Starr Academy: Year One

Part 16

Sixteen

I scanned the field as quickly as I could to see if Marek was out in the first group. There was no sight of him. Franklin was looking too. He turned to me knowing what I was looking for. Or should I say whom.

"I think he's in one of the other groups." I nodded coming to the same conclusion.

I jumped when something brushed my hand. I looked down at my lap and there was a note with my name on it. I smiled knowing it was Marek's handwriting. I picked it up and read it to myself. I was fully aware of both Franklin and Ricky reading over my shoulders.

Hey Hope,

As you might have just realize is that I'm not out on the field. I'm in the third group for the first stage. Just sit back and relax as I wait my turn.

Marek

I smiled reading the little note. He was so sweet sending me a note to tell me when he's coming out. I pulled out a pen from my pocket and wrote him a note back. I told him that I would enjoy and couldn't wait to see what he did.

I tilted my head to the side and got an idea. I looked over to Zera. "Um Zera?" She looked over. "You don't happen to have some lipstick on you that I could use a little?"

She grinned and nodded pulling out a lipstick out of her small handbag. She handed it to me. "Thank you so much."

She shrugged. "No problem."

I put only a small amount on my lips before I handed it back. I then pressed my lips next to my signature. When I pulled the note away, I blushed at the way my name looked with the lipstick lips.

I folded the note up and thought of Marek. I never got used to the feeling of the note vanishing from my hands to go back to him. Its almost like feeling something turn to mist in your hands. The mist being cool and gentle.

"Who was that?"

I grinned at Ricky. "That was Marek, my counterpart. He wanted to make sure I knew when he was up."

He smiled and nodded. "That was nice of him."

We turned back as a whistle sounded. The two groups rushed toward each other. I saw several people stay on their sides to guard certain areas of the field. I guess that's where some of the flags were.

When the ones in front of the two lines got close, that's when things got interesting. You can tell who had what basic elements. Who had strong ones and who was still getting to know their elements. Who was a senior and who was a sophomore.

The battle seemed intense. It took some time before someone was able to breakthrough the middle battle area and strive for the first flag. If I hadn't been watching, I would have missed the instance it happened. It was a guy who looked like a senior. I saw him using water as a whip before. He must be a water element wielder.

He raced toward the first flag and you could see the person guarding it was a lowerclassman. You could almost see the sweat beading down her brow and her hands trembling.

She brought her hands up and a few rocks lifted up, but they were shaking with her nervousness. He pulled some water from the stream nearby and morphed it into a watery shield so he could barrel through the rocks that made a barrier. She yelped the instant he did and shrank into a crouch.

He skidded to a stop behind where the flag rested. He reached out and grabbed it. When he turned to race back to his side, he got a few steps before the ground below him shifted and he fell down. He looked over his shoulder and saw the same girl had just move the ground out from under him.