After

Chapter three

My alarm clock tells me it's seven am in the morning. Far too early for my liking, however, I cannot get around it. The guys want to leave at nine and I wanted to run for an hour before leaving. I quickly jump out my bed and put on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt from Kayden. I plug earbuds in my old mp3 player and I'm ready to go. Softly, I move through the house, as not to wake Kayden and Matthew. Yesterday, I decided to run toward my new high school. Kayden had called the principle to explain the situation and tomorrow he is going to officially enrol me. I mentally look at the map and I start running down the street. The upbeat music and experience makes my feet fall in a fast rhythm. I look around in the neighbourhood. It's a middle class neighbourhood with some big houses in between. It seems a quiet and nice neighbourhood with a low crime rate, but I hadn't expect any different from Kayden. Almost everyone is still asleep. Here and there I can see children in their living rooms and an older pair was also taking a stroll. I smiled to them and waved my hand in an hello. They smiled and waved back. It is terrible warm already. It's seven in the morning and it's already 28 degrees Celsius or 83 degrees Fahrenheit.

After half an hour I find my new high school. To my surprise I hear voices yelling on the other side of the school. I stop running and walk cautiously around the school. I'm shocked to see children training on the sport fields. The coaches are running drills and are yelling at the students. They're practising cheerleading, soccer and football at half past seven in the morning on a Sunday! What the double hockey sticks? I remembered my brother saying that they were very competitive and that before important or difficult games they would practice outside normal trainings hours, but I hadn't thought he meant on a Sunday morning. I keep watching them train for a few minutes, when I start to leave one of the cheerleaders yells at me. "Hey fat bi-a-tch, what do you think you're doing here? Are you jealous of our body?" I take a deep breath and chant 'don't let her get to you'. She's is just a stupid, blond haired stereotype. She is the exception not the rule. "Ahw, fatty, are you speechless?" An other cheerleader cooed at me. I would like to let you know that I'm not fat. I have the lines for a six pack, but not the blocks because I think I look better without them. I turn around to walk away. "Are you gonna run away crying?" A third cheerleader screams with a high pitched voice. I hear some of them laugh. I take another deep breath before I make a decision. I will not be bullied for lies again. There are enough other reasons. I strip of the at least four sizes to big shirt. I tie it around my waste, so I'm left in my sportsbra. Never in my life have I felt the need to become a cheerleader, but MMA, a bit of gymnastics and all the bring it on films have taught me just enough to pull this trick off. With a lovely tumble routine I leave the field and the now silent cheerleaders. I put the shirt back on and I continue my run.

I go through the park and when I'm half way back home I encounter my brother. It seems like he also got up for a little morning run. I start running besides him. He smiles when he sees me besides him.

"Shall we race?" He says with a posh accent. I give him a thumbs up. "Who is home first, gets to shower first. Deal?" I nod and take off.

Gasping I get in the house with Kayden on my heels. Matthew looks surprised when he sees us storming in the kitchen. I throw my arms in the air and do a little happy dance, because I've won. Kayden tries to jump me, but I can get away in time. After a bit of wrestling Kayden manages to pin me down. I tap the ground as sign that Kayden won this round. He lets me go and we fall back in an old routine. I make yoghurt with muesli for my brother and me, while he gets me a glass of apple juice and a glass of orange juice for himself. It's just like when my parents were still alive. I dig in my breakfast simultaneously with Kayden. We finish at the same time and with another old routine we clean up our breakfast. When Kayden tries to sneak into the bathroom before me, I jump into the doorway. I give my brother a look that meant 'what do you think you're doing?' and with a shrug he sits back at the table. "It never hurts to try." Matthew laughs. "Siblings" He shakes his head. Both Kayden and I shoot a glare at Matthew. He hold his hands up in surrender.

I take a quick shower and prepare for the shooting range. I put on my favourite clothes. Green cargo pants a green striped T-shirt with a green jacket on top and a cap against the sun. I carefully check over my Accuracy International AS50 sniper rifle, before closing its case. I fill a bag with ammunition for the rifle and some clips for my hand gun. I put my SIG Sauer P226 in a waist holster and cover it with my jacket. Just in case, I also put my licenses for the weapons in the bag and a First Aid kit. I fill the rest of the bag with a couple of water bottles, an apple and some crackers.

I walk to the living room with my bag over my shoulder and sniper case in my hand. Everyone is already here. They are all in uniform, so Carlos was definitely right about eye-candy. My brother sees me stepping in the room. He gives me a look and moves his head to the door. I give him a mock salute and walk to the car to put my stuff in it. "Alright, let's move to the cars." I hear Kayden yell when I'm outside. Justin walks past the front seat and looks at me. He hits my cap. "You already start to look like a soldier." He jokes, still thinking I'm an innocent little girl. I roll with my eyes and send him a smile. They won't know what hit them.