Charlotte, May, and Nicoleta walked the halls with their elbows interlocked, smiles on their faces, as they navigated through the crowded halls in an impractical way.
Nicoleta had her heat surround them, hot enough to keep others away from them a fair distance, and not hot enough to hurt the girls, whilst she did that Charlotte had made a force field around the three of them, so that combined with the heat of the flame made them walk the halls freely, and without any distributions.
It was the weekend, Saturday afternoon, no classes, no school, and Nicoleta had finished all her homework. She had spoken to her father all morning, and she had slept well, those blue eyes hadn't shown up in two weeks.
Nicoleta looked around, content with the life she was living. It would all come crushing down in two days, but man was freedom great. No stress, no speeding through books and remembering nothing, no telling teachers that she accidentally burned her homework, when in truth she just couldn't finish it. No worries.
Along the way however she noticed that the officers that usually patrolled the halls were wearing an array of colours, some yellow, some black, and the others the same colour as it always was.
Not only did their official attire change, but they seemed to have increased. In fact the sector as a whole seemed to have increased in number. Sure the halls were always full of life, but on weekends, everyone was either sleeping, watching a movie, or exhausting themselves more by practicing alone.
On the weekends, the halls were merely full, today however, kids were going about, and many of them weren't wearing official sector 2 uniforms. The uniforms some of them were wearing was black, with red stripes running alongside their waists down to their hips.
Others wore a yellow uniform, with black stripes running down their arms and legs, and there was a small cape behind the uniform.
She laughed at the capes as she and her friends walked by them.
May laughed even more when a much longer cape swept past them.
Charlotte tried to be the more civil one amongst them but she couldn't hold in her laughter when a girl walked by them with the longest cape yet.
"What's with the capes anyway?" Nicoleta asked, laughing, Charlotte contained herself to answer her question, "their from sector 3" Nicoleta furrowed her brows. "Sector 3?"
What were sector 3 residents doing in sector 2? Were they recent transfers that forgot to wear the proper uniform? Or…
"Yeah it's for the Sparring Competitions" May said, as she did a double take of another girl with a floor length cape.
"Sparring Competitions?" Nicoleta asked, "what's that?" Charlotte chuckled before answering, Nicoleta couldn't help but giggle, a boy had walked by with a small cape hanging by the back of his neck.
"It's an annual competition. It was made by mission control here in sector 2 five years ago- it's kind of a "who's the strongest thing you know?" Nicoleta, still confused, shook her head.
They turned a corner, and May stopped them then gestured to a long white board on the wall. "That is where everyone gets registered into the competition. The sparring competition- umm.. take it like football, except you can play individually, or with a group, or like a duel, and a trio." May led them through the small crowd that was piling by the white board, Nicoleta watched all the kids rushing to get registered.
"What's the point of it, if you're just fighting?" They turned another corner, and climbed on the elevator. Nicoleta let the heat die down, and Charlotte retracted her force field.
"The champion- or champions. Get bragging rights, and a ten thousand -whatever currency you use- grand price" Nicoleta nodded. Money was good, bragging rights were whatever to her, she never liked the attention anyway. But the money was good. She could see why people would compete.
"And there's also the small chance of being transferred to sector 1" Nicoleta's ears raised up in interest, she turned her gaze down to May. "What- transfered?"
May nodded. The elevator began moving up, to the second floor. "Yeah some winners- " Charlotte butted in, "and none winners" May agreed and continued, "get transferred to either sector 2 or one."
"So if I join the competitions and win, I can get transferred to sector 1?" Then from sector 1 Nicoleta would be home. It was so easy, it sounded too good, it couldn't be that simple.
Charlotte explained further. "Yeah there are some recruiters from sectors one and 2 who watch every single match hoping to find a worthy candidate to be transfered- it was mostly a secret but after Levi De-Luca was transferred despite losing his final match people began to notice" the elevator doors opened, and they stepped out, not a long walk away was the first theater, there Nicoleta was glad to find that they were showing 'Mystery of the pretend' again.
"Until then, they recruited winners only?" Nicoleta asked, "yeah" May answered. "But after some time they realised that winning doesn't exactly equal greatness" May did a measuring gesture with her hands.
Charlotte agreed as they got their tickets.
Nicoleta had already made up her mind from there. Any chance to get one step closer to home though slim, was an opportunity she wouldn't pass on ever.
She had to join the sparring competitions, or she would never forgive herself otherwise.
After lunch Nicoleta left her friends and rushed to the training hall, hoping that Evan would be there even on the weekend, meditating or whatever he did in his free time.
She passed by various children, with many different abilities, but for the most part they all shared one thing in common, a good portion of them were phoenixes, and as she listened to their conversations, she found out that Jackson and his crew were joining the competition as well.
Along with them was a couple of speedster and Nicoleta was expecting to hear the familiar voice of Xavier, but it seemed he wasn't interested, or maybe he was too busy training for it, she would have to ask May. She seemed to be the only one that understood him when he was speeding around the court anyway.
At last she made it to the training hall, and gladly Evan was there, meditating as always, chest rising and falling in a slow relaxed motion, shoulders straight yet relaxed.
When she closed the glass doors, his eyes shot open and for a moment, his light blue eyes glimmered.
Then it settled. "Hi" she greeted, Evan didn't move a muscle, his body stayed still even his face didn't move, there was no expression in his eyes. It was as if he was there yet far away.
"Hi?" She said, a bit louder than the first, still there was no response, he only stared, then as if he was always there, Evan spoke. "No need to repeat yourself Ms. Ariti" she took a step closer, cautious, though she wasn't sure what she was being careful over.
"I wanted to tell you something" he nodded, gesturing with a blink for her to continue.
"I want to join the Sparring competitions" he shook his head, "you aren't qualified" was all he said.
She couldn't understand, she refused to. The only reason she wasn't qualified was because he hadn't agreed yet, she needed two signatures one from a parent and one from an instructor. She assumed her father would be the more difficult one to convince.
But now Evan was refusing, despite knowing what she was capable of, he was refusing, why?
"I can control my flame- both of them, I'm a blue belt- " he held up a hand. "Ms. Ariti, everyone wants to compete and be glorious in the sparring competitions- " Nicoleta shook her head, "no that's not it."
"Ms. Ariti No. That is my final answer you will not change my mind" he closed his eyes, and no matter the noise she made to gain his attention again, he completely ignored her.
In the week, she asked Mr. And Mrs Arnold after class, and they asked her. "What did your other instructor- " Mr. Arnold snapped his fingers in search of a name. "Uh yes, De-Luca. What did he say?" Nicoleta told them what he said. "Then No," said Mrs. Arnold.
She protested, "why?"
"Because we trust De-Luca's judgement, and if he says you aren't ready then you aren't" she ran to her room afterwards, and took the quickest shower ever, skipped dinner to do homework, and called her father.
Yet like everyone else he answered with the same word. "No" she was expecting that one, it didn't come as a surprise, but seeing as he was the last result, she was desperate.
"Come on dad please" she begged, attempting to make poppy dog eyes to lure him into saying yes. Ambrose only rolled his eyes at her, and laughed, "that won't work on me anymore honey."
She sagged into her chair, "can I get a reason why please?" She asked leaning forward, arms crossed, skin heated, though she kept her powers back.
"I don't want you to get hurt- " she didn't let him finish. "They have healers, if I get hurt, the healers will heal me!" Her father shook his head, still not convinced.
"So that means that there is a chance of you being harmed" she gave him a nasty look, then remembered that she was doing it all for him, then she frowned, and smiled.
"I love you dad- but sometimes you act like I'm still six" he tilted his head, tossing her a knowing look. "And you're an adult now?" She sighed into her hands.
"No. But I'm not a toddler, and I'm not a regular girl that you need to shield. You can't protect me from everything" she threw her arms around, making her father chuckle.
"You aren't acting very grown up" she groaned. He laughed more. Nicoleta couldn't be angry at that smile, at those warm brown eyes, despite his answer, she couldn't help but smile back at him.
"I love you too Nicole- take care of yourself alright, and just focus on your studies, there is no need to join the sparring competitions" she nodded, and blew him a kiss, before hanging up.
She studied in complete and utter defeat.
The next day she asked Evan, and he said the same thing, then the next, and again and again, the same happened with her father and with Mr. And Mrs. Arnold.
She would sneak it into conversations with her father in hopes to change his mind, but he was adamant. She would pretend to have forgotten a bag after class, in hopes for Mr. De-Luca to tell her that he had changed his mind, yet no such luck, she would perform exceptionally well in Mr. And Mrs. Arnold's class in hopes for them to decide for themselves, yet they hardly even interacted with the class after lessons.
She failed over and over and over, and the sparring competitions were getting nearer and nearer, which meant she had exactly two weeks before deadlines, two weeks to convince two- or three out of three, two weeks, to somehow change their minds after two weeks prior of them giving her the same answer.
After the weekend she entered class hoping to change Mr. De-Luca's mind, and she was greeted with no doboks, and instead attire she only saw and wore in Mr. And Mrs. Arnold's class.
Everyone was wearing clothes for sparring. Confused, Nicoleta moved on to join her group, and once she was there she dropped her bag, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Ah Ms. Ariti, glad to see you have chosen to join us today." He clasped his hands together, and climbed on a platform four inches high.
He too wore clothes for sparring. She found it a bit endearing however, because she had never seen him in a tank top before let alone loose pants.
"Since the entire class has signed up for the competitions, I've decided to teach you all how to spar, it's necessary not only to know the principles about sparring but also the technique and skills." Nicoleta would have gasped, she wanted to.
She would have walked out of the class, and yelled at him for being unfair, because he was. How could he let the whole class- the entire class except her join the competitions, so they were ready and she wasn't?
Iris who wasn't even a brown belt was ready? Her blood boiled. The heat in her body increased, and she would have become a torch in that instant if it weren't for her very great self control.
And just to spite her he even looked at her as he finished his sentence, "except of course Ms. Ariti" she wanted to choke him till his eyes popped out, but Nicoleta held all of it back.
Instead she put all her anger and energy into a fiery glare that lasted only a second.
He smiled as a response.
He arranged them all into duels, and taught them everything Nicoleta already knew, stance, the rules about sparring, etc. Afterward, the class fought with each other, rotating opponents whenever two minutes were up.
Nicoleta wasn't horrible according to Evan's standard. She drawed one, and lost all her spars. After her seventh and final loss, with a twisted ankle, and a bruised pride, she glared at Evan.
Her performance must have made him so happy, it just proved his point, she lost every match, and barely managed a draw. He was right, she wasn't ready. And she hated that.
After class she didn't hold back anything, no eyes were on them, no Kannika to tell her to not disrespect her instructor.
"Why would you let them all join and cancel me out of that! Huh?!" He remained calm when he answered, but Nicoleta's flame had already burst out and was burning furiously up her arms.
"I didn't" she scoffed, "don't lie" she said, practically growling at that point.
He shrugged, she hated how calm he looked, she hated how unbothered by her anger he was. Why couldn't he just show some fear? Did he really think she was so cowardly that she wouldn't throw the first flame, because she was very close to doing so.
"I only allowed Kannika to join-" he then pointed his head at her, and immediately she felt stupid with the look he gave her. "My students have other programs in five minutes too Ms. Ariti"
She pulled her flame back letting out a hot heavy breath that she could even feel in her ears.
He was lying.
Nicoleta stormed out of the training hall, blood boiling. Literally.
After Defence and offence, Nicoleta retired to dinner, and her friends didn't fail to notice her mood.
She told them everything. May and Charlotte, like before, gave her some friendly advice.
"You should prove it" said Charlotte, and Nicoleta raised her brows at her, May nodded, seemingly understanding what Charlotte meant.
"Yeah. Right now- especially with your seven lost spars," Nicoleta sighed, "come on Leta your case isn't good and you know it" she couldn't argue, losing seven spars, and barely drawing one, wouldn't even convince her if she were in Evan's shoes, and it's not like she was doing spectacular in Mr. And Mrs. Arnold's class either, she was okay, she won all her spars that day but it was purely because they kept switching before her opponent could get serious. People tended to underestimate her, and she used it to her advantage.
She was a blue belt, but Kannika was a black belt in four martial arts. Evan letting her participate was beyond fair, she deserved to join the competitions, she was actually qualified for the competitions.
Nicoleta however was just a girl filled with hopeful dreams of winning, and being noticed by sector 1 then being transferred. And in a year or two she would be home.
Now that she actually gave it some thought, she was making a fool of herself.
"I get it," Nicoleta said before May could finish her statement. The two girls across from her glanced at each other.
"Instead of saying that you're good enough, show your instructors, and… " Charlotte thought, "actually put some work into improving" Nicoleta gave her a nasty look.
She had been trying, everyday she tried, her schedule had become so tight to the point that she hardly got any sleep, her teachers gave her too much homework, and she almost always had some body part aching.
Charlotte of all people knew her schedule, how could she say Nicoleta wasn't trying? How could she say she needed to try harder?
She was already giving it her all. If she did anymore she would need to skip breakfast, lunch and dinner to accomplish whatever feat the two of them wanted from her.
"I'am putting in work, I do everyday" Charlotte gave her a knowing look. "Nico be honest with yourself, you have gotten comfortable, this has become a routine to you, you just do it because you have to" Nicoleta shook her head. Flame bubbling, she protested.
"It has not become just a routine, I'm just as focused as everyone else in my programs." Charlotte raised a brow in question, which made Nicoleta annoyed.
She crossed her arms under her breast. "What is that look for?" Charlotte raised her hands up in surrender, "nothing" she said.
"All I'm saying is-" Nicoleta stopped her. "All you are saying is that I'm not doing good enough" Charlotte seemed offended, "what! No, that couldn't be any further from what I'm saying."
"Then what are you saying Charlotte please tell me!" Nicoleta's voice could be heard from five tables away, which in turn caused many eyes to fall on them.
Charlotte leaned in, "okay no need to cause a scene." She said, "I'm sorry if I doubted your efforts, it's just- you are little stubborn Nico you know that" Nicoleta rolled her eyes, "I'm not stubborn."
"and I don't see how this relates to what we are talking about." Charlotte agreed for a moment. "All I'm saying is that it's easier for you to be in your comfort zone- you're working hard.. but you need to work harder if you want to join the sparring competitions. They require a lot of discipline," Nicoleta sighed, she couldn't be angry with Charlotte because like before she was making a good point.
She needed to do better, Charlotte was right. She lost all her spars, she would need to win next time, she did okay in Mr. And Mrs. In Arnold's class, she needed to exceed expectations.
"You need to show, not tell," said May. Nicoleta nodded, she placed her palmers on the table, and leaned back.
Laurens was practically unbeatable. He dodged every kick, punch, and landed every blow on Nicoleta. She was so sore that she was practically begging Evan to switch them.
She stood her ground, but it was useless, because according to the rules of sparring she had already lost.
Nicoleta attempted another attack, deciding to disguise her attack this time by going in for a fake kick, then punched him in the gut. Laurens's face lit up with surprise.
She kicked him in the chest, making him stumble, he just stumbled, and that was all the power in her leg.
Devastated, Nicoleta waited for Laurens's revenge.
A warmth spread around her shoulder, and she looked up and was relieved to see that it was Evan.
"Rest for five minutes Ms. Ariti- " she was about to protest, but Evan didn't give her the chance, "you need to rest" she reluctantly sat on one of the benches.
She had won two spars so far, lost one against Laurens, her aim was Kannika. Kannika had been in the class longest, about five years according to May. She was the one to beat, because she was Evan's best student.
She was a black belt in four different martial arts, and was not far from accomplishing the same with Kung Fu. Nicoleta didn't know what was even holding the belt, she seemed to have already mastered it.
She watched as Kannika moved so fluently it would appear as if she invented the art, she received zero hits, instead she absorbed them, and made it worse for her opponent, which this time was Ximun.
He had see through vision and sometimes he could levitate. Nicoleta understood why he was learning martial arts, seeing as his abilities didn't warrant him any physical enhancement, but only a difficult mental health.
Five minutes was up before she could even relax, and she was back on the mat with Kannika across from her, a dangerous look in her eyes as she scanned Nicoleta.
Nicoleta bounced, and advanced towards Kannika, she defended herself, crouching to dodge and sliding her leg beneath Nicoleta.
Nicoleta nearly fell, her flame shooting out at the perfect time, she propelled herself up, and kicked Kannika back, again not enough force to knock her down.
Kannika spun around and her foot connected with Nicoleta's cheek, causing her to fall to the floor immediately. Her head spun, vision compromised by black dots.
She let out a dry hot breath, as she tried to pick herself up, but when she tried, her head ached so bad that she felt as if it was about to explode.
Nicoleta's gaze landed on Kannika's foot, then her knee, and her face was right near hers in an instant.
"I'm sorry, are you okay?" She wanted to shake her head, but knew it would only cause more damage.
"That was- " she groaned, when she realised just how painful it was to speak, she blinked and regretted it.
Kannika placed her hands on her head and foreheads. She couldn't be a healer either.
Nicoleta's head throb dulled for a moment. "You're a healer?" Kannika's smile widened slightly, "every class has one"
Nicoleta blinked more, as the pain slowly went away. She stood up on her feet after a couple of minutes, and was very embarrassed to find the whole class staring at her.
Her cheeks burned, along with her ears, her eyelids fell over her eyes multiple times, hands fidgety.
She locked eyes with Evan. He didn't seem impressed, she wasn't impressed with herself either.
Nicoleta went on to win three more spars, and after her last match she glanced at Evan with a smirk, he still didn't seem impressed, he didn't even seem as if he had seen her win.
Mr. And Mrs. Arnold's was just as usual, but to convince them Nicoleta had to win more than three spars.
Jamie stood across from her. He attacked first, Nicoleta countered by catching his foot like he did to her once, and attempted to spin him around, but he didn't give her the chance to do so when he kicked forcefully, making Nicoleta get off balance.
He pushed her back and spun around. Nicoleta saw red. Kannika's image appeared in front of her, she wouldn't let that happen again.
She let her flame come through her arms as she bent down, and hooked him in the jaw.
Jamie stumbled back, his flame rushed forward. Blood dripped down his nose. He wiped it away, a cocky grin on his lips.
"Not bad" She wanted to be offended, but that was the best she had done in five months, she had never really won a fight with him, she put up somewhat of a fight, but never won.
Jamie's flame disappeared as he went low, Nicoleta saw Kannika all over again.
She let it happen, falling down, and stopping her flame from defending her. She had only a second where Jamie was completely relaxed to take revenge.
She jumped up, and blew fire towards him, distracted, she launched at him through the flames. She kicked his chest, then his jaw twice, and used his own technique against him by spinning around and striking the side of his head.
Already sore, from her other ten spars, Nicoleta's power was dimmed, however it was still enough to make him fall, for only a second.
Then he was back on his feet again, turning the fight into a power off.
He blew his flame toward her and Nicoleta countered it with her own, he rushed his attack to the side hoping to catch her , but Nicoleta had done the same, causing the two to mark damage on either side of the walls.
They weren't fazed by it, as they pounced on each other.
Nicoleta propelled herself, and shot down fiery streaking beneath her feet to block Jamie's view of her attack.
Her foot connected with his fiery hand, and she was thrown to the ground in a swift movement.
How could he do that? How could he handle her weight so easily? She wasn't made of cotton.
Nicoleta didn't give herself time to recover, before bouncing up, and countering another blue flame that rushed toward, as hot and cold as ever.
Her yellow flame switched colours instantly.
When Jamie advanced closer to her, she stepped back and spun around him. She brought her yellow flame back, and wrapped her arms around his neck before he could turn around.
Bringing him down with her she switched around, making him land beneath her as she kept him down with a knee to the chest, and a hot arm to the throat.
"Yield," he grinned. "Never" cold wrapped around her legs, and traveled to her abdomen.
The ice flared into hot fire, she couldn't stand any longer and bounced off of him.
Before Jamie could advance however, Mrs. Arnold held him down with her frail, wrinkled hand.
"Time is up boy"
Nicoleta bowed, doing everything within herself to not drop right there, and forfeit all her matches.
Jamie stood up by the help of Mrs. Arnold, though he didn't need it, and bowed as well.
"You know you don't have to do that right?" He asked. Reaching in for a handshake, she shook his hand.
"I have to- you don't" she had twelve spars that day. She won ten.
Mr. And Mrs. Arnold pretended as if she didn't outdo herself that day, and treated her as they always did when she won three, drawed six, and lost three.
She didn't stay to get healed by Jamie. She didn't stay after her last spar.
That night she found herself complaining to her friends about how easier entering the sparring competitions would be if her father just agreed.
She would just need one more signature, and she wouldn't have to break her bones in order to impress her instructors.
Charlotte was listening intently, May was listening at some point until her favorite actor came on screen, and it was all him, until Nicoleta switched off the television.
"Hey!" May launched at Nicoleta to grab the remote, she simply held her arm up.
"Stop ogling over- whoever that is, and focus" May looked up at her. Her eyes could have been blazing with fire if she had Nicoleta's powers.
"Just make a deal with your dad- " Nicoleta's arm lowered, "what do you mean?" May raised a brow, and crossed her arms over her breast.
"Not if you keep that remote out of reach"
Nicoleta sighed, "fine" she reluctantly gave the remote to May, who immediately switched it on and sat back down, and began ogling him all over again.
Nicoleta was ready to steal the remote again, when she began speaking.
"Ask him want it will take for him to agree- "
Ambrose thought for a long moment, his eyes lingered around the room. Then they landed back on Nicoleta's.
"I don't want you to get hurt honey- " Nicoleta groaned into her hands, and pushed her chair back.
She wanted to flip her room upside down.
"Dad, I'm not six anymore!" She yelled, she tugged at her hair, and sat back down, "I can handle myself. What can I do to convince you? hold the world on my shoulders?"
Ambrose opened his mouth to respond. She didn't let him.
"I'm doing this for you- and you won't even let me" she hung up on him, and slept for only a minute out of total and absolute regret.
Her attempts to convince either of her instructors failed. And with each attempt made them become harder to impress.
Nicoleta thought she hit the jackpot by winning every spar in class on Thursday. She turned to Evan with a smirk on her face.
He smiled back, and shook his head, seemingly holding back a chuckle.
After class he commended her performance.
"Can I join the sparring competitions now?" He sighed deeply. It almost looked like he was about to say yes, but then he faltered.
"I'm not confident" she stepped forward slightly hopeful by the hesitation in his voice.
"But I'am - it doesn't matter whether I lose anyway" big lie. He shook his head. "No Ms. Ariti- I've never encouraged these competitions anyway" the last part seemed to be for himself.
But whether it was for the whole sector 2 or for himself, Nicoleta knew one thing.
It was another no from him, and the deadline was close.
Mr. And Mrs. Arnold didn't give her a chance to even plead with them, though she did anyway. They, like they had been doing for the past week, ignored her.
Her father was no better.
He kept saying the same thing.
"I don't want you to get hurt" she bursted into flames before calming herself down. She threw on a new shirt, and yelled at her father.
"You can't keep me caged from Greece dad, I'm not a little girl anymore." His face twisted into a frown, she hated seeing him sad. She hated being the reason behind it even more so.
"I'm doing this for you! For you dad! I can't come home if I don't do this- we can't be a fam– we can't be like before with me here and" she tugged at her hair, and dropped her face on her desk.
"Nicoleta, I'm sorry" she shook her head, "no you aren't dad" she hung up and jumped on her bed.
Heat was traveling up and down her body, she wanted to destroy everything in arms reach.
Her head whirled with all kinds of ideas to convince them, all of them ended with refusal.
She sighed, turned over, and huffed into her pillow, then she turned around and threw it across the room, letting her flame burn it half way.
She screamed, into her other pillow, and hit her bed with her arms, all while holding her flame back as best as she could.
Nicoleta opened her wardrobe, and put on her uniform.
She waddled to the canteen, and found Charlotte, and May upstairs talking about something.
"Hey" she greeted, solemnly. May sighed on her behalf. "Still nothing?" Nicoleta nodded. She scooped up a spoonful of rice and stuffed it into her mouth.
She was tired from trying relentlessly hard, -for nothing- that she couldn't even eat without it feeling like a chore.
Her eyes wandered around the canteen. Then they lit up the moment she spotted Evan eating alone somewhere in the far corner.
She didn't wait a second to rush to him.
She placed her tray down, and sat across from him.
"Good evening" he acknowledged her. "Ms. Ariti"
"Let me join the competitions" he shook his head, mouthful.
"Please?" He shook his head again. "I won all my spars today, I did even better in Mr. And Mrs. Arnold's class- " he took a sip of juice.
"Ms. Ariti, no" her hope dissipated the moment it came.
They ate dinner in silence. When he stood up to leave, she followed him outside.
But having no idea what to say Nicoleta stood at the entrance, watching him walk farther, and farther away.
A light bulb lit up atop her head.
"I will train for a full week, and at the end of the week I will spar with you- if I win you have to make me join the sparring competitions" she rapped as loudly as she could.
He turned around, a grin on his face. She could mark arrogance, self assurance, and a look that said, 'well we all know who's going to win'
"And if you lose?" She didn't allow herself to be sad. "I will never bother you about the competitions again"
He nodded, "very well" with that, she watched him go.
She was in, and she was definitely going to win.
Charlotte and May found her not too long after, "what happened?" Charlotte asked, "I'm joining the competitions" . They were overjoyed.
"How did you convince him?" May asked, Nicoleta smirked, and allowed herself to breath, relaxed, "I have my ways."
Now it was left with her father.
"Dad, I can totally do this, just trust me." Ambrose had been softened with a trip to memory lane, and a tear filled apology, though that was genuine, Nicoleta learned later how that could go in her favour.
He thought again on what she said.
"Well dad? Don't tell me you're gonna say no because I won't take no as an answer" he smiled at her, somewhat reluctant, somewhat sure.
"I don't know- " she needed to think, he was going to say no. "one of my instructors already said yes!" No he hadn't but her father didn't really need to know that.
He sat up straighter, "really? Which one?"
"Evan De-Luca" he narrowed his eyes at her, "that kid?" Nicoleta couldn't help but be offended by the statement, Evan wasn't a kid. He was twenty at the least.
"He's not a kid- I don't know how old he is- " he didn't seem convinced, if anything, Evan's approval might have pushed her back a couple of steps.
She asked her friends how old he was during breakfast the next day. "He's fifteen," May answered.
After class she couldn't help pointing it out to him.
He was helping her with her fighting stance, some extra tips courtesy of the fight they would be fighting at the end of the next week.
"You are my age" she said, he only shrugged. "Age is a number. Powers don't require age in order to be successfully controlled. Sector 1 has plenty of young instructors"
She would have asked him how he knew that, if her five minutes of extra practice wasn't ruined by her watch beeping.
She did great in Mr. And Mrs. Arnold's class. They noticed this time around, and she was beyond elated about it.
She once again pleaded with her father.
"okay- if you get all your instructors to say yes, and straight As on all your exams, I will let you join." It was a good thing Exam week ended tomorrow, because that could have been the end of it.
Mr. and Mrs. Arnold had noticed her goodness so far, and they only needed Evan's approval to let her join.
So the true objective was one.
Put Mr. De-Luca on his back.