Accessory Wars

Chapter 20-Ki

            I knew Jay was a bit of a mess but boy did he give terrible a whole new definition. Derek left for home the day after our tournament viewing. We dropped him off at the train station and then went to Bailey's Elicit gym. It sat on the edge of town, a four story building made of beige stucco and glass. Jay wouldn't stop fidgeting the entire ride over, which set me on edge because he was the one driving. I would have drove but I don't own a car. You would think that he was the Accessory from the way he acted.

A preppy college girl greeted us at the front reception and I explained Jay was new to being an Elicit. She showed him sympathy, giving him a pair of puppy dog eyes that made me want to drag Jay away. We had been at the gym for two minutes and she was already flirting. She showed us, and by us I mean Jay, around the gym while I followed along behind. I don't think she acknowledged my presence after she set her googly eyes on Jay.

The place looked nice and reminded me of the on campus recreation center where I went rock climbing. I noticed a smaller climbing area on the back wall and I sort of wanted to free climb to get out of the boring tour. A few people looked our way, curious about who we were. Our tour ended with Jay being passed off to a personal trainer and he gave us a hearty welcome. Well, he gave Jay a hearty welcome. I don't think he noticed I was there until Jay pointed me out.

"We'll be more than happy to teach you all about being an Elicit," the trainer, named Liam, said. His brown skin made his smile a lot whiter. I subconsciously ran my tongue over the front of my teeth. "So, tell me a little about yourself."

"I keep accidentally using Gravitation," Jay started off, nodding towards me. Liam looked my way, pausing for a moment before breaking into a strained smile. Rude. "I'm hoping to learn how to control it so I don't end up in trouble. I'm sort of on a watch list."

"Oh, but of course! Elicits end upon watch lists all the time so don't take it personally," Liam assured Jay. While he never said it per se, it sounded like Liam was trying to tell us it was okay for the Elicits to bend the rules so long as no one got hurt. Did I mention how much I hate the one percent? "Let's get you set up with Tracy and we can get started." Liam called over a woman giving a middle aged man pointers. She jogged over, her lips forming into one of the fakest smiles I've seen all day. "Tracy's a super A-class. She'll work great with you."

"I'd rather work with Ki, thanks," Jay said, deflecting the offer. I did a mini cheer in my head while Liam and Tracy both looked like they just lost TV privileges. Liam forced a smile first and turned to me.

"Ki, was it?" he asked.

"It's Yeong, to you," I quipped.

"You're awfully old to be young," Tracy joked, both her and Liam bursting out laughing. Mmm, yes. Haven't heard those jokes before. I wanted to stuff a sock into each of their mouths.

"What class are you?" Liam asked me.

"Can't tell you unless you want to get arrested," I replied flatly. While not a hundred percent true, they would get into a lot of trouble if they did find out my class. Not that I'd be able to confirm it. Liam and Tracy exchanged looks while I caught Jay's wary glance.

"Well, that's okay. Jay, why don't we talk for a bit?" Liam suggested. He pulled Jay off to the side, leaving me with Tracy. She looked to me and put her hands on her hips. Time for either a lecture or a warning.

"Look, unless you're willing to commit to an Elicit, you shouldn't be here," Tracy said. "If you want to hide the fact you're some low class Accessory, that's fine but your friend should be allowed to be partnered with someone more powerful." Ah. So that's what it was. They thought I was holding Jay back.