An athlete's dilemma

"Rikiyo?”

Maya grabs me by the backpack and yoinks me backwards. My heel drags on the tile and everyone’s watching.

“No you DON’T”

Rikiyo grabs me by the collar and easily overpowers Maya, yanking towards her. She practically drags me away.

“We’re dealing with this now.”

Clicks from the crowd as phones capture the moment, and Maya’s subsequent defeat. Rikiyo drags me across the school into an empty classroom. She slams the door behind her and tosses me into a desk.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Nothing is going on. Don’t act like you know me Kenji. Just because we had one rough night together doesn’t make us friends, especially not here.”

She’s getting uncomfortably close; the scent of her rage is pouring over me.

“But I know your secret, and you know mine.”

Rikiyo steps back.

“That’s still not a good reason. I can’t be caught talking to you.”

“We’re in this together though?”

Rikiyo sighs and leans backwards on the teacher’s desk.

“And what if I tell the principal your secret first?”

“That’s okay.”

“No it’s not. You know what happens when people find out you have a pure affinity? You disappear.”

“I trust the principal.”

The air in the room is stuffy and choked with mixed motivation and emotions. I don’t know if Rikiyo cares enough about me to keep this secret, but I have to trust her.

“Then I’ll trust YOU Kenji, but listen. There’s not a single adult on campus or in this world that wouldn’t spoon your soul onto a platter for the idea alone.”

She’s become uncomfortably close again, leaning close enough I can count the lashes on her left eye.

*SLAM*

The door flies open and Maya stands panting for air.

“Leave him alone, it’s just us in here.”

Rikiyo smirks and pulls away from me.

“Alright then. You win.”

She glides towards the doorway and Maya reluctantly steps aside.

“And Kenji, don’t talk to me at school. Trust me.”

She leaves without a word more. Maya and I let out a sigh of relief and she comes running to my aid.

“Kenji! What was that? What happened? Why are you okay? Why do you trust her? What’s HAPPENING?”

I motion for Maya to sit down in a nearby desk. She puts her backpack down and takes a seat.

“I can’t tell you.”

“What?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“You have a secret relationship with the biggest harpy at school and you won’t tell me? She drags you across campus for a personal conversation and you won’t tell me? Kenji, what’s really happening?”

Maya can’t set her mind on anger or disappointment, she shifts unsteadily in her seat until I eventually give some way.

“We got into a thing last night.”

“You got into a thing?”

“We ran into each other at the wrong time, got into a thing, and talked at a café after.”

Maya smiles incessantly.

“You two went on a date Kenji.”

“No, no, no, someone died.”

“What?”

“There was… an old man. Yeah, on the spot. Really killed the vibe.”

“The vibe of your date?”

“Don’t we have class?”

Maya checks her phone and realizes we do in fact have class right now. Maya’s not in my PE class but she walks me there anyways. Maya drops me off at the field outside. People are running laps, long jumping, doing calisthenics, and saluting the teacher.

“WHAT IN GOD’S NAME ARE YOU DOING SON?”

The teacher turns to yell at me. He stomps towards me with incredible disdain, if this weren’t grass he could have cracked the ground.

“I have happened to notice you are not in uniform. Why might that be?”

“This is my second day sir.”

“Then you should have a JOLLY good reason why you weren’t here yesterday son.”

“Ms. Denda was giving me a tour?”

His entire demeanor changes at the mention of Ms. Denda. He cracks what one might call a smile and a brilliant silver tooth glistens in the morning sun.

“Well then, walk with me. And all of you!”

He turns to the poor saps still saluting.

“Pick out all the weeds in this field. If I find so little as one dandelion, YOU’RE ALL GOING IN THE PIT.”

He turns back and we keep walking.

“What’s the pit?”

The teacher turns towards me with genuine surprise.

“It’s what I call the equipment room, never cleaned, smells like Satan’s jockstrap. Hell, it’s probably in there!”

He laughs at his own joke uproariously.

“Does it get hot in there?”

“Only in the summer son.”

“You should get a heater for the winter.”

“You’re a little weirdo aint’cha, I like your moxy!”

We walk across the field to a locker room attached to a small side building. The inside is relatively clean and modern for what it’s worth.

“Yeah, it’s in a bad spot, but at least it’s new. Let me get you a locker son.”

The teacher walks into an office that oversees the locker room. He clicks at his computer and walks out with a sticky note.

“It’s all on there, have that combination down by the next time I see you. What’s your size son?”

“I’m a medium.”

The teacher walks back into his office and comes back out with a fresh set of workout clothes.

“Almost the whole period’s gone by at this point so I won’t make you put it on. Just get it in your locker and stay out of sight until the bell rings.”
“Thank you Mr… sorry, I do-”

“Mr. Katsumata. Professional physical educator and track coach.”

“So you coach Rikiyo?”

“There’s a reason she’s the best, and it’s only partially her fault. A good athlete is nothing without the coach, like a sheep without a shepherd. Except the sheep is a runner, and the wool is time, and my shepherd’s hook is my whistle.”

I stare blankly at Coach Katsumata.

“Go to the library or something son.”

“I had one more question actually. Is she not allowed to talk to people on campus?”

Coach Katsumata’s smile melts into a venomous glare.

“You didn’t try to strike up a conversation, did you? Because words are obstacles to goals. I’ve got a goal to reach for Principal Kurobuchi, and I don’t like the words I’m hearing son.”

“No words sir.”

Coach’s smile returns. He straightens up and walks towards the doorway before turning around.

“Keep your head down son, it’s for the best.”