The Necklace: The Trial Realm

Chapter Sixteen: Bad News Clues

"That's what I'm looking for, Newb!" Serge yells out red faced praises and I eat it up, grinning from ear to ear as I stare down at Reda where she is laying on her back on the mat before me. I did it. About damn time, but I did it.

A fake right, jab left, sweep of the foot, and a tug of the hair, and I've finally got my first successful takedown of the ever impressive Reda. The look on her face is torn between being proud, but also pissed that I'd finally actually done it. I take pride in it, knowing by the pissy side that she hadn't let me win or taken pity on me for how bad I sucked. I'd beaten her fair and square, at least by the terms the Custodes used. Anything goes, which is something I'm still having to get used to, but if it always ends in a win that feels this good, I'll do whatever it takes.

"Fighting dirty finally, I see."

All of the cheer inside me fizzles down as Oliver walks by the mat, his shirt slung over his shoulder. I try to swallow, but my throat closes and I end up doing a weird choking thing as he moves over to meet up with his sparring partner.

Reda pushes up on her elbows and gives me the blankest look I've ever seen. Like I'm the biggest disappointment in all of her life.

"What?" I ask, wiping my mouth, hoping my face isn't as red as it is hot.

She cuts her eyes behind me, then so fast I can't react, she reaches out to yank my ankle, causing me to plop hard on my ass right next to her. "Oliver? Really?" She says under her breath, glancing his way again. "You're better than that."

"Better than what?" I snap, feeling insulted somehow.

Her eyes roll back slightly and she grinds her jaw. "Look, I just mean you don't seem like the kind of girl he usually hangs with."

"And what kind of girl would that be that I'm just not?" I ask, jerking away from her to stand again, taking the higher position to look down at her the way I feel like she's looking down at me.

Reda doesn't let me get away with it though, which only gets on my nerves even more.

"Weak." She snarls, her lips pulled back over her teeth. "I was going to say weak." She begins to circle me on the mat and though she's mad, I feel like I might be madder. "He likes girls who are quiet, new, boring, daft, slow, failures...weak."

"Someone sounds...jealous?" I say, not letting her get behind me like I know she wants to. "It doesn't even matter." I stand more rigidly. "I'm not interested."

Logically I knew I shouldn't be this annoyed. But I was still revved up from my conversation with Courtlyn and pretty generally annoyed at this point that no one seemed to want to have a conversation with me that didn't revolve around Oliver and his ways. How much do people around here need to harp on him to me? I get it. I heard the message loud and clear. Oliver doesn't do serious. Oliver isn't interested in tough girls. Oliver is a player. Ok, I get it. I'm beginning to wonder just how bad his reputation around here really is when Reda leaps forward at me, pulling me out of my head which is where I never should have been in the middle of a fight.

Her cold right fist bites into my jaw like a dagger and I can taste the metallic tinge of blood in my mouth as my face swings to the side like a doll's.

I let him get in my head and distract me. Maybe Reda wasn't that wrong about what kind of girl I was after all.

She stepped forward, her face inches from mine.

I expected anger in her eyes, raging like a fiery bull as usual, but instead her expression is guarded. She almost looks vulnerable under all of her many layers of kickassery. "Look, Newb." She says lowly. "I like you. Just steer clear of him. I know he's nice to look at and tries to make you feel special, but don't get involved. He's bad news."