Element

✭ Chapter 29

    After that fight with Brooke, I had to fight Kaelie. I won with her by punching her in the stomach then the knees. She fell over. I felt really bad, but Kaelie said she was fine. When I try to apologize she just grins and tells me to shut up. I grin back and await the “special matches” where the instructors will assign us someone to fight as a final match. Finally, Mr. Bafte comes over and says Kaelie has been assigned to fight Atticus. I have to fight Robert. I swallow. He’s probably the toughest competitor here, at least aggression-wise. He’s also a few inches taller than me. But I must be somewhat good to be picked to fight him, so I feel alright.

    The final matches are arranged worst fighters to best. Nataly and Tess, who really struggled on the concept of actually hitting their opponent, go first, and the fights progress from there. Kaelie fights Atticus second, and Atticus is actually able to beat her. She returns to the group with a disappointed look, and I give her an encouraging hug. But I’m worried about Kaelie. She did alright on the running, but hasn’t done particularly well in anything else. I hope she makes it.

    As the second to last pair is called up, I realize I’m not in it. Which means I’m last, supposedly the best. I have a lot of expectations to reach now, it feels like. I focus only on breathing in and out while that pair battles. Nader is victorious over Dawson. Without even having to be called up, Robert and I step onto the battling mats. We dress into the battling gear, and stand on opposite sides of the mat. Mr. Bafte blows the whistle to start. But, as the best fighters, supposedly, neither of us know what to do. We just kind of stare awkwardly at each other, not sure how to start. Is it because I’m a girl and he’s a boy? Whatever the reason, we’re at a stalemate without even starting.

“Well, get on with it!” Forge calls out.

    We look to him, then back to each other. Suddenly. Robert rushes at me, knocking me to the ground. I hear snickering from the audience, and with cheeks burning, I get up. I’m able to punch him in the side only once before he grabs my wrist and twists my arm so I can’t move it. In a risky move, I kick backwards and successfully hit him in the shin. He lets go slightly and I twist out of it, kicking him more forcefully in the shin, then punching him in the stomach. I see his posture droop, which means his suit got heavier. But then, he punches me in the stomach. It’s such a strong punch that I stagger backwards, even with the padding. My suit feels a lot heavier just from that one punch. I run right back at him, but he’s expecting it, and trips me. I fall on my face, and he kicks my sides. With every kick, my suit becomes heavier and heavier. In a last-ditch attempt, I roll onto my back, but he plants his foot down on my chest. I can’t move. I can’t move.

    My arms and legs flail around, but the suit is way too heavy now. He picks his foot off of me, and I stop moving. I just stare at the ceiling, breathing hard. It’s over. There’s cheering from Dawson and Nader, but silence from everyone else. Did they all expect me to win? Mr. Bafte disables the suit and I’m able to get up. Robert is kind about it, however, and shakes my hand with a smile.

“You did very well. I’m glad I got to battle you,” he says quietly.

“Oh, well uh, thanks. You too,” I say, blushing.

Mr. Bafte blows his whistle to close the match. “Robert wins over Ramaya.” he announces, then writes it on his clipboard. Forge, Ms. Benting, and Mr. Farefax are eyeing me curiously, then Ms. Benting writes a short note on her paper. I turn back to face the group, then join them.

Brooke claps me on the shoulder. “Great job!”

“But I lost.” I say, frowning.

“Yeah, but you didn’t give up. And you had some strong moves up there!” Kaelie says, grabbing my arm. I good-naturedly shake her off, and look to the instructors for more information. General Forge just says we’re all meeting back up at the front of the room for the closing. So we all walk back, slowly joined by the other four groups. General Forge walks to the middle of the track and waves to Mr. Farefax to do something. He hurriedly presses buttons on a screen and the ground beneath Forge raises up on a platform so he is visible to all eyes.