Clouds

Part 2-22 First Day

Chapter 22

            “And… begin!” Tony exclaims.  We all dart in opposite directions.  I climb the bleachers where I can see everything going on.  Many people are already out, having their head ribbons stolen. I place my hand on my head to make sure it is secure, which it is.

            I feel a weight on my leg and look down to see a B group member is holding it, trying to knock me down.  I use my shield to jam it down between the crack in the bleachers and grab the person’s headpiece.  They glare at me but reluctantly sit down.

            Second after second goes by as more and more people are knocked out of the game.  At last I see why.

            Tony is playing, tens of ribbons tied on his head.  I watch him, amazed, as he takes most everyone down, one by one.  I feel a vibration in the bleachers and shake my head, looking around.

            Dakota is facing me, grinning.

            “Let’s form an alliance and take him down,” he says.  I nod, agreeing.  We shake hands.

            Now almost everyone left is in hiding.  Dakota and I slip through the bleachers to wait for a good time to emerge.

            From under we can see who has and hasn’t gotten out.  I spot most of the A group members are out, though I don’t see Kristen.  At last I hear her scream and I know she had to sit down.

            “If anyone is left,” Tony says, “you have five minutes to claim your title.  Better hurry.”  Dakota and I glance at each other as we think of a plan.  Dakota seems to have.

            He points to me, and then to one side of the bleachers.  He points around towards Tony.  He then repeats this, pointing to himself, and then the other way around.  I nod.  He wants us to surround Tony.

            Dakota slips out of the bleachers and I do the same.  Using one object at a time, I slowly make my way around towards him.  Tony whips around, and I jump to the floor as quietly as possible, using my shield to protect my face.  My instincts tell me he is a approaching, so I jump to my feet.  It won’t do me any good to hide.

            That’s when Dakota makes his move.

            He runs towards Tony and Tony ducks. Dakota sails over his head, barely missing the ribbons in the process.  Meanwhile, I run towards Tony, darting to the side when he aims his punch, and grab the ribbon from his head.  It falls to the ground and Dakota lunges for it, just grabbing it before Tony can.

            Cheers erupt from the room.  Dakota and I stand tall, waving.  I spot Lucas among them, glaring, his pink hair giving him away.

            “And we have our winners!” Tony shouts.  I didn’t know there could be two, but he answers that statement pretty fast.  “They will now go through an elimination round-“

            He has no time to answer.  Before I can do anything, Colby and his light blue ribbon is running towards us at the speed of light, and then leaping over Dakota and I, grabbing out ribbons.  I place my hands on my head in confusion.

            Colby lands, our ribbons firm in his hand, and the crowd cheers even louder.

            “Okay, then,” Tony says.  “Never mind.  Colby is the winner!”  Even more cheers erupt, and Dakota and I clap and yell with them.

            “That was awesome!” Dakota says, approaching Colby.  He grins.

            “It was nothing,” Colby says, bowing to the crowd.  I don’t know if it’s my imagination or not, but his posture seems more like Lucas’s.  He seems to think that winning this game makes him better than all of us.

            But I suppose he should feel that way. After all, what he did was amazing!  I would probably act the same way, right?

            “Hey!” Colby says to me.  I meet his eyes.  “Aren’t you going to congratulate me too?”

            Never mind.

            “Yeah, that was amazing,” I reply monotonously.  Colby looks at me for a moment but looks away a few seconds later.  There are probably way too many people coming up to him for him to talk to a bother like me.

            What am I thinking?  It was just a one-time thing.  Colby was just trying to be funny.  He’ll realize his joke was wrong later.

            “Alright, alright,” Tony says, quieting the group down.  “Now, someone please tell me what you learned from this exercise.”

            “Anything is a weapon!” A B group girl shouts out.  Tony nods.

            “I used a hook to help me get the ribbons from your head,” Tony explains.  “I saw Victoria use her target as a shield and to get people away from her.  Lucas used a broom as a sword and to help him fight.”  He pauses.  “Roy, tell me how this can be useful in a real life situation.”

            “If your weapon is taken from you,” Roy says, “then you can use something in your surroundings to your aid.” 

            “Very good,” Tony says.  Everyone seems to have so much respect for Tony.  During schooling everyone mocked the teachers.

            It’s amazing, really.  I wonder what he will teach us for the remainder of the day, I think to myself as he dismisses us for lunch.