Perks of having an Alter-ego. [POHAA]

Chapter-1b Sticks and stones

Discipline was the only thing that Zach expected from the students of karate club. For the rebels that we always were, we pulled these fights off behind his back every other day.

"Dismissed."
He gestured his thumb shooing me away towards the boys who were standing in perfect arrangement of squares, according to the colors of their respective belts, for the practice that was about to begin.

I strolled towards Nick puffing my cheeks, hunching my not-so-enthusiastic shoulders. He flashed his good old sarcastic grin, as I stood beside him redoing my messed up silver hair into a high bun.
"What?" I yelped, crinkling my eyebrows. He certainly knew how to annoy the shit out of me.

"Nothing, nothing," he coughed, sifting his fingers through his perfect brown hair. I decided to shrug it off, since the problem ahead was much bigger than that. My face mangled at the thought of spending my whole freaking week pairing with his dumb-head for every mitt-drill, mock-fight and practice session. Yes, that was the due punishment, to mend our broken bonds. Coach Zach's big old solution for every other problem.
Prfft! Mend the Bond, my ass. As if !

I picked up the mitt-pads and got ready for the regular drill.
He wore his gloves and positioned his fists. As if on cue, Zach signalled his hands and Nick started hitting the pads, his each punch was strong enough to push me back, but I stood my ground as I put my left leg forward to hold him back.

I always wondered how could he do all that, even after skipping many practice sessions and important classes, hanging around with his fangirls or girlfriends or whatever he called them. The more I thought about it, more it boggled my pea-brain. And yes, I was jealous and I hated him with my every breath. He knew that too, since it was more like a mutual-hatred towards each other.

After what seemed like an eternal hour, the session was dismissed. "Tomorrow morning, at 7 sharp. If I see any more fights, I will slit your throats." Zach stared at me in particular. I tried to look away pursing my lips, escaping his eyes.

I trudged to the girls' locker room to change the black sports knickers and purple polo shirt, that I was wearing for practice. And yeah, we wore those baggy karate uniforms only to the tournament.

I settled on a chair, swinging my shoulder which hurt really bad, by then a pair of smooth hands held my shoulder to gently massage. I closed my eyes and relaxed, those heavenly hands were none other than Alita Glenn's, my best and only friend.
"Hmmm... Thanks Alita"

"Way to go girl!" She jacked her arm up, congratulating me for that silly fight that I had won against Nick. Her baby face bloomed into a wide grin.

I quickly slipped into my blue jeans and strapped up my heavy back pack as we walked out of the changing room.

As we strolled through the hallway, Alita poked my chest with her elbow, which was already painful, "owww! That hurts." I reluctantly traced my grimaced face along with her secret pointing index.

And there he came and I had to witness his annoying face yet again, as he walked with his friends who called themselves 'cool dudes' or whatever. One of them in particular with curly-black locks of hair and buffed up body with chocolate brown skin named Faizer, was a big bully whom I definitely hated, of course next to Nick.

Nick flung a cold ice-pack he was holding on his punched face towards me teasing in his signature quirky voice,
"Yo Jet-Lei! You might need this."

"Yeah whatever. Jackass!" I yelled after him, as I reflexively prevented it from slapping my cheek.

"Ooh! Sticks and stones, Lee... Anyways you're welcome!" He hollered as he turned around and walked backwards stuffing his pockets.

"You guys remind me, so much of that 'Tom and Jerry' show. Kinda cute though." Alita giggled, playing with her messy braid.
My eyebrows arched upwards as I shifted my gaze impassively.
"Okay. Okay, I'll take that back." She threw her hands up, rolling her eyes.

"Come on, let's get something to eat." I yanked her wrist, as I swung the heavy exit door open. But our petty little excitement faded, as we heard the 'unfailing' and the 'most expected' word, "Freaks."
Red headed shaggy Joe laughed, rotating a soccer ball on his finger tips. His friends joined him as they chuckled and cackled, scanning us as we walked.

As much as I wanted to punch his face, Alita gripped my fist to avoid the confrontation. We were kind of used to it, sort of I guess. It was a routine for the people like us, to glide between those bullying douch-bags. Because you see, I have this weird Combination of dirty silver blonde hair with jet black eyes. And Alita is a curly brunette, but her eyes are grey, like they are super-slate-grey with white speckled iris, which are hauntingly scary. But that's what brought us together and we never looked back from then on.

We attended the remaining few boring classes before we left the Pristin-Academy- high-school.
As usual Alita offered me a ride home, that definitely decreased my hard work of taking a bus ride.

Within no time her car was racing on the Bay-bridge of our city. I leaned back against my passenger seat to relax, as I inhaled the refreshing salty air. Alita sang along with the EDM track on radio.

She grasped my wrist suddenly, so tight that my fingers felt numb and blue. I held the steering to keep the car on track. She stared into the windshield without​ even a single blink, as if she was in some sort of trance, that sure felt creepy.

"Something's wrong! I feel it, I hear it. Something's really wrong somewhere!" She mumbled.

"Everything is alright Alita, relax. It's just one of your anxiety attacks. Relax okay!" I tried to talk her way around.

As if everything was already fated, I craned my neck out of the window to notice a huge traffic jam in the middle of the Bay-bridge with several alarming sirens and abruptly scattered cars.
"May be you were right." I agreed, shrugging my shoulders.

"Told ya...I have a theory that I might have super-powers. Gosh, that'd be awesome." She squeezed her face as she unlocked the doors. We stepped out and my jaw dropped at the sight of a large truck hanging at the broken edge of the bridge. A middle aged plump driver was screaming in panic.
Holy cow!

One of the cops with walkie in his hand approached us and asked us to stay inside the car.
Other cops and many rescue-personnel with radium coloured jackets were surrounding the truck, struggling to help the man. One mishap was enough to turn everything upside down.
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* I really appreciate you, for taking time to read my story :)