Bab 5: Kill him with kindness.
After a not-very-active Friday, Perse was happy to be wrapping up this exhausting week with PE. Most girls hated it, but it was her favorite subject after Algebra. Coach Reynolds blew his whistle and shouted for everyone to go for another lap. Most of the students grumbled under their breaths to each other but knew that complaining out loud would only earn them an extra lap.
Perse hadn't seen Asher the entire day. He wasn't there in Algebra, and she hadn't seen him in the hallways, or the cafeteria. Was he mad at her for what she said? Was she too harsh with him? Perse couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. For all she knew, she was the reason he didn't show up today.
"Carlisle!" Coach Reynolds called from across the gym, and Perse stopped running to look at him. "A word please,"
She jogged towards him.
"Yes Coach?" she panted and wiped the sweat off her forehead as she looked up at him.
"How's everything?" he asked, and Coach Reynolds didn't miss the way Perse's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
'That's a weird question to ask. Is it a trick question that has a specific answer?' she couldn't help but wonder. She wanted to tell him that she didn't know how to answer that question. She pondered for a minute as to what exactly she was supposed to answer... What exactly did the coach mean? Being called by your teacher just so he could ask you how 'everything is' wasn't normal.
"Everything? " she asked. "I don't___"
"With Thorne." he specified, and Perse's mouth made an 'O' shape as she nodded with understanding, "How are things going with Thorne? Any progress?"
Perse nervously played with her earring. She was formulating a way she could tell him that she didn't think she could tutor him because Asher probably didn't want her help. That they had a mild disagreement and now the guy is nowhere to be found.
"I don't know Coach, I don't think I'm the right person for the job."
"Why's that? What happened?" Coach Reynolds folded his arms over his chest as he tried to hide his concern.
"Nothing... Well, not nothing. "
"He did something?"
"It's not what he did___ it's what he didn't!" Perse said, and then hesitated, debating whether or not she should tell him at all. Would that get him into trouble with Coach Reynolds? Would he kick him out of the team because of it? She didn't want to be the one responsible for ruining his future.
But then again, it was Coach Reynolds who approached her to Coach Asher. So he clearly cared a lot about him. She couldn't just do that to him because he missed their first session. Was she over-analyzing everything and blowing it out of proportion?
"We haven't begun the tutoring lessons yet. We were supposed to, but then he failed to show up yesterday. We had a minor exchange of words yesterday and we haven't talked since. He hasn't shown up to school either so__" she shrugged her shoulder, "I don't know. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea,"
"So he isn't cooperating?" Perse responded by shaking her head, "Then I'll talk to him___"
"I already did. And now I'm leaving it up to him to ponder over it. Don't shove it down his throat Coach. He has to want this if this is to work. When he decides that he needs a tutor, then I'm more than willing to help him."
"You said 'when' not 'if'," the Coach smiled, a hopeful expression on his face.
"Because I think he'll eventually come around." Perse shrugged her shoulder and gave Coach Reynolds a small smile. The latter nodded thoughtfully and stared off into space. "Coach? If I may ask," she began, and Coach Reynolds nodded for her to continue. "Why do you care so much about Asher?"
The coach smiled.
"He's a good kid," He answered, without as much as thinking about it. Like he genuinely believed it.
"Forgive me for saying this but___ if you're using Asher as the scale, then everyone is 'a good kid'," Perse said and the coach gave a good-natured laugh. "I mean it coach! He's super difficult. And I'm starting to feel like he's doing stuff to intentionally get a rise out of me,"
"Well he probably is... so don't play into his hand. Don't let him get a rise out of you!" he chuckled, and Perse shook her head. She had a feeling Coach Reynolds knew Asher better than anyone else, and he probably understood, better than anyone, what she was talking about.
"You make it sound so easy,"
"It is easy!"
'Okay. So maybe he doesn't completely understand what she was talking about'. Nothing about dealing with Asher was easy. Even his last name was prickly. Perse has always been known for her patience... but where does it all vanish to when she's dealing with Asher?
"Maybe what Asher needs now is a friend, not a tutor. Just try killing him with kindness," he finally said.
'Kill him with kindness?' Perse didn't share the same sentiment. Asher was the kind of guy more interested in being feared and not loved. He seemed to find comfort in being alone. Who found comfort in being alone? she thought to herself. If he wanted friends, he'd fit in perfectly with the rebels. He could fit in with the jocks as well if he didn't find picking fights with them to be more entertaining. But she didn't bother saying it out loud. She didn't think that was something Coach Reynolds needed to hear.
"I'll try Coach," she just nodded, and the coach smiled.
"He's had it rough," the coach said after a while and Perse stopped in her tracks to listen. "He hasn't had the easiest of childhoods growing up. His family is... well... complicated. Someone has to be there to look out for him. That's why I care so much about him,"
She wanted to ask questions... a lot of questions. But something told her that this was as much as Coach Reynolds was going to say. So instead, she just nodded in understanding.
Coach Reynolds blew the whistle twice, and Perse took that as her cue to leave. She went and joined the others as they formed a small circle in the middle of the gym. But she still couldn't stop thinking about what Coach Reynolds said. What did he mean? What exactly was Asher's life like? Could his 'having things rough' be the reason why he tries so hard to make himself unapproachable?
All of a sudden, she wanted to know everything about Asher Jayden Thorne. She wanted to know where he was from. She wanted to know his family. What he liked, what he didn't like. She wanted to know what made him tick... She wanted to befriend him.
"Stone, West. I want you to pick out your dodgeball teams," the coach announced, and that got everyone's attention. Dodgeball has always been a chance to 'settle scores' in Monroe High, and even though Perse didn't have any scores to settle, she was pretty enthusiastic about the game.
Josh West, the football quarterback, and Logan Stone, the basketball captain, tossed a coin to determine who would pick first. It landed on heads, and Josh arrogantly smirked at his little victory. His first pick was Perse, which was to be expected. Whether it was because Persephone had, on multiple occasions, proved to be extremely good at dodgeball, or because Josh has been known to think with his hormones and not his head, was yet to be determined. But Perse did a little victory dance as she joined Josh.
Josh and Logan simultaneously picked teams until no one was left. The teams stood on opposite sides, each of them with a confident, almost cocky grin on their face.
"Are you ready to destroy them P?" Josh asked his entire demeanor seemingly ready for the challenge ahead.
"My name literally means 'Bringer of Destruction'__ so what do you think?" Perse smiled, the same determination in her eyes as she tied her hair in a loose ponytail. "Are you ready?"
Josh smirked as she looked down at Perse... standing 5'3 with confidence triple her height. He'd have laughed, but he knew she had the talent to back it up.
"I was born with a trophy in my hand P. I don't lose,"
"Time to back it up then J. Do you want a friendly wager?" Perse challenged, and Josh ran his hand through his blonde hair, intrigue written clearly on his face.
"Like a bet? The loser has to kiss the winner?"
"I feel like that's going to benefit only one of us," Perse rolled her eyes as Josh smirked and wiggled his eyebrows.
"So that's a maybe?"
"That's a no,"
"Loser has to do whatever the winner wants__ within reason of course," Josh suggested, "Unless... you're scared,"
"Of what? You? Oh darling," she chuckled, "Get off your high horse. Persephone Ariadne Carlisle doesn't lose to anyone... not in class, not on the track, not in dodgeball."
"Challenge accepted then?" Josh forwarded his arm towards Perse. She looked at him keenly- analyzing him. She knew he was good, but she believed she was better. She wasn't scared of whatever dare Josh had in mind because she knew she wasn't going to lose.
She shook his hand, confidence radiating off of her.
"Prepare to know what losing feels like,"
Hadiah
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