Will looked up from the phone and found a target for his rage. Brendan was saying something, but Will wasn’t listening. “You took these?” he asked, clenching the phone in his fist and stepping close to Brendan.

“No, no, man. Come on. I wouldn’t do that,” Brendan said. He sounded scared. He was caught between Will and the gym lockers, and his two friends were backing away.

“Then how’d you get them?” Will asked, his face almost touching Brendan’s.

“What’s she, your girlfriend or something? You know, your friend was all over her. I’m not the guy who did anything.” Then, seeing the enraged look on Will’s face, he said, “Look, I’m not the only one who has them. It’s nothing personal.”

“It’s fucking personal!” Will yelled, and he swung at Brendan, catching him hard across his left cheek.

Brendan slid halfway down the lockers, clutching his eye. He let out a moan, and then he focused on Will with his good eye. The words made no sense to Will. His friend was all over her? He’d never seen the kid who’d hurt Maddie before in his life.

Before he knew what he was doing, he was punching Brendan over and over again, the phone still curled in his fist. It felt so good to hit him that he never wanted to stop. With each solid slam of his fist into flesh, the force that had been building up inside him unbearably over the last few days was finally set loose.

The locker room door banged open and Will’s track coach ran in. He grabbed Will under his arms and dragged him, still swinging, to the showers. As the cold water poured down on Will, he took big gulps of air, trying to catch his breath.

“What is going on with you, O’Connor?” the coach shouted, shaking his head. He tossed him a towel. “Dry off. We’re going to the principal’s office.”

Dr. Johnson sat on the edge of his desk, his arms folded. “You know,” he said. “This is the first time that you’ve been in my office for a disciplinary matter in four years at this school. Not like your brother. He was in here all the time. It’s a shame. He was a smart kid, but he made bad choices.”

“Maybe I’m more like him than you think,” Will said, feeling reckless.

“Maybe,” Dr. Johnson said. “But I don’t think so. I guess we’ll see. At any rate, I should suspend you.”

Will swallowed. A suspension would go on his record. It was the last thing he needed right now. “It was between me and Brendan,” Will said. “It was personal. There’s no reason why the school needs to get involved in our fight.”