Merlin's Curse

CHAPTER 19: Excalibur!!

I know I'm a skeleton in training, but the thing is I hate training. Unless a computer's involved. Then I can go all day. And while Edric Landry's my idol, I'm not a fan of his SIP of Greatness. At least the S and P parts. Gym class is the worst possible combination of the two. Being socially physical.

Gross!!!

Sounds like an STD waiting to happen—thanks to Sex Ed. 

And no matter how hard I try, I always seem to be on the wrong end of the ball or bat or racket or whatever the torture device happens to be. Which is why I'm celebrating today. My lucky day. Preparation for Skin Wars, the final CodeX Games event, is replacing PE class for the next month. Maybe a SIP of Greatness isn't so bad.

"Ok, listen up," Jupiter yells. All of Gauntlet is gathered in our designated squad room on the third floor. "We only have three weeks before the Skin Wars. The great news is that despite the, um, incident at the Fire & Ice Ball, we still won—and now we're in second place!"

A chorus of cheers rings out. A few PCs call out my name in jest. And then Niko leads us in several rounds of our squad chant. 

"Gauntlet, Gauntlet, armor of staunchness, we are Gauntlet, bolder than dauntless!"

"And best of all," Isa yells when the chant ends, wrapping her arms around me. "Merlin isn't quite so shocking anymore!" And then just because she knows how much it embarrasses me, she lands a smacking kiss on my cheek.

Jupiter shushes the laughter and says, "Merlin and G, it's great to have you both back." 

A rousing foot stomp from the squad shakes the floor. And I can't help but smile, the ear-to-ear kind. More so than when they call my name or tease me. Because somehow the small things make all the difference.

G, on the other hand, barely manages to move his lips before asking to be excused. Most think he's upset about not being able to participate in the event due to his broken arm, but I know there's something else bothering him. And as much as I don't want it to be true, I think it has everything to do with Preston. I watch him as he turns and leaves, but he never looks at me—just like he ingroned me at lunch.

Niko's in charge of our dance routine for the Skin Wars Dance-off, and he motions for us to gather closer. He's wearing a bright orange tie-back headband, a white tee with cut off sleeves that shows off his muscles and black shorts—dancers...

Baggy sweats are all I have.

We spend the next hour learning dance moves Niko choreographed for the dance-off.

DANCE-off—freak'n Merlin's beard!

This is WAY worse than the Fire & Ice extravaganza because we're competing against DOOM and Contra. And these are like real dance moves. Not the wave-your-hands-above-your-head-and-jump-your-way-down-the-stairs kind. More like the Floss or Gangnam Style or Electric Shuffle kind.

The kind I am hopeless at!

Unlike Randall—but he is a dancer. His body is lean and tight and super flexible. So that's not really fair. He and Niko are modelling the moves for us. When Randall stops, I can't stop looking at him because of what I know. Or at least what I think I know. And unlike G's dark aura, Randall's a beaming ray of sunshine. Sunshine dripping with sweat. I can't help but wonder where all that sun will go if I ask him about what happened to Preston. Especially when Niko asks Randall to work with me.

Because I'm that bad.

But I must like being cursed because I had the chance to opt out of the event—like G—but I don't want to miss out. No matter how scared I am. But now...I'm not so sure. Because when I do the Body Roll, Randall says I look like I'm convulsing. And when I transition to The Hype move, I panic and kick both feet out at the same time. Or maybe I'm just distracted by Randall and his secret.