A/N: Let's refrain from ball jokes, shall we?
Chapter 10: Post-Regurgitation & Dodgeball
Not only was Nate dating Amelia, but Lily, a trusted friend, was inviting the two-faced demon on double dates. Stephanie could not stand it. She threw open the bathroom door, this time hitting someone hard.
"Sorr-" Steph stopped.
"Will you watch where you're going?" Robin rubbed his nose.
The hall was bare aside from Steph and Robin. Everyone was in class already.
"Why'd you wait for me?" Wondered Steph.
Robin answered with a slight attitude, "Well, I was worried. You ran off when those two . . .people started kissing."
"That's none of your business. You could have gone to class. Nevermind waiting to pester me after being sick."
"You tossed your cookies?" Robin shot. "I can see why you got sick from that view! Nasty tongues everywhere, drooling, slobbering. Looked like a dog licking a fresh bowl of water."
Stephanie smirked. Not often did a new friend seem so open.
She said, "I guess I should apologize for hitting you with the door. However, there really was no reason to wait for me."
Shrugging, Robin held in his comments. He wanted to tell Stephanie to bugger off and stop being so down in the dumps. If Robbie was so revolted by kissing, why shouldn't Pinky be? It was a new common ground for them. Robbie held in his cheering and kept together his character. Maybe they would see eye to eye more than ever as equal-students, rather than true-form-enemies.
Pinky is more like me than I knew. I wonder if she likes cake too. Perhaps she likes wreaking havoc. We could have some fun in this boring institution. Just imagine if she becomes friends with me. No more Sportacus- Then again, I did promise him I'd somehow talk Stephanie into giving him a chance. I guess I'll just goof off for the time being until I make up my final decision.
"I don't really know where the gymnasium is, Stephanie. I had no choice but to wait for you." Robin's sudden answer halfway down the hall cut the air silent air between the two.
Silence continued to pull Stephanie's voicebox. Words were not easy to come by at this shy moment between strangers. Never before had Stephanie struggled making friends. Now, with so much stress, her confidence gradually declined. It wasn't just prom's humility that caused her to crumble, but the thought of losing her closest friend and only possible romance.
The gym held over thirty students for Stephanie's one class. She and Robbie walked towards the teacher.
"Stephanie and a new kid. Great." Began Mrs. Burrowes. She rolled her eyes. "I think this is the third time you've been late, Stephanie. One more and you recieve detention. Robin Rottling, is it? They give you Stephanie as a tour guide? Why are you late?"
"I visited the nurses office to see if my parents dropped off my medicine. Is that alright?" Robin smirked.
The bulky gym teacher spoke again, "Fine. Next time get a note. You and Stephanie are teaming up with the dodgeball players. Get changed as quick as possible. Today's game will not stop to accomodate your tardiness."
"Uh. . ." Robin sideglanced at the wall. "I don't have clothes to change in to today."
"There's extra shorts in the men's locker room, Mr. Rottling. Hurry up. Front desk right when you walk in."
Stephanie did not waste time rushing to change into her pink shorts and black tank top. Sher threw her hair into a sleek ponytail and jogged back into the gymnasium. Robin was already involved in the dodgeball game, but stood towards the wall where he was almost untouchable. He seemed too skinny for the big black shorts he was forced into.
Robin spotted Steph immediately and motioned her towards him. She ran through a croud, keeping an eye wholly on the game.
"Who's side is winning so far?" Wondered Steph.
In a moment, Robin said, "I'm not quite sure. Judging by the lack of people standing on this side, I'd say we were losers."
"If someone on this team catches a ball, they are allowed to have one of the team members who already got hit come back in the game. We can redeem ourselves." Stephanie grabbed a plastic ball from the floor.
With a hard whip, the ball flew across into the opposing team's space. It hit a girl in the leg. The balls used in the game were not hard, but Stephanie knew how to throw them just right to cause stinging wherever it hit. She could thank Sportacus for this move.
A ball not too far from Robin was soon grasped by another teammate. Robin slouched. He felt a poke on his shoulder. Turning around, Robin found himself staring at a red ball. Stephanie had retrieved one for him, and held another by her side. Time decelerated, leaving Robin stale air to breathe. His mouth no longer produced saliva as he stared at Stephanie. He knew she was a grown woman, but her tight tank top proved even more so.
By the powers of all that is evil . . . Pinky looks sweeter than cake.
Robin held in his manly reaction as best as possible. He grabbed the soft plastic and ran to the front of the team. He used every ounce of tension in his body to whip the red ball at the opposing team. The ball slammed into a running boy's stomach, who grunted in pain.
Stephanie was impressed.
"Great shot, Robin!" Steph high fived him as she ran by. A small smile grew on her face.
With another violent throw, Steph's ball zoomed through the air, but missed the girl's ear by an inch. And then she saw Nate, running around with three balls ready for launch. His misleading eyes glared at Robin. Stephanie remembered how Nate felt about new students: He loved giving them a hard time. What better way to chase a new student away than to attack them in sports?
I will win, and distract myself from looking at your volumptuous- A ball whizzed by Robbie's shoulder.
"Here we go," Steph said to Robin. "Nate wants to win. We'll see what happens here. Robin, stand back. If you see any free balls, grab 'em."
Robbie's face turned red. He snapped out of his daze and took four balls from the floor while Stephanie and two other remaining teammates ran frantically to dodge any attacks. Their team had the most ammo, while the rivals had more members.
"I need a ball!" Cried Stephanie.
A ball was chucked to Stephanie, who hurled it towards Nate. She missed.
"I could draw them closer," A boy with a red shirt suggested to Steph.
"Thanks Marty," She replied. "We'll go with our old formation from the start of school."
Marty shouted, "Team Pink, formation three and two-quarters!"
"Robin," A girl named Jessica began. "Give us each a ball, you have two. When we say 'go,' run through the center and do your thing."
"You sure he can do it?" Steph asked innocently. "He just transfered here."
Marty added, "And we don't know how good he is. But we need someone to do it, and we need Steph to help-"
A red sphere of plastic hit Marty in the thigh. He swore loudly and dropped his ball. He walked off to the sidelines and sat.
"Shit," Jessica yelled. "Let's just do it!"
Another couple of bombs shot from the enemy, but the two remaining girls dodged them. Robin was too far to be hit. He held two plastic balls and gave one to Steph and one to Jess. Stephanie and Jessica ran to the front and looked at each other. The other team had no weapons.
With five team members still available on Nate's team, Stephanie quickly pulled her thoughts together. She ignored making eye contact with Nate, and ignored the nausea in her stomach.
"Let's dance, Jessica."
Stephanie tossed her ball to the other side almost too gently. With Nate about to catch it, Jess tossed Steph the other ball and she whipped it at his head. This distracted him too much to catch the first one thrown. Meanwhile, a lanky boy picked up the missed ball and chucked it at Jessica. She flipped in the air and caught it just as it touched the floor. The lanky boy was out.
"You want to samba, Stephanie?" Jessica said while laughing.
Four players down.
Stephanie looked at Robin, who stood confused at the whole situation.
"Wait for it," Steph said to him, and turned quick enough to dodge another bomb.
Jessica began to dance a few samba steps, Stephanie joined in. They both had balls ready to be thrown.
The two girls simutaneously spinned, and switched balls by throwing them at one another. The other team was so distracted by the dance that they didn't see Robin grinning. He finally knew what to do.
With a running start, Robin ran through the two girls just as they span again. He hurled the first ball directly at Nate's head. The ball cut thorugh the air so fast, it was hard to see Nate's face get hit.
Nate covered his face. Stephanie stopped dead in her tracks and gazed at Robin with thankful eyes. Her nausea left.
Robin threw the second ball, which flew in the air just as fast as the last one. However, a blonde girl with hot pink shoes caught it with ease. The girl called Nate back in the game.
Stephanie and Jessica sneered with such disrespect for the other team, that it almost scared Robin. They threw their ammo violently. Jessica took out the girl with the blinding pink shoes, while Steph took out another boy that was picking up a red sphere. This was not going to end nicely.