Clouds

Part 2-11 Naming

Part 11

            I lie in bed, awake, thinking of what might happen tomorrow.  I glance at the clock.  It is eleven o’ five.  I sigh.

            The pool party was so much fun until Lucas challenged me like that.  Why would he bother?  It’s obvious that the A group is much better then him, so why does he bother to compete and try to beat them?

            It never really occurred to me that the classes here are no different than regular schooling.  There are the popular kids and the ordinary ones, and there is always a group trying to take the popular ones’ place.  Well, the A team is obviously the most popular, and somehow Colby got on Dakota’s good side and we became friends with them.  From all the looks Dakota gets, he must be the first placeholder in the A team, and Claire must be the second, followed by Roy, Kristen, Henry, and James.  Lucas must be the leader of the B team, and from what I heard most people only end up in the C team, even the best fighters.  So it makes sense that Lucas would be frustrated that he was just in second place.

            Well, soon Colby and I will be on the A team too.  We have what it takes, and Lucas can easily be beaten.  He has too much confidence, and will likely use too much power on his first few punches. I’ll just have to be the dark horse here and sneak up on him when he least expects it.  Yes, and Colby will make him use up his power by quickly darting to the sides and ducking, and then deliver the final blow when Lucas tires out.  This will be almost too easy.

            I drift off to sleep planning exactly how to beat Lucas, and all of the blows he could possibly deliver, and my reactions to each one.  My dreams are filled with the call of the ring.

            The next morning Claire jolts me awake.

            “Get up, Victoria!” She says excitedly.  Kristen is beside her.

            “Huh?” I mumble, confused.  “It’s like, two o’clock.”

            “Right,” she says.  “You need time to wake up.  Kristen made tea and I’m going to find some decent clothes for you to wear today.”

            “Okay.”  I’m too weary to argue.  I’m not up for being fashionable during an assessment this important.  But, if they insist…

            “Red looks good on her, right?” Claire asks Kristen.

            “Red is the best, but orange and yellow work good as well,” Kristen replies.

            “I’ll do red.”

            Suddenly a wet towel lands on my face, freezing cold.

            “What was that for!?” I ask, suddenly wide-awake.  Kristen stares down at me.

            “Go wash your face,” she instructs.  “Since you won’t be wearing makeup today your face had better look clean.”  I nod and rise to me feet, then go to the bathroom, wash my face, and comb my hair.

            “We need to make your shirt,” Claire says.  She comes out of the closet with some black leggings, red and black shorts, and a plain red shirt with short sleeves.  She uses some yellow ribbon to tie the sleeves up so that the shirt is more like a tank top.  “I was thinking two ponytails for the hair up high, no shoes, and maybe some black vines for the shirt?”

            “You’re the expert,” Kristen replies, grinning.  “But that sounds like genius.”  She pauses.  “Oh!  She needs a few hair ribbons!  How about yellow?”