Achilles

Chapter 9: Malákas

"Au revoir tout le monde!" Professor Beaumont shouts as everyone leaves class after a horrible French exam.
(French- Goodbye, everyone!)

It's okay though, I definitely passed... thanks to my stepmom.

After leaving class, I head to the campus's common area, where Nari should be waiting for me.

I make my way through campus to the common area, which isn't too far from the Foreign Language and Literature department. It's just a short walk around a giant garden. I stop at the outside portion of the common area. I quickly skim the open tables, Nari probably wouldn't sit out in the cold so I better check inside.

I jog up a few steps to the indoor common area. As I walk in I'm greeted by a few teammates. "Yo, Ira!" Mohammed, one of our right-wingers shouts. I walk up to the group of men I recognize as teammates.

"Oh, Hey guys!" I smile, exchanging fistbumps with them

"Bro, when is your suspension over?" Hongli, our other right-winger asks. "James as our center is killing us! It's only practice now but he's going to fuck us over during our first game of the year!"

I throw my head back, groaning. "I just gotta sit out for three games and I'll be back. And don't worry, I won't let James fuck up our winning streak."

"Have you seen how he's been slacking during practice?" Stephen, our best left-winger, scoffs. "He only tries when Coach is praising you. We're fucked!"

"Don't let his shitty playing mess with your game!" I remark, shifting my gaze between each of them. "Have you guys seen Nari- um.. that deaf girl from practice before?" I ask, looking past their heads.

They shake their heads. "Haven't seen her," Mohammed shrugs. With how cold it is outside, everyone's piling up inside between classes to escape the weather, and it's hard to find anyone in this mess.

"She's hot and she can skate, she's amazing!" Hongli beams.

"She's fucking smart too," I add, feeling the corners of my lips rise. "Oh, she can skateboard too, and she has the fucking hottest hip dips... um... anyway she's like whatever... I'm going to go find her, she's my tutor." I rub the back of my neck bashfully and turn my face to hide its color.

"Alright, we'll see you later," Stephen nods, running a hand through his auburn red hair. "Don't get into any trouble, we need you back as soon as possible!" He adds as I turn away.

"I won't!" I shout back before leaving them to look for Nari.

I look over the many heads, still not finding Nari. She better be here or I'm going to have to make her tutor me extra long next time, and I doubt either of us would like that.

I squint, trying to spot Nari in this grand room. I feel the corners of my lips turn up when I spot Nari sitting at a table in the corner of the room. She has her laptop and notebook open in front of her with a pen stuck between her pillow-like lips.