14: Deep in Battle
Well, it certainly explained why I hadn't recognized his voice. I hadn't actually ever talked to Liam before.
"Lindy?" Contri asked, tapping me on the shoulder. "We're starting." She handed me a red skipping rope, and I unknotted it, getting ready.
"Go!" Mr. Hart shouted, and the sound of ten ropes hitting the ground gradually got stronger, until it was the only thing left. His eyes darted down to his watch every few second, and that was what I focused on. If I thought, I'd trip. I didn't have that much experience with ropes.
A whistle blew, and I stopped. So did everyone else. I took a few deep breaths, realizing that I was slightly exhausted. To my right, Contri was almost collapsed.
"Two more laps. All of you. I don't care if you're dying, someday you might be and then you'll thank me for saving your lives."
I jogged around, slower each time, and Mr. Hart repeated the skipping and running. Again and again and again. Until a bell rang. And everyone fell down to the floor.
I was sincerely hoping that we would not have to go through that again.
"I'll give you five minutes," he said. "After that, we're starting Powers Training. Today will be different than yesterday,so don't expect to frolic about the whole period." The five minutes were up before any time had passed, and we dragged ourselves up.
He walked along, giving people a number (1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2) until he reached the end of the line.
"Ones over there, twos over here," he said, pointing in either direction. I lumbered over to my side, staring across at Liam. I averted my eyes, not wanting him to recognize fear or confusion in my eyes, since that would surely be what he would detect.
"Whoever you're facing, that's who you're, well, facing. Fight!"
Before I could register that I would be attacking Liam, he leapt forward onto me, and I barely managed to roll out of the way, right into Marvin. "Sorry," I muttered, and tackled Liam to the ground. He rolled back, taking me with him, but I got an elastic around his legs. If I could keep him busy, I thought, he wouldn't be able to get it off, but he was free before I had the chance to attack again. I quickly glanced around, not wanting to take my eyes off my opponent but wondering how my friends were doing.
Contri was deep in battle with Emerald, but Dakota had already beat Abbot. I flashed him a smile and went back to my own little fight. Liam ran over to me, slide tackling me below the knees, but I just saw it coming and jumped. His feet barely caught me, and I stumbled forward. He took the chance, leaping high on my back. He leaned over and stared me in the eyes. I looked away, but not before he'd gotten a good look.
"Why are you scared of-" he whispered, but I threw him forward before he could finish the sentance. He hit the floor with a sickening thump, but I managed to ignore the noise- that went along with the thought oh my god did I kill him- and rushed forward, slipping an elastic around his wrists before he could come to his senses. I did the same with his feet, and sasitfyingly dragged him over to Mr. Hart with a smile on my face.
"Is he conscious?" Mr. Hart asked. I shrugged.
"I don't really know how to check." He dismissed me with a flick of his fingers, and I walked over to where Dakota was sitting, all by his lonesome on a bench to the side.
"You win too?" he asked.
"No," I said. "That's why I'm fine, while my partner over there is tied up with Mr. Hart wondering if he's conscious." Dakota looked back to the fights.
"Look, if you're going to be sarcastic-"
"Than you'd better be okay with it. 'Cause there is no way I'm getting him of my sarcastic behavior." I looked back to Liam, who was just sitting up, rubbing his head with his hand, a smug smile on my face. It felt good to be the old Lindy again. The one who made sarcastic jokes with her friends.
Not the one who thought about if someone being dead could be better than them being alive.
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