Elwood Tenkaichi: An Arthur Story

Chapter 3: A Fateful Meeting

Fern's eyes darted across the room, careful not to stray too far from the girl who seemed to be defying gravity by the bleachers. How was it that no one else seemed to notice her?

Am I...losing my mind?

She finally blinked, but the girl was gone.

"What?" she whispered.

"I said the registration desk is over there," an anxious George Lundgren repeated. "Do you want to come with me?"

"You're...telling me you didn't see that just now?"

"See what?"

"I-it was nothing...let's get you registered," Fern sighed, massaging her eyelids before they continued towards the line for last-minute registration.

"Are you alright, Fern?"

"I probably could have used some more sleep before today..."

"Yeah, I'm kinda tired, too. I was too excited to sleep."

"Excited, huh?" she teased.

"Of course," George laughed. "Weren't you--OOF!"

George had accidentally bumped into the towering Molly MacDonald, falling backwards onto the floor.

"O-oh! I'm sorry, I..."

"Watch where you're going, coat rack."

"I--"

"Hey!" Fern stepped between them.

As Molly and Fern stared at each other in silence, sizing each other up, everyone around them gawked in suspense. George gulped, watching them for what seemed like an eternity.

"Hm," Molly finally smirked. "Cute outfit."

Fern's mother had gotten her a purple karate gi as a kind of peace offering. The gesture was entirely unsuccessful.

"C'mon, George," Fern groused, striding past her.

They had only taken a few steps before Molly called out to them. "Hey."

Fern turned around, unsure of what was about to happen.

"...Good luck," Molly said, a strange sincerity in her voice.

Overcoming her surprise, Fern nodded before continuing on with George.

"You...you didn't have to do that for me, Fern."

"No one talks to you like that. Not while I'm around."

George had rarely seen Fern so severe.

"You may be cut out for this sort of thing after all," he smiled.

"Did I just see Molly MacDonald get stared down by a third grader?" a voiced taunted from behind Molly.

It was Rattles, along with Slink.

"H-hey, Molly," Slink muttered from behind Rattles.

"Look who it is," Molly smirked, not bothering to turn around. She was busy wrapping her hands in athletic tape. "I was beginning to worry you might not show."

"And miss out on the fight of the century? Dream on."

"Fight of the century, huh?" Molly laughed as she finished taping up her arms. "You always did think pretty highly of yourself," she sighed, turning to face the boys.

Slink involuntarily took a step back. Molly was decked in a navy blue tank top with matching karate pants that were tucked to her ankles by bright yellow athletic tape wrapping down across her feet. The same tape covered her hands nearly up to her elbows. She hadn't yet pulled on the pale blue uwagi that hung past her hips--its sleeves torn off, held in place by an orange, tattered belt.