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'Four minute. I have four minutes to get to the dinner table. Mary you can do this. Just keep running.'

I think as I run through the darkening halls of the Academy.

My foot goes out from underneath me and I fall onto my hands and knees.

"Wow Mary. You really like being on your hands and knees."

Alex says walking out of the shadows. His dirty blonde hair is now gone and his bald head shines in the setting sun. He still has his ugly tie die shirt on.

"Stone. I really don't have time for your stupidity. I have four minutes to get somewhere. So please leave me alone or we can finish this later."

I say standing up and looking at my watch.

"Well then. If you really want to finish this later. Be my guest."

Two minutes.

"Meet me outside at nine and don't be late."

"Okay. Well I will be there at nine to kick your ass."

He rolls his eyes and smirks.

"As if."

One minute.

"Gotta go."

I say running again. I look down at my match again.

Thirty seconds.

'Crap. Mom is going to have my ass.'

I run into the dining room and sit down in front of the black boy already sitting there. His name is Tiger and he's basically my little brother.

I look at my watch again.

'This is becoming a habit.'

Three seconds.

I let the breathe that I'm holding out.

"You were almost late. Again."

Tiger says. He's has no hair also.

"Why do you have no hair?"

I ask but mom walks in.

"Glad you could join us, Mary."

She says looking at me. She has an apron on.

"Sorry. I would've been here earlier but I tripped."

I know I couldn't tell her about talking to Alex because she would get the wrong idea. She's like Katie, who thinks Alex and I should get together and forget this whole rival thing.

The rival started two years ago when I beat Alex in a race or was it a basketball game. Let me think. No I think it was a race that started it. Then we've been going at it since then. Yeah when we yell at each other, the whole school knows about it. Some of our fights are legendary. Well that's what some kids call them. Anyway.

"-are you okay?"

She asks pushing my straight red hair out of my face not even noticing that I spaced out a few seconds ago.

"Oh yeah. I'm fine. It will probably bruise though."

"Well that's good, sweetie."

She kisses my forehead and grabs the lasagna from the kitchen.

At 8:50, I leave the school building looking for Alex. I'm sitting on the steps when he runs up to me. He's covered in mud.

"Sorry, had to run from the mud hole. Major Payne put us in there."

"So can I kick your ass now or later?"

I ask looking at my watch.

9:10

"Can I say later?"

I roll my eyes.

"That's just like you, Stone. No because you're ten minutes late."

"I said I was sorry. Payne wouldn't let us -"

"What were you saying turd? Why are you not in bed?"

"Sir, I was just talking to a friend."

Alex says not looking behind him.

"Yeah a friend. Sure."

I whisper to myself and Alex looks at me. Speaking Major Payne, he walks up the dirty road toward us.

"You can talk to your friend in the morning."

Payne says standing next to us and putting a hand on Alex's shoulder. Payne is dressed in his uniform.

"Please sir, can we finish our conversation? Then Stone can go back to his room."

"Well Ms. Walburn. If you want to talk to Stone then you can talk to him in the morning. Stone go to the barracks!"

Payne glares at me and I glare back.

"No sir. Alex will not go to the barracks yet. I'm going to finish my conversation with him. Sir."

I say pulling Alex's arm to me. Payne's glare gets even more intense and his eyes narrow at me.

"Why you -"

"Benson! Mary!"

Mom walks down the steps toward us. I let go of Alex's arm and take a step away from him. He gives me a look but I ignore it.

'That was scary! Major Payne is really scary when he's pissed. Note in head: Never get Payne pissed again. Yup.'

"What are you doing out here, Mary?"

She asks me looking at Alex and Payne. Mom has taken off the apron and she has her heels back on.

"Mom I was trying to have a nice conversation with Stone but Payne is being a major -"

"Mary!"

Mom interrupts me. She turns to Payne.

"Why don't we go to my office and talk about this?"

"No. I want the turd to go to the barracks."

He says glaring at Alex.

"Maybe we should finish this later, Mary."

Alex says looking between mom and Payne.

"No have the conversation. I've got to talk to Major Payne about a few things. See you later!"

Mom says taking Payne by the arm and heading into the school.

"So before I kick your ass. You never explained why you're covered in mud."

I ask trying to get comfortable around Alex. I sit back down on the stairs.

"The boys and I complained about the barracks."

He says sitting down next to me.

"Another question. Why are yours and Tiger's heads shaved?"

I laugh when Alex rubs his shaved head. He glares at me playful, I think.

"What is this? Twenty questions?"

I laugh again.

"Just answer the question."

"Okay. I said something to Payne and now everyone is bald in the JROTC program."

I laugh and Alex leans back against the stairs.

"So you opened your big mouth and everyone had to suffer the consequences."

Alex rolls his eyes.

"Did you make it to your mom's dinner?"

"Yeah with three seconds to spare thanks to you."

I say shoving him. I look down at my watch.

10:45

"What is the deal with that thing?"

Alex asks looking at it.

"I don't know but it's a starting to become a really bad habit. As much as I like this conversation, I have a test tomorrow. And I still need to study."

I stand up and walk up a couple of stairs, when Alex grabs my head.

"Wait. Can we have more conversations like this. Instead of fighting and yelling at each other like most of the time?"

He asks and his eyes plead with me.

"Only if you don't do something stupid like you always do. Night, Stone."

I turn away and he lets my hand go. I walk into the school without looking behind me.

Oh no is there a romance brewing? Okay that's the second chapter!

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Thanks for reading! :)