Shut Up and Talk to Me! A KOTLC FanFic

Chapter Six: Keefe

"This looks like it could be sort of fun," Sungrey said.

Keefe stood with Fitz and Sungrey on the outskirts of the gym. Keefe was trying to refresh Sungrey on the rules of Splotching, but some kids in the distance kept screaming. It was late in the day, since they had to have P.E. after all the Main Level classes were finished with their classes, and their P.E.

Keefe was still wondering how Sungrey couldn't remember the rules to a Splotching Match. It had only been one year... hadn't it? I mean, he guessed they weren't at school for a while there, with the Neverseen and stuff, but still. Keefe remembered the rules like the back of his hand.

Then again, he loved P.E.

They were starting. But this time, they were doing something different. "Okay," called their coach. "Listen up. We're going to take things a little differently then we used to in the Main Levels. This is going to be like an ordinary Splotching Match, except for one thing. Instead of all starting at the same time, we're going to go pair by pair. I want you all to watch whoever is going, paying attention to how they use their skills in the game. When each pair has gone, we'll do as usual and the people who've won their rounds will split into pairs. From there out, everyone will go at the same time, as if in a normal game. Understood?"

Everyone muttered or yelled some version of "Yes!"

When it was Sungrey's turn, Keefe nudged her. "You're up."

"Oh. Alright," she said. "Let's do this, then." She rubbed her hands together, stepping forward into the circle. She was up against some girl Keefe had seen around before, but couldn't remember the name of.

"Don't you think it's kind of weird that we're required to do P.E. three times a week now?" Fitz said, and it caught Keefe off guard, since he hadn't said much of anything since they'd gotten there. "I mean, we're eighteen. The Elite Levels are supposed to be more of an independent thing, at least, the last time I checked."

"I don't know," Keefe felt a bit hurt by Fitz's ponderings. "Don't you like sports?"

"Well, no, I mean, yes, I do, it just seems a bit odd. I hadn't really thought about it until now."

But Keefe didn't reply, because his attention was taken to the middle of the circle. The pair wes starting.

As soon as their coach blew the whistle, Sungrey went into action. She dodged all of her opponent's balls like crazy, but she couldn't seem to get a grasp on her telekinesis. Actually, it didn't look like she was even trying.

"Get in the game, Stashampe!" The coach yelled. At least he'd taken enough time to learn everyone's name. Well, sort of.

Keefe grabbed Fitz's arm in suspense, and he rolled his eyes, peeling his friend off of him. But Fitz did seem very focused on the game.

The more Sungrey dodged, though, the more the other girl hurtled the splotching balls toward her, and eventually, Sungrey was hit. She shook the other girl's hand, panting, before heading back over towards the boys. "Guess I'm a little off my game," she said.

"Nice job," Fitz commented, meeting her gaze briefly.

"Thanks," she smiled to him, and Keefe threw her a bottle of Youth as she stepped aside, so the coach knew who was moving on into the second round.

A few more prodigies went, and then Keefe was going, crushing the boy in front of him in a matter of seconds. (And that boy had a reputation of being PREtty good at athletics.)

Keefe watched Fitz as he made his way towards the middle of the area. Come on, come on, he thought to himself. If Fitz couldn't get his head into the real world before, this would have to push him into it. If a good old-fashioned, pressuring Splotching Match couldn't do the trick, Keefe didn't know what would.