Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 23:38:50 -0700 (PDT) From: Nate House Subject: The Silent Cellist 11: Hell Week Revisited Hello everyone! I apologize for this taking a month to get out, but I've been working a lot more and have rarely been on my computer. I'm glad to have heard from those who wrote and I decided to take the advice of your e-mails. I hope you like this installment of "The Silent Cellist". ********************************************* Chapter Eleven: Hell Week Revisited Brittany arrived home from school later than she expected. After school let out, she and the other captains, plus a few volunteers, stayed to help get the stuff for "Hell Week" out and partially set-up. Everyone kept talking about how much hell these newer kids were going to be put through. Brittany herself thought about how much of a love-hate relationship she has for these things. Brian and Frank kept chiming in how much good they really do for the individual and the team; nothing has brought them closer than these weeks. "Are you ready for next week, honey?" her mother asked after dinner. "Oh, yeah," Brittany answered confidently. "It's not like I've never done these before. The real question is are you ready? You're the one who's never been before. And I promise you, you will want to slap me for what will come out of my mouth at these people." "I said I'm going, young lady," her mother snapped. She still can't through her daughter's thick skull about how much she wants to spend time with her. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you." "You haven't stopped 'warning' me all week," her mother said in deep sarcasm. "How hard can it be anyway?" "Oh, you'll see," Brittany said with a broad smile on her lips. After the late dinner, Brittany thought it best to take a shower and get some rest. She could only imagine how many of her uneducated teammates were staying up because it was Friday night and how they will be dragging their asses two hours into the first day. As the water cascaded down her body, she allowed her thoughts to drift from the looks on her teammates' faces to Amanda. Even though she now knows why Tina kept hovering and following her around like a lost puppy, she couldn't let herself get involved with her until this situation with Amanda was resolved. Then it hit her: she really doesn't know her, but she harbors such an infatuation for her. Could it be her music? Or was it her sad disposition that attracted her? Or was it those fearful eyes and scars? Whatever the reason, Brittany allowed herself to think that it will work itself out eventually, one way or the other. Brittany woke up the next morning at four-thirty, just like she planned to. She got into her playing attire and finished packing up the gear she would need for today. As she walked to her mother's room, she finished putting her hair up to complete her innocent look. She saw her mother's room's light on from under the door and some shadows moving about. Still, she decided to knock and make sure she was getting close to being ready. "Be out in a minute, Brittany," her mother answered after she knocked once. Brittany made her way downstairs to get a small bite to eat before they had to be off to the school. Her mother joined her after her bagel finished cooking. "You nervous?" her mother asked smiling. "No," Brittany answered, "What are you smiling about?" "Just makes me proud that my little girl has grown up so much," her mother answered putting her arm around her shoulders. "What's with you this morning?" Brittany asked with a hint of concern in her tone. "I just remember when your father and brother first decided to make this just their activity and how bumbed out you were. And know you're almost all grown up and have your own legion of fans across the country. It just makes me proud." "It's O.K. mom," Brittany said smiling at her mother's compliments, but had to keep herself focused on the training regiment. "Are you gonna eat before we go because we have to be there in ten minutes. Coach said for the captains to arrive at five while the rest of the team will show at six." "Not right now," she answered, moving towards Brittany's gearbag. "You eat and I'll get this thing loaded up." Brittany let out an audible laugh when her mother tried to pick up her gearbag only to realize it's much heavier than it looks. "What the hell do you have in here?" "Just the shit I need," Brittany said through her laughter. "You sure you don't want me to get that? I can eat in the car." "That would be a good idea," her mother exhaled, wincing in pain. They arrived at the school a little before five. Brittany got her gear out of the trunk and put it in the storage shed while the rest of the entourage started arriving. The captains and the coaches did the same. They quickly got to work finishing the work they started yesterday. Brittany and Brian finished inflating the bunkers with two of the coaches while Thomas, Frank and the remaining coaches finished setting up the cots in the gym. After about twenty minutes, they met in the weight room to start getting ready for the rest of the team to arrive. The group didn't have to wait long. The entire JV squad arrived as one unit in a small caravan of vehicles. The remaining varsity team weren't too far behind them. Coach Wilson allowed everyone to get dressed in their workout uniforms and meet back at the X. "Alright, listen up people!" he called out once the group gathered. "I'm not going to lie to you, this week is going to suck. I mean completely suck donkey balls. Some of you may even want to quit before tomorrow. That's fine with me. If you can't cut it with us grillin' you then you don't belong on this team. Go crying home to your parents and leave. For those who will tough it out, you will still be hating life. Your muscles and your brains will be tired by the time tonight rolls around. If you haven't eaten breakfast yet then you're shit out of luck, if you have then better not see it coming out of your mouths." The coaches and captains took the team to the football field for a few warm-up laps and stretching. Most of the parents took their leave, but those who stayed behind were told to have a seat anywhere but the designated areas reserved for the team. The team took to the first part like any other practice. No one fell out of the small, three lap run and the stretching went by like always. Those who know better couldn't help but smile and giggle at what was about to happen. After everyone was stretched out, Brittany and the other captains went to the storage shed with two of the coaches and got everyone's guns set up and the paint ready to go. Everyone else had to go for a two-mile timed run, all the while getting yelled at by the remaining coaches. Some of them berated the slower ones for being slow, others blasted their whistles at the ones who were leaving their brothers (and sister) behind and not giving a damn about them. Ashley, who was among the fastest group got an earful of whistle and voice beyond that of pain. Tina herself received a verbal beating for being slower than her baby sister. By the time the run was over, the guns were ready to go and that group had to run their own two miles. While they were on the track, the coaches never let up on the more inexperienced kids. They had to do laps up and down the stadium bleachers until Brittany's group were done with their two miles; their fate was in their hands. The combination of loud whistles and harsh words, coupled with the multitude of feet pounding on the metal, made for a miserable time. Brittany, Brian and the rest decided to add to their agony and walk their last lap. The varsity kids weren't doing too bad by this point, but the others felt like they were going to die, and it wasn't even eight o'clock yet. Coach Wilson let the kids catch their breath for a minute after the captains finished their run. Confident that he has their attention, he went over what was going to be expected of them for the next week. "Listen up people," he called out to the group huddled on the grass. "All this week we will be running three and four-a-day practices, depending on how you're all doing. Practice each morning will start before sun-up and last far into the night. You will get breakfast after every morning run. During the day, starting today, you will get lunch at noon and have twenty minutes to eat. Dinner will be at six-thirty and you will have thirty minutes. Your nightly curfew to be in bed is ten, or whenever the last person leaves the showers. No one, and I mean no one, will sleep until everybody is ready for bed. Then the cycle will repeat until dinner time Thursday night, just like it says in your parents' letter. Any questions?" "Coach, what will practices include?" Greg of the Varsity team asked. "Physical training and drills," he answered in an even tone. "What I hope you get out this will bring the team as a whole closer together and force you to rely on each other. It worked last year for the varsity squad and they walked away with a national title. So too I hope the JV squad will walk away with their own state title this year. Any other questions?" When no one else said anything, he replied, "If there's no more questions, then start hauling your asses to the weight room and gym." Upon hearing his words, the rest of the coaches got down at their level and simultaneously blew their whistles in the kids' faces, making them move that much faster. "Alright," Coach Wilson said once everyone gathered in the gym, "What we'll do in here everyday is one group will be in their doing weights while the the other group will be out here practicing their running and shooting, diving, or whatever we have set up. The color of your cots up stairs will determine what group your in, by the way. Let's start today by going with just JV and varsity. Varsity will go to the weight room with Coach Peterson while the JV will stay out here with myself and the rest of he coaches. Once you're in that weight room, you don't stop until time's up. Same goes for out here." With that, he blew his whistle and everyone did as they were told. Brittany and the other varsity members spent the next three hours lifting weights, doing pull-ups, working their abs and legs or doing push-ups and sit-ups if all the machines were taken. The room quickly heated up past one hundred as their bodies were starting to truly be worked. Outside in the gym, the coaches explained what was going on and then they unleashed a barrage of commands and mean words to keep them motivated with their drills. Those who forgot to put on their pads soon found out that no mercy would be given. The JV team went through their sprints, running and diving, running and shooting (re-balls of course) and lane burning.Just like in the weight room, the gym quickly heated up past on hundred degrees, just like the coaches were wanting. This went on for three hours. Once everyone ran out of air in their guns, the coaches told them the obvious, "I guess you're not shooting any more, are you?". The varsity kids put their weights and other equipment back in their original places. Brian got them all together before heading out to the cafeteria. The JV kids regrouped and started towards the cafeteria themselves. Nearly all of them were either starving, exhausted or both by this point already--and they still have a whole week to go. During the lunch break, most couldn't really have a conversation beyond that of "this sucks" and the almost mandatory agreement. Brian and those experienced in these things could only laugh at their agony, especially knowing there's much worse ahead. All throughout the early afternoon, the JV kids had to be in that heated weight room while the varsity kids went to work on their in-game mechanics. The coaches were screaming and cussing the whole time at all of them without restraint. After a meal that should have replenished their systems, over half of them were looking more sluggish than before. The parents that hung around for this could only grimace at the coaches' explosions of vulgarity. "Alright people, listen up!" Coach Wilson called out as they stood out on the track once again, the heat of an unusually hot September sun beating down on him. The team was standing in a huddled bunch before him and the other coaches. "We're going into a three mile burnout like last week, but this time I want each of you to pick a partner, I don't care who, and both of you will finish together. If you can't do this in a mature manner then I will do it myself." Tina immediately grabbed Brittany's arm, who was standing next to her completely by chance. Brittany could only smile at her friend's devotion for her. Brian and Frank picked each other as everyone thought they would, Curtis was picked up by Ashley, surprisingly enough, who had an unusual glee in her eyes as she did so. Once everyone had a partner, fortunately there are an even number of players, the coaches lined them up into three groups to get ready. One group would go, the other two will cheer them on. The penalty for not doing so, or finishing without your partner, was an additional hour in the weight room before practice tomorrow. Brittany had to slow her pace for Tina to keep pace. This run to her was nothing more than a jog in the park, but for Tina, who has never before been exposed to Hell Week, found it hard to even get her legs moving. Though she was getting all the encouragement she needed from the sound of her friend's voice, along side the berating vulgarity of the coaches, her body was nearing it's limit. Tina felt herself starting to fall out of it by the time the last mile came around. Brittany had to practically carry her the rest of the way, the first time she felt labored the entire time. Once they crossed the finish line, Tina got an earful from the coaches and captains alike. Her fellow players tore into her for forcing Brittany to carry her the rest of the way, but Brittany stood up for her to them and the coaches. Since they were in the first group, the ones who had tried to put Tina down for her apparent inability soon found themselves in the same situation. All Tina could do was smile as she watched it all unfold. Brittany did her job as a captain and team member and cheered on the rest of her team. Her voice was loud enough for them hear her on the far side of the track. She watched everyone as closely as she could, but that many bodies moving around makes it difficult for her to watch them all at once. As she watched Brian and Frank rounding the far corner, she noticed someone standing outside the chain-link fence beyond the grass. This person stood no taller than she does and was dressed in a black hoodie, even the heat of the day this person was stupid enough to wear a hoodie. She tried to avert her eyes back to her job and followed Brian and Frank as they passed. When they came back to that far corner, the person was gone. Brittany was left to her thoughts as she had a good idea of who that was; however, she had to keep herself focused on the job at hand. That night, everyone was out like a lamp. Those who have never been to Hell Week before was worn out before they ate dinner. The whole day they spent in the heat of the sun, running on practically no food and pushed until their bodies were near collapse. Some began to wonder why they were there in the first place, others pondered on the constant harshness from the coaches and why they did it. The varsity kids who went through this just two months ago were starting to remember why they hated these Weeks. All of them were sleeping before Coach Wilson turned the lights out. Brittany was asleep before her head hit the pillow. She may be well versed in these matters, but her young body does have a limit, although finding it is a challenge. The constant training of her stamina, coupled with the added stress of her personal life took their toll on her young brain. She saw the one whom she fears, yet admires, standing in the out-reaches of her sight, watching her. Brittany knew not why Amanda would be so fascinated by her but was flattered by it all the same. There were also two more people she noticed earlier today, who also had a play in her dreams this night, was Kayla with her new "girlfriend" Samantha--the same one with whom she cheated. In this revelation, Brittany's dreams turned into a much more angry place. She maybe tired physically and mentally, but she was very alert emotionally. Several times that night, she woke up in a cold sweat, twice shouting out... fortunately everyone within earshot was too tired to even stir. The team went a far a predawn run before breakfast. Everyone was still tired from yesterday and the little sleep they got last night was more like a catnap. The coaches didn't have any sympathy or patience. They kept up the vulgar language and unyielding shouts as they ran around the track. The two miles that morning served to both wake everyone up and to show just how serious this training is to their success, but the coaches thought that no one this early on would get that part of the message. The routine was to stay the same for this morning. As the ones who slept on the same colored cots were formed into their groups, the sun was finally beginning to rise, plus the kids could smell breakfast being cooked. The coaches pushed and pushed until everyone crossed the finish line of the burnout track. Hunger, fatigue, pain, anger, all them creeping into their minds as they tried to catch their breaths. They immediately moved to the stadium steps and stayed there until Coach Wilson got the call that breakfast was ready. Brittany could only look over her shoulder at her team struggling to make the run to the top as she easily found her pace and kept it. After breakfast, they moved right into outdoor drills. This gave most of the kids a chance to get some more stretching in before they would have to do more running. Here they practiced their basic, in-game mechanics and communication. They spent the entire time before lunch going through these scenario-specific drills. Brittany and the other captains watched the younger and less experienced players struggle to keep pace with the coaches' constant commands while they themselves took notes on who was performing how. During all of her observing and conversing with the other captains, Brittany noticed Amanda taking a seat in the stands. "Why the hell is she here?" Brittany blurted out louder than she wanted to. "Who?" Curtis asked still looking at his clipboard. "Huh?" Brittany said confused. "Why the hell is who here?" he repeated. By now he was looking into her face, her blank expression spoke volumes. "You feeling O.K. Brit?" "Yeah, why?" she didn't realize she was still looking through him and right at Amanda. "Because you're looking a little pale all-of-a-sudden and I know you better than that. You need some Gatorade or something?" "No thanks, I'm fine. Really." "Then who were you talking about just now?" his voice was beginning to turn into that of a captain angered by his subordinates instead of a concerned friend. "That girl sitting in the bleachers," Brittany said nodding, looking away from his gaze. "I just wondered why she would be here." "She's allowed," Brain said frankly. "Now if that distraction's out of the way, may we get back to our real job?" His voice implied his displeasure for his star teammate and how easily she was distracted. Brittany turned her attention back to the field and her notes, unaware that Kayla and Samantha joined Amanda in the bleachers. Brittany forced herself to not look back towards the stands the entire time they spent out on the practice field. When Coach blew the lunch whistle, Brittany was the first one through the doors of the school. Brittany received a severe verbal beating from her fellow captains, who got an earful of her slight distraction. She sat, looking at her food, and didn't get in a word edgewise. She didn't want to, she didn't need to. They were right to be angry and she shouldn't have taken her eyes off the field; the coaches depend on the captains' notes to make the calls for line positions. Brittany didn't have the stomach to eat today. With her teammates scolding her and thinking of Amanda and how she has this sway over her, she couldn't find the will to eat. After lunch, it was more of the same, but with the rolls reversed. Brittany played her heart out, but knew she didn't have what it took to be at her best. Her constant person thinking, along with an empty stomach and tight nerves made for a sloppy performance. The coaches and other players immediately noticed something was amiss, similar to some of the other practices throughout the last couple weeks. When they questioned her about it, she gave a lame excuse of being tired and she didn't eat lunch. After the first set of drills, she looked up to the bleachers to see Amanda sitting with Kayla and Samantha, who seemed to be talking to her and having a good time. Brittany couldn't get that image out of her head for the rest of the day. The afternoon training went by in the same fashion as yesterday. They ran then went into the weight room and gym. By this time, most of the younger kids were rested a little and had some energy for today's excruciating regiment, especially knowing what it's going to be like. Brittany tried to turn all of her confusion into anger, which would make her workout that much more intense. The rest of the team could see the determination on her face as she went about this transformation. It even showed in the re-ball court. She would put a hurt on anyone she would go up against in the one-on-one drills without mercy. This of course put the coaches and everyone else in a better mood. As Brittany showered and got ready for bed that night, the vision of her ex-girlfriend and her girlfriend talking to Amanda and trying to have a good time stuck out like a sore thumb. "Kayla knows Amanda can't talk and is clinically insane, so why should she and Samantha try buttering her up like that? Are they trying to make me jealous or something?" she thought to herself as she lay on her cot. "Why would she even give a damn about her anyway? I haven't told anyone about her yet and Kayla thought she was weird anyway. So why should she give a damn? Come to think of it, Amanda didn't so much as even look at them. Also, Amanda didn't take her eyes off me the whole time I was looking at her..." By this time Brittany was drifting off to a much needed sleep. Her sore muscles topped with all the confusion of her personal life forced her into this serene submission. She slept soundly that night and didn't even hear the coach's initial wake-up call the next morning. All week was a similar fashion. The kids would get nearly no sleep and would be awaken by either an empty trash can being used as a drum, a chorus of whistles or the coaches firing the guns, unloaded of course, over their heads. They would spend hours upon hours going through their drills and a physical training regiment that the Marines would be proud of and the kids did it without fail. All week the coaches watched them train their hearts out and never was there a time when someone fell out of a run, got to fatigued and gave up or even as much complained to them about the abusive nature that is Hell Week. Throughout the course of the week, the kids' times were improving and their skills were becoming more and more honed to a level that some pros didn't achieve. Brian and his captain entourage watched the progression of their teammates with a gleeful smile on their lips. Brittany spent the week much the same as everyone else. She would awake to the annoying "alarm clocks" and get just as much food as everyone else. She would be put through the same punishing workouts and drills. The kids all looked up to her as the example of a model paintball player. The only difference between Brittany and her teammates is she would hardly eat during the day and she kept feeling the ominous eyes watching her every move. Brittany would look out to the stands at any random moment and Amanda would be sitting there. Sometimes she had her cello with her, sometimes Roger came with her. Then there were times when Kayla and Samantha would make their appearance next to her and do what they do everyday. Brittany couldn't for the life of her figure out why they would want to show up like they do. Their faces only added to the ferocity that is Brittany Williams and her teammates felt the brunt of it all. Thursday came at long last, the last day of Hell Week. Coach Wilson wanted them to have a day off before their home tournament. The kids were awaken in the usual fashion, but the coaches let them have their breakfast before they did any P.T. This confused them a little, but they figured they'd enjoy it before he changed his mind. After breakfast they were told to get into their full playing gear and meet out at the field. Brittany took the girls into their bathroom to get ready. She could feel Tina and Ashley's eyes all over her as she changed. She thought it adorable that two sister have gone to fists over her and now they were both checking her out. "I've got a little surprise for all of you," Coach Wilson said as they were standing around the pit areas. "The Philadelphia Assassins have agreed to help out their hometown high school by a full-match scrimmage. They're on the way with a referee crew from the P.R.O. league." The kids couldn't help themselves, they immediately went into cheers. They were going to prepare for a tournament by playing against a pro team. "Now clam down!" Coach Wilson called out over his kids. "Before they get here, we're going for a two mile warm-up run. After that, I want Steven, Joe and Greg to get the paint ready while the rest will go over the game plans. Let's go." After the run and some serious stretching, the teams went about getting the rest of their gear on. The pods were all filled and the packs were loaded. The coaches took the teams out to the field for one last walk through of the game plans. After the game plans were drawn up and the lines knew their jobs, all they could do was wait for the Assassins to arrive. They didn't have long to wait. The pro team arrived just after everyone started to meander around. They made quick work of getting their gear set-up and their introductions out of the way. Everyone of them paid their respects to Brittany and her mother. In so doing, it showed that they were human, just like the people they were playing against; contrary to the astonished looks on the kids' faces. "Let's keep it a good clean game," the Head Ref said after the coin toss. "I know you're Pros and want to win, but this is just a scrimmage so keep the language to a minimum, don't go crazy with the overshooting, call yourself out when you're hit, and let's just have a fun day of paintball. Good luck to the both teams." Brittany received another hug from her former teammates before they split into their perspective pit areas. After she got her line together, she looked out into the bleachers and saw her mother talking to one of the other regular moms about the game. This brought a smile to her face and lifted her spirits. As the lines were taking their places at the start stations, Brittany looked once again to the chain-link fence and saw Amanda sitting on the gravel with her cello nestled in her lap. Once again, a smile crept across her face, but it was short lived. Brittany was named line captain for today and she has a job to do. She gathered the team into a huddle to keep them fired up. "Alright you fucking cock-suckers, they are pros, but they've never played us before. Ram it down their fucking throats like we do to every other fucker who steps into our house. Don't give them anything and take everything!" Right after Brittany's rant, the Head Ref blew the ten second warning whistle. The people in the stands could feel the tension building with each second counted down. Thomas, from the other side of the field, could feel Brittany's eyes tearing into his soul. For as long as he's been a pro level player, he's never met anyone who plays with the hate and aggression of this girl; his fellow teammates know all too well what she's capable of. The ref blew the whistle to start the game and all hell broke loose. What was supposed to be a fun-filled scrimmage quickly became a bloodbath. Both teams went right for the other's Jugular and didn't stop until they found it. Whatever the referee said in the pre-game talk was gone. Both teams lost two of their forward players on the break of the first point and soon the Assassins knew they were in trouble. Brittany and Brian were playing their spots and getting kills like they were ringing a bell. And what a bell they rang. That first point was filled with the people walking off the field, covered in orange and green. By the time the first flag was delivered, Brian was the only one left alive and he was out of paint already. The game stayed true to that angry pattern with teams trading point-for- point. Not in any pep-talks or their right minds did the Assassins believe a team of high school students would put them in a beat down like they have. This group of high school players put them into a 6 to 4 deficit by the time the halftime whistle blew. All along they feared Brittany and Brian, but even the JV squad was giving them trouble. The refs allowed for their to be an extended halftime since this was after all just a scrimmage. "Coach," Thomas from the Assassins said as he entered the pit area, "may I?" "Of course," Coach Wilson said pleasantly, "that's why you guys are here right?" "Coach I'm very impressed by your kids' stand-up attitude and aggressive style. That's just something that you cannot teach. You should be proud of these kids. My entire team is still flabbergasted by what we just went through. We never expected you guys to come out like you did and match us point-for- point, move-for-move. I still don't know how you keep managing to counter everything we throw at you. We expected you guys to play your hearts out, but we didn't expect you to rip them out and throw'em at us. "Just one thing on the JV lines, when you're told to make a move, get off your ass and move. That's how every time we've been able to move down field at you guys: we can anticipate your movements and your hesitations. So when you do move, keep your head up and looking down field for either bodies or paint. Don't just assume you'll make it. That goes for everyone actually. Keep your eyes on the game, don't rely solely on the eyes of the coaches and spectators. If you can't trust your own eyes, then no one else will." He turned to Brittany and smiled widely, "Brittany, I expected nothing less to come from you. They way you keep us on edge and guessing is how your line keeps scoring. Keep it up. That goes for you too Brian and Curtis. Good anticipation of enemy movements and good field knowledge. Again, something that you simply can't teach. Good luck in the second half." "You too Tom," Brittany said as he took his leave. Once he was in his own pit area, Brittany turned back around to her team. "He's right, it's the same thing that's gonna kill us at World Cup. We need to keep our heads up whenever we make a move. And keep your guns rolling, especially our back and cover players. I lost count of how many times I noticed you guys just looking around with your guns pointed to the ground. Good thing they didn't seem to notice until it was too late. Don't expect them to come out that soft in the second half. That's how this team works: they let you get ahead by a couple points and get comfortable, then they stomp you in the face so hard so you can't recover. Once you make your spots, get comfortable but don't relax." After Brittany got in her words of advice and the coaches gave their spill on what needs to be done, they got suited up and went over some line changes for the second half. Once everything was sorted out, the Head Ref called the teams out to start the game once again. Once again, Brittany noticed her mom looking on and talking to one of the other moms. As Brittany's gaze drifted over the stands, she noticed Kayla and Samantha also among the growing number of spectators. This brought out a bazaar grimace to Brittany's face, so much so that her teammates could see it even through her mask. She let her eyes drift over to the chain-link fence where Amanda has been sitting this whole time. Brittany saw that she was no longer there alone. Roger was standing behind her, obviously trying to get her to leave, but Amanda either didn't hear him or was being a stubborn little bitch... easily discerned from the way Roger was yelling at her. This brought a smile once again across Brittany's lips. "Hey Brit, you O.K.?" Curtis asked as they approached the start station. "You look a little distracted." "I'm fine, Curtis," Brittany said, obviously still smiling at Amanda. "One of my biggest fans has come out to see me." "Who? Kayla?" Curtis asked completely oblivious to whom she referred. "I thought you and her hated each other. Why is she even here?" "I could care less why that bitch is here," Brittany answered, giggling aloud, "She could burn in fucking hell for all I care, but that girl over there by the fence came all the way out here to see me play." "Oh, you got a new girlfriend already?" he asked with an obvious concern in his voice. "Didn't take you long, did it?" "No, she's not my girlfriend," Brittany answered smiling from ear-to-ear, "Shit I hardly know her... in fact she scares the hell out of me, but for some reason I can't help but feel attracted to her." "Be careful with that Brit," Curtis answered, still carrying the same concern in his voice, "You fell for Kayla the same way and we all know how that went." "Thanks for your concern, Curtis," she said with a grimace. "I'll keep that in mind." With that, Brittany threw her game face on and went about getting the line ready for the second half. After one of her infamous rants, the line got situated for the whistle to blow. "Don't give these fuckers an inch. Make them play our game like the little bitches they are." With that, the ref blew the second half whistle. Once again, this simple scrimmage between friends quickly turned into a bloodbath. Paint was flying, coaches and spectators were yelling, and players were walking off the field one by one; even the most untrained eye could easily feel the animosity both sides were putting out. The Assassins were playing like they had something to prove, which they did after the first half they played, and just absolutely went for broke. The high schoolers were playing the game they were trained to play by their star coaches and player. Point after point both teams fought each other with such reckless abandon it was hard to keep up with the play. By the end of the game, the Assassins emerged victorious, having a severe deficit to overcome, by only a single point with a final score of 10 to 9. The Kennview coaches could have been prouder even if they won the match, but Brittany wasn't about to show that kind of emotion. She tore into everyone about their weaknesses and jumped someone's shit when they tried to speak up; she made it perfectly clear that she didn't like to lose to anyone. "Chill out, Brittany," Coach Williams said after he let her vent, "don't go blowing up over a simple scrimmage. This was nothing more than an educational day anyway." "Sorry Coach," she said after taking a deep breath. "You know how much I hate losing, that's why I don't do it." "I know Brittany," he said pointing her to take a knee. "I thought you all played a great game. Remember, these are freaking Pro players, and upper echelon at that. None of you let your lines dissolve nor did you allow them to take anything, they had to earn every kill and every move. If you play like that this weekend and at Cup then we will have no problems at all this season." "Damn straight, coach," William from the Assassins said as he entered the pit area. He'd been standing beyond the net the whole time listening to Brittany's rant and the coach's praises. "I don't think I've ever encountered a team of young players who play with that level of animosity. You are some real talented players and you all should thank your coaches and experienced teammates for being able to train you like that." "I'll say," Thomas said as he made his entrance. "You guys beat the hell out of like Avalanche and Dynasty would have. That's how you win games, you go out there and you make them earn every inch, just like you put us through. You see someone get into a key bunker, you blast him out immediately. Make you kills smart kills and methodically march down the field. After what I saw, and played in for that matter, I don't think I found any real flaws that second half. About the only real difference was you lack of game experience bested you. Hell, we actually did expect to show up here and outclass you, but that first point showed us what we were up against. Coach Wilson, I want to congratulate you and your kids. Keep up the good work. We'll keep tabs on you throughout the season and we'll see you all at Cup. Good luck." Thomas and William left to get their gear packed up. The coaches dismissed the team to the showers to get cleaned up before they left for their day off. While the kids were changing into their regular clothes, the coaches held a a little pow-wow to get the lines for the tournament this weekend. Coach Wilson called the team together outside the pit area to go over the information about the tournament. Brittany let most of it fall on deaf ears since this wasn't the first time she's heard this speech and it wouldn't be the last. About the only thing she heard was him dismissing the team to their parents. Brittany uprooted her gearbag and started off towards the bleachers. She tried to keep an eye out for her mom, who seemed to have vanished to somewhere; all the while she kept thinking how much the team has improved over the last month. As she neared the other side of the stands, she heard a small commotion from the other side of the fence. Brittany's paced quickened when she recognized Kayla's voice shouting, "...you fucking bitch!". Brittany's pace continued to increase all the while she heard Kayla shouting over and over, "...she's MY girlfriend!...you fucking bitch!", her words accompanied by the sound of hands and fists pounding into someone. "KAYLA!" Brittany shouted when she arrived on the scene. Kayla stopped her assault on Amanda, who seemed to not even trying to fight back, and looked in her direction. "What the fuck are you doing?" "Shut up, slut," Samantha quipped, rising to her feet and pointing at her. "Who the fuck was talking to you, bitch?" Brittany answered. "This has nothing to do with you." "Shut your damn mouth," Kayla said in an hurt-angry tone. "You are my girlfriend and I'm not going to lose you to a fucking slut who can't talk." "What are you talking about?" Brittany said in obvious confusion. "You broke up with me, remember? You went to that whore and fucked her right in front of me. Twice. We're through! How much clearer do I have to make it?" "We are far from through," Kayla said in a mocking voice, kicking Amanda in the stomach once more. The dark emotion in her eyes spoke volumes to Brittany. Kayla started coming towards her with a wanton abandonment on her face. In that moment, Brittany realized that Kayla was an absolutely crazy bitch. "Stay away from me." Brittany said, taking a step back and putting her hands up in a defensive position, but Kayla kept approaching. "I said stay away!" Samantha got up behind Kayla, as if to take some sort of possessive posture. As they got closer, Brittany began to realize the severity of her situation: she was now up against two crazy bitches with no real way out. Brittany kept backing off from Kayla whenever she got too close for comfort, but her will was unwavering. Out of nowhere came a loud thud. Brittany's gaze averted from the craze-induced Kayla to see Amanda standing over a now unconscious Samantha. Brittany saw Amanda's black eyes were outlined by matching bruises and she sustained several cuts into her face. Kayla spun around to see the girl who she unleashed her insane anger upon staring down at Samantha's limp body. Amanda looked up and their eyes locked. Kayla felt her blood run cold as she looked into Amanda's lifeless eyes. Amanda walked towards her, glaring those ebony pearls of nothingness into Kayla's very soul. As Amanda drew closer, Kayla tried a weak swing at her but failed to connect. Amanda grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm until she heard the bone break. Brittany felt the blood rush out of her face and her stomach churn when that awful sound reached her ears. She heard Kayla's blood chilling screams as the pain traveled through her. Amanda, however, didn't seem affected at all, in fact her vigor was only renewed by her cries of pain. Amanda twisted her arm the other direction sending bone fragments into Kayla's flesh as her body fell to the ground. She balled up a fist and began a systematic beating of Kayla's upper body and face. By the time all was said and done, Kayla was lying on the ground unconscious with her broken arm, a broken nose and several bruised ribs. Amanda looked over at Brittany, who, by this point, had fallen to her knees from the shock. Brittany's face was nothing more than a blank, pale slate; her eyes were void of any life. Her breathing was slow and scarce, but her heart was thumping against her chest. Amanda walked over to Brittany and sat down next to her. She put head on Brittany's shoulder, listening to her heart thumping at that creepily loud but slow pace. Brittany didn't seem to notice that Amanda was even still there because as soon as Amanda's head hit her shoulder, she shivered a little, brining her out of her trance-like state. "What the hell just happened?" she asked weakly. Her voice was still bearing the shock of it all. Amanda took her notepad out from her hoodie pocket and wrote "they started it, I finished it". "Started what?" she asked not grasping the situation. "the fight" she wrote with a frown on her lips. "Well then," she started after taking a deep breath, "explain what happened before I got here." With the two crazy teenagers still lying on the ground unconscious, Amanda began writing about the events that led up to the fight. "I was just standing here watching you play when they came over to me and asked me about my business. By the time I finished 'explaining' myself, they were very angry for some reason. They tried to take my pad away but I pulled back. Then they decided I was 'too fucked up' to have a girlfriend like you and they went crazy." "Well, what did you tell them that made them flip out on you like that?" Brittany asked, astounded and confused by her use of the word "girlfriend". "I told the one named 'Kayla' that I was a friend of yours... even though we barely know each other. She kept pressing the issue of how 'well' we know each other until I finally lost my nerve and told her we are girlfriends. I guess I thought it would make them leave but I was gravely mistaken." "Wow," Brittany blinked a few times while all this rushed through her brain. She wanted to know more about her and get to know her, but this was beyond all her reckoning. "What one earth possessed you to tell her something like that?" Amanda couldn't help but notice that Brittany's tone was not tainted by offense. In fact, her voice sounded flattered. "I don't really know," Amanda wrote with a smile and her cheeks turning red, even beneath the black eyes and cuts. "I guess it was the only thing I could think of off the top of my head. Plus you want to get to know me and I want to get to know you too. Roger's been informing me of your inquiries about me and I must say I'm impressed. By the way, I'm sorry I scared you that day in the store..." By this point her smile faded from a pretty white-toothed smile to an apologetic frown. "Oh, that's O.K.," Brittany said feeling a little down, "you just startled me is all. I was surprised, I guess you could say, and then I didn't expect to see that face of yours." Brittany immediately regretted her words as soon as they left her mouth. "Great job, Brit," she thought to herself, "now you went and pissed her off." She looked over at her and Amanda was smiling broadly once again. "You were scared, but entranced and curious, were you not?" Amanda maintained that beautiful smile the entire time she wrote her words. "To tell you the truth, I didn't expect to ever see you again or learn that you ever came back to the bookstore again. But you did so that told me that you felt some sort of compulsion, did you not? I ask because I felt it too." "Now that you mention it, there was more to that than just fear," Brittany thought aloud. "Thinking back on it, I did feel compelled to find out more about you and why you were able to this sway over me. I mean, you were always there in my head and my dreams--I actually lost sleep because of you, you know." That comment brought a giggle out of Brittany and Amanda turned her flushed face away out of embarrassment. "I was planning on going to the bookstore tomorrow after school and try to talk to you about all this, but I guess you beat me to the punch. Then you beat the shit out of Kayla and Samantha." Once again, Brittany felt herself relaxing in Amanda's presence, plus the fact they were making fun of the still unconscious crazy bitches. "I like you Brittany Williams," Amanda confessed, still blushing like a little schoolgirl. "but I can only hope that you can like me too once you find out the genuine truth about me and that I will leave entirely up to you." "What are you talking about, Amanda?" Brittany asked in a shocked tone. "You know that's the first time you've ever addressed me by name. I'm flattered." "Don't change the subject," Brittany answered a bit more harshly than she intended to. "What won't I like about you? I mean, you saved my ass from whatever Kayla and Samantha had in mind and you don't really seem like you belonged in that institution in the first place." This brought a hard stare and grimace from Amanda; Brittany hit a nerve, but wasn't sure which one. "Roger told me that you were sentenced to an asylum after you watched you father kill your mother, then himself. He also mentioned that you went through a hell that no one should endure. Is that this truth you are afraid I won't like you for?" "In all honesty, yes. I did things and had things done to me I wish upon no one." Amanda thought for minute after Brittany read her words, then continued. "Tell you what, after your tournament this weekend, take a trip with me and Roger and everything will be explained. Can you do that?" "I guess," Brittany said unsure of her answer. "Where would we be going?" "My old home." "We're going to the asylum?!" Brittany said shocked by the invitation "I don't know if my mom will let me, but I guess it never hurts to ask. What will I see?" "You'll have to come to find out." "There you are!" Brittany's mom called out from the driver's seat. The sound o her voice scared the hell out of the both of them. Brittany and Amanda turned around to see Brittany's mom damn near tears. "I've been looking for you for almost an hour, young lady!" She turned the car off and started to approach them. Once she reached her daughter, she quickly brought her into a tight embrace with tears falling from her eyes. "Mom, I'm fine," Brittany said returning the hug. Then it hit her, she had forgotten all about looking for her mom once she saw Amanda in trouble. Mrs. Williams' expression changed to shock when she looked over at the two unconscious teenagers laying on the ground. "What the hell happened here?" "Well, Kayla and Samantha were beating the hell out of Amanda there and I tried to stop them," Brittany said trying not to upset her mother but, at the same time, tell the truth, "but they quickly turned on me and tried to jump me too. Amanda got up from the ground and knocked out Samantha. Kayla heard the commotion and tried to get her again, but Amanda over powered her this time and returned the beating." "Is this true?" her mother asked Amanda, who was standing just a few feet away. "Yes" Amanda wrote on a clean sheet of her notepad, which was quickly running thin. "Sorry mom," Brittany said, hugging her once again, "I didn't mean to worry you..." "Why didn't you call me, or the cops or an ambulance for that matter?" her mother said in anger, but still worried. "I thought I raised you better than that." "My phone's dead," Brittany admitted unwillingly. Mrs. William's quickly got out her phone and called for an ambulance for the two teenagers who, by now, were beginning to stir and come around. While they waited for the ambulance to arrive, Brittany's mom tried to tend to Kayla's and Samantha's injuries. Although she did her motherly best, even the most untrained eye could tell the needed a hospital and time to recover from these kinds of injuries. By the time the ambulance arrived, both of them were somewhat cared for and Kayla's bleeding had stopped. "Mom, can Amanda come over for dinner tonight?" Brittany asked in a half-hearted tone. "Just get in the van, Brittany," her mother answered harshly. "We'll discuss this more wen we get home." Brittany gave Amanda a quick hug before obeying her mother. While Brittany was busy putting her gearbag, and herself, in the van, her mother went over to Amanda. "Thank you for defending my daughter like that," she said in a near apologetic voice. "It really means a lot to me that she has friends like you." Amanda just smiled and took her leave. Brittany's mom was left standing in awe of Amanda's candor and was just as curious about her as Brittany.