Gifted

Chapter Twenty four Emily

I wake up, grumpy. I don't want to go to classes, I've had enough!..
I catch a glance at the pictures taped to my wall, and notice they are crooked...I'll have to fix that soon... I force myself to stay awake, but I can't. I wonder what time it is, I mean, it's not the wakeup call that woke me up anyway. My eyelids are slowly closing, I can't let them. I try to get up, but I trip on my shoe and loose my balance and end up almost falling to the floor. I catch myself by grabbing the bedside table, but it almost tips over and falls. I can't walk, what's happening to me right now? What in the world! I decide to transform into my animal, the wolf. Maybe that'll be easier. I sit back down on my bed and focus. I am trying my best when I hear loud and annoying footsteps running down the hallway, I try to ignore them, by using the things we learned in mental control class. But I can't, I simply can't.
I hear a knock, I wakes my sleepy head up. I'm too tired to say come in or something like that, so I simply leave it alone. Last night, I forgot to close the curtains. I see the rays of sunlight entering my room, it brings warmth with it. I look around my room, not knowing what to do.
After five minutes of thinking, I decide to try and walk. I stumble on air a few times, but that's all. I manage finally to go to the bathroom, I look in the mirror and see a girl, but with halfway closed eyes and messy hair. Me.
I splash some cold water on my face. The iciness of the water trickles down from my forehead and onto my cheeks, all red from the blanket and pillow smushed into my face during the night. I have to go and open the door. Whoever that is over there will certainly regret knocking on my door as a woke up. I reach the door and turn the lock. It's Cecelia, she's already dressed, but not in her uniform.... Doesn't she remember that people get detention for doing that? I'm about to tell her but she cuts me off:
"Oh my god! Aren't you just sooooo exited! I can't wait!"
"Wait.....why exactly?..." I reply, confused like a new comer at this school.
"Well! Don't you realize it's the weekend today! It's Saturday, I just can wait! We probably won't even have classes!"
My brain lights up, I am suddenly called up to reality when I hear that. My eyes open fully and my legs are no longer noodles. I look up to Cecelia and hug her. She apparently does not get why, as I compress her lungs. I am so happy, I get ready in less then three minutes, including doing my hair. Then, run our of my room skipping and dancing. That's probably why those noisy people were running down the hallway right when I woke up! I can't wait! I wonder what we will do today!?
Suddenly, the megaphone turns on. A loud and harsh voice is heard, Ms Kimmel's:
"Now, kids, good morning to you all! Today is a very special day, Saturday, you will have your first excursion out in the woods nearby. Please report in front of your rooms at 8:30, where your tower leader will pick you up and lead you to the teachers who will accompany you. Today, you will start by playing a big game of capture the flag, and then have a discovery session nearby."
"Yay!" I scream accidentally. Everyone stares at me, but then join me in the fun. The hallway has become a big fun place where everybody cheers. Well, only on the weekends....
Cecelia and I chat for a while until the bell rings at 8:30, we rush outside of our rooms. Elisabeth is already there, and she notices Cecelia:
"Are you in my group, miss....."
"Well, no, I came to visit my friend. I'm sorry, I'll go back to the air tower..." Cecelia replies quickly, she seems disappointed by my tower leader. So, she goes back near her room, probably hoping she won't be late.....
Next, Elisabeth leads us to the woods, along with Ms Kimmel.
This is how the game works:
The air and earth element groups are together on a team, and the water and fire are together.
Both of the teams hide their flags in a minimized area in the forest, secretly. Then, the games begin!

Cecelia and I decide to stick together, and especially not get lost...! Right when the game start, everybody goes crazy; they cheer, they scream just for fun, they "boooo" the other team, etc.
At first, Cecelia and I stay at the "base", but after a while, we kind of want to do something for our team, so we sprint. We just sprint as fast as we can towards the other team. Everything is blurry, no time to think about where the flag could be. I notice quickly many people trying to get us, but they can't reach. We are too fast for them. I notice Cecelia has wind coming off of her feet... Strange. We continue, nonstop. At last, and for the first time, we catch a glance at a bright red triangle in between some trees! The flag? Yes. It's the flag, but how will we get it? I notice myself smiling, and see that Cecelia is too.
We stop running and approach slowly, creeping, not making a single sound. I wonder if we are allowed to transform into our animal and then get the flag, well, actually that might just make everything even more difficult... Right when we are about four feet away from the flag, Cecelia slips in the mud under our feet. Shoot, they heard us. We get even lower and go back into the bushes, hoping the other team isn't looking for us. They might as well think it was one of their teammates who slipped.... After about thirty seconds, we make a second attempt. And this time, we get even closer. I'm about to get the flag as I am pushed over and rolled around in the mud. What? Someone saw me, and they kept me from getting it. I'm out. Cecelia sighs, and it gives me an idea. I whisper:
"I'll distract them, go!"
She nods, good, she understood.
So, I start waving and saying randomness:
"Hey guys, do you know what we do in the discovery thinga mabob? Yeah, um, did you sleep well, how was last period yesterday afternoon?"
It works; all I see is a blur of light blue along with some red. It's Cecelia with the the flag! YES! We did it! Now, all we need now is it actually bring it back, well, I'm stuck here, I won't be able to help. When I see that Cecelia is gone, all I hope that we will win. Usually, in games like these, I just sit there and do nothing....but today, I helped get the flag! I feel proud of myself.
Next thing you know, cheers come rising from our team, yay!
We won!
After that, we stop the game of capture the flag and move on. We all get separated into small groups of four; one person of each element. I'm not with Cecelia this time, I'm with this girl named Sky, from the air group, duh. Another girl named Sophia from water, and a boy named Jerek from the fire element. At first, we don't really a talk much, we kind of ignore each other.
We go even deeper into the woods and simply practice transforming and "fighting" against each other. Sky is an owl, which is pretty awesome, Sophia is a blue fined silvery fish, but extremely fast, and Jerek is a snake. I hate snakes, not even kidding, they just creep me out.
At one point, Sophia and I are fighting, and I'm barely able to block the attack. I roll to the ground, with a loud thump, and I'm able to dodge it. But no, maybe not. Maybe it's one of those attacked that follow you until its hits you, or until you block it off. But, I don't have time to block. I see her freaking out, while Jerek is trying to help me. Sky is too busy flying and making loops in the sky. Shoot, I'm really in a horrible situation right now. After many rolls and flips, I finally manage to completely dodge it, but following into a huge muddy pit, where a bolt of pain strikes my arm, leaving it completely numb.I try to cry out in pain, but I can't. I can't talk, I'm too hurt. I try to move my arm, but I hurts too much, I can't even feel it anymore. Oh no. I hear someone running towards me, I hope they'll find this place, it's far from the path. I have a glance at Jerek, yes! Someone heard me fall! He lifts me up and brings me back to one of the main teachers. The teacher inspects my arm, and then calls another adult. I recognize the health class teacher, she might heal me. Next thing you know, my arm is healed; scratches and wounds disappear as I try to move it again.
Then, we have to continue practicing. I decide to not "fight" against Sky anymore, even though all this was my fault.
After we are all brought back to the school, I lie down on my bed and sigh, phwew, that was a super exhausting day. I fall asleep in five minutes, even though it's only 5:00. I skip dinner, but I don't care, I'm too tired.