Cheap Shots

00:03

3.

"Aren't you excited?" Jacque squealed giddily as she was driving me to school on Friday morning.

I rolled my eyes. "Actually, I'm not because I've got a sprained ankle!"

"Orion." She sighed, I already told you that the principal told me this year that it wasn't going to involve physical activity."

I snorted, "She doesn't know anything!"

We were currently arguing about the events that would happen a little before classes were supposed to end, in front of the whole high school, at the annual pep rally. The event was supposed to get everyone hyped up for the homecoming games that would take place on Saturday, but usually people only came to see the captains face off in the Captain's Battle, another John Jay tradition.

When I was a freshman, the challenge was a miniature sports game, but all the captains switched sports, swimmers for field hockey and girl's soccer on ice hockey, with the ice hockey team swimming, and the tennis team doing cross-country, and they all had to play games against the original teams.

It was hilarious, the sports versing each other in games that were out of their elements.

When I was a sophomore, they did an obstacle course, and last year a game of flag football, which ended in two broken thumbs and a sprained wrist.

It was always a surprise until ten minutes before the actual event, when the principal announced it and the captains were told to prepare themselves, which really meant stand around and get nervous.

After all, it was common knowledge throughout the student body that whichever sport won, the school tended to go to their homecoming game, and only a few people for each of the other sports, it was like free advertising with the added bonus of a school-wide bonfire before the game.

"But Beckett's injured too, and they're not going to bring up another captain. It's him, Sean, and Joshua, anyways."

"It's probably going to be ice hockey versus field hockey because Beckett and I are injured, so we'll end up sitting out while you and the guys go against each other."

"I doubt it," Jacque told me. "You and Beckett are the main captains."

Shrugging, I glanced out the window as we were pulling up to the parking lot. "We'll see," I replied, getting out of the car and grabbing my school bag from the trunk. "Thanks for the ride!"

"No problem!" She called to me as I quickly walked into school so I'd be able to put on my purple and black face paint.

***

"Good afternoon, John Jay High School!" Principal Daley cheered into the microphone.

The crowd cheered in anticipation of the Captain's Battle, and Principal Daley took it as a sign to continue her speech.

"This year, due to the fact that multiple of the captains this year are injured one way or another," she sent a side glance towards the field hockey group, and to ice hockey, (who happened to be sitting next to us), "We have decided to do a game show!"

Jacque sent me a cocky "I told you so" look from a couple seats over and I rolled my eyes at her, before I looked behind the principal towards the huge tables set up behind her.

"The captains will be broken in half, first based on sport, than the winning team will continued to be broken apart until we have two single captains left to determine the winner."

The crowd let out a thundering roar, followed by the stomping of feet on the bleachers and the screams of different sports names from the JV teams.

"The first group will be..." The principal paused as she took out a white envelope and cleared her throat before rattling off teams, "The field hockey team, the ice hockey team, tennis, and swim and dive. The second team is volleyball, women's and men's soccer, and cross country."

Once again, the crowd let out a loud whoop of happiness as the principal walked over to the table and all the captains followed her, listening as she directed us to our specific spots.

"Okay, round one will start in five minutes, if you'd like to answer a question you have to hit the buzzer, if you get it wrong it automatically goes to the other team. The team with the most points at the end of the first round will win. Good luck!" the principal turned towards the crowd and left the bunch of us to our own devices for the mean time.

"Well this is going to be fun," Beckett said, nudging me in the side.

I groaned and tilted my head so I wasn't looking at him, but instead at Jacque, who was seated next to me. "I told you she wouldn't exclude you two."

"Yeah, yeah."

She smirked and brushed a strand of her hair out of her face, glancing behind me with a weird look on her face.

I kicked her foot underneath the table, and cursed loudly when I realized that I kicked it with my very own sprained ankle. "Holy shit, that wasn't supposed to happen."

Jacque burst out into a loud laughter, earning the attention of the rest of our team and most of the other team. I felt my cheeks grow hot and I let out an unattractive snort. "It wasn't that funny, also hurt like a bitch. Still does."

She rolled her eyes, "Only you would kick someone with your sprained ankle."

I slouched in my seat, and quietly waited for the few minutes to be up so we could finally get on with the show."

"Question one!" Principal Daley yelled into the microphone, emitting a loud screeching sound. The crowd gasped and covered their ears as she looked over towards the technology teacher, Curtis, to fix it.

"Hold on!" He yelled out, rushing over to a set of mechanical boxes. "Alright, you're good!"

She nodded and turned towards the table. "Question one. Which came first, field hockey or ice hockey? And where did it originate?"

My eyes widened and I slammed down on the buzzer. "Field hockey. The modern version in nineteenth century England but people played in Greece in ancient times, too." Thank you social studies last year!

Principal Daley looked impressed as she awarded a point to our team, causing Jacque to fist bump me and Beckett to look irritated, his nose scrunched up and his blue eyes blazing.

I smirked triumphantly as the competition continued, Beckett and I having a slight rival in our own team, as we were counting our points on our fingers.

We tied after the first round, but our team won.

"Round two! Team one is going to be Orion, Beckett, Lily, and Joshua. Team two is Tess, Jacque, Sean, Patrick, and Hayden. Please make changes in the seating according to your new teammates."

Jacque gave me a small smile and a slight wink as she took a seat next to Tess at the other table, while Beckett, Joshua, Lily, and I didn't move from our seats.

The questions were varying in topics, from chemistry to math all the way to the origins of badminton and skydiving (which no one got the answer too, by the way).

At the end of round two, Beckett was up by a point, and our team had won yet again.

Principal Daley looked tired as she straightened her posture and began reading the teams out for the third round. "Beckett and Orion, versus Lily and Joshua."

I narrowed my eyes at her and sent an annoyed look in Jacque's direction that was crawling with my irritation for Beckett.

My irritation was at its peak when Principal Daley announced our win, and the room erupted in a deafening roar.