Outside the library, just a few steps away, someone else was also listening to this conversation.
Blake Harrison stood against the wall near the window, every word from Jamal and Mr. Reynolds sinking into the deepest corners of his mind. When he heard the three words "professional fighter," his breath hitched.
He had thought Jamal was just a stubborn kid, a student with a bit of courage, but now he realized he had completely misjudged him. Jamal wasn't some weakling who suddenly fought back. He was a predator trained to control his instincts.
And that made Blake angrier than ever. He couldn't let this go on. He couldn't let the whole school think he had been defeated. He wouldn't accept this ending like this.
And in that moment, a plan began to form in his mind—a plan not just for revenge, but to put Jamal in a position where he couldn't escape. Because if Jamal wanted to play the patience game, Blake would force him to choose between standing still and acting. And he knew exactly how to make that happen.
Blake couldn't bear the humiliation. He had always been the victor, not because he was stronger than everyone else, but because he knew how to control the game, how to break others' confidence before they had a chance to fight back. But this time things hadn't gone the way he wanted. He had expected a frightened Jamal, a Jamal cornered, a Jamal desperately begging for forgiveness. Instead he faced a Jamal standing tall, a Jamal calm as if this was no big deal, a Jamal making him feel like he was the one being threatened.
And the worst part was everyone had seen it. The whole school was talking about how Blake Harrison and his group had been defeated—not by a fair fight, but by the undeniable truth that Jamal was stronger, that he couldn't break him, that he had lost.
He could feel the change in the way people looked at him. Those who once looked at him with respect now gave him doubtful glances, as if they were reassessing whether he was still the king of Brookside High. He couldn't let this continue. He had to take back control.
And the moment he overheard the conversation between Jamal and Mr. Reynolds, an idea formed in his mind—a plan not just for revenge, but to make sure Jamal couldn't keep avoiding him.
Blake started spreading rumors. At first he told just a few people, but like all rumors, once you plant a small seed in the right spot, it spreads like wildfire through dry woods.
"Jamal is just a coward. If he's really that good, why doesn't he fight me?"
"He only knows how to sneak attack when no one's watching."
"If he was really tough, why doesn't he face me like a man?"
"Maybe he just got lucky, or maybe he's only strong when facing someone like Matt."
Blake didn't need to say much. He just needed to plant an idea in their heads, and they'd turn it into the truth. As the students heard these rumors, they began to question things themselves.
"Yeah, why didn't Jamal fight Blake if he was really that good?"
"If he truly wasn't afraid of anyone, why didn't he stand up and prove it?"
Those questions started to spread from whispers in the hallways to murmurs in the cafeteria. Just the day before, Jamal had been the hero students had looked at with admiration, but now he was the one they doubted.
Blake had changed the story. Now Jamal wasn't the one who had beaten Blake; he was the one avoiding a fair fight. No longer the strong one, but the coward hiding.
When Jamal entered the cafeteria that noon, he felt the shift immediately. No more admiring looks like yesterday, no more wary glances. Instead there were quick, doubtful stares, whispers that followed him as he walked by, heads turning away hastily when he glanced back.
Connor, always wanting to make things more dramatic, just happened to walk past Jamal's table and said loud enough for everyone to hear: "I guess some people are only tough when no one's looking."
Ryan immediately chimed in: "Or maybe they're only tough against Matt. You know, Matt's not exactly the brightest."
Laughter erupted around them.
Jamal stayed silent, but he didn't need to say anything. He could feel what was happening. He wasn't new to manipulation like this. He knew exactly what Blake was trying to do.
Blake was forcing him to show his hand. He wanted to turn their battle into something inevitable. He wanted to turn Jamal from a victor into a coward, someone who would have to stand up and defend his honor by stepping into a fight.
Blake had already set up. Jamal looked to the far end of the cafeteria. Blake was sitting there, arms crossed, watching him with a smug grin. He had been pulled into this game.
Jamal knew that if he kept ignoring it, the rumors would only spread further. If he kept silent, people would think Blake was right. If he refused the fight, not only would he lose respect, but he'd also put himself in a weak position.
Blake had set a trap, and Jamal knew that the only way to destroy that trap was to face it head-on. But the question was: was he ready to do it his way, or would he get sucked into Blake's?
Jamal could beat Blake. That was never the issue. But winning a fight didn't mean winning a war, and he needed to think carefully before stepping into the game Blake had laid out.
---
Blake couldn't let the rumor grow on its own. He needed to control it, shape it in the most beneficial way for himself. People like him never let things get out of hand, and this time was no different. He needed one final move to corner Jamal, forcing him to choose between fighting or accepting eternal humiliation.
He had been planning this moment all day, and that afternoon he made it happen.
When the bell rang to signal the end of class, instead of letting everyone scatter as usual, Blake stepped into the middle of the sports field where students were still hanging around before heading home and loudly declared to the crowd:
"Listen up, everyone!"