The Struggle (2nd Book of Life Button series)

Owtytnewt

I sigh, shoveling food into my mouth. I'm happy that Cedric and Daisy got back that quick but now I'm extremely bored. Most of the Guys are out doing stuff and I'm stuff with Cadmar, eating some salad. I don't even like salads! That's why mine is a fruit salad with oranges, strawberries, and blueberries!

"Now, what do you wanna do?" Cadmar asks me.

I absentmindedly stare off into space while petting a sleeping Baron. "I don't know."

"We could...I don't know. Chill? Oh I know, I need to thicken you up!"

My mouth drops and I immediately slap him. He groans, "Not that way! You need to be stronger if you expect to come on missions with us. I didn't mean that way. I just...that hurt!"

"Then you shouldn't have said it like that!" I growl.

Baron let's out a sleepy growl but is too tired to defend me. Figures since I had him running everywhere this morning. He's still a pup so no doubt he'll be bouncing around soon enough though. He seems to do this kinda thing a lot.

"Fine, fine, I'm sorry. It came out wrong. I meant I should start training you into a warrior. If we ever wanna get control of the Places then we need to get you trained so you can speak to your mother and still have your guard up."

"You mean the Killer. I don't have a mother." I growl.

"But-"

"I don't have a mother! My mother died when a couple years ago...my father died from saving me. I have no family...besides Baron. He's the only one I love. I know he won't betray me." I feel my throats get a lump like whenever I think about my broken family. My insane mother who rules everything. My father who died to let me live. Me not knowing anything that actually happened besides that I thought I was an orphan and I didn't know they were both alive. Why did this happen to me?

"It's...okay. Your okay Ethel, I'm here." I feel his arm around me but I freeze and push him away.

"I can't...Cadmar I can't lose another person. Just don't...please." I feel my heart crack.

"Okay. Let's get to that training." He says coldly, standing up. I follow after him, out of the back door that I didn't know we had. There's so much back here!

A beautiful garden is part of this magnificent place. A large rectangle hole filled with water on my left that looks nice to swim in. And next to that is a rack full of different weapons and has a sign that says Training.

"Now, this is a paint gun is what we call them. It helps you learn how to shoot accurately. Now hold it like this and just pull the trigger. I just want you to aim at me and-I WAS NOT DONE TALKING!" He groans as I fire a paintball directly at him. It hits him over the spot where his heart should be.

"You don't talk in battles." I laugh, firing again at him, hitting his forehead.

"You are so getting it Ethel!" He growls, grabbing another paint gun off the rack and aiming it at me. I dodge it and land on my knees, firing and hitting his knee with green.

He growls, rapidly firing at me. I'm not hit at all while I bounce around the yard, every once in a while getting a shot at him.

Then I feel a wet splat on my front. I look down to see my stomach covered in orange. Cadmar let's out a laugh, "How you like that Ethel? I think you need some more!"

I feel two more hits on my sides and I laugh. Green and purple cover my waist. I turn and fire at him, turning his arm yellow.

I only have three spots of color while Cadmar is completely covered. But it isn't the end of this war, trust me.

I fire three times, hitting him each time.

Then we just stand across from each other, firing. We don't care about the paint anymore, just that we are hitting each other. And I am laughing so hard my sides hurt and I can hear him laughing over the fire.

Now I'm completely covered.

"What the heck is going on out here?" Xavier comes outside, looking at Cadmar and me. We both just smile.

"We were just training Xavier."

"But it's dinner soon! You both need to be cleaned up by then." He huffs, looking at us. I've noticed that Xavier is kind of the mom of the house it seems. He takes care of everyone and everything.

"Aww Xavier I love your shirt...but-"

"But what Ethel?" He asks.

"It needs a little more color." I smirk, aiming at him.

"I swear if you hit me I will-ETHEL!" He growls as pink hits his chest. "I'm going to go clean up this thing that you hit me with. Just be ready for dinner." He sighs.

I run over to the rack and stick the paint gun back. Cadmar does the same then smirks at me. "What is it?" I ask him.

"We have to be clean. And I know how." I am suddenly tossed over his should. I scream and he holds me out over the water so my toes are touching it.

"Don't you touch me to that wa-"

"Don't touch you? If you say so." He smirks, letting me go. I grab his arm. If I'm going down, he's coming too.

Cold water hits my face and I kick my feet, resurfacing. Colors spread through the water. I look around and I don't see that Cadmar has come up. Where'd he g-

"You thought you could get off that easy for pulling that?" I hear him behind me and I scream. I whip around to come face to face with him. He has a playful smirk on his lips and his eyes sparkle. "Well you thought wrong Ethel. Very wrong. There is no way you aren't getting something for that." He growls and I feel his hands on my shoulders.

Suddenly I'm underwater again and his hands are on my shoulders. I take a deep breath, water in my lungs. But I don't feel like I'm drowning. Is this a Talent I could have? Breathing underwater? This could explain a lot actually. Such as why I didn't drown when I fell in the river by our house and sat at the bottom for an hour.

Maybe I can scare some sense into Cadmar if I stay here, shut my eyes and just fall back. I could just float away like this forever.

I feel my back hit the bottom and I sigh. This feels amazing to be honest. Just laying here in the middle of water. Just chilling on the bottom.

I feel an arm rake my shoulder, pulling me out of my trance. Oh yea...I forgot about that...Cadmar. He's yanking me to the top. I feel cool air hit my face. "Dammit Ethel! Breath!" He yells.

I yawn and rub my eyes, "Nice nap I had. Now what were you saying about payback?" I look at him with a smirk.

"What the FRICK! Ethel! Did you just breath under the water? And let me think you drowned!"

"Maybe." I wince.

"Well there's another Talent to add to the list. I'm guessing your probably fire proof. Let's test it." He growls, anger flashing through his eyes.

"I'm sorry Cadmar." I whisper, looking at him.
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Well that's an interesting Talent eh? Good thing to have though.

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Stay beautiful <3