Rrrrrrrnggggggggg! The alarm clocked blared and Gigi slammed her hand on it almost instantly.

"Five more minutes mom." Gigi mumbled before snoring.

We set our alarm thirty minutes before first period. We both had a long walk but I let her sleep.

Today was my first duel and I felt sick to my stomach! I have a little experience with bending but I have no idea who I will be up against!

I walked over to the bathroom and looked into my coconut brown eyes. I put my hair in a ponytail and started to wash my pale tanned skin. I looked stressed. My ponytail was messy but I didn't care. I was just ready to get this day over with! I threw on my stringed grey jacket,my black knee cut tights, and a pair of old black sneakers. I guess this was proper duel attire?

"Wake up sleepy head." I nudged Gigi who was snoring away in lala land.

"Today's my first duel!"

Gigi's head popped up from her pillow. Her short blonde bob sprawled in every direction.

"Ahhhh! I'm so excited for you! You're going to do amazing sweetie!" She slowly got out the bed.

"Thanks! I need all the positive affirmations I can get right now." I twirled the end of my ponytail with my fingers nervously.

"I'm always here for you! If you get someone more experienced they better not overdo it or I'll air whip their ass out of here for you! You've got this!" Gigi exclaimed

"I got this!" I nodded, smiling.

"Yes girl you got this! Now I gotta pee." She ran over to the bathroom.

"I'm going to start walking to my first class! I'll see you in third period!"

"Okay have a great day!" She called through the bathroom door.

"You too!"

She made me feel a little better, and a bit more confident! I started for my first class.

I walked into my Bending Basics 101 class and sat at an empty desk. Professor Millsberry greeted us as the tardy bell rang.

"Good morning students! I hope you all had a good nights sleep! I also hope you all read over your textbooks like I asked. As we went over yesterday, your stance is very important!"

Professor Millsberry stood straight and put his hands in front of him as if he was about to chop someone. He bent his knees slightly before continuing to speak.

"Ground yourself! This is your root! You never want to lose your root! As you're bending always remember to come back to it. Once your root is lost so are you! Now open your textbooks to page ten! Each element has an opposing element. Water which is fluid and adaptable opposing element is Fire! Fire is adaptable like water but unlike water which absorbs it's surroundings, fire burns it to its rawest form. Now that leaves us with Earth and Air. Earth is the ground we walk on, the very place we live. Earth is a very grounded element. It takes a bunch of patience, just like any other element to master, but I believe earth benders are some of the most grounded head strong people I know! Whilst air is all around us and high high above us! Air is an element that lets just say, can get caught in the wind! You will notice throughout you studies many similarities and many differences between each of the elements."

Some students scribbled notes onto their papers.

The only thing I could focus on was my upcoming duel!

"The reason I mention opposite elements is because bending against your opposite element comes with advantages and disadvantages! Water can put out fire right?" Professor Millsberry spoke, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah. Only if there's enough water." A pale orange haired kid called over from his desk.

"Exactly! If there's isn't enough water to overpower the flames everything will be set ablaze! This isn't Rock Paper Scissors people! Bending takes skill!" The Professor continued as he stormed onto the other side of the classroom.

I was confused. The rest of class, and my Water Bending 101 class after, blended together into one big blur.

I stared into nothingness as my mind raced a million miles per second. What the hell was about to happen to me?!

DING! DONG! DING! DONG!

The school bell blared signaling the beginning of third period. Dueling class...

My stomach dropped. I froze in my seat. My sweat dampened clothes clung to me as I stood up shakily and made my way to class. I thought about just skipping the entire period, but I wondered if I would get thrown in the dungeon of I got caught. I hate this place.

"Welcome to the first match of the year! It's going to be an explosive one!" President Ruth called from her judging table. Her curly grey hair was fluffed to perfection. She sported a large grin paired with a scowl as she glared over to us from the stands.

Two fire benders stood opposite one another on the dueling match floor. They held eye contact their faces serious, they stood straight, held their necks high, and their body's positioned to fight!

"We have Rio Miraj year three fire bender, and captain of the dueling team!" The President announced.

The crowd erupted into cheers.

"RIO! RIO! RIO! RIO!" Many of the students chanted.

Rio broke his focus and waved at the crowd on both sides of the stadium, sporting his bright smile.

" On the other side we have Tony Montana year four fire bender; ranked best bender of his class!"

A few students cheered.

"Now let's see who's been practicing over summer break!"

Rio glared at Tony from across the ring, he held his head high, fists clenched at his side. He looked so focused— and hot. Tony was bulky, he sported a buzz cut, and was at average height. He looked angry, and ready!

DING! DINGG! DINGGG! The battle bells screamed throughout the stadium.

Rio and Tony aimed their palms towards each, a small flame which quickly grew enormous erupted from their hands and towards each other!

BOOOOOOOMMMMM! The stadium shook! Our eyes lit up with bright orange light. The temperature in the room soared! I wasn't the only one sweating anymore.

A cloud of smoke cleared from the match floor. The equal force of each of their attacks exploded in the middle of the ring saving each of them from a bad blow!

Tony clenched his fists at his sides, fire blazed beneath each of his fist, propelling him up into the air! Rio shot rounds of fireballs at Tony as Tony fire-jet propelled himself around his side of the ring. Each fireball missed. Tony was too quick!

Mid-air Tony titled slightly backwards. Two small flames appeared at the bottom of Tony's feet before erupting into an enormous flame that scorched the platinum floor on Rio's side of the ring. Rio bended the scorching flames surrounding him into a dome-like shape above him; keeping the flames from touching his body. Tony was persistent! He kept the flames fueling while adding more power behind it!

I worried from the crowd. My body shook. I had never seen such intense bending in my life!

"RIO GET UP!" I screamed.

"AHHHH!" Rio screamed as he quickly bended an opening space out of the flames surrounding him. He jumped out falling onto the ring floor. Exhausted.

"GET UP!" Students screamed.

Tony lifted his self back up right as he slowly descended to the ground, the intensity of the flames beneath his feet dissipated.

Rio jumped up, quickly gaining back his root. His hands aimed toward Tony.

Tony threw his hands in a punching motion sending enormous fireballs towards Rio. He jumped and dodged them while simultaneously bending large fireballs at Tony; which Tony also dodged.

"Ooooo they're good!" President exclaimed from her stand. Her grin appeared bigger than before.

Rio ran closer to the midpoint line as he continued to throw and dodge fireballs. This was the hottest game of dodgeball ever. Fireballs bolted back and forth across the ring. It looked as if they were dancing as they dodged each attack. They both sported smiles as if they were enjoying their fight.

BOOOOM! A fireball struck Rio in the chest flipping him backwards and onto his stomach.

"Ahhhh!" He cried out. Clenching his fist above his head as he lie on the floor.

I jolted up from seat. I felt so terrified and helpless! It looked as if Rio was about to die.

"You got this Rio! Finish him!" I screamed from the stands.

Tony sent more fireballs towards Rio but Rio bended a shield of fire which took the majority of the blows. His shield shuttered and got smaller with each blow. Rio managed to get on his feet. He looked angry now.

Rio jumped and did a front flip with an enormous flame-tail trailing from his feet. Once his feet were pointed towards Tony he sent the trail of flames lashing his way. It struck him in the face! It was a quick and effective blow.

"Arghhh!" Tony screamed. His face was tomato red from his burn.

"You're gonna regret that." Tony called out before grinning evilly.

Tony put his middle and pointer finger together. A blue spark appeared, and grew larger by the second. With his other hand he did the same with his fingers and now he had blue sparks on each hand. He moved his fingers in a circular motion before joining them together, pointing them at Rio send a humongous bolt of blue lighting straight at him!

XTTTXTTXXTTTTXTT! The lighting sounded.

Rio gasped, his eyes wide as the lighting bolted his way.

Rio put one of his hands in front of him, his middle and pointer finger facing the lightning. His other hand was aimed at Tony.

The lighting hit him! Rio stumbled, but didn't fall. His body shook as it absorbed the lightning, before erupting out of his other hand back towards Tony!

BOOOOMMM!

Tony was knocked out of the ring. His clothes were singed from the lightning. Smoke arose from his clothes. He was unconscious slumped against the wall.

The crowd erupted into cheers, I think I was screaming the loudest.

"RIO! RIO! RIO!" The crowd screamed.

"Now that's how it's done! Not only did you show good offensive skills but also great defense! You need to master both to win a war." President Ruth called out.

Rio bowed.

Two students helped Tony up off of the floor.

"Tony you need to do better! If you're ranked best of your class then all the fourth years need to be failed!" The President scoffed.

"Anyways, next up we have first year water bender, Stella Vix, and first year earth bender, Karmen Jackson. Impress me fresh meat!"

My mouth dropped from the stands. The moment I was dreading was finally here, and I had to go against one of my new friends. My body shook nervously as I made my way down the stadium stairs towards the dueling floor. I could hear snickers from the students around me. I knew they could tell I was afraid.

Karmen made it to her position before me. She stood readily.

"Hurry up! We don't have all year!" President Ruth screamed at me from her stand.

I made an effort to walk quicker. I could feel my knees wobble with each step.

I climbed up the few steps to the dueling floor and stood opposite Karmen. She frowned and shook her head at me. I gave her the puppy dog eyes.

"I'm sorry." She mouthed with a frown.

I nodded nervously afraid for my life.

Ding!Ding!Dinggg! The dueling bells rang.

"You got this babe!" Rio called from the sidelines, his voice soothed me in the most fearful moment of my life.

Karmen lifted a medium sized Boulder off of the dueling floor and flung it towards me. The large rock struck me in the chest send me flying against the wall.

"Oooof!" I grunted as I sat slumped over.

My entire body lit up with pain. It felt like I'd been hit by a bus! I started to cry.

"That was pathetic! You won't survive until the end of the semester if you don't get your act together young lady!" The President screamed at me.

Karmen ran over to me and rubbed my shoulder before helping me get onto my feet. It felt as if I were about to fall again.

"I'm so sorry!" Karmen cried out; a look of despair was across her face.

"It's okay... it could've been waaay worse. I'm happy it was just one rock!" I joked.

Rio ran towards me.

"Hey! Are you okay?!" Rio asked.

He put his hands on my arms and stared me in my pain filled eyes. I cried even harder. He hugged me gently.

"The President was right that was pathetic! You're lucky you got paired up with your little friend. If it was me you would've been dead! Rio knows you're weak! That's why he's with you. He couldn't handle being with a strong girl like me!" Kimberly screamed as her and her girl squad marched over to us.

"Hey leave her alone! You might be a strong bender, but your character is very weak!"Rio blared at Kimberly.

"Ha! There's nothing weak about me and you know that Rio! Not even my kisses. You miss them don't you?" Kimberly mocked as she trailed her finger across Rio's chest. He grabbed her hand and threw it away from him.

"I don't miss anything about you!" Rio screamed, large veins protruded from his neck.

"I don't believe that Rio. Do you believe that Stella?" Kimberly looked over to me.

My body shivered with physical pain, and now emotional pain too. I didn't know what to say...She was beautiful, confident, and clever, and Rio's only been knowing me for a short while. How was I supposed to know what to believe?

"That's what I thought! Since I'm the only one who knows how to speak the truth around here: you suck, you're weak, and you're going to get everything that's coming for you Stella Vix! Mark my words! Rest up Stell-Bell. Ttyl Rio honey pie." Kimberly waved flirtatiously and winked before she and her gang marched off. Members of her girl group snickered.

I collapsed back on to the floor in tears. I felt devastated.