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"…128…129…130"
"130!"
"…131…132…"
"140! Alright! Get up!"
Squad 1 got up, panting from the non-stop 140 push-ups. Cecilia was smearing sweat all over her track pants.
Their coach, Mr. Monte, looked at each of them fiercely. "You guys tired?"
"No sir!" Five of them chorused.
"Good, cuz this is only the first week. It's gonna get harder, trust me. Now…"
Mr. Monte led the group to a single obstacle. It started with a two meter iron ladder, then a horizontal rope ladder, and ended with iron bars going down.
Mr. Monte touched the rope ladder. "Tell me, this rope ladder isn't steady is it? Why?"
"Because the ends could twist with out balance, and the ladder would flip." said Jord.
"Good. Your goal is to get across this and climb down the other way, and make sure your teammates do to. Got it?"
"Yes" squad 1 chorused. Subaru went first. His back hunched, he rushed forward, only to result in landing in mud.
Yzak went next. He was moving slowly and concentrating on balance when he heard Athrun call out to Jord about something. Yzak instantly knew that Athrun was trying to distract him, and the thought of it boiled his blood. Because of the agitation Yzak fell feet first in the mud, then making a face. He glared at Athrun.
Cecilia tried, but in the middle she lost her balance but regained it, and lost it again. She had enough sense to hold on, but not for long. Cecilia was very hygienic, so she didn't want to clean mud later. Instead, she swung and landed on dry ground.
"STOP!"
Squad 1 looked toward Mr. Monte.
"What do you imbecile adolescents think you're doing?"
They sat there speechless, confused.
"This whole exercise is to test your team work! You can only get across this with teamwork! I'll give you one more chance!"
Jord spoke up. "If he means team work, then we have to work together as a team."
Yzak scowled. "You didn't have to state the obvious"
"What do you know, Jule" Athrun shoved Yzak.
"Don't touched me, you son of a bitc—"
"Hey, hey, hey, cut it out!" Subaru broke up the fight.
Every body turned to look at Mr. Monte's stony face. They turned around, and quietly began talking.
"Ok, the lightest here is Cecilia, so she can go first while the rest of us holds the rope to sturdy her. Once she gets to the other side, she can hold the rope while another one of us goes across. Ok?"
"Sure, Zala, but don't act like a know-it-all, ok?"
As Cecilia climbed up the iron bars, Athrun came up from behind her. She grabbed on to the ropes and Athrun held them in place. This was much easier.
Cecilia made it to the other side, then motioned that she was ready. Everybody ushered Yzak. As he made his way across, Cecilia's hand reached out. He took it, and placed his feet on the first bar. Cecilia lowered herself to the ground.
After everyone made it, Mr. Monte confronted them again.
"That was good, but you need more teamwork. Tonight at eight p.m I will stop by your common room and help you teenagers socialize."
All the students attending Lagers Field ate their meals in a cafeteria, which was more like a banquet hall. It was a lavishly decorated room that was huge. The food was restaurant quality, and even the dishes were chrome. Instead of lining up to get food, students sit at round tables, while waiters or waitresses come and serve their food.
Dinner starts at 6: 30, and ends at 8:00 pm.
It was 6:00 when Mr. Monte dismissed them. They had just been doing another set of push-ups where you carry legs on your shoulders of the person in front of you, and the person in front of you carry the shoulders of the person in front of that person.
As the squad trudged through the grass, Cecilia felt her knees shaking. Yzak, watching her, couldn't help but admire. This was the toughest girl he had ever seen. She was still holding up by the end of the day. Their coach can be harsh to boys, but she was a girl! Though out the whole day there are only a few minutes' rests between different activities.
They made their way into the building, and went up the elevators to their floor. Yzak had managed to get the washroom first, so the rest of the group went back to their rooms, waiting for their shower.
Cecilia came out just as she heard the water tap turn off. She waited, leaning against the wall beside the bathroom, holding her robe and her shampoo.
Yzak came out, only with a towel around his waist. She briefly stared at his abs, then looked up to his metallic eyes.
She blushed so light that was only visible with a microscope and entered the bathroom.
Yzak entered the banquet room, unsure of where to sit. He looked around until he saw his squad waving for him, all except Athrun.
He went and sat down in the only seat, a chair beside Zala's.
"You guys didn't take a shower?"
Athrun lifted his head. "I did. These retards here didn't."
Subaru grinned. "Figured I'd take one after supper!"
Athrun glared at him. "Coach has a little party for us after, remember?" What sarcasm.
"One whiff of your shit Monte's gonna give us disciplinary classes on how to bathe."
Subaru rolled his eyes. "Yeah, thanks a lot Yzak. That was very nice." More sarcasm.
The males in squad 1 sat together, since they didn't meet any other friends. Just as Cecilia entered, she saw Shiho coming towards her.
"Hey!"
"Hi Shiho"
"Well, let's sit here!" Shiho led Cecilia to one of the empty tables in the middle, and sat down.
"So? How is your coach? I heard Mr. Monte is one of the toughest."
Cecilia smiled. "Yeah, he is"
Two waiters placed their meals in front of them. Cecilia took the chrome lid off of hers, then made a face.
"Eww"
"What, you don't like broccoli?"
"Duh. It like, takes up the whole plate."
"Well, Lagers Field doesn't serve junk, so deal with it."
Cecilia sighed and picked at her food. She noticed Shiho staring at some guy. Cecilia nudged her elbow.
"Who is he?"
"Allan Fuma…"
"You like him?"
"…Since grade school…"
"…"
"Oh my gosh! He's looking at me! And he's walking this way with his friends! Ok, do I have anything in my teeth?"
Before Cecilia had the chance to reply, Shiho quickly turned around to see Allen. Cecilia stared, then sighed in irritation as she recognized Andy Deanne. He was pretty good looking though, black spiky hair, brown eyes.
Andy sat in the empty chair beside Cecilia, and charmingly smiled. "How's my babe doing?"
Shiho looked at Cecilia with surprised eyes. Cecilia just rolled her eyes.
"Cecilia Evange?"
She faced Andy again. "That my name"
"Your dad's a politician"
"Yeah"
He nodded. "So is mine. Old guys. All of them, all bastards."
At this Cecilia laughed. So true. "Heh. Like father, like son."
Andy sighed and leaned back on his chair, tucking both arms behind his head. "Your fucking playing hard-to-get."
Cecilia was getting amused. She placed her fork down, and folded her arms in front of her. "Yeah, that's my problem."
"Bitch. Can I at least have your number?"
Cecilia smirked. She took a napkin and motioned for a pen. Andy looked to the friend beside him and motioned for a pen.
Cecilia wrote her cell number. "Don't call me"
Andy rolled his eyes, and put the napkin in his pocket. He turned to his friend, Kevlar.
Kevler was shaking his head. "You a lucky man, Deanne"
Andy just looked smug.
Yzak had been watching three tables away, almost a little jealous. How come she gave Andy her number when he was in her squad? Just because Andy asked?
"Jealous, Jule?"
Every time Yzak heard the voice of that guy he swears he felt like exploding. "What makes you think that?"
"Uh, you're looking at Cecilia with another guy?"
"You are too"
"Am not"
"You are"
"Am not"
"You are"
Cecilia jumped on the her bed and rubbed her eyes. A ring came from her cell phone.
"What"
"Hey shorty, it's me, your man Andy"
"You're not my man, and I told you not to call. I got my coach coming any minute."
"Yeah, well whatever. Um…"
Knock, Knock
Cecilia closed her flip phone and went out the door to see Mr. Monte coming in with Athrun holding the door.
Cecilia propped herself on the sofa, as Athrun sat down at another sofa. Mr. Monte sat on a chair in between.
"Athrun"
"Yes?"
"Go call the others"
As Athrun left, Mr. Monte sat with his elbows on his knees.
"So, Cecilia"
"Yes?"
"How does it feel in a squad full of boys?"
"…Um…not that bad, you know, doesn't really make a difference, since we're training everyday…"
Mr. Monte nodded. "I'm sorry for your mother"
"…You know about my mother?"
"Your uncle told me"
"…oh…"
Yzak, Subaru, and Jord came in, taking the couch Athrun was on, until Jord had no choice but to sit with Cecilia. "So? You guys not comfortable with eachother?"
"Well, I hope I can fix that. Our first activity tonight will be question circle. There will be a question and we will all answer it. Ok, the question is, What is the reason you wanted to come to Lagers Field? Subaru, you first."
"Well, I just want to prove to my parents that I could make it in the Lagers Field."
Jord was next. "My parents think that I need more physical training. That is my reason."
Mr. Monte nodded. "You, Yzak?"
"I want to fight for the war"
"Me too"
"And you, Cecilia?" "I also want to fight for our nation."
"But you're a girl"
Cecilia turned suddenly cold eyes on Yzak. "Does that make me any different? Mr Jule?"
"Ok, next question. Introduce yourself and talk about your friends and family. Athrun, why don't you go first."
"My dad is Patrick Zala, Jule here is my friend, and my mother died when I was small."
"My mother is Ezaria Jule and my father died."
"Hehe...eh...both my parents are alive...and I have a few close friends back in highschool..."
"My parents are both healthy and alive, and they are farmers. At school i get bullied because people call me a nerd but I have a friend and he's a Micheal Jackson wannabe and when I was small I love transfomers and you know the feeling you get when you drink orange juice then brush you teeth it's BAD and I like the month march." said Jord.
"Ok, um, my mother died, and my father is David Evange. I also have an Uncle."
Athrun made the mistake of questioning. "I thought David Evange still had a wife"
Cecilia stared at him coldly. "That wife is not my mother"
"Oh...sorry"
Cecilia shifted herself arrogantly in her seat. Mr. Monte cleared his throat and looked at his watch. "Time to go. Maybe we'll have weekly sessions. You punks take too much for granted. I'll have to speak to the principal on why you have 'couches' in your commmon room. Tomorrow I want to see teamwork."
Squad 1 nodded and Mr. Monte stood up and exited the room. Right after he left, Cecilia instantly got up and entered her room, closing the door loudly. Yzak smirked at Athrun. "Sucker"
The next night, Mr. Monte came in with a box. All the squad members were already seated. Mr Monte sat in his reserved chair and placed the box in the center of the coffee table. Everyone looked. It was a game called Sorry. You could tell it wasn't new, because the cards weren't packaged and the box was limpy.
"I've used games to teach my students for four years" Commented Mr. Monte.
Over the next few months Mr. Monte brought a different game every week. Once he ran out of board games, he brought cards. Squad 1 was getting to know each other quite well.
Soon, it was nearing to the winter holidays. Everybody was gleeful and happy, because they could finally go home and meet their family, and not spend more days running laps. But not for Cecilia. She didn't want to return, but she had nowhere else to go. Her uncle offered her to stay in his home, but she didn't feel like spending the whole week of no school drinking hot chocolate with her uncle.
It was the last week before the week break, and there was a buzzing throughout the whole school about a celebration of some kind.
Cecilia did not like celebrations.
Omg, this chapter took so long to update, since it was so boring to write. Sorry about that. :