Avengers: The Recruits (On Hold)

Chapter 22

Please read the Author's Note at the end of the chapter, thank you❤️
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Harley's POV:
   Mentally I claw at my brain for the answers to one of my final exams. I quickly cast my gaze to  the clock above the white board. 45 more minutes...I can do this. I cross my legs for the hundredth time this hour, and press my left hand against my paper as I bubble in the answers with my right.
   "30 more minutes," the testing supervisor states; resulting in some quick intakes of breath, and some students beginning to panic.
I can do this, I remind myself as my palms grow sweaty.

35 minutes later...
   I press my palms on top of my hair as I stare at the white tile flooring. The other students and I wait silently to be released for lunch. A low grumble erupts from my stomach, and I roll my eyes before rubbing my temples. I then push against my grey desk and earn popping sounds coming from my back, helping release the tension in it.
I notice Allie shift in her desk a few seats away from mine. She then turns around quietly and playfully frowns while making a tear motion with her finger. I stifle a laugh as a smirk grows on my face before shaking my head. She grins back and then turns around to face the board.

Lunch...
"Oh my gosh," Allie says as she plops her tray onto the table and sits down beside me.
"Don't tell me you thought that was hard," John teases as he moves his fork around in his salad.
"Not all of us are geniuses like you and Victor," Allie teases back resulting in us all laughing.
"When we get back home, we need to chill man," Darin says while he runs a hand down his face. "No chores, if ya' know what I mean."
We all laugh and make sounds of agreement.
"Hey, maybe we can all go to that arcade," I suggest with a smile. "They have laser-tag, bowling, you name it."
"Yeah," Victor agrees from beside me. "That actually sounds really fun." I look up through my eyelashes at him as the corner of my lips turn upwards, him returning my gaze with a wink. My face grows hot as I laugh slightly in embarrassment before looking away.
"Just so you know," Alex begins with a boastful tone, "I'm a beast at bowling. I will crush all of you."
Darin coughs on his drink and says "oh I doubt that."
"Oooo," Allie,Vic, and I coo as we watch the banter occur between the two.
   "Children please," John begins, "we all know that when it comes to bowling you two are amateurs." He leans back in his seat with a smirk, and says "I'm the pro here."
   Alex and Darin give Johnny devilish smirks as the rest of us stifle our laughter.
   "You're on," Alex challenges as she quirks an eyebrow.
   "You two are going down," Darin scoffs.

  After school...
   We all piled into a black SUV after dropping our bags off at the tower and picking up Maddie.
   "What are we doing first?" Maddie asks from the passenger seat.
   "Laser-tag!" Alex exclaims with a fist pumped into the air.
   "Skippin' out on our bowling contest?" Darin teases from the back seat.
   "Nah, I just gotta get warmed up," Alex confidently responds. "Gotta stretch these muscles."
   "If we're doing laser-tag first, then we need to go ahead and divide into teams," Maddie says.
   Suddenly the car goes silent, and then everyone including myself begins claiming people.
   "I call Harley!" Victor shouts from beside me.
   "No I called her first!" Alex shouts back.
   I laugh as I hear arguments break out in the car. Since everyone is arguing except Maddie, I lean forward and ask with a laugh "want to be on a team together?"
   "Yeah," she responds with a smile.
   "Maddie and I are on a team," I shout over the conflict in the car.
   "Ugggg," Alex groans loudly.
   "Why do the two best shooters gotta be on the same team?" John complains.
   "Um excuse me," Darin exclaims with a playful hurt expression on his face.
   As those two begin arguing, Madeline turns around and asks "Vicky, you wanna be on our team?"
   "Sure," he laughs.
   "We got our team together!" I exclaim happily as we three fist bump each other.
   "You only have three team members," Allie points out.
   "Yeah, well it's not like we're facing any competition," I arrogantly reply with a smirk on my face.
   "Oh no you didn't," Alex says with her mouth hanging open.
   A burst of insults get thrown at my team and me, but we three just laugh back at our crazy friends.