AWAKENING

Pissed Trainers and Smokey Dreams

Quinn sat in the kitchen with a pack of ice on her forehead and her left arm extended towards her mother. Erica Walker sat on a stool next to her, bandaging her scratched forearm.

"Can someone explain what just happened?" Hugo rested against a bench top with his beefy arms crossed. For a forty something year old, he was in a pretty good shape.

Gabriel sat opposite to Quinn with two packs of ice. Apart from all the bruises, he had a broken lip and a possibly broken rib. Lucky for all, hunters healed fast.

"We were just training." Quinn murmured. She hissed when her mother tightened the bandage more than necessary.

"Just training? I said weapon practice, Quinn. Not try to kill each other with your bare hands. What's happening with you two?" Their coach was also in the room, looking angrily between them two.

"It was just practice, we might have taken it a bit too far but he asked for it. He could have surrendered at any time." Quinn argued.

"Like I was going to let you win. Keep dreaming, princess." Gabriel smirked, and even with his bruised and bleeding face, he was attractive.

"I already did. Did you see yourself in a mirror?"

"Quinn!" Her mother's eyes widened. Quinn sighed and looked to the ground.

"Sorry, I did get a bit too aggressive." She finally said.

"I might have gotten carried too," Gabriel agreed. "Wanna call it a draw?"

"Sure," she knew that it wasn't the end of it. Quinn and Gabriel kept score of their fights and at the moment, Quinn was leading by two.

"Unbelievable," Hugo walked to the centre of the room and looked at both of them. "You make a whole scene where you try to kill each other and resolve it just like that? You two have made five members from this clan abandon their work for a childish rivalry fight. One more incident like this and you will both be taken off the hunts. Quinn, your graduation depends on your behaviour."

Hugo walked away leaving the room in silence.

"Well that was fun." Quinn said with sarcasm. Gabriel laughed and flinched, taking one hand to his bleeding lip. Ferguson didn't look happy, through the years he trained Quinn to be the best but no matter how much effort he put, she would always deviate from the right path.

"Be glad I didn't tell him about your little adventure yesterday. You need to start following the rules, Quinn. Soon you'll be able to join a scouting group and if you can't obey your captain you could get your team killed." Ferguson walked out too, leaving an awkward silence after him.

Gabriel was taken to the infirmary soon after and it was only Quinn and her mother left in the kitchen.

"Why did you do it?" She asked , crossing her arms.

"Mom, I don't know what to say. I just wanted to win, I wasn't going let him have this one."

"Quinn, there is more important things in life than winning." She sighed and stood up. "Get cleaned up and come down for dinner."

Dinner was as lively as always and as soon as Quinn stepped in, all the eyes turned to her. She was used to being the centre of attention, it was very common after an incident involving her.

She loaded her plate with everything she could fit and sat on the far table near the widow. Seconds after, a person sat in front of her. She lifted her eye and frowned at Hunter.

"Do you want something?" She asked after he stood still for some seconds.

"No. Yes. I just wanted to say... it was brave to stand up to the bully." He offered a shy smile that immediately fell when she started laughing.