It's All a Lie

Ch. 9

Coming out as Average
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In this fight I have to come out average. What I mean is people can't see me as someone amazing at fighting and they can't see me as someone terrible at fighting. They need to see me as average. While this boy just won the first match a lot of students think he just won by luck. Meaning I have to win in order to be seen as average. Madeline whispers, "Good luck," to me as I walk up to the center mats. Only one other person has said that to me before. Everyone's eyes wavered back and forth trying to guess which one of us would end up the victor. Agent Steenly waited for our nods then dropped her hand.

This time instead of running, the black haired boy starts to slowly walk up to me. I watch him, his face doesn't show any fear. Once he gets around 5 steps away from me he runs and tries to punch me. I swiftly dodge to the right and kick my right leg behind his knees, tripping him. He falls on his stomach to the ground.

After a few seconds he reaches out his hands and tries to grab my ankles. Luckily I'm not the type of person to stand over the person I beat and look at my work. After he realizes I'm not close enough to him and puts his hands back down to stand up I move onto him.

While I can say for a fact I am not the heaviest I hold both of his arms and legs so unless he can stand up with his head he is paralyzed. The teacher now walks over to the black haired boy, but before she is all the way here the boy saids, " You have done this before."

I glance back at him and say, " No of course not, I am doing what I learned in class."

He smiles and laughs while shaking his head.

The teacher is now next to the boy. She asks what's so funny and he just smiles and shrugs. She saids nevermind and asks if he wants to continue fighting. He saids no so I released him and we both walked back into the line.

Madeline and Bailey are now standing next to each other, they both smile and say good job then go back to what they were talking about. I wonder how James is doing in the infirmary.

A few groups later Madeline goes, she was beaten till bloody in the face and stomach. So I helped (more like dragged) Madeline to the infirmary where already a few students were.

Dr. Wright was patching up Alex as we came in so I got an ice pack for Madeline as she sat on a chair waiting to be examined. I looked around but couldn't see James. It looks like he may be lying on a bed in a different room.

After Madeline is examined the bell signaling the class is over rings. After a few minutes of checking in with Madeline to ask what she had damaged I headed to Coding and Cracking. Mrs. Indigo wasn't the most pleased when we told her one fifth of the class wasn't going to show up today because they were all in the infirmary.

At first the bell for class rang and she saw the class size she was going to give us a pop quiz, but after we explained what happened the pop quiz idea was gone and we just continued what we were looking for in the class before, whatever that was.

The rest of the day was boring. Madeline and James were in the infirmary so it was only Bailey and I at dinner. After playing cards with Bailey in her dorm at 9pm I went down to the lobby. The lobby was mostly empty except for a few older students sitting over a few chairs and the new teachers keeping watch since the Freshman's Fever (the fight between Alex and James on the first night of school, it was so bad the school newspaper gave it a name and front page in the school newspaper) the be sitting on one of the black chairs was James. His cheeks were bruised and one of his eyes was black and blue. He was out of his uniform wearing a black jacket and cargo shorts.

"Hey," he says.

"Hey, did you need something," I said back.

"Do friends need to have a reason to speak with one another?"

I take a breath in and James smiles at me knowing he won.

"Anyways, thanks for your help during the fight."

"I shouldn't be receiving the credit. Madeline was the one who asked me to help you."

"Still you knew how to get out of that fight."

"Anyways, was that all, did you just want to thank me."

"No I'm getting there patience."

"Patience is my middle name."

James laughs, "Esma Patience..." he looks at me.
"Brooks."

"Esma Brooks, that's a pretty name."

"Thanks."

We stare at each other for a few seconds before James starts talking again.

"Well, I also wanted to ask if anyone was taking you to homecoming."

"No, no one."

"Well then. Esma Brooks can I be your date for homecoming."

"I don't see why not, sure."

James smiles and laughs, "At least try to sound excited, you sound like I am forcing you."

"Sor..."

James steps up and covers my mouth. He kneels down and whispers in my ear, "Don't apologize," then kisses my cheek and walks away.

"Good night," he waves once he is close to the elevator.

I sat in the black chair lobby a little bit longer before it was 5 minutes to 10. I then take the elevator to my floor and walk to my room. Madeline is already asleep as I walk into the room. I shower and question what went wrong in my life.