Timeless Legacy

talk

Jay stood confidently in the fencing room, his voice carrying authority as he called out, "All right, boys. Let's line it up. Carlos, you're with me. Let's go." The room echoed with the sound of clashing swords as the team quickly assembled.

"Assembler. Salute. Lower the point. Masks down. En garde. Keep your center!" Jay's commands were sharp and precise, setting the tone for an intense practice session. Carlos paired up with Jay, and the two began to spar, their movements quick and calculated.

"Eyes on your opponent! Up and over," Jay coached, pushing Carlos to improve his technique.

Suddenly, a new fencer entered the fray, their movements swift and decisive. The unknown fencer easily bested each opponent they faced, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. As the fencer faced off against Jay, the room grew silent, all eyes fixed on the duel.

When the mysterious fencer finally defeated Jay, they removed their mask, revealing a familiar face. "It's Lonnie!" Jane exclaimed from above, grinning with excitement.

"Not bad," Jay said, clearly impressed by Lonnie's skill.

"You should put me on the team," Lonnie suggested, her tone confident.

Before Jay could respond, Chad stepped forward, his face twisted in disbelief. "Hey, w-what?! No, no, no. We'll be the laughing stock of the league. And what's gonna happen next? We'll have girls playing tourney? Come on, guys."

Jay looked at Chad, puzzled. "So?"

Chad, pulling out a worn rule book, continued, "So? Uh, so, have you not read the rule book? Section 2, paragraph 3, 11-4. 'A team will be comprised of a captain and eight men.' Hmm? Why don't you read the rule book?"

Lonnie didn't back down. "Okay, yeah, but you're down a man! Since Ben had to leave to do all that king stuff."

"Exactly. We're down a man," Chad emphasized, holding firm to the rules.

Lonnie turned to Jay, her eyes pleading. "Jay..."

Jay hesitated, conflicted. "I'm sorry. Coach trusts me. I'm not gonna stay captain if I just throw out the rule book."

Frustration flashed in Lonnie's eyes. "If my mother thought that way, she would have lost the war."

Chad chuckled, mockingly. "Okay. Rule book. Rule book."

Jay sighed, signaling the end of practice. "All right, guys. Practice is over. Let's go."

As the team dispersed, Carlos leaped onto a platform, calling out, "Jane! Jane, hey. Hey."

Jane turned, smiling warmly at Carlos. "Hey, Carlos, what's up?"

"Uh... Not much. You?" Carlos replied, a bit nervously.

Jane launched into a rant, clearly stressed. "Way too much. We were gonna go with the blue and gold banners for Cotillion, but now we can't find the right shade of blue."

Carlos tried to seize the moment. "Oh, yeah, no, that's a-- that's a bummer. Um, speaking of Cotillion--"

But Jane cut him off, continuing her ramble. "I know, right? It's all anybody is talking about. Cotillion 24/7."

Carlos tried to interject again. "Uh...I haven't, actually."

Jane barely registered his comment, too caught up in her thoughts. "Oh. Lucky. I always end up serving punch with my mom anyway. This year, I got stuck on the decorating committee because Audrey went off to a spa vacation with Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather."

Carlos, feeling the conversation slipping away, tried one last time. "Jane, maybe we should just--"

But Jane interrupted him again, her voice wistful. "Skip the whole thing? I really, really wish I could. It's so nice to have a friend who's on the same wavelength."