After the Fact (Bookworms and Booya #2)

  Chapter Four

  A Better Daydream

  “Hey, Sally?”

  I looked up from my duties of logging in the newly returned books and smiled as Zell peeked his head around the frame of the library entry. My heart fluttered. “Hi, Zell. On your way to class?”

  “Yeah. Say. You takin' lunch soon?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Zell motioned down the hall. “Could you take it now? I kind of need ya. Can you come to the T.C.?”

  He needs me! Heart aflutter--“Sure, Zell. I'll meet you there.”

  He winked at me. “Thanks, Meg. I appreciate it.” Then he disappeared.

  I smiled and giggled as I logged out and called out “Valerie! I'm going on lunch!”

  A muffled reply came from the back.

  I slipped off the chair and straightened my hair into my braid as I exited the library into the side-hall. Zell needs me for class? It could mean anything. Sparring example. Offense. Defense. Don't do. Do. Or he could want to show off 'Quick Silver' or ‘Hell Strike’. It made me feel awesome.

  I turned into the main corridor and headed toward the Training Center. Students continued to file down the side-hall, which made my nervousness soar, but I kicked and pushed it away. He needs me! Yet another daydream that had become a reality.

  Candidates sent me sidelong glances as I turned into the side-hall toward the Training Center. I sent them timid smiles, and even the occasional 'hello', and continued forward. Most of them probably recognized me from however long I'd been sneaking into Zell's class. At least now I have a reason to be here.

  Of course, I always had a reason. It just had been a little on the 'stalker' side. And now they would all see that I could be there on purpose. That made me feel great. I didn't need to lurk or hide. I could stand in front of the whole class and--I froze, the smile vanishing. In front of the whole class. Whole class? I sent a sidelong glance to a candidate that passed on my left and cleared my throat. I stepped off to the right and gnawed my lower lip as I clenched and unclenched my hands. Sally, he needs you. And he would never humiliate you. Remember what he said when he first started training you?

  More candidates passed, making the Thrustaevis turn into Bahamut and all his cousins. I groaned and whimpered as I stomped my feet. Sally Regal! You get in there and help your boyfriend! And I forced my feet down the hall after the last candidate rushing to class. This is Zell. Zell. He won't do anything mean. He promised. Before. Remember? I slightly nodded, still worrying my lower lip as I entered the outer area of the Training Center.

  Zell had just finished roll-call.

  I hung back until Zell's gaze met my terrified one. He smiled, winked, and motioned me forward. I forced my feet to move, hands tightly fisted. “OK everyone,” he said in the Instructor-like tone I'd heard before. “Now I'm gonna show you what I've been talking about these past couple weeks.”

  I moved to stand across from Zell, my eyes never wavering from his face. You can do this, Sally.

  Zell continued to address the class. “Balance and coordination go hand-in-hand with every aspect of not only fighting, but getting from point A to point B. If you don't have balance, or if one part of your body doesn't know how to move with the rest, how are you going to keep your ass from landing in the dust? It doesn't matter if your specialty is Duel, nunchaku, or machine gun. You've got to know how to make everything work together.”

  Zell faced me then and immediately gave me a wink that seemed to say 'It's okay.' I set my stance as I sent him a timid smile.

  He crossed his arms and gestured to me with a lift of his chin. “Someone push her over.”

  I blinked, but my focus didn't move from Zell's twinkling blue eyes. We'd practiced on this every day since starting to work out together. It was part of our warm-up routine. Zell said I had nearly perfect balance, and that was why the quarterstaff had been all wrong. It had tipped the scale of my natural balance and been too gangly for me to incorporate into my 'body', as it were.

  “Seriously?” a young man asked, candidates muttering and whispering around him.

  Zell faced them. “Seriously. If you can get her butt in the dirt, I'll dismiss you all early.”

  The whispering and muttering rose in volume, and I could feel myself relax. Why? Because if Zell made a statement like that, it meant he didn't think they could do it. It meant he thought--he knew I was that good. And that made me see stars.

  “Anything goes?” another man asked.

  Zell raised an eyebrow. “Don't push it, Cord.”

  The young man stood, and the muttering and whispers stopped. I didn't move my focus from Zell or from my balance.

  “I just have to make the little thing fall down?”

  “Yep.”

  I vaguely heard footsteps and slightly adjusted my stance when my peripheral vision registered the height and mass of the shadow that approached. Just like all the other training sessions in the 'Monster's Lair' of the Training Center.

  The person walked around behind me, giving a slight push here and a bit of a firmer shove there, much as Zell had that first day and each consecutive practice after. My stance and balance shifted with each one, only allowing a slight lean this way and that.

  Then the man started feigning pushes in one area and doing them in another. My muscles and center of gravity shifted each time, keeping me balanced and on my feet with not even a single bobble--

  The man moved to kick my feet out from under me, and I instantly reacted with a backflip. Then I set my stance again, my eyes focusing on Zell's. His eyes twinkled and his lips twitched upward.

  “Cord, sit. Next?”

  No one stepped forward, but one voice way in the back said, “You do it.”

  The entire class laughed.

  Zell pushed his lips to one side as he regarded me. “Hm.”

  I swallowed hard. Zell, don't you dare!

  “You up for it?” he asked.

  No! “Sure.” Zell!

  Zell gave a slight nod and lowered his arms to his side as he began that dreaded circle around me. “Let's give it a go.”

  I swallowed harder, adjusting my stance as I dragged my focus back and kept it there. Relax, Sally. It's no different than before. Relax. I released a slow breath.

  “Good girl,” Zell whispered.

  I smiled.

  Zell worked me harder on my balance than he ever had. The candidates cheered and chanted me on after the first two minutes passed without a bobble. And when five minutes was called out, they were a pretty rowdy bunch. Clapping, chanting, cheering, whistling, and who knew what else. I was getting a lot sweaty and a little tired, but I kept my focus. I kept my stance. And I kept my balance.

  Finally, Zell laughed and gave me a playful shove. “You win, Sally. Good job.”

  And the candidates roared and applauded.

  Zell faced them as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “You see? Balance. Coordination. You get those and everything will pop. So you do those exercises I gave you. No bitching and no excuses.” Zell faced me. “Thanks, Meg. You can scoot now.”

  I timidly smiled and whispered “OK” as I turned and made my way back to the side-hall and the main corridor, and eventually the library. The only thing I remembered was Zell's laugh and praise.