Mrotrax: I knew at least one reader would know personally/be related to someone that's albino, if not be albino themselves. To be honest, I'm actually surprised that this story hasn't offended anyone (yet).

To be frank with everyone else, I've read ThePizzaMan93's In My Hour of Need, but I didn't know that "Connor" was his official fandom name (I didn't even know he HAD an official name).

Chapter 8

After teaching the day's Math lesson, Ms. Johnson used the extra fifteen minutes of class time to allow her students to work on the assignment. Ten minutes later, a lone hand was raised.

"Yes, Lincoln? Is there a problem?" the teacher asked.

"No ma'am. I just want to know where to turn in my paper," Lincoln replied. Multiple students gasped.

"Impossible! Nobody finishes an assignment that fast!" one girl whispered to another.

"Why, certainly! If you're done with your paper, just put it in this basket right here," Ms. Johnson replied, tapping the wire container on her desk. Lincoln placed his paper in the basket, returned to his seat, and waited for the bell to ring. the next class was P.E., and Lincoln was excited to see Coach Pacowski again.

"Fall in!" the man himself yelled after blowing his whistle. "Today we'll take a trip on the obstacle course, followed by a round of dodgeball! But first, Lincoln, come over here, son," he said in a softer tone. Lincoln ran over and stood next to the coach. "As most of you know, I served in the Navy before becoming a coach," Coach Pacowski said, placing his hand on Lincoln's shoulder. "This boy's grandfather was not only my friend, but also my commanding officer. I've been Lincoln's parkour trainer for the last year and a half, and he's mastered this course and its five variations," he boasted proudly. "I expect no less from you maggots by the time the school year is done. Now go get changed!" He handed Lincoln a slip of paper and said, "Here's your locker number. Your gym clothes are inside." Lincoln went to the boys' locker room, found his locker (by strange coincidence, right next to Clyde's), and dialed the combination that was also written on the paper. Inside was a short-sleeved red-and-yellow shirt with matching shorts, and athletic shoes with foam soles, all of which were exactly his size. He suspected that either Mr. Pacowski or one of his older sisters had purchased them; his parents had a tight budget and couldn't afford things like that on such short notice.

"Have you ever played dodgeball, Lincoln?" Clyde asked while donning an identical uniform.

"No, but my sister Lynn explained all the rules," Lincoln replied as he stripped off his shirt. Clyde's eyes widened when he saw Lincoln's well-developed muscles.

"Holy smokes, Lincoln! You're ripped!" The boys nearby also noticed and gave similar compliments. "Back to the subject at hand, watch out for Girl Jordan; she's been the brutally undisputed dodgeball champion for the last two years."

"Why do you call her 'Girl Jordan?'"

"Because my name is also Jordan," said a boy three lockers away. "It helps prevent confusion." The boys finished changing and walked back onto the court, where the coach had set up his borderline illegal obstacle course. The identically dressed girls followed suit, and Lincoln found himself unable to take his eyes off of one of them.

"Hey, Clyde, who's that?" he asked, gesturing to the girl that had asked him about his knowledge of foreign languages.

"Oh, that's my cousin. Her name is Haiku, and you just might have a chance with her," Clyde said with a wink. Lincoln could only keep staring. All the girls in his class were pretty, sure. But Haiku? She was gorgeous! He estimated that the top of her head would only come to his chin. She seemed small and delicate like a porcelain doll, but she had a lithe figure that could only be described as feline. Lincoln's thoughts were interrupted by the coach's whistle.

"Alright, maggots, line up for the course! Lincoln, show 'em how it's done."

"With pleasure, sir!" Lincoln said with a salute. He took a running start and leaped to grab the monkey bars, making his way across the pool of plastic alligators. He dodged the suction cup arrows, somersaulted over the filed-down barbed wire, and slithered through the laser field that would've activated boxing glove pendulums. All of the students were slack-jawed to see him reach the other side unscathed.

"Showoff!" Lester shouted, and Coach Pacowski blew his whistle.

"That's insubordination, Lester! Drop and give me fifty for speaking out of line!"

"But-"

"I said down and fifty!" Lester sighed and started doing push-ups. The other students went through the obstacle course one by one, and only Ronnie Anne and Haiku successfully reached the other end.

"You make it look so easy," Ronnie Anne panted, wagging her finger at Lincoln. She got a closer look at him and wrinkled her nose. "Yeesh, you're right. Light colors clash with your skin tone, or lack thereof." The coach blew his whistle.

"Time for dodgeball! Boys on one team, girls on the other!" he yelled as the obstacle course receded into the floor. The boys groaned, for they would once again be at the mercy of Girl Jordan (evidently the girl with the braid). The game began, and Lincoln quickly figured out that all of the boys were either cowards, terrible players, or some combination of both. The girls picked them off one by one, leaving Lincoln the last man standing with few casualties of their own. Lincoln gulped as Girl Jordan casually tossed a bally between her hands with a sly smile. Ronnie Anne just stared at him with an apologetic look. All of Lincoln's parkour training was put to the test as he ducked and wove through the balls that soared at him from every angle. All of a sudden, the balls just stopped. Glancing around, Lincoln saw why: every single one was on his side of the court! Picking up a ball near his foot, he made a quick calculation and hurled it as hard as he could. It ricocheted off of multiple surfaces, tagging out five girls at once. He didn't stop there, but continued until it was down to just him and Girl Jordan, each holding a ball in one hand. Not wasting any time, Jordan threw hers hard at his face. Time seemed to slow down as Lincoln's free hand reached up and caught it. For the first time in two years, Jordan lost! She was a surprisingly good sport about it, though.

"It's just my luck that the new guy is my one worthy opponent. Put 'er there, pal!" she said with a smile an extended her hand. She and Lincoln shook before Lincol was hoisted onto the shoulders of the cheering boys. He grinned like a fool until his head accidentally hit the top of the door frame.