field,” Coach Wellens said. “Tonight’s game is over. That means get off the school grounds and go home. If I hear there’s been fighting, here or anywhere else, I will bench anyone involved for the rest of the season.” He turned toward Lucas. “And don’t think I can’t have you Spartans benched as well. Coach Whittingham happens to be an old college buddy of mine.”
No one moved. Lucas and Perry continued to stare at each other, as if silently daring the other to make the first move.
“Are you all hard of hearing?” Coach Wellens roared, spit flying from his mouth as he spoke. “I said it’s time to go home.
Now!
”
The cheerleaders were the first to scurry away, followed by everyone else.
Ackley looked back at Hunter. “See you on the field, Prince,” he growled.
I looked at Greg. He looked away. And followed his brother toward the parking lot.
THE TREES LOOKED LIKE GHOSTS.
At least, that was my first thought as my brothers’ car rumbled down the road toward Troy High on Monday morning. The trees that stood outside on the front lawn were white and billowed in the morning breeze.
As the car drew closer, I saw that the billowy white was toilet paper. Long streamers of toilet paper hung from the branches and waved in the wind.
The trees weren’t the only things that had been attacked by the toilet paper. The stone Trojan and his horse were now mummies, toilet paper streamers had been raised up the flagpole, and the maintenance workers were already gathering up the toilet paper that had been thrown across the front steps.
“Ugh,” I said when I climbed out of the car. I pressed the back of my hand against my nose. “What is that smell?”
“Eggs,” said Elena as she, Kelsey, and Mallory joined us. “There are eggs all over the front door and windows.”
“Who did this?” Perry asked.
“Who do you think?” Kelsey said.
Something clicked in my head. “You don’t think someone from Lacede did this?”
“Who else would do it?” Mallory snapped.
“How about any of the other schools we play against? Or maybe even someone who goes to Troy?”
“No,” Hunter said in a low, even voice, “this was a Spartan attack.”
Students were gathering around us, murmuring about their anger toward the Spartans. The rest of the football team had made their way to the front of the crowd, closest to Hunter, looking to him as if waiting for his command.
“What are we going to do?” Paul Baker asked.
“It’s just a stupid prank,” I said. “Can’t we just forget it and worry about beating Lacede on the football field instead?”
My suggestion was met with loud disagreement.
“It’s too late for that, Cassie,” Hunter told me. “The Spartans have started a war. We can’t back down without looking like the weaker team.”
“Right,” another football player agreed, pumping his fist into the air. His eyes shone, eager to get revenge. “We’ll take down those Spartans and show them just who they’re dealing with.”
The rest of the students cheered, looking toward the football players as if they were gods. Perry, who had been standing with his arm slung around Elena and nuzzling her neck while Hunter talked, now stood straight and tall, basking in the attention from the other students.
“It’s just a stupid rivalry,” I muttered.
“Stupid or not,” Perry said, “those Spartans won’t get away with defacing our school.”
Troy High buzzed with energy as everyone shouted about getting revenge.
“We will take those Spartans down,” Hunter vowed.
The boys around him cheered, pumping their fists and grunting like apes. The girls clapped and bounced up and down, smiling wide.
Elena seemed at ease in the middle of this Spartan bashing. You wouldn’t believe that she had ever set foot in Lacede High from the way she cheered right along with the Trojans.
“We are
so
going to get them,” Elena said. “They’ll regret messing with us.”
“Are you forgetting you
No one moved. Lucas and Perry continued to stare at each other, as if silently daring the other to make the first move.
“Are you all hard of hearing?” Coach Wellens roared, spit flying from his mouth as he spoke. “I said it’s time to go home.
Now!
”
The cheerleaders were the first to scurry away, followed by everyone else.
Ackley looked back at Hunter. “See you on the field, Prince,” he growled.
I looked at Greg. He looked away. And followed his brother toward the parking lot.
THE TREES LOOKED LIKE GHOSTS.
At least, that was my first thought as my brothers’ car rumbled down the road toward Troy High on Monday morning. The trees that stood outside on the front lawn were white and billowed in the morning breeze.
As the car drew closer, I saw that the billowy white was toilet paper. Long streamers of toilet paper hung from the branches and waved in the wind.
The trees weren’t the only things that had been attacked by the toilet paper. The stone Trojan and his horse were now mummies, toilet paper streamers had been raised up the flagpole, and the maintenance workers were already gathering up the toilet paper that had been thrown across the front steps.
“Ugh,” I said when I climbed out of the car. I pressed the back of my hand against my nose. “What is that smell?”
“Eggs,” said Elena as she, Kelsey, and Mallory joined us. “There are eggs all over the front door and windows.”
“Who did this?” Perry asked.
“Who do you think?” Kelsey said.
Something clicked in my head. “You don’t think someone from Lacede did this?”
“Who else would do it?” Mallory snapped.
“How about any of the other schools we play against? Or maybe even someone who goes to Troy?”
“No,” Hunter said in a low, even voice, “this was a Spartan attack.”
Students were gathering around us, murmuring about their anger toward the Spartans. The rest of the football team had made their way to the front of the crowd, closest to Hunter, looking to him as if waiting for his command.
“What are we going to do?” Paul Baker asked.
“It’s just a stupid prank,” I said. “Can’t we just forget it and worry about beating Lacede on the football field instead?”
My suggestion was met with loud disagreement.
“It’s too late for that, Cassie,” Hunter told me. “The Spartans have started a war. We can’t back down without looking like the weaker team.”
“Right,” another football player agreed, pumping his fist into the air. His eyes shone, eager to get revenge. “We’ll take down those Spartans and show them just who they’re dealing with.”
The rest of the students cheered, looking toward the football players as if they were gods. Perry, who had been standing with his arm slung around Elena and nuzzling her neck while Hunter talked, now stood straight and tall, basking in the attention from the other students.
“It’s just a stupid rivalry,” I muttered.
“Stupid or not,” Perry said, “those Spartans won’t get away with defacing our school.”
Troy High buzzed with energy as everyone shouted about getting revenge.
“We will take those Spartans down,” Hunter vowed.
The boys around him cheered, pumping their fists and grunting like apes. The girls clapped and bounced up and down, smiling wide.
Elena seemed at ease in the middle of this Spartan bashing. You wouldn’t believe that she had ever set foot in Lacede High from the way she cheered right along with the Trojans.
“We are
so
going to get them,” Elena said. “They’ll regret messing with us.”
“Are you forgetting you
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