IV: MARS

swimming with the barracudas.

"I'm telling you, I can fit this whole egg inside my mouth without it breaking! Trust me, I'm a no bullshit guy."
"Now THAT itself is bullshit!"
"What, no! I'm the realest out of all you fuckers!"
"Like hell you are!"
When Malakai stepped into the locker room, the chatter stopped. He scanned the room, staring the intermediate class in the eye.
"Would anyone like to tell me how the hole in the floor got there?"
The room was silent.
"It certainly wasn't there yesterday." He deadpanned.
Nervous eyes shifted around the room. Still, no one came forward.
"If no one confesses, everyone will have to do two extra hours of circuit training."
"It was Rodey!" A voice shouted.
"It was not! I was a bystander!"
"We all know Sasquatch did it."
"Oh yeah, let's blame Sasquatch for everything! Real predictable, Torres!"
The bickering continued and soon everyone was accusing everyone. A girl named Pepper got everyone's attention.
"HEY!" She shouted from the top of her lungs.
"He's gone."
They turned to the door and he was indeed no longer there.
"Aw fuck, now we're in deep shit." Rodey said.
"This wouldn't have happened if we all agreed to throw Sas under the bus." Torres remarked.
"Why don't I throw YOU under a bus!"
Sasquatch lunged for him but was held back by three others.
"This is all a trick. He's just toying with us for his own entertainment." A woman's voice came from the back of the room. She was leaning against the lockers with her arms crossed like some kind of 90s bully.
"What makes you think that?" Pepper queried.
"He's obviously a masochist. Plus we know he's got anger issues. He probably punched the hole in the floor himself." The woman responded.
"You shouldn't be talking about your superior like that." Rodey spoke up.
"Who says he's my superior?" She deflected.
The door swung open and everyone's heart stopped. They expected to see Malakai, but instead were met by a boy with white hair.
"Hi, I'm Dakota. I'll be joining the intermediate class now."
Before anyone else could even blink, the bitter woman spoke first.
"Welcome to hell, Dakota. I'm Barracuda."
She smiled and bared her jagged set of sharp teeth. A couple people took a step back, someone probably pissed themselves.
Dakota smiled and offered his hand out with vigor. Barracuda looked down at it, slightly mortified, but then started laughing. She shook his hand with equal vigor.
"Congrats Dakota, you've got more balls than everyone else in this room."
"Thank you. I am in fact a male. Some people get confused by my soft features."
She let out another cackle.
"You're funnier than everyone else here too!"

***

"Venus, I'm sure he's fine!" Abel assured.
She wasn't listening of course and continued to pace back and forth in her room. Abel on the other hand was tucked in her bed reading a magazine.
"I mean no offense when I say this, but the intermediate class is full of bad apples. What if they bully him? What if they shove him in a locker?" She panicked.
Abel looked up with his reading glasses perched on his nose.
"Babe, I know you're from a time where that was a thing, but I promise you no one is going to mess with him. They should be too scared to. I know I am."
Venus stopped her pacing and breathed in.
"You're right. He's an adult, he can handle himself."
"Don't you have a girls night to be planning?"
"I did that last night. I couldn't sleep."
Abel dropped his magazine.
"Girl don't you ever rest?! Like take a breather?"
"I try to-"
"Well try again! Don't think about Malakai and his issues, don't think about Dakota; think about YOU. You're not responsible for them. Take care of yourself for once."
It was quiet for a bit while Venus nervously chewed at her lip.
"I know you're quiet because you know I'm right." Abel said, picking up his magazine.
"That's not it," She finally said.
"I just realized Dakota will have to spend Friday night alone with Malakai..."
"Well they don't have to be alone, I could always go over-"
Venus cut him off.
"Malakai already doesn't like you, I wouldn't recommend it."
Abel pretended to be shocked.
"He just wants to be me. I don't blame him."
Oh, to have the confidence you exude.