Hazel's breath was shallow as she adjusted her stance, eyes locked onto the opponent in front of her. This wasn’t supposed to be how things went. She had been preparing for a fight with her girlfriend, a practice match—nothing too serious.

Instead of her girlfriend’s familiar face, it was Tucker, standing on the opposite side of the court, a taunting grin plastered on his face. Hazel’s heart sank, the weight of disbelief hitting her like a freight train.

She reached for him, scrambling up onto his back, nails digging into his neck, trying to wrestle him to the ground. Her breath was ragged, her body slick with sweat, but she wasn’t giving up.

She scratched at his neck, her fingers finding his skin, but the satisfaction of the pain she hoped to inflict quickly vanished when he threw her off with terrifying force. Hazel’s body collided with the floor with a sickening thud, her vision flashing white as she scrambled to regain her footing.

Before she could push herself up, she felt his boot slam into her side, the force of it sending her sprawling again.

Tucker stepped over her, his sneer still in place, and before she could even react, his foot connected with her face—hard. The sound of the impact echoed around the gym like a gunshot. Hazel’s head snapped to the side, her nose splintering beneath the force of the blow. Blood poured from her face as the pain screamed through her skull.

Her body went limp, her vision spinning uncontrollably and her body felt weightless as it slipped into unconsciousness.

Shocked gasps could be heard from everyone, and the cheerleaders were up on their feet immediately as they rushed over to her.