Flower

Chapter 10: Raven

Find the flag. That was my priority. I flew around in the treetops, searching for the guy's flag. I had no idea where they would hide it exactly, but they were boys, they were stupid enough to hide it in an easy spot. 

            The guy's flag was maroon with a single stripe down the middle.  It was the same for the girl's as well.  I hated the colors; they made The Academy look like a dorky prep school.  Then again, it was sort of like that.

            As I flew, I spotted the white stripe from the flag. It sat on a stump, in plain sight with no one guarding it. This could be easier than I thought! I swooped down and landed stealthily, keeping an eye out for any boys.  I hopped onto the stump and grabbed the flag in my mouth.  I smiled inside. 'A victory for the girls' I grinned in my head.

            As I prepared to take off, a shadow swooped down in the moonlight. The bird was larger than me for sure. I saw the white head and knew exactly who it was; Derek. I squinted my eyes with rage as I pushed off and flapped hard into the air. Derek knew I would do that because he rammed me with great speed. I coughed the flag out of my beak as my body swirled down to the leafy ground.

            I hit with a splat. Black feathers flew everywhere and I lost my focus in the change.  I returned to human form, lying on my back.  My attacker did the same, only he wasn't on his back. He stood over me, a grin on his smart face.  I sat up, rubbing my head and trying to regain my breath.

            "Caught you," Derek grinned as he held out a hand. I took it graciously and he pulled me up. “Maybe you should have read that chapter on how to fight in the air.” He continued with his smart mouth. I would have slapped him if he said that without helping me up.

            "I would have made it too." I protested as I brushed the dead leaves off my back and out of my hair. “If you weren’t guarding it like a hawk.”

            “I am like a hawk.” He grinned. I slapped him lightly and playfully. We mock fought for a minute until were out of breath, laughing.

As we caught our breath, Derek asked curiously, "You gonna live?"  He wrapped his arm around my waist.  I was a little stunned by the gesture, but I didn't pull away. We started walking away from the flag that jus laid in the leaves. I turned my head to stare at it pitifully one last time. Damn. I would get hell from the girls if they knew I was so close to winning the game.

            "Yeah," I played in coolly, going with the flow. "I'll live."  We arrived at the tree line. I could see the border from where we stood.  Guards still patrolled it. I sighed inside, thinking I could make an escape from here.  "Why'd you bring me here?" I questioned, a little confused as to why we were here

            "I needed to talk to you." Derek replied coolly, no hiccup in his voice.  I eyed him suspiciously. There were flowers and beautiful shrubs growing, making this place seem out of this world and unique. The moonlight glistened through the trees, giving the place a moonlight lounge area. Nearby a tree, there was a matted down place where students had sat before.

            "You're not going to woo me and then tag me at the last minute?" I asked him, quite suspicious at what he wanted to "talk about".

            Derek looked at me with surprise, "I never would have thought of that. Besides, I wouldn't do that to you."

            I stared at him for a moment and then shrugged my shoulders. I believed him. "So why here of all places? Aren't there cameras everywhere?"

            Derek chuckled, "This area has no cameras. I know where are the cameras are since my father has a blueprint of where they all are. I snuck a peek at it a couple times." I smiled. Derek had a dark side to him. I liked a guy like that. “I’ve heard people call this place Make out Grove.”