Whatever You Say

“I hope all of you are aware of what’s next to come.”

All of eight of us stood and sat around awkwardly in Principal Rogers’s office. Teddy, Frank, another guy named Caleb and I sat in the four chairs in front of Principal Rogers while the rest of them stood behind each one of us. We looked exactly like what we were: guilty.

Before going into the principal’s office, they all stared at me like lions getting ready to tackle their pray. In case you didn’t know, I was the pray and not really a good one for that matter. Most prays try to run away. I simply fell right into the trap without even trying to fight back.

Back then I only tried to keep a girl quiet which wasn’t much.

This time, though, as everything around me went down, I was the one staying completely silent, making everyone else think what they wanted at this point.

Not that they cared if I talked, anyway. I would probably make things worse.

“Coach Rivers, before I proceed, I would really like for you to explain to me how is it that you were not aware of your team’s shenanigans.”

“How are you so sure that brat wasn’t lying?” Coach Rivers asked.

Brat. Guess I wasn’t the only who thought about it.

I saw Teddy shift in his seat, like he was trying to hold himself down.

“Your boys haven’t denied one single thing,” Principal Rogers said.

Frank, who sat on Teddy’s right, snorted. “Asshole, there’s nothing to say.”

“One week of detention.”

“What?”

“Keep it up and so will I.”

“With all due respect, Principal Rogers, you can’t give him detention. We have a competition in eight days. Frank needs to practice fo—” Caleb, who sat on Frank’s right and on my left, tried to explain, but he was interrupted.

“And what the hell makes you think you will be competing?” Coach Rivers asked him, half-sitting on the right side of the principal’s desk.

Caleb stared at him in disbelief. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Why should he? We messed up. Big time,” Teddy said and then suddenly the rest of the members staring arguing at the same time. I still stayed silent.

“It’s your fault we messed up.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure if it weren’t for you, we would still be the same.”

“Yeah!”

“Of course, the same sucky and lame team we always were,” was Teddy’s response.

“Silence!”

Everyone instantly fell silent at the principal’s voice; all but Frank who shouted over his command.

“This moron’s mistake cost us our chance!”

“That’s it, Frank. Two weeks.”

“I wasn’t the only one! You know what? Whatever, I don’t care. Go ahead and make it two months. As long as I get out of this goddamn place…”

“Don’t tempt me,” Principal Rogers warned.

“It’s just not fair. I’ve worked my butt off”—Frank pointed at Teddy—“and you fucking know it. I deserve my chance.”

“Yeah, because the tablets had nothing to do with your effort…” Teddy muttered sarcastically.

“What was that? I don’t think I heard yo— You fucking traitor. Before you brought those things to me I did to try my hardest to make it big!” He launched himself at Teddy and the rest tried to hold him down along with the coach. When he was settled he continued in a calmer voice. “This is all I had in this school even if we were the worst, but you brought those things promising us how this was going to change everything. That way we would have victory both academically and socially.” He paused and then huffed, “asshole”.

“Are you gentlemen done acting like monkeys?” the principal asked.

Frank moved forward, but Caleb halted him with a touch on his shoulder.

It was Coach Rivers who stepped in to speak. He sighed deeply before doing so. “Twenty-three years I’ve worked in this school, Boys, and never have I had the guts to deal with such an audacity. But now I’m taking matters in my own hands” —Coach Rivers stared at Principal Rogers who only nodded before continuing—“and I’m sorry to say this, even if this means losing my job but, the Swimming Team will be eliminated from the school's Sports Program.” Groans and insults mostly to Teddy and me filled the room. Principal Rogers raised his hand, everyone instally quieted to let Coach Rivers continue. “Sure, we were not the best—actually, we were the worst.” He threw a little chuckle. “But, is this the kind behavior one should take? Winning is not everything, guys, I’ve always told you that and more than anything, I’m disappointed.”

“But Teddy was the one who brought the pills and C.J. was the assholic idiot to spread it around!” yelled Frank and despite how awful I felt because some of the blame was being taken out on me, I felt slightly surprised that Frank had said my name for the first time since I had met him.

But, at this moment, that didn’t matter. I still didn’t bother to say anything.

I felt my cheeks get warm in embarrassment. If they only knew that I hadn’t meant it. The stupid world spun around, warning me to fix things, but I knew that even if I tried, even if they listened, they wouldn't believe me. Was I really the bad guy around here?

“Even if Teddy was the one who brought those pills, al—”

Frank interrupted the principal. “Even, no. He did. All of us just said he did and he hasn’t denied it.”

“Frank if you keep doing that, I’ll just assume that you suffer from hyperactivity to calm myself down. As I was saying, Teddy brought the pills, but all of you took them.” I didn’t correct him in the fact that I was basically forced into drinking them. “Besides, C.J. did the right thing in a way. He called the situation out.”

“Wasn’t the Éirin chick the one who opened her yap?” Caleb asked.

Frank scoffed and answered him. “Yeah, but it seemed to me like she got the details from Loser over there.”

One: I drank the pills because Teddy gave them to me and no way could I say “no” to someone as violent and big as Teddy. That was just another reason to get beaten. Again.

Two: Éirin saw me do it. I went to her. She told me that I had to do as she said to stop her from saying anything.

Three: Somehow we end up in bed together. She threatens to talk if I mention it to anyone.

Four: Somehow the situation that happened between us gets out, she finds out about it and by getting revenge she tells everyone Situation Number One.

I sighed.

I still could not make myself say anything. Even after the principal dismissed all of us from his office, and I was the only one standing in front of him.

Principal Rogers gave me a shy smile, which I didn’t bother to return.

Finally reality sunk in and all I could say was that I was probably the responsible for seven students switching schools because they didn’t have money to pay for this school. They depended on a scholarship they wouldn’t get anymore because I was probably the responsible for it.

They made sure I knew the possibility as soon as I got out to the pool to pick my swimming equipment.

Frank’s violent punch threw me to the other side of the locker room. Caleb’s foot stepped all over my glasses and then went straight to my stomach. All of them beat the hell out of me in those hideous lockers rooms.

All of them, but one; Teddy.