I can feel my cheeks heat up as everyone in the room turns to stare at me, disbelieving of what Charlie has just announced. I will be fighting her.

The unnerving silence is broken when Hael snorts, then dissolves into laughter. I glare at him, but he just smiles back, his white teeth flashing. Raven stands beside him, her exquisite black hair falling in voluminous waves around her face. Her smoldering dark eyes twinkle, and she smirks slightly, as if to say good luck.

"What are we waiting for?" Charlie says loudly, startling me into motion. "It's time for a duel."

Gesturing for me to follow with a slight flick of her hand, she turns on her heel and begins walking toward the door. She pushes it aside and leads me back through the capacious library and down the tiled hallway to another door. This one is metal, unlike most of the others, and the rusty hinges creak loudly as Charlie pushes it open.

Just past the door lies a dark void with a few nondescript shapes in the center. A switch is flicked and immediately the room is flooded with light, illuminating what appears to be a ring of rope surrounding a raised platform ten feet ahead of me.

Other than the ring, the room is empty and about a third the size of the training room. The wooden walls are bare and the floor is concrete. A sweaty aroma fills the air, suggesting the room is often used and seldom cleaned.

"Ready, Frank?" Charlie says, snapping my attention back to her. Her hair has been pulled up into a ponytail and a sneer rests permanently on her triangular face.

I narrow my eyes at her. "I'm always ready."

"We'll see," she says, then pushes past me and leads the girls into the room. They surround the ring and I can't help but notice they all are watching me. Essie and Mellie frown at me, pity spread across their faces, Clyde and Bella maintain the same collected expressions, and the leering smirk still hasn't left Raven's lips.

"So you really think you'll beat her?" Hael's voice comes from beside me. I hadn't noticed he had stopped beside me.

"Of course I will," I say, not even bothering to turn towards him.

"Would you like to wager on that?"

This time I do turn to face him and when I do, I notice a teasing - yet calculating - expression on his face. I smile back, though my eyes narrow. "What are the stakes?" I ask. A challenge.

His eyes glint with intrigue. Leaning forward so his face is a breath away from my ear. "If you win, I won't question your greatness. I will lay my humble self at your oh-so-glorious feet and never once test you. But if Charlie beats you, if you lose - " he pauses at the word and I almost flinch " - then you have to be my friend."

I pull away, uncomfortable from his closeness, but I'm grinning. "Your friend? Are you that desperate?"

He nods, and though he is smiling back and can almost sense an underlying tone of contempt. "Nobody here likes me."

"But how could they stand your outstanding charm?" I tease.

"Because Mick has more."

My eyes flick away from his face to that of the brown-haired, laughing boy who stands currently beside Essie and Bella. After a few seconds, I turn back to Hael and say softly, "While it's true that Mick is very charming, I think you are more agreeable."

"Is that so?" he asks, tilting his head in question.

"It is. And I think Raven might agree."

His expression darkens at the mention of Raven and I quickly realize it was a mistake to bring her up. "You know, if we're to be friends, then you'll have to tell me what it is between you two."

"But we won't have to be because you're going to win, aren't you?" he counters, extending his calloused hand to me. "Shake on it?"

I take his hand and shake it firmly. "It's a bet."

"If you're done flirting like monkeys during mating season, we'd like to get on with this duel," Charlie says suddenly, and I quickly remember the fight I had just signed up for.

Blood rushes to my cheeks as a gulp, but I mentally chastise myself. Why are you worried, Cammile? You already know you'll win. An image of Charlie's perfect 600 score flashes into my mind but I brush it away. You were close enough to 600. It shouldn't make a difference.

"I'm ready," I say, partly to convince myself. I shake my arms to get the blood pumping through them, then walk toward where Charlie waits, just outside the ring.

She jumps over the rope and I follow, landing soundly on the hard, wooden platform. I quickly adjust my shoulder pads, hoping they will protect me enough if I get hit. My hand guards are damp with sweat but I leave them. Just focus, Cammile.

"On the count of three, the duel will begin," Essie's voice comes from outside the circle. The other Diversions are silent and all their eyes watch me like hawks, as if assessing every move I make. Even Mellie ever-jovial face has assumed a more concentrated, serious expression.

Charlie and I stand face to face, only few feet apart. I can see the fire burning in her olive eyes, and I smirk. She glares right back, not moving a single muscle in her face. Focus.

"One."

A clock, the only object on the walls, reads 9:00 exactly, and I wonder if Charlie could have possibly timed the duel.

"Two."

My eyes flick sideways and meet with Hael's sky blue ones. His usual smiling expression has been replaced with one to match the rest of the Diversions.

"Three."

Charlie growls.

"Go!"

Immediately, Charlie pounces and I barely dodge. She barrels past me but quickly whips around. Our eyes lock.

That the best you've got? I think, but I don't say it aloud. I'm too used to trash talking my opponent, but I get the feeling we're not supposed to here, as we are all meant to work together.

Suddenly, Charlie swipes her foot to kick my leg out from under me. I lose balance and tip backwards, landing flat on my back. I groan, but quickly roll to the side and jump back up.

Charlie swings with her fist and but I dodge. Seizing the chance, I grab her wrist and twist it behind her back. Charlie grunts, but quickly slips out my grasp and kicks me in the stomach. Hard.

The wind is immediately knocked out of me and I stumble backwards. My hands find the rope that marks the edge of the ring, and I grab onto it, my chest heaving, in hopes to regain the normal rhythm of my breathing.

To my surprise, Charlie waits until I've recovered before she attacks again. This time I'm ready. When she kicks her leg out, and grab it and yank it toward me.

As she falls, Charlie sticks out her arm to stop herself - an action that would break any normal person's wrist. Bending her elbow and then straightening, she launches herself back up, landing squarely on her feet.

She grins tauntingly at me when she sees my reaction, and I quickly reset my features. We spent months working on that move in my agility class and I still haven't completely mastered it. Yet.

I decide to switch to the offense. Leaping forward, I punch Charlie in the stomach with enough force that should have knocked her over. Instead, she blocks my next punch and drives her knee up to connect with my nose. Blood gushes down my face and I swear so colorfully that someone in the crowd laughs softly.

I wipe my arm across my face, then flick the blood off. Throughout my years at fighting school, I've experienced several broken noses, and have always been able to recover quickly.

Abruptly, Charlie launches herself at me like a snake, barreling into me and knocking me back onto the ground. I promptly push her off me, but as I jump back onto my feet, a sharp pain jolts through my shoulder on which I had landed.

Hearing Charlie stand up behind me, I whip around to face her. Quickly, I kick high and knock her in the ribs, then swing another punch toward her face. With surprising speed, she stops my fist, her hands locking around my arm, and flips me over her shoulder, dunking me on the ground. Pain shoots through my ribs and I wince as I attempt to roll over.

Before I can move, however, Charlie leans over and punches me directly in the face. The last thing I see is her raise a single brow in amusement before everything goes black. For the first time since my debut battle, I've lost.