CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 2
Tyler stared at me like the mop bucket had started speaking.
“What did you say?”
“I said that is enough.”
My voice was calm.
That bothered him more than anger would have.
Behind him, Emily tried to wipe ranch dressing from her skirt with a napkin. Her hands shook so badly the paper tore apart in her fingers.
I knew that kind of shaking.
Not from fear of pain.
From fear of being watched while someone takes your dignity apart piece by piece.
Tyler stepped closer to me.
He smelled like cologne, sweat, and arrogance.
“Go back to your gravy, grandma.”
A laugh broke from one of his teammates, then died when nobody else joined in.
I did not move.
Tyler’s smile hardened.
“You deaf?”
“No.”
“Then move.”
I looked up at him. He was more than six feet tall. Two hundred pounds at least. Strong enough to hurt people, young enough to think strength was the same thing as power.
I had met men like him before.
In gyms.
In arenas.
In countries where nobody spoke my language.
They always made the same mistake.
They believed intimidation had weight.
It doesn’t.
Balance does.
Tyler bumped my shoulder hard enough to make the students gasp.
I let one foot slide back.
Not stumbling.
Setting my stance.
His eyes flickered.
For the first time, he noticed I had not fallen.
“What’s wrong?” he sneered. “You want to be a hero?”
I slowly untied the side of my apron.
The fabric shifted.
Underneath, resting against my blue cafeteria uniform, a faded ribbon slipped into view.
At the end of it hung an old gold medal, tarnished at the edges but still heavy with history.
Tyler glanced down.
His smirk faltered.
Emily saw it too.
So did half the cafeteria.
I watched Tyler’s eyes move from the medal to my face.
He reached for my sleeve.
I said one word.
May you like
“Careful.”
He ignored it.
