Crackerjack II

Chpt. 15: Berating

"Look out!" Spencer shouted from behind the barrier.

Kristen barely managed to raise her shield before the flames slammed against it. The breath was knocked from her lungs as she squeezed her eyes shut. Tobias darted between dragon and student, bearing his fangs protectively. Her dragon backed off, shooting a curious glance in Kristen's direction.

She rose on shaky legs, arm barely able to hold her shield. Tobias snuffled around her head, checking she was alright. His owner was less gentle.

"You jitterbitt!"

Kristen gulped as Spencer threw open the door. 

"You're slow as frozen gruel! Do you have any reflexes at all?" He strode across the practice field with a tight expression. "Do you think this is a game?"

Kristen stared very hard at the ground.

"That's not a rhetorical question. I said, do you think this is a game?"

"No," Kristen choked out.

"Good, 'cause it's not. That animal–" Spencer jabbed a finger at her dragon, "will do his very best to kill you until your bond is validated. This isn't some book that you can zone out on. This is life or death. Do you think you're ready for that?"

Kristen's lip trembled.

"I said, do you think–you know what? Get off the field. Go sit down." Spencer shoved her toward the sidelines. 

Kristen swallowed hard as she stumbled over the dirt that dispersed like sand from under her feet. She would not cry in front of everyone. She slumped on the bench, staring at her hands.

He was right. She'd been seconds away from being covered in fire. Embarrassment from his reprimand may have been the reason she was about to break down, but she was also scared. She'd almost revealed herself.

As soon as time was up, Kristen bolted for the dressing room. In record time, she'd stripped the practice gear and docked her weapon and shield. She ducked into a large group of girls on the way out so Spencer couldn't catch her alone.

She caught Josephine at the door and asked her to tell Sylvia that she wasn't feeling well. Her roommate stared disinterestedly and then shrugged. Kristen figured that was as good a confirmation as she was going to get. She didn't want to go back to her shack, though she knew it would put her fib on shaky ground if anyone came to check on her. Instead, she went to the med tent, slipping in through a side flap.

When she came to the familiar stables, Kristen sat off to the side. The remnants of Spencer's tirade dragged her mood through the contents of William's shovel. As she watched him work, she reminded herself that today wasn't the end of the world.

William hummed, occasionally commenting to himself. So far, Kristen's favorite was when he accidentally hit the wall with his shovel and "crap" slipped out. He proceeded to laugh for a solid minute.

She couldn't bring herself to interrupt. She waited just inside the door until William put up the tools. After quietly exiting, she pretended to catch him just as he was leaving.

"William! I was just comin' t' see you."

"New schedule finally made a place for me, huh?"

Kristen put all the pent-up stress from the last few weeks into one long sigh. "Somethin' like that. I don't think this is the best plan f'r me. "

He held the door. "Why do you say that?"

"I'm not cut out f'r this. Spencer yells at me all the time, and I'm not makin' much progress with my dragon."