BECOMING SUPRA

Chapter 9.1: Feline Attack

Raë and Æsh had an allure about them, they were the duo with a jungle mystery. Who gets to fight leopards and save chaperones' lives? Everybody wanted to know scene by scene what had happened.

While Raë recounted the events, Æsh went for a morning swim. His face gave away no trace, he was distant and stoic again. With his shirt off, the scars on his body were on full display. Eyes followed him all the way till he submerged himself into the thick of the lake. Whispers and some more whispers. In one bold move, Æsh put his body up for speculation, indifferent, almost detached about the outcome of the interface. Was it a mugging gone wrong? Or was it a car accident? A street fight? Or a gang war? There were possibilities galore.

As the sun rose higher, a game of volleyball was suggested. While Syrah collected a team, Raë was persuaded to form one of her own. They were the school's star players.

Syrah won the toss. The players took their positions and the game began. With cool precision, Syrah threw the ball up and spiked a serve, the ball sliced the air and struck Raë with the force of a sledgehammer, almost knocking her off her feet.

Syrah looked Raë in the eye, pitched another high-ball, curved her body in a tight 'C' and slammed down hard. The ball struck Raë on her head, she buckled with the blow, just barely managing to steady herself. With each serve, Raë was targeted on her shoulder, chest, and repeatedly on her head. Raë was adept player but today as she tried to break Syrah's momentum, she was unable. She was rattled from the morning events - the leopard, the blood from their chaperones head; it was close to a near-death-experience.

The ball finally snagged in the net and Raë got her turn. She meted out her response in precise measurement to Syrah's attack, and exacted her revenge. Turn by turn, strike after strike they tried to quell the other, pummel each to the ground. Though Syrah had a winning edge - having learnt to spin a spike on the beaches of Rio.

Taking in the scene, Neel was incensed. He looked around, anger rising, he wanted to mire Syrah's continued attack on his friend.

When he saw Æsh walking out of the lake, drying his hair with a towel, he went up to him. "Can you please switch places with Raë ... in the volleyball game? She hasn't eaten anything since morning."

Æsh threw his towel aside and moved to where Raë was standing.

"Raë, breakfast is waiting," yodled Neel. Raë hesitated but Æsh was already facing her. She looked him in the eye, then quietly exited the court.

Heat rose up to Syrah's face, but she quickly regained her composure. Then proceeded to serve a soft ball, as though setting the tone for the impending game. A friendly exchange ensued and Syrah stopped using the ball as a weapon.

Æsh taught Yinka how to set a spike. Using the flat of the hand, Zane taught Chang how to spin a ball. David and Rahul practiced the dive. The rally went on till lunch.