Perfect School

Jonah:

I told him the highlights of the competition but sparing the details, I would tell the whole group later, for things that we might do in the future. While we walked down the hall I asked him about how they had been doing as a group in my absence.

"Emily has been a tyrant, but Kyra has been wonderful.  She's smart and eager to help and since well...I don't get a lot of things well she comes and helped me.  Andrew is pretty cool too.  Smarter than I thought he was."  Paublo stated cheerfully as they walked.

Kira:

I was slow to leave my room, having spent the morning leaving a message for Marie explaining the results of the competition.  When that finished I dressed in my usual attire and made my way the longer route to the breakfast hall.

Kyra:

I intercepted Kira inn the hallway. “Hey! I heard you two were back!” I gave her a light hug. “You look way different with your hair like that. Did you choose it?” I asked her with a bright smile.

Jonah:

I frowned when he told me more about how Emily had acted. But over all I was pleased to hear that Kyra had picked up the reins to help him and her brother.

"The final day had a masquerade ball. I was made up to look like a porcelain doll. Apparently that includes blond hair. I miss having dark hair already." I replied as I reached up to tug at my hair.

Paublo:

I led the way inside as I continued to chatter with him. It was good to have the star back, things had been quiet without him and Kira. I tried to spot Kira but didn't really expect to see her at breakfast as usual.

Kyra:

“A Masquerade ball? That’s awesome! I bet you don't have pictures. I would love to go to something like that. What about the rest of the competition? Ya'll won of course, right? What was it like?” I asked her in a rush of question.

Jonah:

Emily was already sitting at the table when Paublo and I entered the cafeteria. I collected my breakfast before sitting with her, Paublo following.

Kira:

"I'm sure pictures might exist. But it was not of our doing. We did win and the competition was a series of challenges. A maze, a shootout, tracking, and so on. We didn't place first in every event as we had other objectives in mind. But took first over all." I explained as we walked.

Paublo:

I sat with my breakfast across from them, My cheerfulness at having Jonah back over rode the subtle tension in the air that I'd never have known anyway. "Did you enjoy yourself at least?" I asked around a mouthful of breakfast taco.

Jonah:

I put my elbows on the table. “I did, very much so. It was a new challenge in many ways. I had a lot of time to think as well. I feel like a new person, as trite as that sounds.” I answered, and felt Emily scoot closer. I barely had to look up to know Kira had entered the room. Emily was more touchy when Kira was present, and now was no exception. I all but ignored her advances and gave a soft smile and nod to Kira and to Kyra who radiated joyfulness.

They got their food and came to join the table, Kira would likely have left if it had not been for Kyra's insistence.

Paublo:

I looked around when Jonah gave a soft smile and my eyes widened on Kira. She was blond now? When had that happened? Why? I held the taco to my lips, forgotten as I watched Kyra insist on Kira join them at the table. "Blond?" I asked finally while lowering my food as Kira sat with only a handful of items.

Jonah:

Kyra explained for Kira about the blondness. Emily was clearly annoyed with the focus on Kira, but I again ignored her. Andrew joined us shortly after the two girls, and the conversation was fed mostly by Kyra, Paublo and myself.

Paublo:

It felt nice to have out group together. The six of us weren't exactly close, but for me it was like I had five friends now instead of the one I used to have. Sure Emily was still a bitch, Andrew was quiet, Kira distant and emotionless. But Kyra my crush and Jonah my best friend more than made up for the others.

Kira:

I would have prefered going to the gym with my meal, but I accepted the necessity of this as it was our first chance to be back together after being gone a week. I could feel the tension between Jonah and Emily even before I sat down. The tilt of her shoulders, the way he didn't even seem to notice her presence at all. Something had changed. And it had stemmed from last night.

Jonah:

After breakfast I told them we would be having an extra long practice to night to go over what they had done, and what we would do from here on out.

Through-out the day Emily was clingy but at the same time distant. Her body was present, but her mind was locked away. With every class she seemed to become more jealous of Kira, more suspicious. I could almost see the story she was making up in her head about Kira and I. The poor fool didn't understand that my manner was her doing, and not caused by Kira. In her eyes, Kira had corrupted me and was the source of my distance.

By the time we had our team training session, Emily was almost outright hostile to Kira, and I had to take her aside to tell her to cool down.

Kira:

I watched impassively with a slow shake of my head as Jonah took her aside. I returned my attention to Kyra again as I adjusted the padded shield on my hand. "Again." I raised it up high with my other hand supporting it from behind. I'd been having her practice her kicks, working her flexability into round house kicks and the like. Paublo had been getting the treatment before, but he had no flexability and I'd abandoned the idea with him.

Jonah:

Emily went back to practice brooding. Her emotions were only barely restrained, but she did not act out against Kira. After the training I gave an over view of what we would work on next time and dismissed them. Kira and I would have our our private training as we had before the competition.

Again Emily presented herself as a problem. She all but refused to leave the gym. She argued with with me, upset that on the first day back I wasn't spending time with her. She was getting on my lest nerve, and I remembered that Kira had warned me if Emily interfered with our practice that I would be out again.

I had to forcibly take Emily by the arm out of the gym, and I was quite cold in telling her not to come back in. I returned to the mat with a clenched jaw, not looking at Kira, just waiting for the teacher to arrive.

I watched again with a thoughtful gaze as Jonah more or less threw Emily out of the gym. I still remembered my threat clearly, and I wondered just what Jonah was willing to do to be sure it didn't happen again. "Clear your mind Jonah. Either lay down and relax your body or take your frustrations out on the bag. You have a few minutes still. You might physically be here for training, but not mentally and that is nearly as bad."

Jonah:

“My mind is quite alright Kira.” I answered coolly, but with no annoyance toward her. I thought on my dilemma with Emily. I had misjudged her, or over looked her. Maybe I knew what she was and chose to ignore it for the benefits I got. I had been more naive, I thought, when I had first taken her. Now I was regretting it.

"Then do you think you could take me in a fight and win right now Jonah." I asked in a soft tone. Slowly I slid off the table and began approaching him. "You remember my words do you not? Do not let her interfere with practice. And yet she is in your head right now and your focus elsewhere."

Jonah:

“She is not going to interfere. And I am not hampered. I can take you in a fight as well now as any other time.” I answered studding her body for signs of initiation. I would not let her prove me wrong. And her pushing only made me more determined to preform well in tonight's session.

I stopped before him and searched his face. "That's the look I expect to see Jonah." I remarked right as the teacher came in. Without a word I turned and readied for the lesson today, knowing I was likely to bear the brunt of the night after my taunts. Training was quick drills where we stood facing each other and flashed into a single attack without knowing what the other was going to do. It was about reading the others body in a dangerous game. We spent a couple hours on it, with scrapes on both sides before it was called to a close. The teacher left first and I stopped at the doors, barring the way from Jonah to leave. "You weren't focused at the start Jonah. I know what you said. But if ever I see that kind of disctraction on your face I'll call you on it as too distracted to perform your duties as assigned."

Jonah:

I looked at her levelly. “I would expect nothing less from you Kira.” I said with a shrug. “Know that I will do the same for you.” I grabbed her arm, over I spot where I knew I bruised her, and went passed. What was that? Concern for me? Was she worried I would fall off the track again, or was she simply guarding her position?

I walked back to my room alone, returning once again after the other students had gone to bed. As I entered the hallway, Dayo had just reached his door and hastened to disappear within his room. It was possible that he had been somewhere other than Emily's room, but I doubted it. It was quite gutsy to continue this after I was back, I thought as I retreated to my own room.

I was an emotionless weapon, but I still felt pain and winced as he grabbed my arm. I stared at the spot he grabbed then to the door. "How disappointing..." I muttered. The work he'd been building inside me, making me start to feel things unraveled and toppled. I found it easier to shut the door on my emotions quicker and tighter. I was slow to return to my room, taking the long route again.

Jonah:

I spent the night calculating and got very little sleep from it. In the morning I woke up early and went to the gym in wait of Kira who I knew would show up shortly. There were no classes today and I had scheduled a long practice for the team sometime after breakfast. Kira, I knew, liked to do a morning session before breakfast.

Kira:

I woke up at my usual time and since I had been forced into skipping last morning I was as eager as I could be to get my workout this morning. With fighting gloves in hand I made my way to the gym gaze sliding over Jonah inside as he didn't even exist.

Jonah:

I watched her begin her routine and ignore me while she did it. That was fine by me, I did not require her attention for the time being. I went through my own workout and waited until she went to take a shower before taking my own. I was quick and was out before she was. I waited for her outside of the girl's locker-room.

I wasn't so much ignoring Jonah as I was treating him like the day I'd first met him. And after my workout I left to take a shower, letting the water calm me before I stepped out to find him waiting. I simply kept moving, paying him no mind.

Jonah:

“Good morning Kira.” I said smoothly following her when she didn't pause. I could see how she had reverted back to her original self. No cracks visible in her mask now, they were tightly sealed.