"Yes, sir," both boys replied, though Chase's eyes held defiance.
In the hallway outside, Brent ran a hand through his hair. "That was close."
"It was nothing," Chase dismissed. "Empty threats. My father would have his job if he tried anything real."
"Maybe we should cool it for a while," Brent suggested. "This is getting out of hand."
Chase turned on him. "Getting cold feet? Fine. Logan and I can handle this ourselves."
As they rounded the corner, they nearly collided with Sammy, who was hunched over a tablet, apparently absorbed in coding.
"Watch where you're going, freak," Chase snapped.
Sammy didn't respond, his expression unchanged as he continued down the hall. Neither boy noticed the small device attached to the underside of his tablet, recording their every word.
Later that afternoon, Yasmin found herself in an unexpected conversation with Mr. Bennett, a substitute PE teacher who had taken over for Coach Wilson that week.
"James," Mr. Bennett repeated, glancing at his clipboard. "Amara James. That's the blind student, correct?"
"Yes," Yasmin confirmed, wondering where this was going.
"I noticed her movement patterns during class. Very controlled, very precise." He hesitated. "Does she have martial arts training, by any chance?"
Yasmin blinked in surprise. "I... I'm not sure. Why?"
"Just curious," Mr. Bennett replied casually. "I used to compete in tournaments. You develop an eye for certain postures, certain ways of moving. She carries herself like someone with training."
Yasmin made a non-committal sound, but her mind was racing, connecting dots that had been scattered before her all along.