The Games

The Game's Edge

By the time I left the hidden room, the halls were empty, and the night had settled in. I slipped into our shared space, where everyone was already fast asleep, and dragged myself into my room. Collapsing face-first onto my bed, I knocked out instantly.

Something poked at my cheek, and I swatted at it. Or, more accurately, at whoever it was. When the poking persisted, I grabbed their finger, eliciting a yelp.

"Okay, Cupcake, you can let go now," Max laughed.

Opening my eyes, I saw him lying beside me, grinning like an idiot. I let go of his finger and shoved him off my bed, sending him crashing to the floor with a satisfying thud.

"Hey! That wasn't very nice," he pouted, sitting on the floor, rubbing his arm.

Before I could throw a snarky retort, laughter came from the doorway. I glanced up, and there stood Atticus, shirtless, with his black sweats hanging dangerously low on his hips.

"Good god," Max muttered, eyes wide with awe. Honestly, same. I think I might've been drooling a little. Atticus merely shook his head, a small smirk playing on his lips.

"You're going to be late for breakfast and training," he said in that deep voice of his that sent shivers down my spine.

Shaking off the distraction, I jumped up to grab some workout clothes and darted to the shower.

---

Once dressed and ready, I wandered into the kitchen, grabbing an apple for a quick snack. Izzy appeared, hopping onto the counter and grinning at me.

"So, did you get anything out of Mr. Tanner yesterday? You were gone a while," she asked, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.

I nodded, taking a bite of my apple. "He told me the whole story about how the Games and the Rebellion started."

Izzy's eyes widened in surprise just as Max and Atticus entered the kitchen.

"Cupcake! Little Fox!" Max called out, causing Izzy and me to roll our eyes.

As we sat down, I caught them up on the story Mr. Tanner had shared. I told them how he promised more information if I returned, and that the leader of the Rebellion might finally be revealed.

We made our way to the gym, where Mr. Tanner was already standing in the center, a grin on his face.

"Now that everyone's here, there's going to be a change in plans," he announced. "I've been observing all of you over the past month, seeing who the strongest are, and who... well, aren't. I've prepared matches for you all. We'll go from weakest to strongest."

He began calling out the matchups, starting with the weakest pairings.

---

The early matches were over almost as soon as they began, with Serenity quickly winning her bout against Charlie. The others followed suit, each one ending in swift victories. I was proud of those I had been training; they were all winning their matches.

"Next up, Sammy and Cam," Mr. Tanner called.

Sammy gave me a nervous glance, and I leaned in, whispering, "Remember, he steps before he swings. Watch his feet."

With a nod, Sammy stepped up. As soon as the match started, Cam rushed at him, but Sammy was ready. He spun around, sweeping Cam's legs out from under him and then delivered a clean hit to the temple, knocking him out cold.

"Winner, Sammy," Mr. Tanner grinned, giving me an approving nod.

I barely paid attention to the next few matches, my mind already racing ahead to my own. Drake, Flash, Gabe, and Seth fought hard, but all I cared about was who I'd be facing.

"All right, three fights left. Nate and... Izzy," Mr. Tanner announced, his tone holding a dramatic edge.

There were gasps from the room, but Izzy kept her face composed. She walked to the mat with confidence, locking eyes with me. I clapped and smiled, "You got this, Little Fox" Max yelled.

The fight was intense and lasted longer than the others. Izzy was skillfully dodging Nate's attacks, tiring him out with her agility. Finally, he managed to pin her down, but I shouted, "Remember what I showed you!"

She bucked her hips, flipping him over her in one fluid motion, and rained down punches until Mr. Tanner called the match.

"Winner, Izzy!"

I jumped up, hugging her as she came back to us. "That's my girl!"

---

Next, Max and Brady took the mat. Brady smirked, but Max just blew him a kiss, which wiped the smirk right off his face. They squared off, and I moved to stand next to Atticus.

"I guess that means we're fighting next," I said, a smirk tugging at my lips.

He gave me a ghost of a smile. "Seems that way."

There was something about the way his eyes met mine-like the whole room disappeared. The tension was palpable. Just as the space between us started to close, Mr. Tanner's voice snapped us back to reality.

"The winner is Max!"

Max swaggered over, grinning like a fool. "Was that sexual tension I just felt?" he wiggled his eyebrows, making me laugh.

"Alright, last fight. Kennedy and Atticus," Mr. Tanner called.

Cheers and taunts erupted as we stepped onto the mat. Atticus smirked, and I mirrored his stance.

"Fight!" the guard yelled.

We circled each other, waiting for someone to make the first move. He rushed at me, swinging his left fist, but I dodged back, narrowly avoiding the blow. So, he wanted to play rough? Fine.

I struck fast, landing a hit to his chest, making him stumble. We exchanged blows, testing each other's strength as the match dragged on.

"End it when the timer goes off!" Mr. Tanner shouted. "Whoever is pinned loses."

Atticus made another move, but I dodged, stepping out of his way. He followed quickly, tackling me to the mat. Our bodies tangled together as he hovered over me, his breath warm against my skin.

"Looks like I'm number one now," he said, smirking.

I smirked back. "We'll see about that."

I bucked my hips, flipping him over so I straddled him, pinning him down as the timer went off.

"I think I'm still number one," I teased, "since I'm on top."

Laughter echoed through the gym as Mr. Tanner called the class to a close. I stood and helped Atticus to his feet. Max, ever the goof, wiggled his eyebrows and gave me a thumbs-up.

---

As the others left for lunch, Mr. Tanner pulled me aside.

"Be ready," he whispered, eyes darting around to make sure no one else could hear. "The next game is coming soon. I can't tell you what it is, but... it's going to be soon."

Before I could respond, he rushed out of the room, leaving me with a pit of unease in my stomach.