The Key To Combat

Chapter 1

I never imagined I'd be graduating from the school of my dreams because I also never imagined I would even be going to combat school. Considering my parents don't believe it's a suitbale or stable career choice for someone with my intelligence, you can understand my surprise. I'm kind of a genius. I'll give them that but I hate doing what others can't just because I'm one of the few people who can. I should not have to be something that wont make me happy just because I was cursed with an empathetic, kind heart AND the brain of a genius. Let's not forget about my bad ass fighting skills. I was meant to be a warrior. Just because I have the ability to be a doctor doesn't mean that's what I have to be. I don't think it's what I should be either. I believe more good can come out of me being a warrior than if I were to be a doctor. I would be saving lives either way but the difference with becoming a warrior, is that I will be saving my life too. Happiness is something you must always try to have within or else what are you living for? Principal Burgess really dressed to impress to send off a bunch of seniors. She's standing on a stage in front of a podium. She has a red pantsuit on and it fits her as if it's one size too small. With a white collared blouse underneath it. Her light brown hair is in a mid high bun. Her face is usually pale but is being tanned from the glow of the sun. The red lipstick she is wearing really compliments her complexion. "Kyscin Andrews" she says proudly. I still get butterflies when I see him. He stands up and walks onto the stage. He grabs his diploma from Mrs. Burgess and they both turn to the camera and smile. The photographer snaps their photo. He's so tall and muscular. His cheek length, curly black hair is shining in the sun just like his tanned skin. He has beautiful brown eyes. Brown eyes are so common but looking into Kyscins eyes, feels like his were the first ever made. His brown eyes are glossy and his small eye shape really accentuates them. I get lost in those eyes everytime I look at him. It's like they sparkle. They are even more mesmerizing when he smiles. I love his smile. I could stare at him all day. Oh yea, I do. I wonder why he doesn't mind it. A girl he seems to want nothing to do with. I'm practically the only girl in this school who doesn't flirt with him and I'm definitely the only girl in this school he barely says two words to. I don't know why he wont come and talk to me. I would go to him but Lynn is always caressing him and playing in his hair, he probably wouldn't even notice me. I wish I could be more brave when it comes to him. Maybe I should wish I didn't feel this way instead because he obviously doesn't think about me in that way. This promise I made to myself was one of the dumbest. I can't force myself to forget how I feel about Kyscin. Trying not to get lost fantasizing about Kyscin is harder than I thought it would be. Principal Burgess is now on the letter g. How did she get there so fast? I was thinking about Kyscin so much I didn't even realize he sat down five minutes ago. "Brenda Lynn Gamotti" Mrs. Burgess calls. Lynn. She walks onto the stage and her long, light brown hair sways in the wind. Her not too pale, peachy skin tone really brings out her green eyes. I'm not sure if I hate her more because she hates me or because she likes Kyscin but I know I hate her. She's hated me for years and I still don't know why. I've always wanted to be her friend. That is until she made it clear us being friends would never be on her bucket list. I'm so excited, even Lynn can't make me take my attention off of the most amazing thing to happen to me. The day is finally here. Graduation. I'm graduating from M.C.H.S. Miladyrow Combat High School. MCHS was a challenge. Battling day after day, learning new techniques and having to put them in affect. Learning how to anticipate your opponents next move. Getting knocked down to get right back up. Not giving up even when you think you can't fight anymore. I conquered that challenge that many thought was impossible and I'm heading towards an even bigger one. S.O.C.S. Simulation Operation, Combat Style. It's more like a training program than a university. It's so advanced only the best get in, or who they believe will be one of the best. They don't train you unless you have the potential to be great. If you get accepted in to S.O.C.S it's a huge compliment and you should feel honored. I know I will when I get accepted. I know I'm one of the best if not the best. Being accepted into S.O.C.S would mean they see me how I see myself. S.O.C.S is where I belong. I believe you should do what you love no matter how crazy it may seem to other people. Plus I do not do look good in a doctor cap or ANY cap to be specific. Hey, dont judge me. Intellignce can be used in combat too. Combat will save the world one day, you'll see. No more burglaries if everyone knows how to defend themselves. No more rapes, drive-bys, nothing bad can happen. Maybe I'm being too optimistic but I want to do what I love AND make the world a better place. I want to protect my loved ones and anyone else in harms way. Yes, my dream is to be the greatest combat warrior, a hero if you must. "Jeremy Jenkins." Principal Burgess calls. Jeremy is Kyscin's best friend. They are always together. They are like the boy version of me and my best friend Gianna except, they're tall. Although Jeremy and Kyscin never leave each others sides, I am just now noticing that Jeremy has really long hair. It's cornrowed to the back of his head and the ends of his braids touch his chest. He has a chizzled jaw line and a caramel skin tone. Jeremy has nice full lips and dark brown eyes. Jeremy stands hand in hand with Mrs. Burgess as the photographer snaps their photo. I never noticed how handsome he actually is because my eyes are always on Kyscin. Jeremy may be handsome but he's not Kyscin. The feelings I get when I look at Kyscin never happens with anyone else. I don't know how to explain it. It's like, my mind already knows who I belong to. I look at him and I know in my heart we'll be together. This feeling is so strong he must feel it too. I know he did once. The way he looked at me was like I was flying down from the sky with wings on my back. Then suddenly it's like the feeling started to fade. I can't make the feeling go away no matter how hard I try. No other man and no promise is able to take these feelings away. I just hope I can at least focus on Combat. I need to put Kyscin out of my head. Thinking about him makes me lose my mind. In more ways than one. I look over to my left at Kyscin sitting in the front row. "Wavina wyatt" Principal bugess says honored. Kyscin turns to his right and we lock eyes as I stand up. He smiles and I lose my balance. Great. There's the feeling. He makes me so weak and I don't even think he knows it. I don't know if I'm reading him right but the way he's looking at me now is as if he wants to stand up and give me my strength back. That would be appropriate since he's the one who stole it. I smile at him and continue walking. Walking onto the stage feels like a dream. My light brown hair with blonde highlights are even lighter because of the sun. My curls end underneath my chest and they are flowng in the wind. I can already feel my light brown eyes welling up with tears. I can't mask my excitment. A huge smile stretches across my glowing, tanned face as I make way over to mrs. Burgess. She holds out her right hand and I put my right hand in hers giving it a firm shake. It's hard to believe its all real knowing my parents don't approve. This is my brains idea of a nightmare, me getting something I've always wanted while knowingly disappointing my parents. Here is where it usually ends, she holds out the diploma and suddenly it illudes to be getting further and further away, my eyes become blurry, I reach out and... grab it? I- I'm holding my diploma. "ahhhhhh" I can't help but scream and principal bugess can't help but cover her ear. My arms wrap around her so quick I stumble in my heels but she catches me thankfully. She smiles at me smiling at her and we both turn to the camera man who snaps our photo. "Gianna Zavier" Before Mrs. Burgess can finish Anna's name I'm already standing on my chair cheering like her biggest fan. Anna is the only girl I know that can pull off purple hair. Her hair drops a few inches past her shoulders and it's curly. Her curls are so lose that they bounce when she walks. The purple fits her so well, as if it should have grown out of her scalp that way. She is such a trend setter. Anna has the kindest dark brown eyes you'll ever see. She is mixed but by looking at her skin you'd think she's an aboriginal. She's my best friend. Anna stands up and walks past me and then turns around and runs into my arms. I wrap my arms around her and pull her in tight. We made it. Anna and I have been best friends for 5 years now, ever since Miss Pennington sat us together in the 8th grade. That day I fell off my chair because Lynn loosened the screws. She even threw two of them away so that even when Miss Pennington fixed it, I'd still wobble in class all day. After that Anna always made sure I didn't get the broken chair, even better, she'd make sure lynn would. I knew we were going to be best friends forever. Anna smiles at the camera holding her diploma high above her head in her right hand. Mrs. Burgess has her right arm around Anna's lower back and Anna has her left arm wrapped around Mrs. Burgess' mid back. They both smile and the flash from the camera goes off. "will the graduates please rise." Principal Burgess says happily. "I am so proud of each of you. Congratulations, you made it. Continue to do great things. Everyone, the class of 2020." everybody screaming and cheering is the best way to end this fantastic moment, I didn't know it would feels so exhilerating, so unbelievable. But I guess thats why they call them dreams, because you feel like you could wake up at any moment. All I know is that in this moment I'm feeling pride, joy, happiness and I just want to hug my best friend. Either we had the same thought or someone is getting too friendly with me. I smile knowing it's Anna and spin around. "We made it!" we say in unison. We do that quite often it must be a best friend thing. Anna and I were literally sisters in heaven that's the only way to explain our sister-like bond here on earth. She knows when I want sleep, food, how stressed I am and when I'm stressed and what I need and when I need it. Knowing that, I still manage to have her catch me starring at Kyscin as he walks by. "Girl, we just graduated! We're moving onto bigger and MUCH better things. forget about him" Anna's arm is around me and were walking. "I told you I'm over him" I tried to say that with confidence but I know I failed. "That's why you were looking at him with big heart eyes poppin out of your sockets." she says sarcastically. "Okay fine, I still like him. But it doesnt even matter because he doesnt even notice me." I say looking over at him talking to Lynn. Anna looks over as Lynn plays in his hair and looks over to me with a cocky grin. "She's not even his type." Anna says quickly. I whip my head to the left and see that she has a shocked expression on her face. I look at her confused. How would she know that? Her and Kyscin aren't friends. She must be trying to make me feel better. But what's with her expression? She looks like she just made a big mistake. "Wait, what am I saying?" she ponders and I shrug. Trying again she asks, "what's your dream?" I need Anna in my life. She always helps me see the big picture even when my vision is blurry. She's always there to bring me happiness when I need it. I couldn't have ask for a better best friend. I don't know what I would do without her. She keeps me grounded and focused. She reminds me I'm worth it even when I start to feel like I'm not. She is always honest with me and I know she will never do anything to hurt me. So I trust her. "To become a warrior" Anna puts her hand to her ear. "no uh uh, I can't hear you." she urges. "TO BECOME A WARRIOR!" I exclaim. I'm so excited I scream and jump and Anna joins me. "See. If you keep forgetting the promise that you made to yourself, you'll forget this feeling you have right now." She says with a smile. "It seems like I'm the only one who remembers." she says. She's right, I've been worrying about a guy who wouldn't even notice if I moved to a different city. Combat high-school maybe wasn't the place to get too serious, but Simulation operation, combat style definitely is. "I do. And you're right. I promised to focus on me and my dream and not let any guy or enemy stop me from doing what I love to do. So that's what will be, from this day forth." the confidence within me feels like something new. I like it. "well, that was intense... but I finally believe that you believe it." as we're heading out we approach Lynn and Kyscin. I put my arm around my best friend, look at her and smile and when she smiles back I realize that having her by my side brings me more than enough joy.