Red Riding Hood Meets The Wolf: Book One (and Two) of The Hunted Series. (First Draft)

Red Riding Hood is the New Punching Bag: Chapter 14

“You are Vanessa Fence? The next Grand Master?”

“I guess so. I haven’t been told much, but that was one of them.” I said calmly, walking past the girl who had spoken and out of the cafeteria, making my way down to the end of the hall to my first class of the day. The board had a map out of courtesy to the new huntresses that joined here. Luckily for me my class was just at the end of the hall and I didn’t have to go far.

When I walked into the room there were a couple other girls standing against the wall near the door, backs straight with their hands clasped together in the middle of their back. They focused on the other wall with an intensity. The girl at the end of this line of four broke it for a moment, realizing I must be new.

“Every class you must do this. Back straight, hands behind you and focus on something across the way, no talking. The first one into the classroom gets an extra point for the day whereas the last person in the class gets kicked out for their negligence and gets an absence for the day and has to make it up with the grand master at the end of the day. Once you’ve been there once you don’t ever want to do it again. Get into line before we both get in trouble though.” She nodded at the girl and got into line, not sure she was doing it right, but the best she could do at the new stance.

Girls filed in one by one and before Vanessa could look away from her spot on the wall she heard someone groan and complain about being the last in line and knew that everyone was here. I suddenly felt myself lurched forward and when I looked back my spot had been taken by someone else.

“Well, if the way Carmen is reacting is any indicator of what you are saying, then maybe you two wouldn’t mind demonstrating your skill’s in fighting, whoever loses will take the place in the Grand Master’s class at the end of the day.”

“Sounds fair to me, ready to be beat into a pulp newb?” Carmen spat at me. I stood tall, knowing that what she said was true and I was going to the class at the end of the day no matter what.

“Maybe, but at least I will handle the Grand Masters class easily, whereas you were so afraid you had to resort to bullying to get out of it. Face it, inside you are nothing more then a scared little girl crying for momma-” before I could finish I was tackled to the ground and barely had enough time to put my arms up over my face to keep from getting hit in the neck and face, but I was still open to attacks on my abdomen. I looked for openings in her offense and found one, using my knee and jabbing it into her side. She grabbed on tightly and I proceeded to do the same to her other side. I then crawled up and behind her, holding her in a choke hold. She easily got out of it by flipping me over her shoulder and back onto the ground, knocking the air out of me. Carmen kicked my side and I rolled over. The teacher called it to a stop when he realized that Carmen was about to pulverize me if it continued.

“Okay, you put up a good fight, Fence, but you would have died if this were a real fight.”

“Well if it was I would have died from her breath let alone the weight I had placed on me.” Carmen charged but everyone else in the class kept her at bay, knowing that I had done something incredibly stupid. I needed people to hate me enough to ignore me so I could hopefully escape. I didn’t need people noticing me just for being new and I couldn’t see myself making any life long friends in this place.

“Hey! Just because you got the last spot in line does not mean you can steal mine!”

“You’re new, you’ve never had to deal with The Grand Master. Stick it out in there with minimal injuries and maybe I wont steal your spot next time.”

“But I have dealt with the Grand Master. I am her heir.” Small chatter started up in the room as I walked towards the other girl. “But fine. I will deal with the Grand master, since you are obviously to chicken to do so yourself.” Everyone stopped talking and dropped their mouths open while the girl gave me an evil glare. I simply walked to the end of the line, waiting for whatever would happen.