Metamorphosis

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:Heading to Houston tomorrow. Here's this now. Cousin's getting married, things are going to be busy. Merry Christmas and I will try to get some updates in before the next semester at Midwestern rolls about.

Chapter 3 (Group Leaders)

She felt different in the uniform, but that was never a surprise to her. It gave her a sense of relaxation and clarity that often escaped her in other areas of her life. Plus she wore it well, or at least she thought so.

Hell, it made her untouchable.

Trina put her hair up into a ponytail and examined her surroundings. Back home it was easy to latch onto someone so she didn't feel so alone, but here that wasn't the case. She knew no one by name or appearance, and each person she saw looked as though they'd drop her in an instant if she clung to them.

It was a new place, and all the unfamiliarity was intimidating enough. Fortunately for her, she didn't feel as nervous as she normally would have. "Okay, people." She turned her head as Jason's voice called out above the chatter of the many students that were in attendance.

She watched him jump up onto the stage and make his way to the center where a much older man stood. This man was about an inch or two taller, had long silver hair that fell in waves around his neck, and a pleasant smile framed by a stubbly goatee.

Behind them were nine counselors, each in the very late teens to early twenties. Like Jason, they were black belts. As she looked around her at the students surrounding her, she noticed a large multitude of white, yellow, green, orange, blue and purple. There were a few brown and perhaps one or two reds in the crowd.

"We're glad to see that everyone has made it safely. Let me introduce myself." Her gaze shot back at him and she folded her arms across her chest, smirking as she studied his strong posture. Part of her fantasized about toppling him, he seemed to have a guard up that was begging to be knocked down a peg or two. "My name is Jason Tyler, I'm the head counselor here. The man beside me is my sensei and the owner of this campsite, Frank Wyatt."

Talking to this man earlier, when he asked about her belt rank, she omitted one fact. While she practiced often and trained in her classes at the school, it had been some time since she'd been promoted.

She spent more time trying to escape the shadow of her sister by making a name for herself that she didn't dedicate time to learning formations to bring herself up into red. Sadly, it felt more like she simply wasted her time.

She moved her hands behind her waist and rolled her head back, sighing as she looked to the high ceiling. "Behind me are nine people you will get to become well acquainted with over the next four months," Jason continued. "They are your counselor, your sensei. You will each be sectioned into groups of ten, with one of us as your teacher."

Trina turned her attention back to him and raised an eyebrow as his gaze fell. Of all the people in the room, his eyes connected with hers. Her heart skipped and her breath caught in her throat as his mouth slid into a gentle but strong smile.

For the moment she found herself wondering if she'd be in his group. Part of her hoped for that to be the case, but primarily because she'd already spoken with him.

His gaze held her for a moment, drawing her in. She saw a strength in his eyes, but also a flicker of something else that was difficult to make out. Jason had the look of a man who had been through much; but he couldn't be a day over nineteen.

She moved her hand up to the bottom of her V-shaped collar and tucked her fingers over and inside. Her breathing grew shallow and the blood inside of her rushed to her skin, heating the longer that she was captivated by this man.

Jason's eyelids fell and rose slowly, then he turned to pace towards the right. "In your rooms, you'll find a daily schedule on your desk. This will be an essential tool for your success here." He spoke with such power and confidence that he could captivate an army if he had to.

This man knew who he was and where he stood, or at least, that's what it appeared to her.

"While you are here, you will wake up early in the morning and lights out at ten o'clock." She looked to her hands with a sigh and shrugged. Waking up early wasn't a big deal to her, she already woke up at six on most mornings anyway. It was the lights out policy she might have more difficulty with.

"Breakfast is at seven, lunch is at noon and dinner is at six." She flicked her eyes up and slid the right corner of her mouth into her cheek. "Class with your designated counselor will take up the bulk of your morning. In the afternoon we will have group activities, then you have in the evening until lights out an opportunity to explore the gym located on the south side of the campgrounds-spend time at the rec center, write letters to your family or do just about whatever you like. So long as it is within the rules and policies expressed in the camp brochure."

He turned towards the nine counselors and proceeded to introduce them by name. As he called on one, they would step forward and bow, then step back as he moved to the next. It was like a dance, and he was the maestro.

She listened earnestly as he went through the rules and policies in place. They were fairly standard and simple; stay within the grounds and do not go off alone. The camp counselor would be there to help with any needs, no matter great or small, and lights out meant lights out.

There was nothing to worry about since she was fairly certain not to be wandering the woods outside the campground anytime soon. She was looking forward to the group activities there were, and planned on hitting the gym on a regular basis if she could; though she preferred running on ground as opposed to a treadmill.

Her mind drifted back to their earlier conversation and his reaction to her showing up in a dress. A scowl stretched out on her face and she straightened her back while scoffing. "This guy thinks I'm going to be one of those girls that worries about my appearance and sweat? Is that it?"

She'd show him. He wasn't wrong, she had worried about that in the past, but it wasn't as though getting dirty were such a terrible thing.

After all the introductions and further details were given, everybody followed Jason and the other counselors outside. She bore his thought in mind as they discussed the selection process, whatever counselor she ended up on was the group leader and the one she had to follow for the next four months.

Trina caught herself focusing on Jason, her gaze lingered on him and mingled with his for a moment as the first counselor called out the ten names. "Let it be him. This guy wants to know who I am, I'll show him who I am. I'm not some little miss fashionista." She tossed her hair over her shoulder and looked towards the final student walking up to the first counselor.

With each counselor that went up, and each student called, she grew more anxious. No one called on her yet, and each leader had a list in their hands. She didn't know if these names were hand-picked or chosen at random.

Jason was currently leaning over the shoulder of the counselor to go up before him. As they were talking, Trina noticed him pointing at the list of names. She chewed on her lower lip and felt herself beginning to sweat. Jason pulled his list up and leaned back, his eyes studied the names until the counselor pointed to one.

"What are they discussing?" When she saw him glance over, she turned her head and held her breath. In the corner of her eyes she watched, growling slightly when his mouth twisted into a smug grin. "He doesn't know what I'm thinking, does he? Smartass."

The counselor he spoke with stepped up, calling out the names on his list-and when she didn't hear her name, she practically jumped for joy. Jason walked forward and her heart began to race. To conceal her trembling hands, she moved them behind her back and gripped her waist.

"Those who will be under me…" Jason read off each name, and each time he would glance up to the student-then he would look to Trina. When he did this, she would feel a strange sensation pulling her, daring her to walk up to him and demand to be placed on his team.

Her tongue slid across the inside of her lips, then she curled it up to brush her teeth. "And lastly." A lump began forming in her throat and she struggled to keep from stepping forward. When his eyes fell onto her, she took a deep breath and held it. "Katrina Vega."

"You're the one that was wearing the dress?" she heard someone beside her ask. "Good luck." Her eyes narrowed and she turned a glare onto the person. "I was here last year. He's the tough one."

"Gee thanks for the warning." She walked forward and glanced at the others in her group. They were all advanced belt levels, with the highest being red. This wasn't exclusive to Jason's group, however-most of the counselors kept their students at equal belts with at least one belt higher. "I don't think I'm going to need it."

She stepped up beside Jason and crossed her arms. The man turned his head partially and raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so jittery? Relax."

"You try showing up to a martial arts camp in heels and a dress and see how people react." He curled his lips back and flashed a toothy grin.

"That would be an interesting sight. Too bad it's not something I would do." He motioned at the group and they followed him away from the others so he could talk to them. Ten students gathered before him, with Trina standing in the front row of five. "Okay guys, classes for us will start tomorrow at eight in the morning." He lifted three fingers and furrowed his brow. "That gives you three hours from the time you wake up to take your shower, get ready, have breakfast, and get to class."

Three hours meant waking up at five. Her heart sank and he withheld a groan. Though she didn't mind waking early, that was still something even she would consider early.

"Now I lock the door at exactly eight o'clock." She frowned at him and watched him pace to the left. His shoulders were flat and broad, and his arms seemed to tense as he held his wrists behind his back. For someone as toned and built as he was, he had a very narrow figure. It was surprising. "I will not let you in once we have started."

A student raised her hand and Trina glanced over curiously. "So if we're running a bit late?" It sounded obvious to her, the man did not stutter after all.

Jason turned partially and sighed. "You have three hours. You should not be late." The girl withdrew her hand and Jason exhaled. "I have an uncle that teaches at some art school-my mom's brother. His policy is more lenient than mine, this enables students to walk into his class half an hour late, or more." He raised his hand up and poked his thumb to his chest. "I will not tolerate this. It is disrespectful to your fellow students and to your teacher. Plus, when learning a craft or honing your skills, you need as much time as possible. If you cannot make an effort to show up to class, then you do not care. It is that simple."

Trina smirked and turned her head away. She was startled by this sudden smugness, but she had to admit that she agreed with his philosophy. Even if she didn't like it, it made sense.

People walked all over Mr. Sikowitz in the classroom, with some students coming and going as they pleased. Not only was it disrespectful, but it was distracting.

"Let's all try to come to class on time then," Trina stated. She could hear someone whispering about her dress fiasco. Clearly Jason wasn't the only one to see her show up in such a garment.

She turned her head and narrowed her eyes at the girls snickering in the back row. "She might be the one who ends up late to all the classes and gets sent home for it. Who comes in a-"

"Ahem!" Jason stepped forward, stopping close to the student. The girl stood straight and stared back at him with wide eyes. "Is there something funny?"

"N-No sir."

"That's 'sensei' to you." He turned his back to her and moved back to place. Trina's smirk increased and she closed her eyes, basking in the satisfaction. "For the next four months, the ten of you will be spending a lot of time together. More so than you will with any of the people in the other groups." He turned his head over his shoulder and glared sideways at the student. "Martial Arts is more than just fighting. It's a discipline that teaches self-worth, growth, and respect. You will learn to respect one another and treat each other as an equal."

"I understand. I'm sorry for the interruption."

"Do not disrespect your fellow students. I do not care how your first impression of them is, people are rarely what they appear."

She would do her best to show up on time, especially since she did not want to be booted from the camp. Considering Jason was the head, he also carried with him that discretion. Group leaders had to go to him first with the conduct of their student, and he would have to make the judgment call after some time of studying the conduct.

With this group, he would know who had to be sent home if something was done wrong. So it was best to remain on his good side.

It is true what they say, sometimes an outfit can seem to change a person-it has to do with confidence and how it makes you feel. Well this chapter was a good one. Did it seem like she wanted to be in his group? Hah, maybe wearing the dress to camp wasn't the best idea, but who can say, it's possible it garnered the attention of perhaps one of the better group leaders. Good side indeed, maybe she should remain there. By the way we will be hearing from Tori and seeing how everybody's holding up back home.