"What could a girl possibly do to me? All they do is pick flowers and chase butterflies."
Sasha and Paul backed up a step, covering their mouths in a fit of silent laughter, peering around to see the others still over at their clearing talking amongst themselves, thoroughly distracted from any trouble they could be causing.
The youngling laughed at the threat she could possibly hold, underestimating the fledging due to flock placement and height, Akeelah was a tiny little thing and most others often underestimated the fledglings power because of it. Their two audience members silently placed their bets, the loser having to do the others chores for a week, and Paul begrudgingly placed a bet on the other one for the sake of betting.
Secretly both knew who would win.
Akeelah fell still at the insult, ignoring the stifled laughter from her two friends, she turned around to face the one that had tried to invite into their game of tag.
"What did you just say?"
He snorted, "You heard me, girl."
She stared at the youngling for a long moment, her two friends cheering her on softly from behind, neither one of their party wanting to alert the others to their happenings, as was the politics of being a youngling in these times, the first rule about fight club was that you didn't speak of it, and street justice won out on all.
"I could take you, boy."
"Doubt it. You might get hurt. Why don't you go back to picking flowers and leave us to play tag."
Her fingers curled into fists, "Stop saying that."
"What are you going to do to make me? Hit me?"
He was left surprised when she balled her fist in tightly, pulled it back, and punched him straight in the nose. It cracked and he fell back with a yelp, hands coming up to clutch at the break in shock, when she jumped on him. They rolled around in the dirt for some time before they were separated, red blood mixing into mud, and they were lifted from the ground by the scruff of their robes.
Paul and Sashael fell silent under a stern glare from their guardian.
Akeelah ignored them all, the others appearance, the inquiry as to what had happened, and smiled victoriously at the youngling before her.
"Why don't you just pick flowers next time!"