Rule #1: Never Date An A.C.E. [COMPLETED]

Chapter 2: Rule #12 Never Act As Though You Are Surprised

Chapter 2: Rule #12 Never Act As Though You Are Surprised

“Welcome to the Platform,” Dylan pushed open the large double doors, revealing a room the size of a football field. We were standing on a balcony above it all. “We have many different places for training. There’s archery,” he points to the closest right corner, “physical fighting,” he points to the left closest corner, “shooting, and the obstacle course,” he points to the back two corners. When the words ‘obstacle course’ came from his mouth, he gave a little smirk, which I could tell was directed at me.

“What was that smirk for?” I threateningly asked. He just put on an innocent face and shrugged his shoulders.

“Did you see the panel on the outside of this room?” Dylan gestured to the doors. I nodded, “That’s where you will need to slide your Ace card, so you can get in.”

“Ace card?”

Dylan pulled my arm so my hand was out and my palm was facing up. He placed a card in my hand, and I looked at it in surprise.

“You already have my face on this card?” I surprisingly asked.

Dylan laughed, “Rule number thirteen, never act as though you are surprised.”

“What’s with all these rules? Do I need to learn them? Are they written down somewhere?” I asked, and he laughed again.

“They aren’t written down. You’ll learn them in due time,” he smiled down at me and I grumbled. “Alex!” He yelled down to the archery section. A girl with long brunette hair pulled into a ponytail, looked up and nodded, and shot her last arrow. Which hit dead in the center of the target.

“Woah.”

“Yeah,” Dylan chuckled as Alex climbed up the stairs to approach us.

“Hey Lancaster, what’s up?” She gave me a once over, and smiled. “Who’s the pretty new girl?”

“This,” Dylan paused for affect, “Is Isabella Donahue, our latest recruit.”

“So lovely to meet you! I’m Alexandra, Alex, Mansfield,” She gushed, and I instantly liked her. “What division is she in?” Dylan leaned over and whispered in her ear, causing her eyes to become big and round. She nodded when he pulled away, and she looked at me again, with awe in her eyes. “Well Donahue, time for you to learn the ways of the Platform.”

Alex led me down the stairs, first to the physical fighting division. A little platform stood about two feet off the ground, two people, a man and a woman, stood in fighting stances across from each other. A man stood off to one side, and as soon as he said “Begin!” the two people began to fight.

“This is a fight until your opponent goes down, or calls for mercy. The idea is to get stronger with every fight,” Alex instructs. I nod and watch as the woman quickly overpowers the man, knocking him down with a kick to his left side and a swift punch in the face. He calls for mercy and the woman slightly smiles, barely acknowledging the round of applause she receives. She hurriedly stepped off the platform, and went to the benches to rest. Alex gestures to her, “That’s Madeline Maddick, or M&M we like to call her, because she’s one of the sweetest people we know. Unless she’s in the ring,” Alex winks and I chuckle.

“Does everyone have a nickname?” I asked and Alex nods. “What’s Dylan’s?”

She laughs, “His is AP.”

“AP?” I ask, because it doesn’t even sound like his name.

“Short for Ace Player,” she laughs again, and this time I join in. So my first assumption was correct—Dylan Lancaster was a player.

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A/N

I know these chapters are short, I'm mostly just trying it out, seeing if people like it. The chapter lengths will increase, beginning with the next chapter.

I hope you enjoy, and welcome to the Ace Program :)

sborek