Trickster of the Butterfly

Chapter 17- Take it Slow

Okay, ready, set, go!" Coach Jannie blew her whistle to start the 10 warm up laps around the school field.

Track and field was one of PLM's very own tanning session slash PE elective, since the schedule happened in the sunny afternoon under the scorching sun. Michael didn't pick this PE on purpose, slots for the modern jazz PE just ran out before he could sign up for it. He wished he could've atleast picked judo like Alora did but slots got full early in the registration day.

Sarah took bowling for her elective just to avoid the sun. Joy felt like she got the short of the stick as she unknowingly enrolled for table tennis with Hera. Joy was forced to have a klutz as her game partner and she did not like it. And Alora, that girl is tough. Judo wasn't her first choice either but she didn't wince at the thought of getting thrown down and throwing other people to the ground.

That's one of her most inspiring traits: her incredible determination to do what she wants or needs to do. When it came to setting her mind on doing things, like academics and especially things for God, she'll do it and she'll do it with overwhelming perseverance. That trait is something Michael is intimidated with, and inspired of. But if it really was her choice, she would want to totally remove PE from the curriculum, she was lazy like that.

Michael didn't really mind the laps under the sun. The extra workout would be helpful with his time exhaustion problem, cardio is very essential after all.

After 10 laps, everybody's all pumped up and it was time for the workout proper.

"Okay, good people! Get a partner, boy to boy at girl to girl, magre-race kayo ng side-by-side in one lap. The one who finishes first will get the higher grade," Coach Jannie announced and got everybody scrambling for whoever to partner with.

"Uh oh," Michael got paired with the fastest guy in the class, a.k.a "The Robber". The dude was inhumanly fast and can cover a lap of the field in about a minute. He was terrifyingly quick like a mugger who just stole a cellphone, but Michael had a trick up his sleeve. He hadn't thought about it before but he was a time manipulator and time manipulation could also mean: time slow.

He got that idea from recalling his vision at the hospital, the melancholic vision of him weeping and mourning under the slow falling rain. Maybe, he thought, it was him who was slowing down the rain. What if the Robber could be slowed too?

After a couple of pairs had already done their laps, it was Michael and the Robber's turn. They both knelt in the ready position at the starting line.

"Okay, ready na kayo? Ready, set, go!" the coach blew her whistle and the two were off.

As expected, The Robber was immediately 10 feet ahead of Michael, time for some Butterfly action.

As Michael ran, he imagined the whole field in slow motion. He saw his opponent was already halfway around the lap. After a few more steps, he closed his eyes and willed the Butterfly to release energy.

Shortly after, his body hummed and he felt lighter. Opening his eyes, he looked over his shoulder and saw The Robber running at an amazingly slow 1/6 of his usual speed. He noticed the partly withered grass of the field was swaying slowly in the wind, dust swirled gently in the sunlight, birds were taking flight in slow motion, and students in the hallways were taking ages to take just three steps.

Michael, on the other hand, was still running at regular speed.

"Success," Michael said. Only one thing left to do: win the race.

Running at full force, he felt awesome. He was going to beat the fastest kid in the class.

He was near reaching 20 feet behind the guy.

15 feet.

10 feet.

3 feet.

Michael laughed maniacally in victory as he passed The Robber, but the race wasn't over yet. The finish line was atleast 20 more feet away.Then in the corner of his eye, he saw at he edge of the field

"Norman," Michael muttered. The guy was smiling at him like he wasn't affected by the time slow.

Michael suddenly felt momentary dizziness and tripped himself, landing face first in the dirt.

With his face still dug into the grass, he felt something brush past him really quick. When he looked up from the ground, he saw The Robber doing a victory pose at the finish line. The fall turned off the time slow.

Michael got up from the ground and looked back to where Norman was but he was gone. That dude just cost him the race.

"It's alright Mr. Randelo, ang bilis mo nung una ah! Sobrang lapit mo na sana pero konti pa sana. Don't worry 95 grade mo. Ikaw Robber, 100 ulit!" Coach Jannie said.

After a few more running pairs, the coach dismissed them. Michael shook hands with his opponent in good sportsmanship. He had to change from his dirty clothes. On the way to the comfort room inside the gym, he saw Alora who just finished her judo class and was talking to Norman right underneath the basketball ring.

Michael just didn't get it. Why was it that every time he saw Norman, he felt that same nauseating feeling he felt whenever he woke up from passing out from using his powers. Good thing it wasn't as strong this time, that dude just made him stagger. What Michael also didn't get was why was he always staying so close to Alora.

Norman finished their conversation as soon as he saw Michael. He waved goodbye to Alora and flashed a smile to Michael on his way out.

"See you around bro," Norman whispered as he brushed past Michael.

"Whatever weirdo, stay away from my friends," is what he replied in his thoughts.

"Yeah, see you around bro," is what he really said. He also said bro with distaste.

He was a little worried about having people he wasn't on good terms with, especially after the little incident with Tifanny (he's also hoping she's alright and her friends don't hunt him down). He shrugged off the nausea and tried to forget the annoying face of Norman.

"Alora, musta pagbubugbog?"

"Haha, masaya naman. Kamusta lasa ng field?"

"Nakita mo yun? Hahahahaha!"

The two went on and on in the gym, nearly forgetting that they needed to change clothes.

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Hey readers! It's been awhile since I last updated. I'm sure the crossover chapter was enough coolness to keep you up for the meantime.

If you know the event Ignite 2015 and you're coming to it, see you there! Let's go and be on fire for God!