"C'mon guys, we came to play a game," the tall Ridgerunner, Daniel, taunted as he easily dribbled the basketball through the Cliffhangers. The ball went soaring into the net with a quick lay-up.
"Yeah, what do you call this?" one of his teammates questioned the opposing team.
"Ah, we gotta be easy on y'all sometimes," Auggie replied, though he knew it was complete trash that he spoke. Shelby, Katharine, Ezra and him were losing the basketball game to the Ridgerunners with an embarrassing score.
"This- is being easy?" Daniel taunted. "More like pathetic. Where's the blond bitch when you need her, huh?"
Auggie's head snapped up. "What are you talking about, man?"
Shelby approached the tall Ridgerunner, pissed with what she believed to be her new title. "That's my new title, huh? Blond bitch. I don't even know you! You better not be talking about me or I swear- "
"Not you, Blondie," Daniel replied, amused and irritated both, "the one who tried to tackle me on the soccer field a few days ago. Taller than you, hard arm.."
"Oh.. Erika," Auggie said in realization.
"Is that her name?" Daniel began. "Well, where the hell is she? I haven't seen her around."
"Why do ya need to know, man?" Auggie questioned.
A serious, determined expression came over Daniel's countenance. "I owe her a bloody nose," he replied.
"Uh huh?" Auggie replied, not liking the turn the game had taken.
"Well, good luck," Ezra said, chuckling as he remembered the sight of Erika tackling Daniel to the ground.
"You don't think I can take on a girl?"
"That's so immature, and not to mention stupid," Kat burst in. "It was her first day here. She was angry, just get over it."
"Yeah, seriously," Shelby put in, relieved it wasn't her.
"Man, just leave it," Auggie said. "It don't matter."
"She got in a punch that hit my nose, and it starts bleeding, and I'm whisked off to the infirmary. I have her to thank for that. She's not gonna get away with it," Daniel warned.
"And we lose to you guys because of it," one if Daniel's friends on the court put in. "What a joke. And why? Because some bitch decided to take on our team's star player."
"That's me, by the way," Daniel informed Auggie smugly.
"Listen, man- " Auggie began.
"He's just worked up because he was sent to the infirmary by a girl. Actually, I wouldn't have minded," Ezra said, smirking.
Auggie turned to Daniel seriously. "Don't you touch her, man," he warned. "She was just playin'."
"Stay out of my way," Daniel said to Auggie. "I wasn't sent to the infirmary by a girl! I'm not gonna take that."
"Embarrassed huh? Don't think for a minute that you're better than us," Kat said, putting an companionable arm around Shelby's shoulders.
"She ain't no ordinary girl, man," Auggie said, feeling somewhat exasperated. "Look, can we just get back to the game?"
"Yeah, we have a comeback to make," Shelby commented.
"More like a miracle," Ezra said to her unseriously.
Daniel didn't budge. "Where is she?"
"Doin' Buddy hike back. Listen, man-" Auggie began.
"I'll get her later," Daniel shrugged it off.
"Hey dude, you done yet?"
"Yeah, we're killing them so bad!"
Daniel turned to the Cliffhangers. "Guess without Scott scoring, and the blond bitch taking out players, you all are just a bunch of jokes."
"You're asking for it, man," Auggie warned.
"Lay off me, man. This doesn't even involve you."
"If you do go after Erika like you say you will," Kat said, "you're even less of a man than you think you are."
Daniel turned to her. "Yeah, and how is that?"
"Pride isn't strength."
"You wanna find out? That's what I thought."
"Man, I have had it with you," Auggie said, and tackled him down.
"Guys, stop it!" Kat yelled, attempting to drag Auggie out of the fight. Daniel was quite a bit bigger and better built than her friend. "Auggie, he's not worth it, come on."
Auggie jumped up and confronted Kat. "He wants to mess with one of us, Kat. Listen, I don't care if she's a newbie, or if that title he gave her fits her perfectly. She's still one of us, she's family."
"He's right," Ezra put in.
"Just don't get yourself on shuns because Erika can take care of herself. Too well, in fact," Kat stated.
"She can't take care of herself when she ain't here," Auggie argued.
"Yeah, okay," Shelby agreed. "But c'mon guys, we have a game to play, and some asses to beat."
"Maybe we should just wait until Scott and Erika come back and we'll challenge them to a tournament. We're not as strong a team without them," Ezra said.
"We ain't givin' up, ya hear me?" Auggie stated, shifting his eye contact from each Cliffhanger. His own eyes were filled with determination. "Now come on."
Erika and Scott trudged along their hike awkwardly, not having anything to say to one another. They sat down on a nearby log, still tied to one another.
"I'm hungry," Erika said finally.
"I know at least one thing in here that's edible," Scott replied nonchalantly.
"Yeah, what's that?" Erika questioned.
"There's this plant that Sophie showed me and David last time we were out here."
"David? Who's that?"
"Oh, just this guy that lived to tick people off," Scott replied, a grin coming over his face at the memory of this boy.
"So what is this plant?" Erika said, not faking any kind of enthusiasm.
Scott reached over to one of the cedar trees, still seated. He grasped the leaf. "Here," he said, handing the piece to Erika.
Erika rolled the piece of plant over in her hand. She put it to her nose and inhaled its scent. Her nose wrinkled at the strong cedar smell. "Ergh, I'm not eating this crap! I'd rather starve."
Scott turned to her. "We gotta get through the day, you know. There's no Subway's around the corner."
"I'll eat whatever the hell this is later. Right now, I prefer starving," Erika replied stiffly, determined that she would not eat the edible, although tasteless plant.
Scott shrugged. "Suit yourself," he replied.
Erika straightened her posture. "I will," she stated.
"You do that," Scott said nonchalantly. He reached over to the cedar trees and ate a few pieces of the plant.
Erika grew impatient, and stood. "K, let's get out of here," she said.
"I'm not done yet," Scott replied, having no intention of budging.
"Well, that's just too bad," Erika said, attempting to yank Scott back onto their course.
Scott stood, becoming irritated with her antics. "You gonna make this difficult?" he asked outright.
Erika stood a few moments longer, but seated herself back down as Scott feasted on the cedar. "Fine, whatever," she replied. "Eat all that shit you want."
"I will." He held out his palm, that contained the plant. "C'mon, try it," he persisted.
"How about no."
"C'mon, I thought you weren't afraid of anything, thought you couldn't feel," Scott said.
Erika dismissed his words. "Well you thought wrong."
Scott paused, realizing what she had just stated. "Decided you were human, huh?"
"Yeah, I did," she replied seriously.
"Yeah? How'd you do that?" he continued munching on the cedar.
"I started thinking the first few yards that I ran. Figured it out," she stated simply, not offering any semblance of details.
Scott kept his palm open to her. "C'mon, Erika, it's a plant."
"Scott, just shove it down your throat and be done already. I'm not eating it, and that's all there is to it."
"You're missing out.." Scott said, grinning.
Erika met his gaze. "Scott, shut up."
"What? You gonna make me?"
"You know, I really don't feel like I need more shuns, so bag it."
"Peter must have a field day with punishments when it comes to you," Scott commented.
"Like you can't believe. The guy lives for that stuff."
"Yeah, I know. You should hear the kind of stuff I got into my first day here," he said, chuckling at the memory.
Erika put her hands on her lap. "Let's hear it."
"Ran, broke into some house, trashed the place, broke a few lamps, banged up a computer.. You get the picture. I was Frank's personal messenger boy for what seemed like forever. I was constantly surveyed, had a minute to shovel the crap in the cafeteria in my mouth, was on restriction.. Yeah, I know too well. You know, when you just go by Peter's rules, crazy as they are, you make things easier on yourself."
Erika reflected before she responded. "Yeah, maybe."
Scott rose, brushing away the remainder of the tasteless plant. He awaited for Erika to stand also, to signify that she, also was ready to depart again. "You coming?" he asked after a few moments.
"You didn't think you could get rid of me did you?"
"C'mon, let's get out of here."