Talking to the Moon

Chapter 3

Club Activities

Note: I hope you guys are enjoying this story. So far, things have been going well for me with this story. However, some of you guys are a little iffy about it. I do admit that this story is a little different from my usual style, but I assure you guys that this is all part of the plan. Anyway, wish me some luck and enjoy!

Another week went by and club activities were I full affect. When everyone got to school, things were going crazy. Everyone was talking about club activities and how excited they were to get things started. This made things difficult for the faculty. Nearly all of the students were busy thinking about club activities that they couldn't focus during class time.

Worse got worse and the teachers had to threaten their club time would be cut short. This attack forced everyone to act normally and the school day was restored to peace. Blake wasn't really one of those people. Yes, she was excited for her first archery meeting, but that time could wait for her. She stayed vigilant for Yang and her boyfriend, but there was no sign of either of them. She didn't see them all day and Yang didn't text her anything that was happening with her. In her head, she was extremely worried about her, but she couldn't show that. She had a boyfriend now so he was probably there for her if she needed him.

She simply sighed and got through the rest of the day. Classes were a breeze for her, but others had to deal with the struggle of not thinking about club activities. She was just surprised about how many different clubs that were active this year. Nearly 30 clubs were planning on being active this year and every single one of them was very different from the other. Subject after subject, lunch came around and ended, more classes; the day finally came to an end. The PA system sounded through the halls.

"Attention students, the faculty would like to thank you for your efforts today. We know how hard it is to concentrate on school when club activities have started, but you guys did a great job. Enjoy your free time and make sure to be safe. That is all."

"Wwwooooo!" The classrooms nearly flipped upside down. Everyone frantically packed their things and ran out of the classroom to be the first ones to their meetings. On the other hand, Blake was calm even though being able to shoot with the best archers in the region made her feel like a child.

After a few minutes, the halls cleared and things were in full swing. Every room was occupied with each room doing something special. The Archery Club had a real special place for them on campus. They had their own private club room in the middle of the athletic field. Behind that building was a huge shooting range just for them. When Blake found the place, she nearly melted with joy. She slowly opened up the door and was completely shocked.

The club room was huge, but opened up to the shooting range. There were a couple of tables lined up near the front of the room and had shooting stands in the back of the room. She couldn't believe how beautiful this place was. As she looked around in awe, she was suddenly intercepted by Weiss.

"Hey Blake, and welcome to the Archery Club. Our inaugural meeting has officially began and ended." She was confused.

"Um, what do you mean?"

"We don't really hold formal meetings. All the talking that we do is usually when we shoot. We give each other pointers and have some friendly competitions. Over there is our storage area where you can leave your things, and there is a special place just for you." After that, Weiss walked off to get ready and left Blake on her own.

Blake walked to the storage area and saw the other girls' bags lined up against the wall. She ran her eyes through the line of bags until there was an open spot. She looked up and saw her name above it. She had her own place to put her things which caused her to squeal quietly to herself. After that, she readied her bow and walked to the shooting line. One by one, the girls lined up and readied themselves for the first shot.

A yellow light turned on and the field was cleared. Once that was obvious, everyone pulled out an arrow and charged it up. After a few more seconds, a green light turned on which meant open fire. All the arrows fired at the same time. The way they structured their practice was a little different. They had open fire until the light turned red. Blake's concentration was only on the target she was shooting, but she did notice that Weiss wasn't shooting with them. She was simply smiling and examining every shot that hit the targets.

After a few shots, the atmosphere started to lighten up. Everyone started to talk to each other and more smiles emerged from everyone's faces. Even though this club was exclusive and very competitive, they still managed to have fun and still practice efficiently.

"So how are you doing Blake?" A girl behind her asked the question as she finished through her quiver.

"I'm good. It's been so long since I've shot like this and it feels really good."

"Awesome. Well, it can only get better from here, right?"

"Definitely."

"Alright, cut the chatter. Last shot of the day." Weiss walked down the line and put one arrow in each of the girls' quiver. It was a regular arrow, but with a yellow tail. "Remember the rules of the last shot: Whoever gets the best shot doesn't have to help clean up." Blake immediately got into the zone. Even though this was her first time doing a "last shot," she felt so into the moment. "Ready?" Everyone grabbed their arrow and pulled it back. "Aim." The sounds of soft breaths in and out filled the area as everything became still. "Fire!"

Schoom! All of the arrows fired at the same time and hit at the same time. At that same moment, the light turned red which meant shooting was prohibited for the time being. Everyone including Weiss walked out into the field to check their arrows.

For Blake, she did pretty well. Most of her arrows were in the red with a few in the yellow. She looked down the line and saw that everyone else was pretty much on the same page with a few minor differences.

Meanwhile, Weiss was walking down the line. She started from the right and Blake was more towards the middle. Weiss took her time and examined every shot. She paid attention to its location on the target, angle of the arrow, and the stiffness of the arrow, making sure that it wasn't a fluke. During this time, the participants were asked not to look around as to not spoil who was the winner. However, Blake was a little nervous. She felt that she won, but when she looked at everyone else's for a brief second, that thought slowly faded away.

"Alright, first, I would like to say that you all shot very well today. These results would have definitely put us in contention for State. Another thing is that Blake is doing very well for a rookie in our club. Usually newcomers break under the pressure, but you managed to hold your own. Congratulations." The other girls congratulated her and patted her on the back. "Now, the winner for today is… Blake."

What? I won. I didn't know my shot was that good? It was right in between the two yellow regions, but apparently, none of the other girls got that close to the bull's eye.

"Congratulations Blake. You are free to go home."

"Alright, thank you guys, for being so nice."

"No, thank you for being what we wanted." She smiled and went to grab her things. When she headed to the door, she looked back and waved to everyone else. They waved back with a smile and she finally left.

As she walked home, her mind was racing. I thought I was rusty, but apparently that's not true at all. I'm so happy I made a good first impression. Actually, it wasn't really a first impression since I showed them what I could do at the tryouts so it was more like a second impression. Those are still important so I'm glad I didn't butcher that up. A smile emerged on her face as she finally made it home. She called out for her mother, but she wasn't there. She walked into the kitchen and saw a note.

Hey Blake, I'm sorry I didn't tell you this earlier, but I won't be able to come home until late today. Today is a very busy day at work and they need all the help they can get. I'm not too worried about you since you're pretty independent, but if you need anything, it's all in the pantry. Anyway, I hope you had a nice day and I'll see you tomorrow sweety."

Love,

Mom

She was a little sad about reading this, but knew that it was bound to happen. Things can't always go according to plan so she went to the pantry and pulled out some things that she wanted to eat.

After she finished her dinner, she went upstairs and grabbed her things for a bath. She filled up the bath with hot water and stepped in. she was immediately soothed. As she sat there alone, another thought came to her mind. She was still wondering about Yang. She still hasn't heard anything from her. She was so tempted to call her and ask if she was alright, but she remembered what she thought earlier. She had a boyfriend so if she really wanted to talk, she would call her. She sank deeper into the bath and closed her eyes.

I hope she's alright.

After a few minutes, she got out of the bath and readied herself for bed. She walked back into her room. She checked the time and saw that it was only 9:00pm. She didn't really want to go to sleep and she didn't have anything else to do. All of her homework was done so she was bored. She walked over to her desk and sat down quietly.

What to do. What to do.

She looked on the table and saw her phone sitting there all alone. She grabbed it off the table and checked it anything happened while she was in the bath. To her surprise, Yang called. She checked the time and it was just a few minutes ago. She quickly called her back and waited.

"We are sorry. The number you are trying to call is either turned off or currently out of the service area." Bake hung up.

Why did she call me? It has to be important if she called me. She stood up from the chair and ran to her closet. She pulled out some random clothes and ran to the door. Right as she opened the door, she was cut off before she could leave the house.

"Yang?" She had her head down and Blake saw a tear roll down her face. "Yang, are you okay?" She didn't say anything. She just walked towards Blake, wrapped her arms around her, and started to bawl. "Yang, please tell me what's wrong. I'm here for you." Yang refused to answer. She just shoved her face into Blake's chest.

What was going on? She's never seen her like this before. She wrapped her arms around Yang and held her tight. As they stood there together, Yang's crying grew more intense and Blake was trying her hardest not to show the same emotions towards her. She simply shifted their positions and walked back into her house.

Please don't be what I think this is about. It can't be. I don't want it to be.

End of Chapter 3