And then, slowly, something else started to change.
Emma noticed it on a Tuesday in February.
Three older boys she didn't recognize had started coming to watch the school group train. They weren't students at Westbrook. They were Iron Crown fighters, Hale's guys, a couple of years older than Jake, with shaved heads and logo hoodies. They leaned against the wall by the door and laughed while the beginners practiced.
The loudest one was a broad-shouldered twenty-one-year-old named Cole Ritter. Emma had seen his name on fight posters. He was undefeated, and he wanted everyone to know it.
"That's what you're doing?" Cole called out, watching Jake show a freshman how to break a fall. "Babysitting?"
A few of the beginners laughed nervously. Jake's ears turned red.
"It's fundamentals," Jake said.
"It's pathetic." Cole grinned. "Victor's paying good money for you, bro. Don't waste it teaching nerds how to lie down."
His eyes moved around the room and landed on Noah, who was standing at the edge of the mat in shorts that were too big for him, holding his inhaler.
"Especially that one. What is he, nine?"
The other two laughed.
Noah pushed his glasses up his nose and looked at the floor.
Emma stood up from her desk by the door. She didn't hurry. She walked across the gym, her limp barely noticeable on the polished floor, and stopped about three feet from Cole Ritter.
"This is a school training session," she said. "Visitors need to sign in at the front office. You didn't. So I'm going to ask you to leave."
Cole looked her up and down. Then he laughed.
"Oh, it's you. The viral lady. The Navy SEAL." He made little quotation marks with his fingers. "I saw the video. Nice trick. Jake was half asleep. Wouldn't work on somebody who actually knows what he's doing."
"Probably not," Emma said pleasantly. "Front office is down the hall to the left, if you'd like to sign in properly next time."
He stared at her. She held his eyes. She didn't blink, didn't smile, didn't move.
He looked away first.
"Whatever," he said. "Come on, guys."
When they were gone, the gym let out a breath.