"Class?"

The teacher's voice booms across the yard, turning our heads. She's a stern woman, with a voice so low you'd mistake it for a dragon's roar. Brown hair sticks firmly in place, framing a scowl. I shiver. Ms. Blundell wasn't someone you'd want to cross. Or, turn in your work late to. Definitely, don't do that.

"Hope you all have had a good morning," she says. "Today we're going to start off with the day as we usually do. You'll be allowed to pair up as you wish and go play Crashline in the fields. It'll end in thirty minutes, so get moving!"

She blows her whistle. While everyone around me chatters, cheer in their tones, I shudder. I try not to look behind me. I can feel his eyes studying my movements. Ugh, what a creep.

"C'mon," mutters Niko. "Let's get out of here."

He nudges me. I respond, but it's like I'm moving through ice. It takes forever for us to trudge to the field. This is wrong; I love Crashline. It's a simple game, really. The teams are split on either side of the field. Their goal is to protect their net while throwing a hard ball straight at the others. We aren't allowed to cross the centerline. That's the basics of it. Oh, and don't get hit with the ball. I still have bruises from last time. Regardless, it's really fun. A great way to start the day.

But there's still mud in my chest, slinking around heavy like. I gag. Niko and I team up, ready to go up against Frase and another boy. They start with the ball. Niko holds it in his hands, a smirk on his face. He's already forgotten about Elton. I huff, only able to notice the new sun blemishing the dew from the grass. The game starts.

"Watch out, Fraze. I foresee your doom!"

"Oh, please."

The two trash talk. Their words are the only things that don't blur by. The knot in my stomach refuses to leave. I can only think of Elton and dragons. Elton and dragons....that doesn't seem like a great combo. I squint as the sun rises, playing on autopilot. The game is over soon. I think we win.

"Hey, Micha!"

I grimace, turning towards Elton. I can see a purple mark on his chin. It's large and swollen. I would laugh, but of course, I don't look much better. I rub my arm, snorting in his direction. Frase and Niko glare at him. They fall in behind me. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Vivvy and her friends, peeled on us (or, more accurately, him. Geez girl, get over him).

"What do you want?"

"Play a final round with me. We got ten minutes left. That's more than enough time to kick your ass."

His smirk drives me insane. I ball my fists, feeling Niko grab my shoulder. His gang of idiots sits behind him. Their eyes egg me on

"Just ignore him; It's not worth it."

"Why do you get to decide what's worth my time?"

I brush him off and step forward. Guilt pulses in my veins for just a split second. Niko's a good friend; he just wants to keep me safe. The feeling is replaced with rage soon enough. I snort again.

"Ready for round two, then?"

His friends laugh. We move over back onto the field, taking our positions. From my angle, it looks like the sun is sitting on Elton's head, like a twisted halo. I squint. A fire goes off in my chest. It buzzes, causing my toes to dance. The wind blows the sweet scent of early-morning flowers. I smile, picking up the ball. Elton rolls his eyes, his arms crossed against his chest. I freeze, staring him down. He doesn't budge.

This idiot doesn't know what's coming for him.

With all my possible might, I hurl the ball right towards his face. It zips through the air, creating a whizzing sound. I hope he cries. To my surprise, he simply ducks down. I watch in horror as the ball zooms a good ten feet over the goal post-- and out of bounds.

"My ball, then?"

"Good to see you finally have some!"

Niko and Frase laugh. Elton falls silent, his smug smile melting into a scowl. His redheaded friend throws him the ball. I gulp. I would be lying if I say I'm not a bit nervous. I have to admit, Elton's probably the better fighter. A cloud boils over the sun, a shadow falling across my face. I shiver from the cold.

He throws the ball. There's a sharp pain that spread all the way up to my shoulders. Somehow, I've caught it. I take a step back, the force almost knocking me down.

"Thought you'd throw harder than that."

"Shut up you-"

I throw the ball before he can finish his sentence. It hits him square in the stomach. I laugh as he crumples to the ground, eyes squeezed tight. See, this is why you shouldn't pick fights, kids.

"Now you're going to get it!"

He sounds like a hungry wolf. I push every ounce of bravado outwards, not seemingly fooling him. Vivvy is on the sidelines now, her and her friends watching with eyes wide. It hurts to know that she's probably on his side. I grit my teeth, more determined than ever to beat this punk.

Elton chucks the ball back at me. I wince, preparing for impact. That thing's going so fast that I don't have a prayer of stopping it. Swish. I open my eyes, turning to see the ball gracefully dive into the net behind me. Smash.

I slide across the grass. Friction nips at my skin and all I can do is try to shove him off of me. His fist hits my stomach. It feels like my stomach is on fire. I grip his shoulder, using all my might to push him off. He moves a little, but the hits keep coming.

"Elton! Stop!"

Vivvy's fingers rip at his hair. He yelps, immediately getting up. Vivvy's skin is ashen gray. Her hands shake, but somehow she manages to stand firm. I push myself up. Friends and foe alike have formed a tight circle around us. Some cheer on, while others watch in horror. My knees wobble. Using my forearm, I wipe a long trail of blood from my chin. I probably look deformed.

"Technically," he says, turning towards me. "I've won. See you tomorrow, Micha."  

A/N

Hi! Thanks for reading another one of my chapter's, lol ^-^. Question of the day; Who's your favorite character so far?

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