Finding My Normal

Ch 81: Epilouge

~2 years later~ Annual Academy Tournament

"Welcome to the final round of the 50th Annual Academy Tournament!!!!" The announcer says.

We have all finally graduated from the Academy, our favor and financial debt are gone and being here at a tradition that has gone on for fifty years makes me feel like a real Academy member. And standing here with my nine boyfriends? That makes this moment even sweeter.

Funny thing about those nine boys...it took me forever to finally get a kiss from each of them!! It was getting frustrating. At one point I practically crawled all over Kota, grabbed his face and tried to give him a smooch. My puckered lips kept trying to find his lips, but he kept moving!! Eventually he pried my hands from his face and lifted me off of his lap.

Once I came down from my temporary loss of sanity I was embarrassed. That was the night we had the infamous family meeting. Lots of things went on in that meeting... I won't get into them now, but long story short: they had vowed (without my knowledge) to not start anything "romantic" with me until we all graduated and we all got comfortable with each other and this non-traditional relationship. It was sweet, but...I was not willing and I would not obey!  It may not have been the best decision, but we got through it.  More on that another time, though.

I focus my attention back to the challenge before us.  The final round of the Academy Tournament is a team challenge.  In the prior rounds we nominated which of our members would compete.  Selecting our strongest for each particular challenge.  Now it's time to prove we can work together.

The announcer begins the instructions and they're pretty simple.  Save the fake baby and make it back without killing the baby.  Points are earned along the way based on skills you demonstrate and how much teamwork is involved.  Hit a booby trap and you lose points.  Get shot by your opponent and you have to sit out.  Each member that sits out is fifty points taken away from your final score.  So the more members you have the more points you can lose.  Make it back first with the baby you get 100 bonus points plus 5 points per second until the other team finishes.  Basically, save the baby the fastest in the most technical way while bringing back as many of your teammates as possible before the other team makes it back and you win!

"Team Anderson versus Team Blackbourne!!!  Are you ready??!??!!"  The announcer asks the crowd.  I'm nervous because my family has won the past twenty years straight, it's unfathomable!  Everyone has been anxious all day for this match up not only because I'm their daughter, but also because our team has been making some waves throughout the Academy.  We are the youngest group to have graduated and we were also in the running for most assignments completed in a single year; that record also held by my parents.  Lucky for them we missed the mark by ten this year.  

Our team settles on one side of the field and my parents gather on the opposite end.  The field is built each year specifically for this challenge.  It changes every year so as not to give an advantage to teams who repeatedly make the final round.  This year it looks like a deserted town that a tornado has just swept through.  There are small buildings, wreckage, small hills and one open area in the center with two plastic crying babies; one for each team.  The center area looks so peaceful and safe, but we figure there has to be some sort of booby trap.

We are allowed a map of the field one hour prior to the challenge so we can come up with a strategy.  The entire week leading up to the tournament I was begging my parents for clues and tips on how to make it through and win the final round, but since they are just as competitive as my team they didn't give up any hints.

"Everyone remember the plan?"  Kota asks.  I look around and see my boyfriends nodding.  Owen and I are in charge of getting the baby while the rest are covering for us and attempting to take out members of the Anderson team.  We figured it was best that I was one of the people going for the baby because my parents wouldn't try and get me out right?