Letters, Bets, and the Problems of Kim and Alix's Rivalry

'Sorry, what was that?'

'Kim!' Alix roared, storming up to the boy, face contorted in fury. He looked down at her, visibly amused.

'Woah, calm down there Al, you might set something on fire.'

'Ooh, I'll set you on fire.' She hissed in reply, poking his chest with her index finger. 'What do you call this?'

'Uuuuhhh. . . your skates?' Kim raised an eyebrow, observing the roller-blades dangling in her free hand.

'Not them!' Alix cried, shaking her skates in his face. 'This!'

'I see nothing wrong.'

'The wheels are worn down!' She yelled suddenly, a student dropping her books in the hallway in shock. 'Because of your stupid dares, I have to continue to race you, wearing these down more and more! They're nearly square!'

Kim whistled lowly. 'That bad, huh?'

Alix closed her eyes, mentally counting to ten to calm herself.

One, two, thr-- Bugger it

She shoved her shoulder fully into Kim's gut, slamming the larger boy's back into the lockers behind him. Kim was no longer smiling.

'Jeez, Al, what did I do to deserve this?' He wheezed, held in place by the surprisingly strong girl.

'Take a freaking guess.'

Several other students giggled at the exchange, others sighing in response. Alix, for the good of her mental health, ignored them, focusing on knocking some sense into Kim. 'You dare me at least once a week, every week, to race you or some other dumb challenge--'

'You could turn them down.' Kim retorted, head tilted to the side slightly. His amused face was back, so Alix did the only thing she could think of.

She kicked him in the shin.

'Agh, Alix, come on!' Kim winced, shifting his weight to favour the other leg. 'You can buy new wheels or something.'

'Those are expensive, damn it!' she growled, still pushing the taller boy back into the lockers. 'So you're gonna buy them for me or at least make up for it!'

'In what way could I make this up to you?' he scoffed. 'It's not like I have anything.'

'Okay, well I've got something for you.'

'Why do I feel like I'm heading into a trap?' Kim muttered.

'I've got a dare for you.'

'Yup, definitely a trap.' He sighed, resigning to his fate.

'No more dares for a month and I pay for my own wheels.'

'And?'

'And what?' Alix looked at him flatly.

'That's it? That's my reward for a month of no dares?'

'Well, yeah--'

'No deal.' Kim rolled his eyes, batting Alix's hands off him and starting to walk off.

'Kim!' She shouted, shoving him back again with another slam.

'Al, that actually hurts.'

'Like I care, wuss.' she retorted, arm pressed against his chest. 'What regulations do you suggest?'

'Hmmm. . .' he paused in mock thought, hand tapping his chin. 'How about if I lose, I pay for your wheels and--'

'That's exactly what I said, dummy.'

'and;' he started again, smirk returning 'Can't make dares for the rest of the school year.'

'That's--'