The boys said nothing. Lips busted, jaws swollen, the two alternated between nursing their wounds with towels and ice packs and scowling at the other. Sophomores Cameron Chen and Matt Danver sat fuming in the guidance counselor's office. Their mouths clenched, silence seemed to be the one thing they both agreed on.

“We can stay here as long as you like,” Taki Tanaka said, “But no one is leaving here until we get to the bottom of this.”

The two students glanced at the petite guidance counselor. She was the preferable alternative to other figure in the room, Joseph Wheeler. Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, the bespectacled science teacher easily mimicked an enforcer. It was little wonder to Cam how Mr. Wheeler was the most intimidating teacher in school. Though small in stature, the preppy black teacher had the uncanny gift of putting the fear of God into virtually anyone he encountered, as Cam witnessed firsthand. More than once he watched Coach Adkins, an ex-marine, would abruptly exit a room whenever Wheeler entered. This was also why neither he nor Matt mounted any resistance when he broke up the fight.

But for Cam that wasn't the only thing peculiar about Wheeler or for that matter Ms. Tanaka. New to the high school, the two appeared to be in their early twenties. Both of them were strikingly attractive but there was something else, Cam noted. Something that reminded him of his neighbor, Parker, the youth minister at his church.

“Now you both know we have a zero tolerance for fighting and Mr. McCall wanted to suspend the two you but I convinced him that I would get to the bottom of this. Now this isn't like either of you. You're both honor roll students and between the two of you, you're involved in almost all of the extra-curricular activities offered. So what's going on here?”

Matt and Cam pursed their lips and gazed at the opposing walls.

“You hear her talking to you?” Wheeler barked, “Answer the woman!”

“Ask Matt,” Cam said. “All he's done is rag on me the whole year. He keeps giving me crap because I'm adopted.”

“Is this true? Tanaka asked.

“No,” Matt replied. “He's lying. I don't care about him being a charity case.”

“Careful smartass,” Wheeler warned.

“It's true,” Cam continued. “He hassles me every day. I've tried ignoring him and steering clear of him, but nothing works. He's even managed to turn most of the school against me.”

“It's not my fault no one else likes him,” Matt cried.

“Right, just like it wasn't your fault when you tackled me today?”

“I told you, something or someone shoved me into you.”

“We heard,” Wheeler said. “Some invisible force picked you up and chucked you into Mr. Chen.”

“It's the truth!” Matt cried, before sheepishly adding, “Except for the invisible force part.”

“You see,” Cam said. “He can't even admit to attacking me. I was at my locker getting books for class and as usual Matt shows up and starts ragging on me. I didn't say anything. I just ignored him, grabbed my books and headed to class. The second my back was turned, he tackles me to the ground. I had no choice but to defend myself.”

“I really want to resolve this so no one gets suspended and no one's parents are called,” Tanaka said.

Matt scoffed, “Like they'd care.”

Tanaka cast Wheeler a glance, who in turn arched an eyebrow.

“Oh,” Tanaka said glancing at a file. “Today is your birthday Matthew. Now I know you don't want something like this to ruin your day. I'm sure your parents have something special planned for you.”

Matt exploded, “What the hell do you know? You don't know anything! Go ahead, tell my parents! I'll call them for you! You know what they have planned for me? Not a damn thing! Same as last year! They didn't even remember!” Matt's face was beet red, tears streaming from his dark blue eyes down his cheeks. “You know why? Dad's too busy being a cliché banging his secretary thinking we don’t know and Mom's too worried about making partner at her stupid firm. They can't be bothered with little things like their son.”

He kicked his chair and stormed out of the office. Silence fell upon the stunned room.

Wheeler turned to Cam, “Go get him.”

“You think that's a good idea?” Cam asked.

“You think questioning me is a better one?”

Cam darted out of the office.

Wheeler yelled, “And don't come back without him!”

Cam's trek underneath the stadium bleachers. Sensing he was no longer alone, Matt quickly wiped the tears from his face and turned away.

“What do you want?”

“They wanted me to find you,” Cam said.

“Well you found me, now you can get lost.”

Cam turned to leave but paused. The hulking figure was crestfallen, almost broken. Rather than feeling triumphant, Cam studied his foe with empathy and confusion. He prepared to depart again but the opportunity for answers proved too compelling.

“I wanna know why,” Cam said. “Why me? The truth. I don’t think it’s about me being adopted. Why do you really hate me? Just tell me. Man to man. One on one. No teachers, no counselors, no classmates. Just you and me. I mean, I don't get it. You're popular, you're loaded, you've got everything. Why do you hate me so much? What did I ever do to you?”

Matt scowled at him. Cam tensed. For a moment, he thought Matt was going to slug him. Instead, Matt gazed at his sneakers.

“It was around the beginning of the year, a few days after you transferred here,” Matt said. “You foster dad dropped you off at school. You two were laughing. He hugged you and wished you luck. You aren't even flesh and blood and they love you more than my folks love me. I'd kill to have my dad treat me like that. I don't get it. I make good grades, I'm captain of the hockey team, and it's like they couldn't care less. Am I really that bad?”

Cam took a seat next to Matt, “I know what it's like to have your birthday forgotten. My biological mom od'ed on heroin and before that she frequently missed birthdays and Christmases and everything else.”

Matt gazed at his classmate in disbelief.

“For the longest time I used to blame me,” Cam continued. “I used to think I was being punished and I deserved my mom being sick because something was wrong with me. Because mothers don't treat their sons like that, so clearly I was the problem.

“Living with the Wilsons, I've come to realize it wasn't about me. I think my mom loved me as much as she was capable of but I wasn't the problem. She was just sick. I'm sure it's the same for you. Your parents' issues aren’t about you. Yeah it sucks being on the receiving end of it but that doesn't mean there's something wrong with you, or either of us.”

“Why are you being so nice to me? Especially considering all of the crap I've given you? Not to mention we were trying to kick each other’s ass not two hours ago.”

Cam laughed, “I don't know. Maybe it's Mr. Parker's endless sermons on forgiveness sinking in. Maybe I can relate to how parents can really mess you up. Maybe it's because I used to think that my life would've been so much better if it was more like yours. Nice home, two parents. Truth is, maybe, we're not that much different.”

“No one's ever understood. All my friends, my teammates. I could never tell them this stuff. It's like I have to be big man on campus at all times. Even if I did open up, they just wouldn't get it. God. I knew today was gonna suck.”

“Well for what it's worth, happy birthday.”

Matt scoffed, “Best one yet.”

“Maybe we can salvage it.”

“Huh? How?”

“Mr. Wheeler said not to come back until I found you. He didn't say I couldn't check the mall and the movie theater.”

“Cameron Chen the boy scout is considering playing hooky. I must admit I am liking that idea.”

“And do you really feel like going back to class after everything that's happened today? You in?”

“I only celebrate birthdays with friends. Nothing personal.”

Cam sat stunned while his classmate trode away.

Matt stopped and turned around, “You coming or what?”

Cam shook his head and snickered.

“I'm sorry for being such a douche,” Matt said.

“It's cool man.”

Matt rubbed his jaw. “You got a vicious right hook.”

“Thanks.”

“You ever thought about trying out for hockey?”

Watching the boys depart from campus, a beaming Taki Tanaka tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear.

“Telekinetically slamming Matthew into Cameron was pretty ingenious, Joey,” she said.

“Thanks,” Wheeler replied. “There's nothing like a healthy dose of violence to get little boys to open up and share their feelings. Dropping the birthday and the parents was a nice play as well.”

“I figured he needed one more push...so to speak. Looks like they did the rest themselves.”

“Neither of them are going to have easy lives.”

“No, unfortunately they won't. But the bond they forged here today is going to help them weather all the storms and all the battles they're going to face. What those two are going to accomplish, the lives they are going to save, all of it will be nothing short of greatness.”

“The doctor and the senator,” Wheeler smirked. “Who would've ever guessed it was those two down there. And I take it Parker will be keeping an eye on things?”

Tanaka nodded.

“Excellent. Now that we've played Dr. Phil-good, can we please get back to the assignments seraphim should actually be doing; kicking demonic ass and saving the world. This tween after-school special is giving me hives.”

“Oh admit it Joey. Helping people battle their inner demons may not be as exciting as fighting the physical kind but it's far more gratifying.”

“Only if there's an exorcism involved. Otherwise I admit to nothing.”

Tanaka giggled and patted her partner's back, “All right. Come on, let's go.”