Castle High

12. Gravity - I

“Welcome Ladies and Gentle-men, boys and girls and everyone at home or at anywhere in the country right now watching us. Today the National High-School Tennis Female Championship (NHTFC) Junior category opens in grand style here at the Castle High Tennis court, ‘The Rectangle’. We’re live from Miami, Florida as 1-Time champion and 11th grader; Skye Anderson from Britney high — Atlanta, Georgia goes against Castle High’s very own Alice Trevorrow who is newly minted in this championship. This is going to be one heck of a game. What do you say, John?”

“Well I think, the dynamism between both contestants would be the major determinant of…”

“Excuse me, coming through.” Alex grunted, as she maneuvered her way back to her seat after getting a bunch of snacks from the vending machine. The court was filled to the brim with Castle supporters consisting of parents and students in massive numbers and also a handful of Britney supporters.

Whilst navigating through the enormous crowd, a small figure rammed into her rather violently, causing all what she held in her hands to spill out from her grip. “Oh, c’mon.” she exclaimed, folding her arms, and raising her brows up – signaling for the 9th grader to pick the contents up. “I’m not going to give you a hand, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“I’m so sorry.” the junior sighed, crouching over the contents which consisted of – four bottles of sodas, eight packs of chocolate cookies and eight slices of pizza. Luckily for the junior, she stuffed all the contents in a medium sized duffel bag, so the dirt on the floor wouldn’t compromise it.

If that weren’t the case, she would have asked the 9th grader to return back to the vending machine of course. No one messed with her and got away with it.

There were on the highest pavement of the rectangle, the spot where the seniors and the 11th graders occupied. A place she didn’t exactly want to linger in because of the sort of bullies that existed in the school.

Unfortunately for the 9th grader, one pack of cookie managed to slip out of the bag. Alex snatched the bag from him hurriedly, and flashed an icy, frightening stare at him. “You know I’m not going to take that from you. Go back to the vending machine, and get one more. You could eat that one if you like.” She declared, stuffing a dollar note in the clenched fists of the 9th grader.

The 9th grader mumbled pitifully. “But that place is so jammed packed. I wouldn’t make it back in time for kick-off.”

Alex growled. “Would you drop dead if you don’t see the kick-off? The most important thing is seeing the game, not the kick-off. Now off you go, I don’t have much time. I’m sitting on the fifth pavement, middle column.”

The 9th grader mumbled something along the lines of her being cruel but she couldn’t care any less, as she watched his retreating figure head back to the vending machine. Hurriedly, she returned back to where she and the others sat to find it deserted, save Ariel who was frowning unsatisfactorily.

“What took you so long,” Ariel scowled, as Alex slid past her into the second seat on the row. “The game is about to begin. You know how mad Alice would be, when she does our ritual and you’re absent.”

Ariel had grabbed the mini back-pack from Alex, and was rummaging through it. She retrieved a bottle of coke, a pack of Oreo and a slice of pizza.

“I got caught up with something,” Alex replied, retrieving a bottle of water from underneath her seat – and gulped it hurriedly. “Where is Shelby and M?” she enquired, returning the water back to its previous position.

“They both went to save you from whatever trouble you had gotten into,” Ariel replied, her brows furrowing as her hands halted in the bag. “Chill, I thought we all agreed on two packs of Oreo and the same number for pizza for each person.”