Inari's Renegade

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

  Today I felt specifically hated. Usually that’s nothing new considering all the guys like me and the girls like to hate me due to my attractiveness. (I’m not bragging, but we kitsunes just happen to be attractive in our human forms.) But today, it wasn’t my looks that were the issue. Today’s issue was that Talise still held a grudge because of the Alcatraz incident. Well excuse me for not letting her die!

  We had an unspoken war going on between us during gym. It got even worse when coach put us in groups for cardiovascular activites. I had swimming, and Talise had it as well. Aftwer changing in to the school swimsuit, I went into the indoor pool area where she immeaditly approached me.

“Hey Penelope, how about we race each other?” she asked qith a fake smile slapped on her face.

“You know, I’m really getting tired of you and your races.”

She stopped smiling. “Just get in the pool.”

I sighed. If she wanted revenge, so be it.

  Once it was out turn, I waklked to the edge of the pool and astretched, getting ready to go in. it wasn’t long before I already heard a splash beside me.Talise was already making her way to the other side. I dove in after her and  our race began.

  I got losr in the sensation of my arms cutting through the water as  I tried to keep up with her. High-pitched cries echoed across the room as the girls cheered her own. Of course they wouldn’t be rooting for me. My arms began to get tired as the finsihijng line seemed to strtch on for miles. I stopped and treaaded water as I tried to catch my breath. Was she forming an imllusion over me?  As she reached ther finishing line I rolled my eyes.

Screw it, I’ll let her have this one.

  I dissapeared under the water and continued my swim from there, taking my time and enjoying not having to rush due to a competion I cared nothing about. It mut have pissed her off knowing I wasn’t taking this seriously. I finally made it to the end and as I broke to the surface, but I didn’t have a chance to breath before I went back under again.

   I struggled as someone held my head underwater. I opend my moutnh and bubbles floated out, the chlorine stinigng my lungs. I finally got away and broke through the surface again, taking a bit greedy gulp opf fresh air and coughing. I looked through the streams of water in my eyes as a blured figure helped m,e out of the water.

“Oh my gosh are you okay?” I heard Talise asked.I snatched my arm away from her.  It was clear she was the culprit.

“Your’e lucky there are witnesses here.” I hissed. I wiped the water from my eyes and once I did, I saw the smirk on her face.

“I could say the same thing to you.”

  Later on as I was coming out the shower, Talise was right in the doorway.

“Jessh, are you stalking me now?” I asked, pulling my towel tighter around me. I pushed past her and went to my gym locker. I felt her eyes on my back as I retrieved my normal clothes. It wasn’t good to have your back facing the enemy, but I ahd confidence that she wouldn’t try anything, not if she had Akihiro to answer to and especially since I was his favorite. Still, I watched her out of my periphal vision as I tugged on my shirt and jeans.

“Here’s the thing,”she said finally. “Your’e going t tell Akihiro that catching the nogitsune was a team effort.”

 I gave her an inquiring look. , “Changing the rules aready?”

She frowned. “If it wasn’t for me, those humans would be  dead.”

‘And if it wasn’t for me….well you know how things could have turned out.” I slamemd my locker door shut and picked up my stuff. “Stop being a sore loser and et over it already! I was heading for the door, when I stopped and turned around. “Oh and you don’t have to pay me back for saving your life.”