"Gale can I talk with you before you go to your next class?" The Fairy Godmother asks in a tone that almost sounds too sweet.
"Don't have a choice do I?" Gale says in the most indifferent tone that she can produce. Am I getting sent back? What will father say?
"We all have a choice darling."
"Just say what you need to say."
"Do you know how to read?" The older woman asks gently. Her father IS Gaston after all.
"Of course I do. Why wouldn't I know how?" They don't want an imbecile at their fancy boarding school.
"I've just noticed that you haven't been taking notes and when we were reading the chapter I called on you to read it looked like you were listening to what Carlos was saying." Fairy Godmother pauses for a moment trying to figure out the best way to get Gale to open up, "How about this if you prove me wrong I will give you an A in class, does that sound good to you?"
"Of course I can prove it to you. Here give me that book." Gale says in a defiant tone grabbing a blue book with golden lettering. "F...Fa...Fairy tales: M…M… Whatever this is stupid." I'm getting kicked out… crapcrapcrapcrapCRAP
"It's okay not to know. I'll keep you in your normal classes but I will be giving you some extra homework. This way you can learn how to read and write without having to make it more obvious than I think you would be okay with."
"I… Ya whatever. I'll do the extra work." Gale's tone remains passive but the Fairy Godmother notices the relief in her eyes.
~After Classes~
Gale frustratedly walks behind Ben as he guides her to the tourney field. Pan's boy kept saying how badass he was. All I did was take him up on his boasting. How was I supposed to know that Paul would drop like a sack of potatoes if a fly landed on him. That punch wasn't even half as hard as any of the punches I've sent Jays way. Maybe I can get him to spar me again.
"This is Coach Jenkins. He will help you channel that anger in a more... constructive way." Ben says calmly smiling at the coach almost sympathetically, "She's all yours Coach. I should check on Paul before I get to practice. Okay?"
"Got it." He looks over to see Carlos in the 'kill zone' and yells at him before looking to Gale. "We have never had a female on the team," the coach pauses seeing the death glare the young woman is now giving him, "So I guess we should see what you can do before we rule out having you join us." Gale now wears a bored expression as the coach leads her to the edge of the 'kill zone' which to her only looks like a large chunk of field covered in stripes.
"This is the kill zone. Get to the other side without getting hit and you're in."
"And I would want 'in' because…?"
"Look I'm not going to judge you based on your parents misdoings, but you can't go around fighting other kids. If we don't find a way to get you to let all your aggression out without hurting the other kids then you might get expelled. I want to make sure that I won't have to bench you during the games. You can give this a try or you could always take extra goodness classes."
"Fine." I hate this place.
"That's the spirit. Fire it up!" he says to the guy who is closest to a contraption that looks similar to a giant crossbow. "On your marks. Get set. Go!"
Gale takes off across the stretch and listens for the contraption to fire. When it does she dives down and narrowly dodges the disk like projectile rolling before getting up and taking off again. She dodges three more disks before getting annoyed so this time when she hears it fire she cartwheels and kicks the projectile causing its course to change and land at the coach's feet as she takes the last step out of the kill zone. Coach Jenkins looks surprised for a moment before nodding with a smile.
Gale joins the rest of practice after changing into a uniform trying to ignore the irritation written on Jay's face.
~later with the guys~
"You're rather fixated on her." Carlos says laying on his bed.
"What are you talking about?" Jay responds in a mildly frustrated tone. How did I know he was going to bring her up?
"You keep giving Gale this look as if you want to see her dead but at the same time you don't." Carlos moves to look Jay in the eye.
"I couldn't care less about her."
"Then why are you continually watching her? Hell during practice you switched between making sure no one else hurt her and going head to head with her. Are you still worried about her?"
"There is just something strange going on with her. I want to figure it out." Something doesn't add up...
"Have you asked her?"
"No."
"Why don't you?"
"Why would she tell me anything I want to know?"
"I don't know. Frankly neither do you. Neither of us know whether or not she will tell you anything. You won't get an answer if you don't ask the question."
"You think I should go now?"
"If you procrastinate you won't do it."
"Fine I'll do it. Do you think she will be in the girls dorm?"
"If I had to guess? Nope. She's probably jogging, or working out in the gym or something. She IS Gastons kid after all."
"Good point." With that Jay turns and leaves the room. He quietly makes his way down the halls passing room after room. He is mildly surprised when he sees a light in one of the classrooms. His curiosity takes over and he decides to see what's going on. Upon nearing the room he hears Gale mumbling. He opens the door to see Gale sitting in the room alone with a book, a notebook and a pencil on the desk and a tattered backpack near her feet.
"The great Gale studying? The others will never believe this." Jay said jovially while closing the door behind him as to not attract outside attention.
"What are you doing here?" Gale asks her tone a mix of frustrated and defeated.
"I could ask you the same." Jay walks over to her desk intent on seeing what she's doing, but she leans forward using her arms to obscure the books.
"You said it yourself. I'm here to study. Why are you here?" That was too close. If he found out it would only be a matter of time before everyone else found out.
"Looking for you." I think this is the first time I have ever sought her out. Well there is a first time for everything I guess.
"Well you found me. Why are you still here?" She begins to spin her pencil between her fingers.
"I'll tell you if you tell me what you're studying." Jay sits at the desk next to hers.
"No. Tell me why you're here. You disturbed me. You sought me out. You wanted to find me. Tell me why." Why can't he just leave me alone? I haven't bothered him or his friends.
"I wanted to ask you about some things."
"Lucky me." She fixes her ponytail and sighs"You can ask all the questions you'd like. Whether or not I answer is a whole different story though."
"What's in the bag?"
"A bad habit."
"What kind of answer is that?"
"One that's honest but vague enough to keep you from stabbing me in the back."
"Well that's rude. You don't trust me?" If she doesn't trust me I'll never get the info I want.
"I do and I don't. I trust you to protect your friends, and I trust you to do anything for them. That's why I don't trust you with anything that isn't them." Friends give way to weakness… but… Are they stronger together or apart?
"There was once a time where you could have been our friend too you know."
"So naive. I never could have been your friend."
"Why? Do you think you're better than us or something?"
"No. We may come from the same isle but we lived worlds apart."
"Is your dad that bad?"
"I don't want to talk about him."I need to get him off this subject. It's better to show a weak spot I can guard than one like that. "You really want to know what's in the bag?"
"Well ya but I get the feeling there's a catch to this."
"Smart guy. The catch is if you tell anyone I get to send you home in a hearse."
"Not even Carlos?" Why is she so worried about the others knowing?
"Maybe Carlos, but not my beloved roommates. Deal?" I'm going to regret this.
"Deal." She pulls a bottle half full of amber liquid out of her bag. "What is that?"
"What do you think it is?"
"Whiskey?"
"Righto."
"Where did you get it?" Why does she have whiskey? Even I would have trouble getting a hold of booze.
"My dad. So naturally this is my only bottle."
"Never took you for a thief." What else has she nicked?
"Never wanted to be. Fate has a funny way of taking those kinds of hopes away from you."
"If you never wanted to steal why did you?"
"Needs supersede wants." Gale leans over to put the bottle back in her bag. Seizing the opportunity he takes a look at the books in front of her and realizes she is going through a writing handbook and sloppily copying words into the notebook.
"Wait… You don't know how to read?"
"No. Not well enough. Gaston hates books so much I never got to learn. Is that what you want to hear? You guys have the advantage." Her tone drips with defeat. I always was a failure. Now the others will know.
"No need to get grumpy. I won't tell anyone."
"If the Bippity-Boppity-Bitch figured it out anyone can." She looks at the ground, sighs, then looks back at him, "I just need to figure this out."
"I'll make you a deal. Get rid of the booze and I'll tutor you. It's a lot easier to learn to read with someone who already has the skill at your disposal." Drinking can't be good for her.
"Why would you want to help me?" I've always antagonized you. You've said it yourself many times we aren't friends. Never have been. Probably never will be. I can't afford that again.
"Easy. If you can't read they might not keep you here and that jeopardizes the mission." I'm also curious about you.
"Fine..." She hesitates for a moment before continuing, "Do I really have to toss it?" I don't want to.
"Unless you have a good reason for keeping it."
"I have my reasons." Nightmares mostly. It helps me make sure everyone thinks nothing bothers me.
"And they are?"
"Sanity is such a hard thing to keep hold of. This makes it easier." She sees him raise his eyebrow and she groans. "Fine. Take it. Just help me with this." He nods moving closer so he can start helping her.