*Okay, important-ish thingy: The Teachers stopped striking! (So, where I live, the teachers were striking and school hasn't started yet) But now, school is starting again, this Monday! I'm just saying this because this means I'll have less and less time to post stuff, soooo . . . Don't expect something every week, okay? Thanks for listening, continue with your reading :)
"Alright, you two have to get in peak physical condition if you want to be samurai," Cole said, pacing in front of the girls. "So if I tell you to drop and give me twenty, what do you do?"
"Do twenty pushups?" Essly suggested.
"NO! Er, I mean, YES!" Cole yelled.
"Okay, drill sergeant," Marie-Grace hissed, "but I'm already in 'peak physics condition,' as you put it."
"It's true," Essly piped up. "Every day she has a morning jog, then does exercises, then-"
"Fine then. Looks like it's just you and me, Essly," Cole huffed, turning his back on Marie-Grace. Essly didn't move, she just stood by her friend, looking nervously from one to the other.
"That's not how we do things, Marie-Grace."
Marie-Grace barely flinched when the elderly man walked up behind her. She had a straight face and Cole couldn't tell what the girl was feeling.
"You will train with Cole, whether you like it or not," Sensei Wu told her, looking calm, but clenching his walking stick threateningly, ready to strike or block if needed.
"Fine," she growled, glaring at the caramel skinned boy with pure rage. "I'll train with Brookstone. But under protest!"
Sensei Wu almost looked amused. "I'll keep that in mind." He walked away calmly.
"Now," Cole said exasperatedly, "we are going to start with a plank . . ."
". . . And this is the bridge," Zane lead Essly and Marie-Grace into the main control room. It had a wall-to-ceiling computer screen, a holographic projector, just about thousand buttons, lever and switches, a table that was evidently for mission debriefing or hanging out and finally, a cappuccino machine.
"Why is it called the bridge?" Essly asked.
"I believe the control or command center of any power vessel is known as the bridge. Allow me to check my database . . ." The green eyed girl waited patiently as the nindroid checked a compartment in his wrist. He finally stated, "The term arose in the mid-19th century, when the 'bridge' was athwartships structure very much like a footbridge stretched across the vessel between or immediately in front of the paddle wheels."
Essly nodded and pretended she understood. Marie-Grace rolled her eyes and whispered a simpler explanation in her friend's ear. Essly made an expression of sudden comprehension.
"Now," Zane began to continue with his tech lesson, "this button will power up the rocket boosters, enabling the ship to fly. This is the steering wheel, used to direct the vessel . . ." Marie-Grace made an 'oh, ya don't say?' face at this point. "This switch will turn on the computer. This button will go directly to me and this button will go directly to Nya . . ."
The two sixteen year olds sighed quietly. It seemed like this would be the boring class.
Marie-Grace was exceptionally bored.
She had read and reread all of her books and didn't have time to buy any new ones.
The boys didn't have any fun video games and she still didn't have time to buy any new ones.
Zane's class had been, as predicted, very boring and slightly useless.
And finally, their weapons class didn't start until after dinner, in about an hour.
Marie-Grace just lay on her bed, staring at the bunk above. She decided to reminisce about her past. Because hey, no one could hear her thoughts. It was her only real safe haven.
What if the boys found out about her . . . 'Condition'? Obviously her siblings hadn't told them, hopefully because of regard towards her privacy, and she was thankful for that. If they knew, it would lead to tons of awkward questions and fear.
The fear factor was one of the worst parts about it. The way it frightened the bravest of people gave Marie-Grace a sense of guilt, though she knew it wasn't technically her fault. But another horrible thing was the way it harmed people. She shuddered, hoping it wouldn't happen again anytime soon.
But just to be sure . . . "Hey, Es? When's the next you-know-what?"
"Not for a couple weeks, I don't think," Essly replied.
"Thanks, Essly."
"No problemo."
Marie-Grace returned to her thoughts. Well, she didn't need to worry for a couple weeks at least. Thank goodness. Just imagine if it had been tonight . . .
She then thought about Cole Brookstone. He was the most despicable human being she had ever met. He didn't even admit to knowing about his family line or hers, which was the worst lie Marie-Grace had ever heard. That old story was in practically all the history books! There might be a select few without, but it was strange nowadays to not come across the story.
Technically, him not telling her about knowing was a lie of omission! But then again, that meant she was technically lying by omission too . . . But it made her feel better to think he was.