Outside class Hung was speaking with a boy who was burly with red, curly hair.  I was itching to get rid of him but, l needed him to get to my other classes, and he knew that too. As l walked towards them l could hear their conversation more clearly now.

“Hey, Hung! Is the girl that you were with really a Martin?"

“Yeah, dude. Her name’s Fuchsia.”

The boy smiled and hiked up his back pack.

“Well, Fuchsia is pretty good looking.” He wiggled his brows.

“Don’t get your hopes up. You aren’t going to get any luck with this one.”

He smirked at Hung.

“That’s what you said about Miranda.”

I sighed coming up behind Hung but he didn’t notice. So l spoke:

“What’s next on the agenda flirt?”

He still didn’t respond-probably still glaring at that guy for that Miranda comment. Whoever the chick is.

Hung’s friend smiled at me.  Finally someone notices me!

He strode forward before stopping in front of Hung; he had his game face on. I received a disgustingly flirty smile from him. Hung raised a dark eyebrow.

“What are you doing dude?”

He ignored Hung’s question and brushed him aside. Hung turned and his eyes flashed emotions, from anger to annoyance to understanding.

“Hey, gorgeous. Do you know there was an earthquake, or was it just you who rocked my world?”

He advanced towards me and l stretched out my hand. I placed it on his chest and he stopped walking towards me.

Man, l don’t want attention that badly.

“That was corny, first of all.  Second, who are you?”

I removed my hand. He smiled at me again.

“Well, my name is Dylan. Dylan Knightley,” he said in a voice mimicking James Bonds’.

I rolled my eyes. I’ll just ignore him.

“So Hung where are we off to next?”

Hung smiled apologetically.

“We have two more lessons before our next break.”

I frowned. “Good to know, but you still didn’t answer my question.”

He sighed. As if he had something to be cheesed off about.

“We have training…”

I quickly interrupted him before he finished.

“Again!?!”

I mean who puts training twice on the timetables!?!

Then l face palmed myself. My mom makes the timetables and various other people on the school board. Of course they would opt for more physical training rather than something skill related such as Camouflage class.

“You never let me finish. Training based on skill."

I smiled,happy l was wrong.

“Skill?”

“Yeah, like archery, canoeing, camouflage, fencing, swimming and cross country.”

“Oh. Well what skill do you have?”

“I have swimming.”

At least l wouldn’t have to see Drake again. One time was enough for me.

“Yeah… about that…”

Dylan who was walking with us, turned. He smirked.

 “Come on; don’t tell me you can’t swim.”

I clutched my bag strap and bit the inside of my cheek.

“No, it’s not that. I can swim l just don’t have a costume.”

And l swim horribly.

“Hey, Dylan do me a solid and get her a costume.” 

Why couldn’t he do that himself? Why ask Dylan?

“Dude, just do me this favour. I can’t be late to Ms. Van de Tramp’s class again or I'll get a demerit. That and l’m not exactly her favourite either.”

That sure explains it.

Dylan grasped Hung’s hand and covered it with his free hand.

“Sure, a solid’s a solid.”

“Thanks man.”

With that said he disappeared down the hallway, leaving little old me with his friend Dylan.

“So tell me about yourself,” he said.

“Aaaahh…no thank you. I’ll pass.”

We were going to the sports office which was in the opposite direction of the swimming pools.

“Come on! Since we’ll be spending a lot of time together…” he trailed off.

It turns out Dylan is apart of the elite team. Go figure.  He draped an arm over my shoulder lazily. I shrugged it off.

“Well, if you don’t want to start l can.”

I groaned and began to walk faster. The sooner we got there; the sooner l could leave Dylan behind.

He caught up to me though.

“Well, l’m seventeen, and l go to Maybelle High School. I…”

I spun around and glared at him.

“Please stop talking.”

“Well, if talking isn’t your thing l know other things we can do that doesn’t involve speaking.” 

If he talks one more time I'll punch him in the nose.

I managed to ignore him flirting with me until we got to the office. Dylan was speaking to a brunette woman-with long hair, a freckled face and grey eyes- who was the receptionist at the desk.

I wasn’t sure why they needed a receptionist.

Meanwhile l was searching for a swimsuit. All l could find were two piece swim wear.

I wanted one in a medium-size and as a one-piece!  Was that too much to ask?

“Do you need help?” a voice asked out of the blue.

I screamed and dropped the swimming costume l held. Twisting backwards l saw a boy-who looked nineteen- who was dark skinned with short brown hair and round spectacles framing his face. He appeared startled. Maybe l scared him with my screaming.

“Oh, I’m sorry did l frighten you?”  l asked as sincerely as l could.

He nodded and pushed up his glasses.

“A little. Do you need help?”

He was so timid but nice. You know I've never seen him before. I wondered if he was knew.

“Yes, actually l do need help. Are there any swim suits that are one-piece?”

I pulled a bikini from the box and placed it over myself. He looked away. I’m not sure but l think his cheeks darkened. He shook his head.

No? What! I don’t wear bikinis!

“Are you sure?”

He cleared his throat.  “Yes, only bikinis.”

I sighed. That bums. He looked at me before walking away.

“Hey!” he stopped and rose an eyebrow when l called him.

“What’s your name? “

He smiled. “My name’s Denzel.”

“Hey, l haven’t seen you before. Are you new?”

“No, l’m not. I’ve been with the Academy since l was ten.”

I furrowed my eyebrows and scrunched my forehead.

Okay, that doesn’t make sense. If he has been with the Academy for nine years, he should be in the elite group.

“Den. How old are you?” l asked.

“l’m nineteen.”

“If you’ve been with the Academy for years why aren’t you in the elite team?”

He was all smiles until l said that.

“Oh,it’s fine if you do not want to tell me.”

He sighed and stared up at the ceiling.

“No, it’s okay.”

He moved to where l was and closed the box. I had put back the swim wear. He stood up and went to the door. He placed the box close to the door.

“I’m not a hunter. I’m a scholar and a bookkeeper extrordinaire.” 

A scholar is a person who studies monsters and their weaknesses. They record every event experienced with a monster.

“That’s pretty cool.”

He shook his head.

“You don’t have to pretend. I know it’s not as fun as bashing monsters’ skulls in, but l enjoy it.”

I laughed.

“Do l look like the type who likes that?”

He closed his mouth and stroked his chin.

“Not really? Do you enjoy tracking and killing beasts?”

“Actually I've never done that before, l’m still in training.’’

He nodded in understanding.

“I should have known you were the newbie, usually people bring their own swim suits instead of using ours.”

“As if that totally gave away l was new.”

“It actually does,” he argued.

I sighed. “I don’t even want to be here.”

“Really, than w...why are you here?” he stuttered out.

“My mom forced me to be here. I’m not doing well at the moment.” I grunted.

I sat on a box.

“Sorry. That l’m bugging you.” I told him.

He sat on the box next to me.

“Y..you a..apologise too much. Is that what Drake told you? That you weren’t good enough?”

I opened my eyes and jerked back to look at Denzel. How did he know? 

He smiled at me.

“Drake and l have a past. He used to treat me the same way when l was training to become a hunter.”

I scowled. I always knew he was a jerk! And he always will be.

I became quite sad. He probably ruined Den’s chances of becoming a hunter. I noted to find out later.

“Den, l’m sorry.”

“Stop apologising. It is not your fault and you don’t have to be sorry. I love being a scholar. I wouldn’t ask for anything more.”

“That’s good.”

“You know what we should do?”

“We?”

He nodded eagerly.

“I’m going to help you prove him wrong, something l couldn’t do, but what you can.”

“Deal.”

I put my hand out, he looked at it confused.

“You said you can help me. I accept.”

He took my hand and shook it. The box caved in on itself and we fell down.

“Oops.” I said.

I laughed and soon Den joined in.

“Boy, Mr. Li is going to be angry.” He said as he stood up. He patted down his orange t-shirt.

“Mr.Li? Who is that?” I asked when he lifted me up. I patted down my jeans.

“Mr Li is our resident weapons expert and the father of one of the students.”

“Who’s his kid?”

“Oh, that would be Hung.”

I hope Mr. Li won’t be pissed off, since he’s the weapons expert he has to check the stock regularly, even swimwear.

“Oh, sorry about the box.”

He gave me a look.

“What’d l say about apologising?”

“I should stop apologising so much.”

He nodded.

“You still need a costume? “

“Yes.”

He walked out of the storage room -after picking up the box we crushed- with me trailing behind closely.

“Good l have just the thing for you.”

Hello people!! This story will be on hold for a while because l'm going on holiday with my family. Please follow me and vote for my story. And I'll try to update if l can.