Bookworms and... Booya! (book 1)

Okay?" He pointed in front of him with a meaningful lowering of his head. "Set up."

  My stomach slithered to the soles of my feet, grabbing a firm hold of the ground underneath them. "What?"

  Zell gestured more forcefully. "Set up. To attack." He put his fists on his hips. "Come on, Meg. You know this stuff. It's basic."

  I knew it was basic; I was only hoping he wasn't really asking me to attack him. "B-But--"

  "Meg. Set. Up."

  It was the first time I'd heard a no-nonsense tone from him. I blanched and flushed at nearly the same instant as I gave a slight nod. I set my stance, feet slightly apart, on the balls of my feet, slightly crouched and ready to move. Please don't attack me. I don't want to hit you.

  Zell moved toward me. I watched him with a slightly widened gaze as he slowly paced around, gauging my stance and occasionally reaching out to adjust an arm or push on me slightly to see if I was set too firm. He gave a nod before returning to where he'd stood before. He set up. I nearly moaned.

  "Now, when I attack, I want you to defend. OK? Don't worry. You won't hit me, and I'm not gonna hurt you."

  I gnawed my lower lip, giving a slight nod as I adjusted my hold on the staff.

  Zell adjusted his footing and moved closer. I watched him, adjusting my own stance as I carefully moved to keep him in constant sight. You can do this, Sally. You know you can. Just don't think about it. Do it. Do it--He moved with near-perfect precision and quickness. I reacted as best I could, blocking an attempted strike at my head that was followed quickly by a left hook. I blocked both, but I didn't expect the second right cross.

  It made contact on the side of my head. "Damn. Thought you were gonna get that one." Zell stepped close, and his fingers gently probed my head where he'd hit. "You OK?" he asked as he gauged my expression.

  I lowered my staff, nodding once he'd lowered his hand. My scalp still tingled. "It didn't hurt." But that felt wonderful. Can you do it again please?

  Yeah. Right.

  Zell stepped back as he brought an arm across his chest. The other stroked his chin. He regarded me as I examined the ground at my feet. "You're quick with it, but something just ain’t right. Let's do it again."

  I think I'm gonna hurl. The pattern was repeated again. This time, though, I blocked the third hit, deflected the fourth, but didn't get to the kick in time. He pulled back to keep from getting me in the stomach. I startled back a step and tripped over my own feet, landing in the dirt with a thud and a very humiliated expression.

  "Aw geez. Sorry about that." Zell stepped forward and extended a hand. He helped me up.

  "It wasn't your fault," I mumbled as I brushed the dirt from my backside.

  "You know what? The staff's not your weapon. You're okay with it, but it doesn't jive with your body build."

  I stared down at the staff in my hands. "Oh," I sighed.

  "You do anything else?"

  I shook my head. Kiss your chances of passing the Fire Cavern good-bye, Sally. Which meant I'd be leaving Garden the following spring. My throat tightened, and I sniffed.

  Zell enfolded my upper arm with a warm clasp. "You ever try gymnastics?"

  I lifted my gaze to meet his. "What?"

  "With your slight build you're probably quick as anything."

  "I can't use gymnastics against enemies."

  He released my arm. "Tch!" He turned to stride to the metal gates. "Come on."

  I dutifully followed, staff in hand. "What are you going to do?"

  "Show you something."

  The gate closed behind us. My grip tightened on the staff as I looked around for a grat or T-Rexaur, or one of the other nasties they bred in the Training Center. I heard a recognizable shift and shudder and looked ahead to see a grat emerging from the bush.

  Zell motioned for me to stand beside him. "Set up-–Give me that." He took the staff from me and then pointed beside him and a little toward the grat. "Set up and do a backflip."

  For the first time in my life I actually wanted to argue, but I did what he said anyway. I set my stance, trying my best to copy his, set my balance and power, and did a backflip. I felt my feet make contact with the grat--twice. I landed in a crouch, my eyes wide and my mouth open.

  "Well would you look at that. The hot-dog fairy's done gymnastics before."

  I stood slowly, still staring at the now hesitant grat. I absently nodded. "My exercise routine." I looked over at Zell, who grinned at me, and pointed at the grat. "Did I do that?"

  Zell laughed. "Nobody else standing here is there?" Then he grew suddenly very serious and intense. "You see?" he continued, "it's all in the focus and doing what you know you're body can do. Your body knows gymnastics, so all you have to do now is teach it how to use that. Kicks. Spins. Flips. You can use it all. You just got to figure it out."

  I nodded, thoughtful. "But I shouldn't just use my feet, right?" I asked slowly.

  "Right," Zell said with a curt nod. "We've just got to teach you how to use the power in your arms." He took hold of my hand, pulling my arm out straight before gently wrapping a hand around my upper arm and giving a slight squeeze. "You've got a lot of muscle tone here because of working out with the staff. Now you need to focus that. Here." He bent my arm and folded my fingers into a fist before giving it a slap with his hand. "It's all got to come out here. Come on." Zell released my hand and arm and motioned to the grat that had decided to take another shot at the petite girl--me. "Give it a go. I'm sure you'll be fine, but I'll be right here to take up any slack."

  I gave a nod, my expression very serious and intent as I faced the grat and took up my stance. I would've checked my feet to see if they were floating on air, but I decided it wouldn't be the wisest choice with Zell in his instructor-mode.

  "Just focus and pow. Release it."

  I nodded again, slightly adjusting my footing. "Should I wait for it to make its move?"

  "Why? Do it yourself."

  I nodded yet again, taking in a deep breath and holding it as I rushed forward and thump, thump, thump, backflip back thwack-thwack. I landed in a crouch moments before I jumped up with a "rock on!" and grinned over at Zell.

  He crossed his arms with a ‘See, I told you' look and gave me a nod of approval.

  And the feeling I got from that expression, and seeing the grat shudder and keel over because of me--I ran over and threw my arms around him. "Thank you! Thank you!"

  Zell laughed while giving my back several pats. "Hey. No prob."

  I pulled back, cheeks molten, and lowered my arms to my sides as I stepped safely away. Oh my gosh--"I never dreamed"--that it would have felt so awesome to give Zell a hug.

  "Yeah, well if Selph hadn't said something was all wrong when you used the staff, I wouldn't have known what to look for." He cuffed me on the arm and drew my attention back from a slowly growing euphoria. "We've still got a lot of work to do. No slackin' off."

  I nodded, eagerly following him deeper into the Training Center. A scrapper? Me? Just like Zell?

  It was so cliché, but I loved it anyway.

  ❛ ❤ ❜

  "You're gonna be sore tomorrow unless you take a soak in the hot tub. Seriously," Zell said as he walked me to my dorm room. "You worked hard. If you've got time between classes, hike down to the infirmary and have Dr. Kadowaki plug you into one of her spas."

  I nodded, my face bright with a myriad of rushes. Exhaustion and soreness were the least of my worries at that particular moment. I didn't even care that I barely had time to take a shower before heading to class. "I'm sure I'll be okay. I've worked out that hard before and not felt it."

  "Better safe than sorry. Remember your qualifier’s tomorrow. You need to be 100%."

  I nodded dutifully. "I will be."

  "Geez. You'd think you were my student. Sorry."

  "Don't worry about it, Zell. I needed the push and shove and kick." I giggled.

  Zell laughed. Then he pointed at me, Instructor-mode on. "No hot dogs tonight. Study, study, hot tub, study. That'
s what you get."

  My smile faded. "But--"

  "Study," he pressed. "We've gotta get you past the Fire Cavern so you can take your field exam. Being a candidate sucks."

  I smiled. "It's not that bad."

  Zell stopped outside my room and gave me a salute. "Good luck tomorrow, Meg." Then he made his way back the way we'd come.

  I leaned against the door to my room with a sigh and a smile as I watched him go. Tomorrow. I'll ask him to go out with me tomorrow, whether I pass or not. I gave a curt nod and turned to enter my dorm room.

  5: Day Five

  Have you ever been so nervous and anxious that your butterflies turn into Thrusteavis and start pelting your stomach with windstorms and head butts? That was how I felt the next day. I didn't know if I was going to throw up or have my heart blow up in my chest. I went from light-headed to dizzy to feeling like I was going to smoosh into the floor.

  One time I even had to sit down and put my head between my knees to keep from passing out.

  When I was finally able to leave my room without hanging onto the walls for support, I concentrated very hard on my breathing and where and how I walked. I was going to meet Selphie by the front gate. Then we were going to head on over to the Fire Cavern. I didn't know how much Zell had told her, if he'd talked to her at all, about my sudden change in weapon choice. I certainly didn't know what it would do to my grade.

  Has anyone switched proficiencies in the middle of the term before?

  I groaned, pausing to lean against the wall of the hallway from the dormitory. I really hate tough situations. But I was determined not to whine and moan. I was going to