Whatever You Want

Chapter 4

Zach despised being the new kid. It meant people noticed him. As he changed in the boys’ locker room, alongside a mix of kids who were chubby, tall and lanky or average looking, Zach could sense their glances. At 6 foot 4 with an athletic build, Zach was far from average. This reality was harder to disguise while changing.

Entering the sports hall, Zach stopped to take in his surroundings. The prominent features were the smell of feet and general shabbiness of the place. Green felt flooring was stained, matted and divided up with painted white lines that had mostly chipped away. Aside from the basketball hoops stood against the shorter two of the four bare-brick walls the space was empty, hollow and cold.

As Zach looked about, the teacher, a stocky red-haired man, pulled him to the side and shook his hand. “You must be the new TA,” Mr Turner stated. “You can start by grouping up the kids into three’s and giving each group a ball.” He threw a sack of basketballs at Zach, who did as instructed, passing them out to the other students. Zach noticed a young man ran into the building and introduce himself to Mr Turner. The pair looked over, faces full of confusion as they walked over to Zach.

“Why didn’t you tell me you aren’t the new TA?” Mr Turner asked, cheeks turning red. Some of the other kids had halted their conversations to listen in.

‘Great, so much for not attracting attention,’ Zach sighed inwardly.

“You sounded so sure,” Zach told him flatly. “Even I started to doubt myself.”

The teachers face reddened further and Zach overheard sniggers. One kid was laughing out loud.

“Shut it, Kenny!” The PE teacher shouted. Turning back to Zach to asked “How are you sixteen? Just... look at you.”

“I’m fifteen,” Zach said evenly. “I was put forward a year.”

The teacher shook his head and walked off, muttering something under his breath.

“Oh my god, that was the best thing that has ever happened in PE,” Kenny declared, draping a long skinny arm over Zach’s shoulder.

“That is the best thing to happen ever,” Kenny’s friend agreed, smiling like a maniac.

“Don’t you live with Raven? She’s hot.” Kenny said and was nudged in the side by another boy.

“Don’t you agree she’s hot, Matty?” Kenny pressed.

“That’s his sister,” Matty said, shaking his head.

“Not technically. Our parents aren’t getting married until 2020. They are both such busy people.” Zach shrugged. “But no,” he added with a grin, “I do not find her hot.”

“I bet he has a girlfriend already,” Matty said.

‘I have many,’ Zach thought. “Yup,” he said.

“Less chit chat, more passing!” Mr Turner shouted.

“s**t, what are we meant to be doing?” Kenny asked.

“Me and Kenny try to pass to each other, Zach tries to steal,” Matty said. It impressed Zach that the boy had managed to listen to the teacher’s instructions while also listening to the conversation.

In between bouncing the ball and passing, Zach listening to the boy’s chit chat and answered their probing questions. He told them about his all boys boarding school and how he had gotten expelled for elbow dropping a guy who had tried to start a fight with him. After they completed the exercise, the teacher had them stand in line to pick teams.

“New guy and Kenny are captains.”

Kenny chose a guy called Rhys first and Zach picked Matty. After that Zach chose based on Matty’s suggestions. Zach also deliberately picked the kids who he guessed would normally have been last picked. It was important that everyone liked him, not just the popular kids, and playing Mr Nice Guy was one of the many techniques that worked.

“Why d’you pick Lewis?” Matty hissed. “We’re gonna lose now.”

Zach shrugged. “It’s a school basketball game. Who gives a s**t?”

Matty pouted but didn’t argue. He soon cheered up as Zach ran circles around the other team. It turned out Matty just wanted to beat Kenny, as evidenced by his gloating after the match.

Before he could follow the other boys back to the changing room Mr Turner pulled Zach to one side. “I’m sorry about the mix-up earlier.”

“It’s fine,” Zach said and smiled.

“That was impressive. You play many sports?” The teacher asked.

“Swimming, boxing, ju-jitsu, football...” Zach trailed off.

Mr Turner glanced over at the real TA and winced as the lad almost tripped up over his own feet chasing a stray ball.

“Wow, I kinda wish you were the new TA,” Mr Turner admitted before telling Zach to go shower.