Missing Streams

Problem Child - 9

Once Scar had gotten her crutches and whatever, we were supposed to go back to our class.

Naturally, we didn't want to.

Scarlet seemed undecided on what to do, looking more bored than anything. I worried for a moment whether or not I was really allowed to tag along with her, but figured she would have shooed me off already if that was the case.

"I need to go back there in like half an hour." She sneered, obviously wishing she didn't have to, "And I'm not going back to class unless it's break that guy's knees over his back."

I wondered if you could do that without breaking something else first, when Scarlet just started walking off. She was surprisingly good with the crutches, moving at the normal speed she'd walk at. I caught up to her and opened my mouth to ask where we were going, but then I closed my mouth. Better to just walk with her.

We didn't get very far before a voice came from behind us, "Where's your class, Harbringer?"

"You know, James is here too." Scar rolled her eyes, turning to look at Pharlain.

"He's not the problem child, is he?" Pharlain had a mean grin. Not even angry or anything, simply mean.

"I'm a problem child now?" Scarlet snickered at such an idea, "If you've seen my file you'd know I've done worse. I haven't even told you to go fuck yourself yet."

"I'll give that to you. You haven't broken anybody's nose, we haven't had to file a missing person's report, we haven't caught you selling weed, so sure, you're not a problem child here. Yet."

I wondered if all that had happened before, but the look on Scarlet's face told me she had. But she didn't look proud of it, which I would have been. Well, except for the missing person's report. That couldn't be anything good.

Scarlet stared at her with resentment, but kept her voice composed, "Go ahead and punish me, however you punish people around here. Give me detention or lock me in a cell, whatever it is just do it."

"Your punishment for today is to return to class. A nurse will come get you when you have to go to your next appointment. Am I understood?"

"You're speaking English." Scarlet shrugged, "Since that's my first language and all-"

"Just get back to class." Pharlain sneered before stepping aside, likely to watch us go back to the education wing. I doubted she really trusted us at all. Not that she had a reason to.

***

Back in class, Wexler had already decided to stop the general testing. Instead he was testing people's skills, which still worked for Scarlet even though she was an elf.

"Look at my hands." Scar said from where she sat on a bench, "That should be proof enough that I can do that kind of stuff."

She had claimed to have climbed to the top of a ferris wheel before, being the biggest achievement when it came to supporting her body weight by her arms. Her hands were heavily calloused, supporting her claims alongside her clearly buff upper body. I really noticed she was far from many girls I'd ever known, but decided it wasn't a bad thing.

"I'll be fine!" She continued when Wexler said it was unsafe, "I can still grab footholds with my thigh. I know you have rock climbing equipment somewhere."

I had no idea where she could have heard that, and wondered if it was a bluff. Wexler's sudden annoyance told me that if she was lying, she'd made a lucky break.

"I'm not responsible for anything you do to yourself," Wexler huffed, but seemed to have caved in, "Let's get you set up."

***

"Okay, Harbringer." Wexler sighed, shaking his head, "Do your stuff."

Scarlet was hooked up to a rock climbing wall, and she definitely looked weird without her prosthetic. My dad had lost both legs below the knee, but he never let anyone see him without his prosthetics. So I really wasn't used to it. Scarlet's thigh didn't have a knee - which might have just looked weirder - but it moved just like anyone's thigh would. Just without the rest of the leg.

This gymnasium was apparently saved for more intense testing, which is why we were standing in front of a rock climbing wall. It wasn't as colourful as I was used to seeing, simply grey instead. I guessed it made it more difficult to find footholds that way.

Scarlet took a deep breath and jumped to grab a rock that stuck from the wall.