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The next day of the trial was postponed for two weeks. Something about some college kid giving a critical witness a concussion. Neil of course would know nothing about that, despite there being plenty of videos online of himself clocking Luther across the face. Allison even made a version that moved in slow motion. Looking at it in slow-motion, Neil was proud to see that Luther actually left the ground for a split second after that punch. The upperclassmen had all applauded Neil, whether it have been over the phone or in person.
Wymack had been much less enthused.
“Goddamnit Josten!” Wymack shouts, throwing his hands in the air. Neil was situated on the couch of the locker room. Aaron, Andrew, and Nicky were all out in the car. Kevin had opted to visit the Trojans for this week during the summer, training of course, Kevin had been thrilled.
“Sorry Coach,” Neil said, not particularly sorry at all.
“Do you realize how many of my hairs are grey because of your stupid inabilty to handle the press?!” Wymack yelled pointing to his head.
Neil almost mouthed off. Almost. But he caught himself.
“I handled them fine, not my fault if they can’t handle me,” Okay he almost caught himself.
Wymack sighs deeply, “I’m going to die of an aneurysm with you around. Go. Get out of here. Take the monsters to Columbia for the weekend.”
Neil stands up, not having to be told twice.
“And Josten!”
Neil stops and turns back to Wymack.
“No. More. Press. If you even see a fucking camera, you are to hide your face inside a paper bag.”
“But coach then they’ll miss my amazing smile,” Neil says, not smiling at all, but still quirking an eyebrow.”
“Josten.”
“Yes Coach?”
“Get the fuck out!!!”
“Yes Coach.”
Neil left the locker room and headed out of the court. Out front, the Maserati sat waiting. Andrew was smoking while standing outside the car. Aaron and Nicky were waiting in the backseat.
“Neil!” Neil heard a voice from behind him, and he spun around.
Katelyn was walking towards him, and at her voice Neil heard the back doors of the Maserati open up. Katelyn spared a glance to the car and waved before turning her attention back to Neil.
“Hey Katelyn,” Neil said,” Did you need something?”
Katelyn smiled,” Actually I have a deal to propose.”
Neil quirked an eyebrow. He wasn’t really the deal person, but he wasn’t uninterested.
“I want you to teach me how to clock someone like you did at the courthouse, before we go back there in two weeks,” Katelyn said.
Neil looked back to the car, the others were far enough away that they couldn’t hear the conversation. But Neil could see that they were all questioning why Katelyn was speaking with Neil.
“We are going to Columbia for the next two weeks,” Neil says shrugging his shoulders,” I think we are leaving straight from the house to go to the courthouse. Why do you want to learn anyway?”
“Would you believe me if I said self defence?”
“Probably not.”
“Okay fine,” Katelyn says,” I really just want to lay a couple of those people out like you did. Especially Luther.”
“I already laid Luther out,” Neil says, crossing his arms.
“Are you saying it wouldn’t be satisfying to watch again?”
“I would be lying,” Neil says shrugging,” And I promised a certain person I wouldn’t be lying anymore.” Neil chanced a glance at Andrew, who had finished his cigarette and was watching the scene in front of him with interest.
“If you teach me, I’ll teach you.”
Neil’s head tilts to the side in confusion, “Teach me what?”
“Gymnastics,” Katelyn says with a smile.
Neil takes a step back, “Why would I want to learn gymnastics?”
“Increased flexibility,” Katelyn provides.
“You have my attention.”
“Not to mention you’d learn how to be lighter on your feet, which means your reflexes and such might get faster as well as your movement speed,” Katelyn adds, “Not to mention I know my boy enjoys a good bit of flexibility in bed. I’m willing to bet yours does too. Not to mention it’s fun.”
Neil stares at Katelyn for a moment, pondering. Honestly he felt like Andrew, analyzing a deal like this. He even took a moment to realize that he didn’t have any intention not to teach Katelyn even if she hadn’t offered a trade. The possibility of watching Luther get knocked on his ass again was too good to pass up.
“You know Andrew is a better fighter than me,” Neil says.
“He’d rather teach himself how to carve me into pieces then teach me how to fight,” Katelyn responds, raising an eyebrow. And Neil can’t argue that fact.
Neil glances over to the car again. They were all looking at the two of them. If Neil took the deal he’d have to either stay here for the two weeks, and interrupt the plans. Or he’d have to talk Andrew into letting Katelyn come. Neil wasn’t sure which one was going to be more possible. Convincing Andrew to stay, or getting Andrew to let Katelyn go.
“Stay here,” Neil tells Katelyn.
Neil walks over to the car and walks up to Andrew. The blonde’s gaze moves from Neil to Katelyn, and then back to Neil.
“Katelyn and I are making a deal,” Neil says to Andrew.
Andrew quirks an eyebrow in question. Neil doesn’t elaborate further, instead he waits to see if Andrew asks.
“What’s the deal?” Andrew asks.
Neil shakes his head,” It’s a surprise.”
“I hate surprises,” Andrew says unimpressed.
“Okay it’s not a surprise but I can’t tell you because there is a 50/50 chance of you talking me out of it. And I don’t want to be talked out of it.”
Neil didn’t exactly want to explain that they were plotting to knock Andrew’s Uncle to the floor again. Wymack had said Neil couldn’t clock anyone. Wymack hadn’t said anything about Katelyn.
“Will you get hurt?” Andrew asks, pulling out another cigarette.
“Possibly,” Neil says truthfully,” But that’s because of her part of the deal.”
Andrew slants a bored look Neil’s way, “Which is?”
“Teaching me gymnastics.”
Andrew had turned back to lighting his cigarette, but he pauses at this revelation. His head turn towards Neil is slow. And he’s raising an unimpressed eyebrow when they finally lock eyes.
“Why?”
“It will increase my flexibility, my agility, and maybe even my speed on the court,” Neil says with no fanfare, but still he let’s a bit of excitement into his words.
Andrew sighs,” Junkie.”
“Your Junkie,” Neil smirks.
“Why are you telling me all this?” Andrew asks, finally pulling Neil to the heart of the problem.
Neil takes a deep breath,” The deal has a time limit of two weeks from now,” Neil says, “So to fulfill it, I need to either stay, or we need to take her with us.”
Andrew pauses. Neil can see the possibilities flipping through Andrew’s mind.
Finally Andrew stubs out his cigarette and puts the half burned stick away for later.
“Tell her not to talk to me the entire time or she’s leaving in a body bag,” Andrew says climbing into the driver’s seat. Nicky and Aaron had gotten back in the car when Neil and Andrew started talking, so Neil waves a hand for Katelyn to hurry up and get in the car.
The ride to Columbia went smoothly enough. And Sweetie’s wasn’t a problem either. However when they got to Eden’s Twilight, instead of going to dance with Aaron and Nicky, Katelyn stayed behind at the table with Neil and Andrew. Aaron had sent Neil a glare. Though Neil wasn’t sure what he had done wrong. Katelyn, however, had waved Aaron off.
“Aaron,” Katelyn said leveling him with a stare, “The guy is either gay or somewhere on the ace spectrum so relax.”
It suddenly occurred to Neil that Aaron had been jealous.
As the look of realization passes over Neil’s face, Andrew lets out a quiet huff before heading to the bar to get drinks. Aaron stared at Katelyn for a moment questioningly before glaring at Neil and following Nicky to the dance floor.
Neil fidgets for a second. Katelyn had mentioned him being on the ace spectrum, and he was surprised that someone seemed to even factor the ace spectrum in. Many people on the team didn’t understand the spectrum, hell, even Andrew had thought that ace meant never having sex. Neil had spent time pouring over his sexuality after the end of his first year at Palmetto. He had gone through countless websites, using the laptop Allison had bought for him. Eventually he had settled on a sexuality that just made sense, Demisexuality.
Neil stared at Katelyn for a moment. She tore her eyes away from Aaron as the asshole got lost in the crowd and focused back onto Neil.
“You know about the ace spectrum?” Neil asked.
“I would hope so,” Katelyn says smiling,” I am on it after all.”
Neil’s eyes shoot up and he stares at Katelyn for a moment in shock.
“You are!?” Neil asks in surprise. Because shouldn’t Aaron understand the spectrum more if his girlfriend was on it,” How does Aaron not understand it then?”
Katelyn shrugs, “It’s really not that important to me, so I don’t feel the need to tell him. All that matters is that I want him . Telling him I am demisexual wouldn’t change that, and him knowing that about me wouldn’t change our relationship. If he finds out, he finds out. But I’m not about to explain it to him in detail.”
Neil stares in awe at Katelyn, “I’m Demi too,” Neil says. He can feel a small smile quirk at the corner of his mouth, and he reflexively covers it.
Katelyn grabs Neil’s hand and she smiles wide, “Seriously!? Oh my god! This is amazing. We totally have to hang out more.”
Neil fidgets uncomfortably. Hanging out with Katelyn seemed like a stressful experience. But at the same time a certain part of him latched onto the idea. It was ridiculous, but the fact that Katelyn understood that small part of him, made Neil want to be around the girl a bit more. And it wasn’t like Katelyn was boring. The girl wanted to punch someone in the face and was having Neil teach her how.
“Yeah,” Neil says finally,” Maybe we could hang out some more.”
“Does Andrew know?” Katelyn asks.
Neil knows she means sexuality, and the idea sent another surge of anxiety through him. It would be a lie to say that Andrew was the only one Neil would ever be attracted to. But Neil knew in his heart that Andrew was it for him. Neil would never trust someone as much as he trusted Andrew. Neil would never emotionally click with someone like he had with Andrew. There was nobody out there quite like Andrew.
But Neil is sure that Andrew could have plenty of options. Andrew obviously cared about Neil. But would that care survive past graduation. Did Andrew want this “nothing” to last. A part of Neil didn’t want to tell Andrew there was an attachment. A part of him knew Andrew would run if he knew.
“No,” Neil says quietly. His eyes flitting down to his soda.
Katelyn nods, Neil can see it in his peripheral vision.
“Well you have no obligation to tell him,” Katelyn says waving the conversation away,” That being said I’m happy you confided in me.”
A tray of drinks slams down onto the table, and Katelyn jumps away to avoid getting splashed with alcohol. Andrew shoots her an unimpressed look before sitting down next to Neil.
“Confided in you about what?” Andrew’s tone is icy, but yet Katelyn doesn’t flinch. Hell, she doesn’t even react to Andrew at all. Instead she keeps her eyes trained on Neil.
“I’m thinking we should start with flexibility when training you,” Katelyn says. The change in conversation and the lack of fear in her eyes throws Neil for a second, but he finds his footing quick enough.
“I’m already pretty flexible,” Neil states. Beside him Andrew tenses with anger. And suddenly a knife is out and being pointed at Katelyn.
“I asked you a question,” Andrew said voice low,” You will not ignore me.”
Katelyn pauses in what she had been about to say. She glances at the knife in Andrew’s hand, and then she stares Andrew right in the eyes.
“You told me the sound of my voice was unbearable,” Katelyn says smartly,” And that I was not to ever speak with you, I was just doing what you asked.”
Andrew’s grip on the knife in his hand loosened slightly and for a moment Neil was sure Andrew would drop the knife in shock. But Andrew simply allowed his jaw to clench. He shoved his knife back where it came from and he schooled his features back to his apathetic expression.
Katelyn raised an eyebrow, “I’m not telling you what he confided in me because it wouldn’t be right to share his secret. But if it makes you feel better, and ensures you won’t push him for an answer, then feel better in knowing this secret won’t get him or anyone hurt or killed. And the only reason he told me is because I have the same secret.”
Andrew stares at her for a moment, calculating something. Finally he looks to Neil.
“It’s true,” Neil says, “And I will tell you eventually, just not yet.”
Andrew doesn’t respond other than a soft nod. His eyes find Nicky and Aaron on the dance floor. Katelyn, however, has a proud smile on her face. And Neil finds himself even more excited to hang out with her.
The next morning they went for a run around town, trying to decide on a place to spar. Aaron had given them a dirty look when leaving so it was a good thing they settled on a park near the house to spar at. Aaron likely wouldn’t have liked walking in on seeing Neil pin his girlfriend. And neither Katelyn or Neil wanted their twins to be the responsible ones in this situation, responsible action meant Luther not being punched. And that was just a crime against humanity.
The first of their lessons goes as expected. Neil was the better fighter of the two of them. He could pin Katelyn within seconds.
Katelyn, however, wasn’t a wimp. Her mile run time was only a second slower than Neil’s. Her agility and movement speed was incredible. And when she managed to land a hit, it fucking hurt. She had potential. And that potential was thrilling.
By the fifth day of training, Katelyn managed to flatten Neil for a second. Her stance was still off though, and Neil managed to kick her knee out from under her before she could pin him. For a split second Katelyn had laid there shaking, and Neil panicked, thinking he had hurt his friend somehow. But then she let out a wheezing laugh, and pulled the same move on Neil. Neil yelped, embarrassingly, and wheezed as his back hit the ground. Katelyn grinned and pinned him.
“Unfair,” Neil wheezes,” That’s playing dirty.”
Playing dirty or not, it was still impressive.
On the seventh day they came across a new problem. As Katelyn slowly got better, the intensity of their sparring ramped up too. Meaning bruises, that if found would alert the twins’ danger senses.
Katelyn was quick with a solution though. Running them through the house as fast as she could, “I’m doing Neil’s makeup!” she shouted in response to the questioning glances sent their way as they slammed the bathroom door shut.
The twins had been suspicious, but it wasn’t anything that Neil and Katelyn couldn’t handle. After seeing the makeup on Neil’s face. Blue eyeshadow that made his irises pop apparently, Aaron was too busy making jokes, and Andrew was too busy keeping his eyes off of Neil.
On day 8 of sparring, rain poured from the sky. That didn’t stop the demi-duo from their mission though. In fact the two stayed out longer than normal. Katelyn started teaching Neil a few gymnastic moves, and then Neil began incorporating flexibility and gymnastics into some of the fighting moves.
Again they had to sprint to the bathroom and cover up the bruises that covered their bodies. And again the twins looked at them with intense suspicion.
The night before the second day of the trial, Katelyn could regularly pin Neil to the ground. No trickery needed.
The ride to the courthouse was somber, and once they got there, Wymack was waiting.
“Josten,” Wymack gave Neil a hard stare,” No punching anybody this time. If you go and cause trouble I will be making you run a marathon.”
Neil nods slightly, afterall, he didn’t need to cause trouble this time around. He had a helper for that. He found a loophole and he was definitely exploiting it.
The trial went much the same as last time, only different people being called up. The whole thing was taking far too much time. And Neil felt that it was unnecessary that the whole thing was going to take three days when it should have only taken one. The whole thing set Neil’s mind on a dangerous edge. And it was likely worse for Andrew.
Much like last time Luther made an approach, though this time he stood closer to Aaron and Katelyn. A smart move truly, but the man was still stupid.
“Andrew,” Luther said,” I only want what’s best for you. You should know this. I’ve only ever wanted what is best for you boys. And I’m sorry that I failed you. I’m sorry that you’ve ended up here.”
If Luther was even slightly a decent human being, Neil might have assumed that Luther meant “here” as in, in a courthouse baring the dark secrets of Andrew’s life story for everyone to see. But Luther was so far from a decent human being that even the Devil probably wished to never see the man. And Neil caught the quick glance that fell in his direction.
Funny, Neil thought, Luther must not like him. Neil wondered why.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Katelyn asked annoyed.
Everyone’s eyes shot to her, not expecting her to speak. Katelyn normally stayed as quiet support, but her eyes were hardened and a sadistic smile was on her face as she asked her question to Luther. Aaron took a few steps back from his girlfriend.
“I’m just sorry if we are the reason you ended up with that boy,” Luther says gesturing to Neil but talking to Andrew. “You could have done better.”
“That’s adorable,” Katelyn cooed mockingly, “You think your opinion matters.”
Behind them Neil heard Wymack approach, “What the hell is taking so long? Is Neil causing trouble again? Josten- “
Wymack cut himself off when Luther began to speak again.
“It’s not an opinion,” Luther says to Katelyn,” If he had never been turned- “
Katelyn pretended to vomit,” Oh God!” She said pretending to gag, “Neil, Jesus, I can taste the bullshit in the air. It’s fucking disgusting. Sir please close your mouth before you infect this entire area with toxic waste.”
Luther looked offended. Neil wondered why.
Neil felt himself smiling, and he didn’t dare look at anyone but Katelyn, Lest they figure out he had helped mastermind this whole plan.
“Oh god,” Neil hear’s Wymack mutter,” There are two of them.”
Neil winced and sent a mental apology to Wymack again.
Luther’s face hardened, and Aaron made to step forward, stopping when Katelyn threw up a hand. “Show some respect, you impolite child,” Luther spat at Katelyn.
Katelyn took a moment to inspect her nails. She was in heels and a short dress. Briefly Neil wondered if Katelyn would be okay throwing a punch in that outfit. But then he remembered Katelyn’s amazing balance and shoved the concern away.
“Make me,” Katelyn said, still inspecting her nails. And Neil couldn’t fight the smile anymore. He watched as Luther stood there shocked. Likely thrown off by how Katelyn was acting. “No?” Katelyn asked when Luther didn’t move, “Okay then we are leaving. Neil grab your man and let’s go.”
Neil finally looks to Andrew, who is watching Neil with a look of suspicion. Neil smirks and holds out his hand, Andrew takes it.
Neil faces back towards Katelyn just in time to see Luther make a grab at Aaron.
“Aaron wait- “
Luther cut himself off when Katelyn snatched Luther’s wrist. Luther’s face was twisted into pain. Neil knew exactly how tight that grip was.
Katelyn lightly shoved Aaron towards Nicky and points at Luther angrily, “You don’t fucking touch him. You don’t touch any of them. They aren’t your family. And they sure as hell aren’t your dolls. You are right, you did fail them. But they ended up alright, in fact they ended up fantastic. And they ended up that way thanks to themselves. They owe you nothing. Nicky ended up great. Aaron ended up great. And Andrew has the healthiest relationship I’ve ever seen, whether he wants to admit it’s a relationship or not.
Katelyn throws Luther’s hand down.
They gave Luther a chance to walk away. If he had been smart he would have taken it.
Luther however raised his hand to slap her, “You little- “
Katelyn kicked at Luther’s shins, sending the man to the floor. Her knee came up into Luther’s gut. And then her fist slammed into Luther’s face.
She stood up, shaking out her hand with a smile.
“Yeah,” Katelyn says smirking, “Don’t touch me either you disgusting prick.”
Katelyn turns back to them, she goes to give Neil a thumbs up, but she grimaces in pain.
“I thought I taught you how to punch better than that!?” Neil says.
Neil can almost hear the snap of necks as everyone looks at him in surprise.
“He pissed me off.” Katelyn responds.
“All the more reason to do it the way I taught you!!! Then you could have broken his jaw!!!”
Katelyn stares at Neil for a moment, obviously annoyed, before turning and punching Luther in the jaw as he was trying to get back up. The jawbone made a sickening crack and there was a scream of pain before Luther hit the ground.
“Okay yeah,” Katelyn says smiling, “That sounded better.”
Neil was about to smile, was about to give Katelyn a high five and praise her for a job well done.
But that’s when the noise of a dying man came from behind them. Neil turns around quickly to see Wymack leaning against a stone pillar, his face against the wall.
“Josten,” Wymack’s voice sounded dead inside.
“Yes Coach?”
“You and Katelyn are to go straight to the locker room and wait when you get back.”
“Yes Coach.”