Chapter 1 - Fallen Prince

Asher

*Contains homophobic slurs*

Pure dread - that is all that I am feeling right now.

Mrs Williams is handing out the results of our test papers, and I know I failed. I can feel it. Chemistry was never my strong point, but I have done exceptionally badly this semester. She draws closer to me and puts the test on my desk, but I refuse to look down at it. If I failed this one, it would be my fourth one this year and if I fail in general, I could kiss my position as quarterback goodbye. My jaw is clenched shut from all the damn stress, and my heart feels like it was about to give out.

“See me after class, Mr Prince.” Mrs Williams says and I let out a defeated sigh. Was it really that bad? I look down and clench my jaw.

F. Another fucking F written in an offending red marker. My dad is going to kill me if I keep this up. I know this for a fact. Not only was he banking on me getting into Ohio State University next year, but I was to carry the Prince torch all the way to the NFL like he did before he messed up his knee. I cannot afford to fuck this up!

The class drags on and when the bell signals the end of class; I dread the lecture I knew I was about to receive.

After I pack up my things, I look up and make eye contact with the bespectacled Liam Marsh. He was Waterford’s Golden Boy and Valedictorian, always top of every class. His green eyes seem to sparkle as he offers me a smile, but I look away before anyone could notice that he greeted me. I know it was a dick move, but I cannot be associated with someone like Liam.

Especially not someone like me.

“So, Mr Prince, where do we start?” Mrs Williams begins her lecture, and I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes. How the fuck do I answer that question? I shrug and see her huff out a breath in annoyance and sit back in her chair.

“You’re failing, Asher. One more bad mark like this and you will fail the entire year. I know in your position you cannot afford this to happen.” She says and I blanch at her words.

This town basically worshipped football, so the fact that she mentioned that doesn’t surprise me. Her words fill me with terror because I didn’t realise I was doing this badly. My position. Fuck, how dare she use that against me. Star quarterback with a poor grade. How fucking fitting.

My heart jumps into my throat and I do what I absolutely did not want to do… I grovel.

“I didn’t realise that my grade had slipped that badly, ma’am. Is there anything I can do to make it up? I would do anything to save my grades right about now!” I say, sliding back into my desk and playing the victim card as I hold my head in my hands.

She stares at me and sighs. I have met no teacher who I could not charm, and she always seemed to be the exception; until now.

“I’m glad you asked. There is an extra credit assignment I had drawn up for you; I need a three-page essay on how kinetic-molecular theory explains the properties of plasmas with examples and citations. I am giving you three weeks from today to turn it in, and I expect you to do well with this, Asher. You know what is at stake.” She says, handing me the paper, and I nod before leaving the classroom.

A smile crosses my face when I leave. I could still salvage my grades.

What an arrogant bitch, though. Of course I knew what was at stake: my entire fucking career. No way was I going to be stuck in this small hick town for the rest of my life.

Thank god it was break time because I don’t think I could handle another bad grade. I head to the cafeteria and spot my usual group of friends assembled at our table.

“Asher!” Dale, the running back of my team, calls for me, and I offer him a wave. “Fuck you been?” he asks, and I roll my eyes.

“Williams chewed me out for a bad grade,” I say which was hardly the gist of it, but they didn’t need to know the rest.

“That old broad, I was there last week, and she gave me some half-assed extra credit shit that I’m supposed to hand in next week.” Tim, one of our linebackers comments.

Ah, hopefully, my entire team wasn’t failing. That is the last thing we need right now, especially with football season fast approaching.

We continue to chew out the bitch of a teacher when I spot my girlfriend walking over. Perky, blonde, tits and ass the right size and legs that go on for days; Fallon May, the most beautiful girl in the school and she was mine. I know she was the wet dream of half the school, but when I see her I don’t get the butterflies I used to. Suppose I have outgrown her, but as usual, I refused to let go. Probably because she fit my social standing - I couldn’t lose that.

“Hey. babe.” I greet her and pull her onto my lap. She sits down with a squeal and I plant a kiss on her lips, which she deepens as she adds her tongue.

Before, this would have gotten my dick semi-hard, but now he was just laying limp against the inside of my thigh. Fuck, the stress and worry were affecting my body in a bad way. This shit needs to stop.

“We still on for tonight?” she asks, referring to our Friday date night and for some reason, I feel apprehensive.

I couldn’t be around Fallon and her constant droning. Don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t one of those stupid bottle blondes who only knew how to do things on their knees. She was actually second behind Liam Marsh when it came to our grades, but when we get together, that was all she would talk about.

Wait, this actually gives me an idea.

“Nah, babe I don’t think so. Williams gave me this bitch of an extra credit to do and I wanna get cracking on it.” I say, hoping she would fall for the bait.

She does.

“Oh? Lemme see?” She says, and I hand her the page Mrs Williams gave me. Frowning, she shakes her head.

“Even for me, this is a sucky paper to write. I would help you, baby but I have a few essays to write by myself over the next two weeks.”

Fuck, what now? I try not to let my disappointment show.

Then she perks up, “Oh, why don’t you ask Liam to help you? He knows his shit when it comes to Chemistry and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.” She says and for some reason, my heart does a somersault.

I look behind me to see if my friends heard what she said, and as my luck for the day goes, they did.

“That queero?” Dale says with a laugh, “I’m sure he’ll try to grope you while he’s pretending to give you chemistry lessons.”

“Yeah, he’ll want his own chemistry with you.” Brock, another linebacker, threw in his two cents, and I could feel the anger rising in my chest as they continued to jest. I push Fallon off my lap.

“Don’t fucking suggest something like that again. I’d rather fail than be alone with that fag.” I say and stomp out of the cafeteria.

“Asher!” She called behind me, but I refused to look back. I’m not sure why the whole thing pissed me off like this, because all she did was suggest something, and it wasn’t exactly a bad idea.

I walk towards my locker and see the tall figure of Liam on the opposite end of the hall, walking the way I had come. Seeing his face pisses me off even more and I contemplate shoving him against the lockers like I usually do.

He looks up when he sees me. “Hey, Asher,” he greets me with a smile then continues to walk and the anger leaves my body.

Why couldn’t I do it?