Different.

Chapter 6

"What?" Pandra pulls away from me.

"Will you be my girlfriend Pandra?" I repeat myself.

"What about Wyatt?" Pandra asks.

"I don't want to date Wyatt, but I have to. We can date in secret."

"Really?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Wyatt, your father, everybody at school."

"Oh forget about them." I pull Pandra into a hug. "We would be the only things that matter."

"Okay. But we wont be able to see each other a lot."

"We will find a way. But I have to go now before the group realizes how long I've been gone." I lean over and give her a kiss on the cheek. "See you later girlfriend." I walk out the door and take my place next to Wyatt at our table.

Right after lunch is gym class. We are all doing our laps around the room when I glimpse Noah slip behind the bleachers. I follow him a lap later.

"Hey." he says when I enter.

I grab him into a hug. "Oh Noah, I am so miserable."

"You don't seem it." he says in a hurtful tone.

"I am. I don't want to date that ass. I fucking hate him." I step back from him.

"You don't act like it."

"Key word there Noah, act. I have to act like we are dating. I can't tell you why but just believe me when I say that I don't want to date him."

"Why should I believe you? You're already starting to act like one of them."

"If I were one of them I would have ditched you of at least I would have not hugged you."

"Oh."

"Yeah. So don't ever say that I'm one of them again because I hate acting like one of them."

"We should get back to gym class." he runs out from behind the bleachers and joins the other runners.

I wait for Wyatt to pass, then join the runners as well. "Hey babe." I say, smiling up at Wyatt.

"Hey guess what?" he says.

"What?" I ask.

"Today is dodge-ball day."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, me and you can gang up against the weak group you used to hang out with."

"I see." I start to fake sneeze. "I need to get a tissue real quick. Be right back." I run away from Wyatt and to the teacher. "Hey Genzer, I heard today is Dodge-ball day."

"That's right."

"I was wondering who are the team captains?"

"One will be Wyatt, and the other will be who ever wants to be against him, because I wouldn't want to." he laughs.

"Can I be the other team captain?"

"Aren't you dating Wyatt?"

"Yes. I think it will be fun. Which is also why you have to act like you picked me as a team captain yourself. Please Genzer, for me."

"Okay, now go finish your laps."

"Thanks." I say as I run to join Wyatt.

"Where is your tissue?" Wyatt asks.

"In the trash." I say simply. "Who the fuck runs around with a dirty tissue in their hands."

"Oh."

"Alright everyone!" Coach Genzer yells out. "Line up against the back wall."

I stand next to Wyatt in the line and Coach Genzer moves to stand in front of the class.

"Okay, the team captains will be Wyatt."

"Yes!" Wyatt screams out as he moves to one side of Coach Genzer.

"And the other will be Dakota."

"What?" Wyatt yells as I move to the other side of Genzer.

I flash him a big grin.

"Pick your teams, Wyatt your up first." Coach Genzer says.

"Micky." he says.

"Noah." I say. Everyone in the room gasps as Noah comes to stand next to me.

"Raven."

"Pandra." she comes and stands next to me as well.

"Israel." 

Noah whispers something into my ear and I call out the next name. "Kaleb."

I see a new boy walk up to my group, stand next to Noah, and smile.

"Ezra."

"Erra." The last person comes and stands next to me.

"Okay, lets set up the balls."

Everyone in the class starts to grab plush balls and set them up in the middle of the room.

Wyatt comes up next to me as I am setting one of the balls in my hands on the line. "Why did you pick from your old friends, and that new fag?"

"For one, I know that my old friends are good at games like these, and for two, who is this 'new fag'?"

"That Kaleb person who just moved here, he's a fag just like that bitch Noah."

"Well, let's see how good he is at dodge-ball then."

"Alright! Strategy time. Dakota's team will start on this side," The Coach motions to one side of the room, "And Wyatt's team will start on this side." he motions toward the opposite side of the room.

I walk over to my side with my team and start to circle them up. "Here is what we need to do, Erra you need to take out Ezra. I know that your not very good at this game and neither is he, so he's an easy target."

"Got it." Erra says.

"Also Erra, don't try to catch and balls, just take down Ezra and dodge."

"Got it." Erra repeats.

"Okay, Pandra, you can go after Raven. She is fierce, so be careful. Also, same as Erra, don't try to catch, just dodge."

"Yes ma'am." she replies with a giggle.

"Kaleb, how good are you at this game?"

"I'm fucking awesome man."

"Okay, you go after Micky. He's quick, so aim well. Are you good at catching?"

"Yeah."

"Then try to catch some balls too."

"Yup."

"Noah, you got Israel and catching balls as well."

"Okay."

"I'll take on Wyatt, but if your target is out, go after Wyatt. He is really good at this game and needs to get taken out."

"Sweet." Erra says.

"Hell yeah." says Noah.

"We're gonna kick major ass!" Kaleb yells out. This resulted in a dirty look from the Coach.

"Yesh, we are." Pandra giggles.

I start to giggle with her. "Okay, let's go crush Wyatt's mega ego." I throw my hand in the middle.

After everybody puts their hands in the middle of the circle, we throw them up with an extremely loud battle cry.

We line up on the wall behind us. Noah on the right, Erra next to him, me in the middle, Pandra on my other side, and Kaleb on the other side of her. "Pandra, Noah, and Kaleb, get the balls. Noah and Kaleb, toss one each back here for me and Erra. We all throw our balls together for the first shot."

Everyone nods and Coach Genzer starts to count down. "Alright, in five. Four. Three. Two. One. GO!"