Jack wasn't late for school, and even if he was, they wouldn't count it against him. He was a Bolton. Boltons had ruled the school for 40 years. And ever since his father had led the Wildcats to victory of the West High Knights, fifteen years before, the basket-cats hadn't lost a championship.
But still, something in Jack's life wasn't right. He wanted something more than this. Troy had never pushed his son into anything, including basketball. It was his grandfather who had done that.
In homeroom, Jack received a text message from his friend Jason Danforth. "Free period practice?" it read. Darbus still hated cell phones. She confiscated and issued detentions to all students who had taken their's out. That included Jack and Bobby. Jack reverted to "old school" messaging and wrote a note to Ryan. "I can't be there. Gotta catch up on homework. Run some passing drills. Last week's game wasn't too good in that area."
The bell rang and the students filed out of the room. Jack was deep in thought and didn't even notice the girl until he had plowed into her. Her papers went flying and Jack helped pick them up. He was distracted by a bright orange flyer reading "Power of the Pen. Expressing your thoughts through writing." He sighed and handed the papers to the girl.
"I'm really sorry." he didn't recognize her "Are you new here?"
"No. But you probably wouldn't know that." She said. She didn't mean it in a snotty way and Jack understood that. She was just quiet, he assumed.
"Well, I'm Jack Bolton." He extended his hand.
"I'm Isabella." She walked past him not giving him another glance.
Jack didn't spend his free period catching up on homework. He walked around the school, thinking. Thinking about everything that was missing from his life. No one knew this but, Jack wanted to be a writer. All his life he had written short stories during study hall and free period. He had never told his father for fear of rejection. Even though his father wasn't judgmental or controlling, Jack felt as if he would be a let down. Jack sighed deeply and went to second period.
