Seeker (Completed)

I guess I'd dance for you

Chapter 7

Nick and Zack come strolling out with smug expressions. Nick ruffles my hair, "That's my girl!" Zack beams at me, "I've never seen Beth looked that shocked! You just made my week Layla, no make that my entire year, her face was priceless. And Taylor..." He laughs. "Wow, now that was what I'd call entertainment." I can't help but smile too.

"Come on, " I say. "We're late."

"You're late." Justin says in an irritable tone. Nick barely even glances at Justin when he says "Fashionably." Zack interjects whatever Justin was about to remark by explaining what happened, "...and then she called Beth a whore and Taylor a backstabbing slut." I choke.

"Woah, that was way over exaggerated!" Justin frowns at me and walks over to the weapon shelves. I playfully shove Zack, "You are such a bad Spicer." "I prefer the term...creative."

Justin comes back with a bow and arrows. The results are the same as my knife throwing. "Archery champion?" Zack asks. I grin at him, "Four years running." Justin rolls his eyes and mumbles under his breath, "Of course." I smile smugly but it quickly vanishes as he produces swords. I look out the corner of my eye to see Nick flicking his sword from one hand to the other, testing its weight. Obviously this is his strong point. Nick notices my discomfort and tells me that he'll go first. I mouth a thank-you to him.

Nick and Zack spar for about ten minuets before Zack disarmed Nick and placed his sword against his throat. I wonder how they're not bleeding so I pick up mine and run my finger along the edge, blunt. Justin makes his way to the fighting mats and I grudgingly follow. Nick and Zack were a blur of motion, lightning fast strikes and blocks...this fight is going to humiliate me. "I'm not much good at sword fighting." I mumble. Justin asks me to repeat it so I do, this time more clearly. "Oh so I heard you right the first time. Well this is going to be fun." He's gleeful.

He makes me practice footwork, jabbing, blocking but after an hour the longest I've lasted in a fight is two minuets. "You're stance is wrong," I hear Nick say from behind me. I'm surprised that they haven't left yet. He comes over and places his hand on my left hip and pulls back slightly. "With your left foot behind you will gain more balance." He places his hand on mine. "Loosen your grip, let your instincts take over. It's just like dancing." I give a small laugh. "Well you know that I'm no good at that either." Zack puts on a faked shocked expression, "What? Not a junior Ballroom dancing champion?" I stick my tongue out at him. Justin strikes and Nick guides my hand to block. Somewhere though out the fight he lets go of my hand and I'm on my own; but I last longer.

I block an attack, drop to my knee and aim a swipe at his legs. He jumps and I automatically back-roll to avoid a strike I know is coming. Sure enough the sword hits the ground to where I was a second ago. I get up but am disarmed in quickly; breathing heavily I notice that Justin hasn't even broken a sweat. A smirk appears on his face and I so want to wipe it off. Zack comments on how I'm improving. "Maybe she just needed a good teacher." Nick remarks that earns him a glare from Justin.

"Why do I even need to learn how to sword fight if I can shoot a gun?" I ask irritably. Justin scoffs, "Once you've unlocked your magic you won't be able to use a gun. Magic and guns don't go well together." I moan and then remember a question that I've wanted to ask for a while. "Why do I have to finish training before my 16th birthday?" Justin immediately comments that it's just the deadline that Emma set but Zack is hesitant and glances at my necklace yet says nothing. They head off to their rooms leaving Nick and me. "Nick, the best partner in the world, the greatest..." He rolls his eyes.

"What do you want?" He interrupts me.

"Can you please help me whip Justin's ass in sword fighting?" He grins and gladly agrees.

I'm still unsettled by Zack glancing down at my locket so I ask Nick if it seems familiar, he tells me that he doesn't think so. On the way to dinner Nick mentions that while I was 'flaying my sword about for an hour' that Zack said that there was a dance next week. "Really?" I ask without much enthusiasm, I'm totally not going. He then wonders what I think of him going with Jenna. I tell him that it was his funeral. He raises an eyebrow. "Have you seen her partner? It looks like she's waiting for an excuse to eat someone alive." I explain.

"Well I've been in an orb for two years so I've got to catch up on what I've missed out on."

"So that's what this is about! You just want to get action." I roll my eyes, men!

"Well you're one to talk. I'm pretty sure that you've had your fair share."

"What? Because I'm a slut?"

"That's not what I meant and you know that's not what I meant."

"In fact I haven't even been kissed so yeah."

"Really?" He asks and I remember what my mum used to tell me 'boys are nothing but trouble and it's in your best interest to steer clear of them. They do nothing but hurt you and make you vulnerable.' "Well the last guy that tried ended up with a broken nose." He gives me a weird look.

"You are not the type of person that I'd thought would be my partner...but I think that's a good thing."

I'm sitting at the table watching Nick causally lean against a wall chatting with Jenna. Zack asks me what Nick's up to so I tell him. "Ah yes, the annual ball," Justin says bitterly. "Yay!" He finishes off sarcastically. Zack rolls his eyes.

"Don't listen to him Layla, it's tons of fun if you go with the right people. Justin is just bitter 'cause he's stuck with Beth." Nick makes his way back to our table, roughing his hair out of his eyes looking pleased. "I'm guessing that she said yes." I tell him and he nods.

"What do you mean that you're not going?" Zack asked, dismayed.

"Boyfriend back home?" Justin questions immediately.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Nick remarks and Justin shoots him a glare.

"Nah," I interject, feeling the tension building between Nick and Justin. "It's just not my thing. Even if I had a boyfriend he would have thought that I died in my house fire." I finish shooting Justin a look and then just to make my day even worse Beth comes strutting over.

"Fancy seeing you here," She runs her fingers over Justin. God, she should have been born blonde. "Well this is the DINING HALL and it is DINER." I say, pronouncing the words as if to a five year old. Zack covers his mouth to stop his laughter from escaping. She starts to say a comeback when I stand up and say, "Whatever, I'm outa here."

I'm unlocking my door when I hear Zack call down the corridor, "Hey Layla, wait up." I turn to him, "What's up?" He jogged to catch up with me. "I was wondering if you'd come to the dance with me." I open my mouth to tell him no way in hell but he rushes on. "I know that it's not really your scene but I promise it can be really fun. Please Layls." When I don't answer straight away he rubs the back of his neck, I really wish he didn't do that 'cause it made him look so dam cute! His eyes pleaded with mine; how could I say no to that? "Ummm....sure Zack." His face splits into a grin, oh what have I gotten myself into.