Into the Pit

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

There are different sized uniforms and combat boots lined up on a rack in the dressing room. Calix, Skytus, and Ludo grab their sizes and continue into the locker room. Veda selects a medium and heads into the girls' one. Meanwhile, Dylis, Melina and I make sure to pick out the right sizes before continuing. Nothing is worse than excersizing in uncomfortable clothes.

"So why do you guys think they're showing us all this?" Melina asks as she browses throught the sizes.

Dylis shrugs as she holds one of them up to her. "I don't know, but I have complete trust in Skytus."

Ajax nods. "Don't froget the rest if 'em. This place is sooo cool! I can't believe we're gonna learn how to use weapons!"

Misto groans. "Nobody thinks it's even remotely weird they're showing us how to use weapons in an abandoned military base after knowing them for a day?"

"As long as we're here and not back up in Adria, I'm happy," Velotz says. I remember he was the one who actually triggered the alarm.

Misto mumbles something under his breath and begins to untie his ratted out tennis shoes. The soles of them are completely worn down, the colors have faded, and the laces are frayed. The rest of us have been going barefoot.

"Why are you still wearing those crappy shoes?" I say.

"They are most certainly not crappy, and why would I want to be barefoot on this dirt? I could step on something," he retorts.

"You're right Misto," Ajax says. "They're much worse. The more proper term would be cow shit."

Misto turns red. "Shut up! Everyone else liked them on the surface! Right Dylis?"

Dylis shakes her head. "Nobody likes them Misto....."

"Yeah," Ajax says. "The orange is now brown, and the white parts are practically black. And look!" He steps on Misto's heel so that it comes out of the shoe. "I can flat tire you now!"

"That's just because I just untied my shoe you fool!" Misto shouts.

Ajax comes up with a comeback instantly. "Wow I'm impressed, with those weird laces it must have taken years of practice. And don't call me a fool! It's not nice to bully people Misto..."

"How am I the bully?!" Misto exclaims, clenching his fists.

"You just called me a fool! Not to mention you humiliated me about being drunk. Plus you're just plain annoying."

"Well maybe if you were actually smart, you wouldn't have drunk some strange liquid from some random chick and gotten drunk in the first place!" Misto stomps his foot.

"Well at least I'm not an immature fourth grader!" Ajax says. I remember one time our old history teacher Mr. Roberts had called Misto an immature fourth grader for throwing Ajax's folder on the ground and stepping on it. Misto said Ajax had stabbed him with a pencil, but Mr. Roberts hadn't seen that. So he called Misto an immature fourth grader and made him stay after class and sort papers. And while Ajax thought it was hilarious, Misto and his papercut hands had something else to say about it.

"Look who's talking!" That's apparently all Misto can come up with.

Ajax smiles. "I am talking, good for you! You get a sticker!"

Misto grabs the uniform pants Ajax is holding and, of course, throws them on the ground and starts stomping on it.

"Well this brings back memories..." Ajax says. "Don't worry Misto, you're still my home shizzle." He pats him on the head.

Misto grumbles something then storms off into the locker room. Ajax chuckles, picks up his pants, and follows him. Velotz goes in after.

"What a piss off," I say. "He's been so moody the whole time we've been here." I grab a size small off the rack.

Melina shrugs. "It seems like Calix really bothers him, I don't know why, he saved all our lives."

"I know right!" Dylis says. "What does he have against him?"

I think back to last night, when Misto caught me and Calix kissing. And how they got into a fight. I guess no one else knows about it. I decide not to tell them yet. Not that I don't trust them, but I don't want word going around that Calix and Misto may or not be fighting over me. Oh gosh, it sounds weird even in my head.

"Yeah, I have no idea," I say. Then I go into the locker room, where Veda is finishing lacing up her boots.

"You can leave your other clothes in any of the lockers. When you need to open it, the key is hanging over there," she says. Then she heads out to the training center.

I get dressed in the olive cargo pants, black tank top, and cargo half jacket. Then I put my clothes in a random locker labeled R-274. I tell Dylis and Melina where the key is on my way out.

Everyone is training. Maya, Devon, and Tannex are practicing with different weapons on dummies, Ludo is showing Velotz how to throw knives at a target, Myana demonstrates some sword technique to Ajax, and Veda tries to get Misto to attempt a backflip, and he lands on his butt.

I hear Dylis and Melina come up behind me. "Whoa," Melina says. Skytus comes over to us. "Cool huh?" he says, taking Dylis' hand. She giggles and blushes a little. "Sure is," she replies.

Just then, Calix comes from behind and puts his arms around me. He nestles his chin between my neck and shoulder. "I'll say," he says. Dylis' eyes widen. Melina silently walks over to Veda. "Are you two...like...a thing?" Dylis says.

I look over at Calix, still on my shoulder. "Umm," I say. Are we together? Calix answers for me. "Yup." Then he kisses me on the cheek. Well I guess we are. I notice Misto staring. He shakes his head then turns away.

Dylis squeals. "I'm so happy for you!" She claps her hands then goes to train with Skytus.

Calix grabs my hand. "Is that alright with you?" he asks, now standing in front of me.

"Um yeah, I just wasn't really sure..." I look back over to Misto. Maybe he was kind of right. I mean, Calix and I have only known each other for a day. But it feels like I've known him longer, and vice-versa. And nothing is wrong with it, I mean Dylis and Skytus are all snuggly. Maybe I'm just overreacting and confused because this hasn't happened to me before.

"Don't worry about him," Calix says, noticing me staring. "Come on, let's go to sword station." As we walk I notice that the sword station just so happens to be the farthest from the tumbling mats.