
In shame, Dwight lowered his head, staring at the floor. A person is seen approaching, stopping in front of him. Dwight hears a familiar voice talk to him. Looking up, he is surprised to come face-to-face with Drex, the new guy he met earlier.
"Hey! How are you doing? Your name is Dwight, right?" Drex asked, having slight trouble remembering.
In response, Dwight nodded and shook his hand. "Hey, man. I had no idea that you were in this course. Are you a new student in this class?"
"Actually, no. Funny enough, I've been in this class since the first day of the semester. You might not recall because we never introduced ourselves properly." Drex responds.
Dwight looks at him dumbfounded. Shocked that he never noticed Drex was a classmate of his. It made him realize how much he never put time into acknowledging his surroundings and always being stuck in his mind throughout the day.
"Oh my god, I am so stupid. I—I can't believe I did not even realize. My bad." Dwight said.
Drex reassures him that it was alright, telling him it's nothing to hassle about. Afterwards, they both speak amongst one another, bringing up their interests and hobbies until Sakowitz shouts to get their attention.
"HEY! YOU MISERABLE MAGGOTS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING SITTING OVER THERE? GET YOUR BEHINDS UP AND PLAY. UNLESS YOU WANT TO RISK TEN POINTS DEBUNKED FROM YOUR GRADE." Sakowitz yells, clicking a pen and waving in his hand.
As Drex is about to walk back, he notices Dwight was not planning to get up from the bench. Realizing that Dwight had no team, Drex lends a hand and offers him a chance to join his group.
Dwight wanted to decline for the sake of doing nothing but knew risking any more points on his grade was not a viable option. While Sakowitz waited on the boys, Dwight accepted Drex's hand as they walked past other groups to reach their teammates. As they reached the team, Dwight was unimpressed.
There was a pale, scrawny kid with glasses, an Indian kid with long hair tapping his feet nervously, an angry girl who looked to be average height, and a bigger-built guy casually eating a small bag of chips.
Drex introduced Dwight. Most of the group welcomed him, except for Eric, the glasses kid who came off as snarky, and the angry-looking girl who is named Lila barely acknowledged him. As Douglas finishes up eating, he approaches Dwight and quietly whispers in his ear.
"Alright! I can see from the expression on your face what you are thinking. It's not hard to know. Most of us might not look the part of being good at sports, especially scrawny-armed Eric. But trust me, they got what it takes. It only matters if you can keep up, Dwight. If you can, then we'll all be fine." Douglas said, moving away from Dwight. Almost like a light switch, he goes back to his cheerful self.
As the group started, Dwight quickly saw they weren't as disorganized as they seemed. Eric was awkward but quick on his feet. Arjun had trouble hitting the ball to another person at the beginning but began doing better after a couple of tries. Lila was short-tempered during the game and slowed down midway through class. Leo was more laid-back but surprisingly effective. Dwight started to relax, realizing this mismatched group had a rhythm, and for once, he wasn't focused on the chaos that surrounded him.
It became noticeable that Dwight is the one who ended up struggling the most. Which led Drex to step in and help. "Focus on your form, not the result," he said, guiding Dwight's hands and showing him how to pass properly. After a few tries, Dwight felt more confident.
As Dwight was just about to respond, a voice cut through the noise. "VIOLET! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING HERE IN CLASS SO LATE? THE CLASS IS HALFWAY OVER!"
Dwight spun around, his attention snapped to Coach Sakowitz, who was yelling at a girl standing near the sidelines. It was Violet, the girl from earlier. As Dwight watched, many groups stopped playing and shifted their attention away, giving immature remarks.
Instead of offering Violet the chance to find a team like Dwight had, he turned to her with a sharp, almost dismissive look. "No one's going to let you join their team now. Go sit on the sidelines for the rest of class! We are going to have to figure out something next week." Sakowitz barked.
Violet, looking embarrassed, shuffled off to the side, her shoulder slumped. Dwight watched, a mix of sympathy and confusion stirring in him. Without thinking, he stepped away from his group and walked towards her.
"Hey... It's me again. Dwight, to be exact. I do not remember if I ever gave you my name." Dwight says, catching her attention.
She raises her head up, looking surprised but not hostile. "Oh, hey there." Violet said, her voice sounding shy.
Dwight hesitated for a moment before extending his hand. "If you want, you could join my group. I know you didn't get a fair chance to join anyone. You might have been more lucky not needing to ask any of these pricks—excuse my language. But yeah, I know we haven't had the best of introductions. Still, though, I do believe having you in our team would not just be beneficial for you but for us as well."
Violet blinked, clearly taken aback. "Really? Are you offering me a spot on your team?"
"Yeah," Dwight nodded, a little awkwardly. "I pretty much joined today. It's not the best, but we are having fun. You can join us if you'd like."
Violet seemed hesitant, but after a couple of minutes, she took his hand. "Alright, I guess."
They walked over, and Dwight introduced her to the team. The others gave her indifferent greetings, and the game soon resumed. As they continued playing, Dwight's focus shifted between the game and Violet. He couldn't help but remember what Miss Hernandez had said to him about helping Violet be more social.
Something about Violet's presence, her quiet confidence, made him feel like this might be one of those moments where he could truly make a difference—no matter how small. As the game progressed, everyone laughed and was having a good time.
The team grew more in sync as they played. Dwight found himself easing into the rhythm, passing the ball more smoothly thanks to Drex's earlier advice. Even Violet, despite her initial hesitation, was getting into it. Then, during a fast exchange, Lila lunged for the volleyball. He stretched her arm out, trying to keep the ball from hitting the ground, but the ball smacked hard against her wrist.
Lila lets out a sharp groan, pulling back and cradling her arm in pain. Out of guilt, Douglas repeatedly tells her she's sorry for going too hard on the passing.
"Damn it, Douglas!" She snapped, frustration clear in her voice. "You could've gotten that ball as well, Eric. Instead you stood there like an idiot."
Douglas and Eric were startled but didn't argue, glancing away awkwardly. Lila huffed and stepped off the court, sitting on the bench while rubbing her forearm.
Seeing her discomfort, Dwight walked over to her. "Hey, Lila, are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine," Lila replied instantly, not even looking at him.
He hesitated, sensing she didn't want to talk. "Alright, well, if you would like any company or want to speak at all, I am all ears. Just call me if you—" Dwight stops himself mid-sentence, seeing that Lila went on her phone and fully ignores him.
Stepping away, Dwight walked back to his team. But just as he turned, his eyes caught something on the ground—a small drop of blood near where she had been holding her wrist.
A flicker of concern passed through him, but Lila's closed-off expression kept him from pushing any further. Still, as he returned to the game, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about her. Dwight looked at Lila, who kept massaging her arm.
Out of nowhere, a volleyball suddenly smacked against the back of his head. Dwight turns around, realizing the one who hit him with the ball was Cuff.
"Whoops, my bad, Dwight. I had no idea that was you," he sneered, crossing his arms. "I should have known that you were desperate. However, I expected more out of you to join a better group than that."
Dwight forced a neutral expression. "Yeah, well, here I am. And for your information, dude. This team is better than you might think, maybe even better than yours." He said, reaching down for their volleyball.
"Are you sure about that, Dwight? It's not good to make such remarks without being able to stand by them. Tell me, are you sure you're not the one dragging them down? Most likely you are. That is what you are normally good at." Cuff taunted, his voice dripping with condescension.
Dwight clenched his jaw, trying to play it off, but Cuff kept rambling on, prodding at him with every word. Before Dwight could yell back, Drex casually grabs the other team's volleyball out of Dwight's hand and walks over to Cuff.
"HEY YOU! Wannabe Tarzan, I am speaking to you. Give me back the ball," Cuff demanded.
Without a word, Drex smirked. In one smooth motion, he tosses the ball into a nearby trash can. "Go get it yourself. Fetch it up in the trash like the dog you are," he said in a snarky tone.
Cuff's smirk vanished. He stepped forward aggressively, getting in Drex's face. "You think you are funny, huh?"
Drex didn't flinch. Instead, he grabbed Cuff's arm and pressed down hard on a sensitive spot near his wrist. Cuff winced, attempting to push him off. Frustrated, he tried swinging, but Drex reacted instantly, driving his knee into Cuff's stomach. Cuff gasped, doubling over and collapsing to the ground.
His friends moved to step in, but Drex was already on them. One took an elbow to the jaw, stumbling back, while the other hesitated, unsure if he wanted the same fate.
Before the fight could escalate, Sakowitz's voice boomed across the gymnasium. "HEY! You two come over here," he pointed at Drex and Cuff. "Quit causing trouble unless you both want to be sent to the principal. I do not want to hear any crap about who did this or that! Apologize and get back to your teams!"
Sakowitz looked at the others and demanded the one who got hit in the face head straight to the bathroom, "And you! Go clean your mouth. I will not say it again."
Cuff, holding his stomach, gritted his teeth, muttering a forced apology before storming off. Drex, unfazed, simply nodded, then turned to Dwight. He gave him a small nod before walking back to their group like nothing bad happened.
Dwight, still processing everything, let out a breath. Drex had just handled Cuff like it was routine. And somehow, Dwight got the feeling this wasn't the first time.
However, things would be cut short when Lila, who attempted to play again, suddenly collapsed. Eric, Douglas and Violet rushed over to help Lila, who appeared pale and was noticeably burning up. Her body trembled slightly.
Douglas reached for her arm, but she jerked away "Don't. I am fine, guys." She snapped.
Violet's eyes widened. "You are burning up," she says out loud. "Lila, you are not looking okay."
Their concern caught Sakowitz's attention. He strode over, his usual harsh demeanor softening just slightly. "Hold on, what's going on over here?"
Dwight and Drex exchange glances, both uneasy about what they'd just seen.
Then Sakowitz's eyes fell on Lila's wrist—and his expression had darkened. Deep, fresh cuts ran along her skin, some still bleeding. His jaw clenched.
"Lila," he said, his voice lower now, "come with me."
The air grew heavy. No one spoke as Lila avoided everyone's stares, her fingers tightening around her waist as if trying to make the wounds disappear as blood fell on the ground.
Dwight stepped forward, about to volunteer to take Lila to the nurse's office, when he felt something liquid beneath his shoe. His stomach twisted as he glanced down, seeing a trail of blood; his own breath caught in his throat.
The sight sent a jolt through him, his body stiffening. He slowly backed away, going back to the group. Drex noticed his sudden change in behavior. He didn't say a word, but his eyes stayed locked on Dwight.
Everyone goes back to playing; however, Dwight stayed on the sidelines for some time. He sits down, rubs his hands together, and forces himself to push it all down.