TEAMMATES...
PE was a literal hit, and Emma would later on feel the full brunt of it.
It was second to her last period of the day, and frankly started off quite nicely with stretches. But everyone knew what would happen if ever a teacher would come into class in a bad mood. It would mean that the least favorite activity would commence.
So when Mr. Creed, one of the school's gym teachers who was burly and balding, came in the gym in a marching fit and whispered blasphemies, more than half of the sophomores' shoulders dropped in recognition of what was to become of their fate.
Dodgeball.
Mr. Creed went straight to the center of the gymnasium, barked orders to get the basket of dodgeballs in the center to set it up, then looked at the students with a grim cloud of a glare in his expression. Emma thought she shouldn't be surprised if thunder would start sounding in the distance.
"A'right!" Mr. Creed thundered, causing Emma to hold a laugh at her own thoughts. "Half the class versus half the class, got it? The first group to die off gets a low mark. If a team wins with students still in it, we half it again until there's only one person standing, and that person gets the highest mark of all!"
Everyone groaned except for the jockey students who looked pumped up. Whenever dodgeball was mentioned, it would always be survival of the fittest. Honestly though, whatever sets off their gym teacher to get into such a harsh mood had always been a wanted mystery to everyone. One day though, Emma thought, someone should really get to the bottom of it.
There was eighteen of them all in all in their class, and cutting it in half would leave it a nine versus nine.
Emma and Oliver were in the same team, but neither verbally acknowledged each other, to the heartthrob's annoyance. The others in their team comprised of a familiar clubber, a parkour, two slackers, a gamer, a filmmaker, and, if Emma didn't know her she would've missed finding her, Kat, whose wallflower personage would be a great add-on.
During the five minute strategy meeting, Emma became the unnoticeable social butterfly she always was, fluttering from one circle to another.
"Kat!!" Emma greeted, giving her friend a hug up front.
Kat smiled, comparing Emma to a playful kitten in her mind. "Hi." She greeted back.
"Imma bet you gonna be the last one standin' huh?" Emma said, pulling back with a grin.
"Maybe not." Kat answered, looking toward their opponent's side. "They have Tanberry."
"Huh? Where?" Emma started surveying their opponent's team, and made a face when she finally managed to locate a head of dark hair. Contrary to everyone's beliefs, there were a few wallflowers around school, but were so easily unnoticed that they were dubbed to be 'rare'. In their PE class alone, they already had two, and in that specific day, both girls were going to go up against each other. "This is gonna be tough."
Kat nodded. "If ever one of us does end up last though, I think I'll back out."
Emma pouted. "You're no fun. You should at least try to get the highest score!"
The wallflower shook her head. "I've told you many times before, Em. I'm not in it for grades."
She puffed her cheeks, muttered: "Yeah, yeah." Then let go and waved. "You're gonna be okay, right?"
Kat nodded, pulling out a pair of wireless headphones out of her bag and showing it to Emma. "Mr. Creed knows I can't do much of anything lest I wear these. I'll be fine." Usually, students were asked to leave their belongings in the locker rooms, but a few kids were special cases and were allowed thereof.
Emma nodded content, then walked away. She looked back just for the heck of it and saw Kat silently start watching the rest of her surroundings. She noted that Maya Tanberry, the other wallflower in her class, was doing the very same thing.
"Percy!" Emma called out. "Me' man!"
A boy of flat, vermillion hair turned toward her, and immediately greeted her with a gap-toothed smile. In his hand he held a small video camera she wasn't familiar of the brand of, but his demeanor, like the majority of her classmates, was friendly toward her.
"Emmy! We're teammates, right?" He asked, setting his camera down on the bench next to his bag. "Hope you'll have my back."
She winked playfully. "Only if you'll have mine."
He nodded. "You got it!"
Percy Hammond was a 15-year-old of normal looks, height, and skills. His saving graces included his controlling nature and passion for moviemaking. And Emma was one of the few people he ever got along with, most probably because she was one of the few persons in their batch who managed to put up with everyone else.
She kept on walking, and her eyes met with cold sorrel ones. She looked away first just so she wouldn't give him the satisfaction to, and to her expectations, a glare followed her back when she kept on walking. Another pair made her smile.
"Gemma! Matt!"
Two heads looked toward her, and lazy smiles of recognition were kept until she came close enough.
Gemma Daly was a broad-shouldered lass with a bedhead of blonde hair. Emma was only familiar of the fact that she was held back for reasons unbeknownst to the years younger than the current juniors, but aside for that, the girl seemed kind enough. Mostly to other girls, though.
Matt Silverwood was Gemma's fellow slacker, but unlike his co-clique's personage, he was a much tougher cookie to socialize with. After multiple attempts to figure out his psychological thinking though, Emma deduced he didn't like anyone with dyed hair, so she must be in his blacklist by default, albeit she never really felt like trying that hard to get him to like her anyway, so she stopped trying so she left the dude to deal with his own dyed demons half-way through their freshmen year.
"Hey there, Emma." Gemma smiled friendlily, her words dragged out as though she was half-asleep.
Matt grunted before shoving his hands in his pants' pockets and sauntered away.
Emma pouted.
Gemma consoled her with a hand on her shoulder. "He's had worse days."
"And I've had better, I guess." Emma muttered under her breath, then smiled at Gemma. "We're teammates! Look out for me, 'kay?"
Gemma retuned her smile. "And you, me. Right?"
They fist-bumped, and went separate ways, Gemma to do whatever else she was to do and Emma to talk to her other teammates.
The last pair of her team were somewhat-jockeys. Cardor Florence was the third DDA Heir, and a gamer guy of unparalleled competitiveness both in virtual reality and irl. The last one was a parkour girl named Alex Rivers, a hyperactive kid Emma could never really wrap her head around.
After final conversations of good luck, Emma ignored Aaron one last time before a shrill whistle reverberated throughout the entire gymnasium.
Everyone looked back at Mr. Creed, whose expression still remained dark.
"A'right MAGGOTS! Let's play some DODGEBALL!!!"
His classmates cheered, but all of a sudden, Oliver didn't have a good feeling in his gut.