Earth's Academy for Gifted Space Soldiers

Chapter 2: Katie

"Come on, Tyler! How are we supposed to dominate in the Elite rank if you keep losing your balance?" Katie exclaimed as she helped her friend up off the ground. Tyler chuckled, "sorry, Katie, I'll do better next time, but maybe we should focus on actually making it to the Elite ranking first."

"Why focus on one thing at a time?"

"Well aren't you the ambitious one?"

They both giggled for a moment before returning to their fighting stances. Man, I wish we could spar with our weapons, Katie thought as she prepped herself to lunge. With her fist raised, she ran at Tyler and took a swing; only for him to dodge swiftly to the right. But sadly Captain Lazy over here had to go and choose a firearm. It's just not fair! She continued to think to herself as Tyler snuck up behind her and tripped her, sending her to the floor. And that's why I'll just have to kick his but with my fists instead! She grabbed his arm quickly and pulled him down with her till she had him pinned to the floor. "I win!" She exclaimed.

They both looked at each other and laughed before she released him and helped him up. "Hey Katie, we've been practicing for hours now, wouldn't you say it's time to take a break?" He asked pleadingly. Katie looked at him skeptically, "you're just saying that because you're lazy." She said jokingly.

"Maybe, but how are you supposed to become an Elite if you starve to death? Let's get something to eat." He replied.

"Fine, let's go then." She groaned before they both gathered their things and headed for the stairs.

It was not long after they left one of the training rooms when they arrived at the nearest cafeteria, got some food, and found an empty table to eat; all the while Katie was rambling on and on about training and rankings as Tyler listened obediently. Katie knew he probably wasn't really listening, but she continued to talk anyway.

"You're one lazy guy, you know that?" She teased. "I'm just not as motivated as you, Elite or not, I'm good either way." He replied. Katie sighed; that was his typical response to everything. "I swear it's like you don't care about anything! One of these days I might even rank up and you'll get left behind! Then what?" She exclaimed. He shrugged, "I guess I won't care then, either." He replied calmly.

Just then Katie spotted a group of people walking up to the table led by a girl with long, black hair –hair that she recognized all too well–. "Well if it isn't the little insect and her pushover boy-toy." Said the girl as the crowd behind her laughed. "Hello, Erica," Katie said reluctantly, "here to release the flying monkeys? Maybe curse a sick puppy?" Tyler started snickering at this. Erica scoffed, "you're such a little nobody; talking big about being an Elite. Quit fooling yourself." She retorted, sneering wickedly. Katie kept looking down at the table; trying to hide her anger and hurt. "That's big talk coming from you, Erica, I heard the other day that you got your butt thoroughly kicked by a Junior Class student." She mumbled. Erica screeched, "you're such an unbelievable brat! I can't believe that you actually think you're going to become anything more than what you already are: a mediocre Intermediate Class! I'm surprised you even made it this far, so quit acting like you're some sort of main protagonist!"

That's when Tyler shot up from his seat to face the girl; his green eyes glaring intensely. "Now listen here, nobody asked for your opinion. Don't you have anything better to do than be a brat for no reason? Or are you just that insecure about yourself that you felt the need to come here and start a fight? Katie has every right to talk about ranking up because she trains every day for hours, and I'm sure you can't say that much for yourself. So take your flying monkeys and broomsticks elsewhere."

Silence.

Erica looked like she had just been punched in the gut. Her posse behind her was murmuring furiously. With a nasty glare, she turned on her heels and walked off.

Tyler sat back down slowly and looked at Katie, "are you ok?" He asked. "Yeah I'm fine." She replied as she looked up at him and brushed a long strand of her messy blonde hair out of her face. There was a moment of awkward silence before Katie chimed in, "wow Tyler, that was pretty passionate. I though you said you didn't care about anything." Tyler's face turned a very light pink, "I-I don't," he stammered, "I-I just didn't think it was cool of her to be picking on you like that; that's all." He ran his hand through his shaggy brown hair. Another awkward silence followed. This time it was Tyler's turn to break it.

"S-so... wanna get back to training?"

Katie smiled gently for a second before replying.

"Sure."