My eyes widen at the irritation in his voice, and for a moment, I want to ask why he hates me so much.
“I hope so, too,” I reply softly. I swallow and look away from his icy green eyes.
“The rest will be here in twenty-five minutes. Run laps and you won’t stop until everyone gets here.”
“What?” I ask. Is he really going to work me hard until he gets rid of me?
“Move, or you’ll stay out until midnight.”
“We-we have curf-”
“As division leader, I can change that. Now move.” His command makes me flinch, his eyes flaring blue, and I nod before I break into a run along the length of North Star training grounds. I hate running, I hate sports, I hate my life.
A frown creases my brow as I speed up, my hood slips off, and I only focus on the darkness surrounding me as I push myself harder until it feels as if the wind is rushing past me and the heat of my body clashes against the cold of the night.
Liability.
Failure.
Loser.
Entitled.
Spoiled.
Useless.
Pathetic.
Why? Dad… what would you tell me if you were here?
Be the woman your father wanted you to become…
“Rossi! Are you going to just run all night or join us?” I come to an abrupt stop as Himari laughs. I look at the woman who had called me. It’s her again… Allison.
“Allison, Himari,” Renji warns quietly.
Allison just laughs. “What? I’m just saying. Besides, at least if there’s a mission, we know she can at least run away and not get in the way!” She laughs and high-fives Himari.
“It’s not really funny,” Brock states.
“And are you all just going to stand around or actually warm up and get into pairs?” Jayce asks icily.
“Brock?” Artemis says with a small smile.
Oh, they’re dating. The small smile Brock gives her is proof of that.
“Always,” he says.
“Sienna?” Shahira asks me, but before I can even reply, Allison steps in.
“I’ll spar with Sienna,” she says with a small smile.
Damn, I really don’t like her.
“Shahira?” Lucius offers. Shahira nods as she steps away. I’m already sweating from the run, but I’m not about to remove my hoodie.
We begin sparring, and as I predicted, Allison is out to win, her emotions as aggressive as they can be. The discord inside of me begins rising, and I clench my teeth, trying to squash it as I block her attacks. Out here, it’s a bit more peaceful than if we were inside, but her intense emotions are only heightened.
