Equilibrium - #ProjectWomanUp

Sixteen

For the rest of the week, I spend the days training Charlie, and the evenings with Kane. I sleep in his bed most nights, and if I don't stay the night, I spend the time before with him. We talk, and kiss and just enjoy being with one another.

Occasionally we train, and he teaches me a bit more on fighting. He is impressed with how quickly I have picked up the fighting, and I just laugh and say it was because I have such a good teacher.

When the end of the week comes, it is time for the Intellects to be tested. "I feel like I'm going to be sick" Charlie tells me, hands shaking nervously, as we jog slowly around the field. We are warming up, stretching his muscles as we run, but he is more focused on the upcoming trails.

"Charlie, you'll be fine. You learnt more in a week than I did" I tell him.

"I doubt that" he mumbles, as we begin the last circuit in a slow pace. I don't want Charlie to feel nervous, but I also want him to understand how important this is. Maybe I am being selfish, but if he does badly then it looks bad on him. So even though I want him to do well for him, I also want him to make me look better.

Kane calls for the trails to begin. He gives the order that the Intellects will be trailed in – Charlie will be third to go. He is both excited and nervous, like he should be. We all wait in the observation room, that overlooks the assault course. The window we look out is tinted, so we can see them, but they can't see us.

We all take our seats, and I find myself next to Kane. Our hands brush as I sit down, and I hold a smile back. It's hard, being with him in secret, but it will just complicate everything for us. I have my final trials in two weeks' time, and after that I will no longer be a novice. Then, we can be together publicly.

Kane has a notepad in front of him, scoring points and making notes on the Intellects. The first Intellect is Will's and he does well, but gets points deducted because he can't complete the rope climb. His knife hits the target, and it takes him three attempts to hit the moving target with a gun.

The second Intellect does well in the course, but fails in the knife throwing and gun trails – he gets a lot of deducted marks for that. Then it is Charlie's go. "Come on Charlie, don't mess up" I whisper under my breath.

The Intellect running the trails speaks into the microphone. "Novice Charles, trained by Novice Barbie". With that titters and murmurs fill the audience around me. Kane's hand brushes mine once more – it was encouragement to ignore them. I nod softly, telling him I understand.

It goes quiet when Charlie steps up to the assault course. The timing starts, and he takes off in a slow jog. First is the tyre step, and he does exactly as I taught him, and he gets through easily enough. Then the climbing rope comes, he reaches half way and his grip loosens. I hold my breath, but he grabs it back again.

I smirk, as he finishes the climbing rope, and runs down the ramp and climbs over the wall. The plank he does almost gracefully, and I am sat there smirking to myself. The army crawl is the slowest of the obstacles, but it is still faster than the other Intellects.

He completes the course in three minutes and fifty seconds – the fastest time so far. I smile to myself, because I am proud of him. "Fast and no miners" Kane mutters to himself, jotting things down on his notepad.

Then comes the knife throw. They offer Charlie a knife, but he shakes his head and pulls one form his own belt. The Warriors around me laugh, as do I, because we would all do the same in his position. The Intellect checks the knife is fine, and he can't use it to cheat, before they pass it back to him.

Charlie gets the target first try. I see him smile to himself proudly, and I mirror the look. I hear the Warriors murmur again, this time they are impressed. Next comes the shooting of the moving target.