A week had passed since the incident that had distanced so many people at school from Alex. If he wasn't a loser he was a bully and if not that then an animal. He sighed as he finished putting his books into his locker and replacing them with his gym clothes. The coach had called a practice for the afternoon excusing the team from any and all other academic classes. There was a big game coming up and the coach wanted his players prepped and ready, not that there was much to worry about with Alex, or so he thought.

Closing his locker with a clang he turned to see Riley being chatted to by a group of girls, he knew them to be the bitchy sort and had always stayed away from them. He was surprised at how quickly they could form and change opinions. From jumping on him when he had first started attending school to now making snide remarks as he passed in the hallways or as he could only guess they were doing now; try to steal away his best friend. [i]And for what?[/i] He wondered, shits and giggles?

Alex watched as Riley left with the other girls instead of him, her usual partner for lunch. For a usually unemotional guy a lot of emotions were travelling through him right now. Mainly [b]hurt[/b]. Giving a hefty sigh he slung his bag over one shoulder and headed out the front of the school and down to the gates where he stood for a while, until the lunch period was over. Looking over his shoulder at the large clock on the front of the school as the bell rang Alex smiled a thin smile at no one in particular and headed off for the practice field.

[i]"Hey, hey! George! You're a fucking animal man!"[/i] One of the lads from the team proclaimed clapping Alex on the shoulder, this seemed to be more of a compliment than an insult. [i]"What you did to that asshole... Man, it was glorious! Awesome dude, awesome."[/i] The lads that had encircled him headed over to the pitch already in their sweats and t-shirts and gestured for Alex to do the same. He smiled over at them and headed to the on-field changing rooms. He pulled on his baggy black sweat pants and usual loose olive green t-shirt with sleeves that almost came down to his elbows. There was something about baggy clothes that Alex just liked and it was usually this particular attire he would wear for any kind of physical education. He slipped into his DC shoes and headed out onto the field, bringing his bat with him, some of the guys from the team had carved a small lightening bolt near the top to show how they thought of Alex and his "incredible swing".

Alex looked up into the bleachers, hope in his eyes as he thought that maybe Riley would have come out to see him, she had skipped class in the past to watch Alex and the coach usually had her back. The coach didn't mind so long as Alex was on top form. When there was no sign of her, he slumped not being able to deny that he was maybe just a little disappointed in his so called friend.