Seeker (Completed)

What's a seeker?

Chapter 8

The gym is huge! I've challenged the boys to see who can run the furthest in an hour. I plug in the earphones to my I-pod and find Justin death staring me. I send a silent thank-you to my mother for making join the cross-country club. After about 45 minuets I hit 'the wall'. I struggle to breathe, all I want to do is collapse but then I think of how Justin will smirk if I do just that - fat chance! I force myself through, my lungs swell with air and I finish the hour. I walk off the treadmill, my legs feeling like jelly I make my way towards the mini-fridge that contains heavenly cold water.

"Let me guess, Marathon champion two years running?" Zack jokes and I try to laugh but the effort it takes is exhausting. The boys have long ago whipped off their tops, any other day I would've resulted to staring but right now I just feeling like pushing Justin out from under the fan and stealing his spot - so I do exactly that. "What it isn't enough that you've stolen my I-pod, now my spot? What next? My bedroom?"

"Don't tempt me, I need more storage space." I tease. "What time am I free until?" Justin casts me a suspicious look. "Until three. Why?" I glance at my watch, perfect! That gives me hours to practice. "No reason," I say and stroll over to Nick. "Ready to teach me how to become a kick-ass-swordswoman?" He grins at me, "Definitely."

We leave the training room with Nick navigating his way to the dining hall. I'm not in the best of moods; being beaten at swordplay for four hours isn't exactly a confidence boaster. "I don't understand how you know where you're going."

"It's a gift." I can't help but feel like I'm missing something. "I don't know what you were moaning about. Layla you really aren't that bad and you are seriously improving." I make a sound like mmmmmm and keep on walking. I check the time, damn my watch is missing; I must've left it in the training room. "Be right back," I tell Nick and blunder my way back to the training room.

I grab my watch and start to make my way back to Nick but in all honesty I'm not the greatest navigator. I make it to a T-junction, going ennie-meanie-minnie-moe I choose right. Voices echo down the passage and I freeze. "I'm being serious Zack!" I hear Justin's stern tone of voice. "I know," I hear Zack. "But I think she can do it. She's definitely talented." I hear Justin sigh, "There have been way more talented and TRAINED seekers before but have any of them succeeded? No they haven't. Zack, please listen to me! I don't want to see you get hurt. Don't get too attached. You know as well as I do that she's as good as dead." My breath catches in my throat, they're talking about me. My mind is reeling with questions. "Well I guess we'll just have to make sure she's better equipped then her pre-assessors, won't we?" I hear Zack say in a tone that lets me know that this conversation is over. I turn around to go find Nick.

"Took you long enough." Nick says, leaning against the wall lazily. "I got lost," my voice monotone. His eyebrows crease together and he grabs my arms to stop me walking straight pass him. "What's wrong?" His voice dripping with concern. "What makes you think that something's wrong?" I realize I probably look and sound like a walking zombie. "Well for starters you've look as though you've seen a ghost," his voice softens. "Layls, what's wrong?" I open my mouth, not sure what to say so I close it again. Justin and Zack suddenly find there way towards us, acting as though they hadn't been talking about my imminent death moments before. "You guys heading off to lunch?" Zack asks.

"What's wrong with you?" Justin comments, oh very subtle. Well if he thinks that I'm as good as dead he's gonna find out how hard a dead girl can punch. Nick senses what I'm about to do and grabs hold of my fist before I go all ninja on Justin's ass. "Actually we were going to our rooms." Nick says and drags me away.

Nick closes the door to his room. "What the hell is going on? You looked as though you were calculating the best way to kill Justin...Layla did he threaten you? Did he hurt you?" Nick's posture suddenly rigid, tone serious. I slouch down on his bed, his room identical to mine. "No." He comes and sits beside me. "You know that you can tell me anything, right?" I look up into his green eyes. "What happens to a person who loses their partner?" He looks confused at my question but he answers it, telling me that you live the rest of your life feeling as though a part of you is missing and cutting things short it basically sucks. "Why that question?" I suck in a slow breath, "What is a seeker?" His eyes are intense on mine and then suddenly widen in realization, his gaze drops down to my locket. "Oh..." he whispers.