Alright my duckies (yeah, I'm weird, I know. Get over it.) Here's chapter ten. (I know these are the same lyrics as yesterday.)

Disclaimer: We've gone over this before, I don't own Darkest Powers.

M.I.A- Avenged Sevenfold

Fight for honor, fight for your life.
Pray to God that our side is right.
Even though we won, I still may lose
Until I make it home to you

Chloe's Training Begins

Chloe POV

By the time Mandy got into our room I was sitting by Derek and he had his arm around my waist.

Innocent enough, but it still earned us a look from Mandy. But it was more of a look of amusement, like she had an idea of what was going on moments before she walked in, than the look of someone trying to scold us.

I'm just glad it was Mandy who had come to us instead of, say Andrew. That could've been bad.

"Hey guys." Mandy said stepping into our room.

"Hey." I said. Derek grunted.

"I was just curious how much self defense you two actually know. I just want to know what I'm working with."

"Our dad taught me and Simon some things."

She nodded. "What about you Chloe?"

"I only have experience from a few encounters while we were in Buffalo."

"So, not much then, huh?"

I shook my head.

"Okay." She paused to think. "Why don't you come with me and we can get started on a few things, okay?"

"Alright." I said squeezing Derek's hand and smiling at him before I got up.

Mandy led me outside to a huge open yard. There was a five foot iron fence surrounding the yard and to the back right corner was the guest house. Mandy was right, her sister's house is huge!

"Okay, so how graceful and poised are you?"

I looked down at my feet. "Um, not very."

She sighed and I could only guess what she was thinking.

She's got her work cut out for her.

"Okay, well we need to work on balance first. You can't kick bad guy ass if you can't even stay standing up on your own."

"Okay."

"Now this may sound a little weird but I'm going to help you on physical things and balance at the same time." Mandy jogged across the yard and stopped at the fence. "Okay Chloe. This might sound a little stupid but I want you to just walk a straight line out here to me." Mandy called.

I did as I was told and aside from the line being a little zig zagged, I didn't fall or anything.

"Okay." she started. "You can walk, maybe not in a straight line but…" she waved her hand, dismissing that for now. "Now I want you to walk back to the house trying, trying to go straight. Then jog back to me."

Once again I did as I was told. The line I walked was straight for the first ten steps but after that it was wavy again. But the jogging was the worst part. I slipped halfway back, I didn't fall but I stumbled forward.

"Just walk back." Mandy called.

I nodded and started walking.

She had me walk back and forth six more times before she told me to jog again.

"Why are we doing this?"

"What? Walking?"

"Yeah."

"Two reasons. Physical endurance, but since you haven't started jogging or running yet, we haven't gotten that far. But I'm also trying to get you to walk in a straight line. I have my methods and they are proven to work."

"By who?"

"Two of my cousins and my sister."

"Oh." Great so because it works for them it's going to work for me? Ha, not.

"How long did it take for them?"

I asked pulling my hair back into a ponytail.

"Well my sister took longer because I had to teach her how to walk in high heels."

I looked at Mandy, dressed in a black sweatshirt, ripped jeans and blood red converse with her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, she didn't look like the type to wear high heels.

"What?" she asked staring at me.

"You don't look like the type to wear heels."

She smiled. "I'm not, but walking in them comes naturally to me."

"Oh."

"Yeah, but hopefully by next week you'll be." she changes her voice to that of an announcer. "Walking with Balance."

"Hopefully? That reassuring."

"I would've said two weeks if I didn't think you could do it sooner."

"Oh. Thanks."

She nodded. "Now go jog. You have to get that down without falling."

"Why?"

"Because when you're running, do you want to fall and let the Edison Group capture you?"

"Nope. You're right." I said jogging off.

She had me jog back and forth five more times. I think she came to the conclusion I could do it without falling, or tripping or slipping or whatever.

"Alright, now just run to the house and back to me. Really run. Like your life depended on it. After that we can stop for the day."

"Thanks." I said relieved.

I ran to the house, without tripping or anything. But coming back I tripped over my feet and fell down face first.

"Ow." I moaned as Mandy came running over to me.

"You're definitely done for today. Why don't we go inside and get you something to drink and then you can go to bed, alright?"

"Sounds good. I'm really tired now."

"You're doing good though; we'll work on running later. Tomorrow we'll get to work on balance without all the physical exertion."

"Great." I said standing back on my feet.

Ten minutes later I was sitting on my bed with a 24oz bottle of grape G2 Gatorade.

"Are you tired?" Nick asked popping into my room.

I glanced up at him. "Do I look tired?"

He leaned down until he was in my face. "Hmmm…" he turned his head to the side examining me. "Yup. You do. Why don't you get some sleep?"

"Because I haven't eaten much today and I'm starving."

"Oh well then go get something to eat. That would be the obvious solution."

"No really? I thought I could sit here and have my dinner magically comet to me."

"Oh. Nice! Is my sarcasm rubbing off on you already? Because if that's the case, that's awesome."

I laughed. "Yeah, sure."

"Food?" Derek asked coming into the room carrying a plate filled with food for me.

"Looks like your food did magically come to you." Nick said.

I laughed. "Looks like."

Derek looked at me. "Nick again?"

I nodded. "Can I have my food now?"

"Yeah." he said handing me the plate.

"And it looks like I should be leaving" Nick said before rushing out the door.

"Where are you going?" I called after him.

"TV!" He called back.

I ate in silence with Derek sitting on my bed with me. But it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. I liked that with Derek. We didn't feel the need to fill up silence with pointless random chatter. We were just comfortable and content being around each other.

I didn't finish everything on my plate but Derek ate what was left. And after a short conversation about Mandy's culinary talents Derek left me so that I could get some sleep.

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I already have part of the next chapter done so expect it up tomorrow night. And I should have Liz part 2 up Friday evening (If I can get to the internet) So if it doesn't get updated you know why.

Mandy's methods may seem odd to some of you, but she's a lot like one of my friends. When she helps me practice for rabbit judging she comes up with the weirdest ways to remember things, but they help.

Thanks for reading. Review. Please and thank you to the few who do review.