Natalie and Kelsey, along with four other girls, faced off against Blake and her hand-picked five. Lydia had somehow managed to persuade the teacher to let her sit out, but everyone else was in it, and eager. Natalie wasn't so sure—the only dodgeball she'd ever seen was on TV, or a couple games with Rallsburg college kids that got really intense. She wasn't allowed to ever join in those games… and after watching one, she didn't want to.

  This is my age though. It'll be fine.

  Don't get hit.

  Thanks for the obvious…

  She tensed up at the far end of the line, hands planted on the wood gym floor. Her eyes were locked onto nearest ball. Blake was facing off against Kelsey at the other end. They were all waiting for the teacher to blow the whistle, but he was busy helping out some other kid way on the opposite end of the gym.

  "Hey Jenny," Blake called from clear across the court, just loud enough for Natalie to hear. "I heard you're in trouble with the principal. Guess the school finally figured out you don't belong here."

  "They let you in," said Kelsey. "Shows how shitty this place is."

  "Nobody asked you, lesbian!"

  "Me?" said Kelsey in a mocking tone. "That's so nice! But I'm not nearly cool enough."

  "That was an insult, you idiot," said one of Blake's teammates.

  Kelsey laughed. "In what stupid universe?"

  Just ignore them. I can get them to shut up with a ball. As soon as that whistle blows…

  "Besides, if anyone around here's got a crush, I mean…" Kelsey glanced between the two of them. "Blake, are you sure you aren't in love with Jenny?"

  "Shut up,” said Blake.

  "You just seem so obsessed with her!"

  Huh… maybe that's it. I have no idea why she hates me so much…

  That isn't love. You shouldn't concern yourself with her feelings.

  Yeah, but maybe I just don't understa—

  "Shut up!" Blake screeched. She bolted forward toward their ball.

  Kelsey reacted a split-second later, sprinting just as fast. The whistle hadn't blown yet, but nobody cared. Natalie blitzed for her own ball, and the rest of her team followed. Blake's side was a bit slower, but they were in the game. Kelsey dove, skidding across the floor. Blake did the same.

  A loud smack echoed through the gym.

  "Screw you, bitch," Kelsey grunted. She rolled off the court. Blake glared at Kelsey's every step, no triumph in her eyes—only hatred.

  Natalie snatched up her own ball. She flung it sideways at Blake, but the girl was too smart for that. She'd already backed away, and Natalie's ball bounced harmlessly off of the wall. Natalie hurried back to the edge of the court, ducking a couple throws from Blake's team.

  They were really in it now. The teacher was shouting something, but nobody on their court cared anymore. Natalie snatched a ball up and twisted around in place. She chucked it and got a satisfying thunk as it slammed into the nearest girl, sending her off the court. A split-second later, Natalie had to dive to the ground, just underneath the next throw. Her enhanced reflexes and senses helped her see it coming, and move right out of the way—and into the path of the next throw.

  Blake was ready for her. Natalie hit the floor—and as soon as she looked up, Blake pelted a red rubber ball at her face.

  Deflect it!

  Without thinking, Natalie slammed the ball straight down using a burst of magic. It hit the floor a few inches from her head and bounced right over, sailing off into the wall behind them.

  Blake cursed, barely ducking the next throw. Natalie scrambled back to her feet, just in time to catch a ball thrown too late, by a girl trying to copy Blake's strategy.

  "Aww yeah!" Kelsey shouted, rushing back onto the court. The moment she did, another ball sailed in, and Kelsey caught it easily. "Double kill, suckers!"

  Three of Blake's team were down, and Natalie had all six. She grinned, picking up a ball. This is actually fun. The gym teacher seemed to have given up on getting them to stop and just stood to the side, watching the game. As long as it didn't get ugly, Natalie doubted he'd step in. The rest of the class was playing now too, after seeing their court explode into action.

  Blake wasn't going down easy though. She dodged a throw from Kelsey, and a second one right after. In return, she pegged one girl in the chest. Blake had real fire in her eyes now. Natalie was actually a little impressed. She'd always assumed Blake was all talk, but the girl on the court right now was genuinely frightening. I've seen people that crazy before…

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  Don't get hit.

  You know… sometimes you really aren't that helpful.

  "Jenny!" Kelsey called out. "Do a curveball!"

  Does she mean magic? I guess… I can't be too obvious though. Natalie threw her ball straight at the girl to Blake's right, but as soon as it crossed the line, she spun it with her mind. It twisted in midair, but ended up going between the two of them, missing both.

  "Weak throw and a weak girlfriend," Blake taunted. "How's it feel knowing you're never even gonna get—" Blake cut off as Kelsey nearly got her, jumping over a ball aimed at her knees.

  "Do you ever shut up?" said Kelsey.

  "After you, bitch." Blake punctuated the word with her own curveball, and hers hit the mark. Kelsey had jumped to the side, but the ball still caught her in the hip, glancing off and hitting another one of Natalie's players. They both trudged off the court, leaving Natalie suddenly even with Blake, three on three.

  Suddenly, it was two on two—one girl on each side had smacked the other in the face. Groaning, one clutching her glasses, they walked off. Natalie tried to catch Blake's next throw, but it slipped past just outside her fingers. Well, it didn't hit me at least.

  "Melanie," Blake called. "Go!"

  The other girl on Blake's team rushed forward, straight at Natalie. She waited, watching to see where Melanie would plant her feet—but something was wrong.

  She's not going for you!

  The voice was a split-second too late. Melanie had already twisted on the spot. The ball sailed across the gym and struck Natalie's teammate in the stomach. She fell down, groaning from the pain.

  Well, it's no wonder this was banned…

  Natalie didn't have time to think about it more, as Blake tried to hit her while she was distracted. Natalie dodged it, but she was suddenly alone, with only two balls on her side and two girls facing her down. Melanie smirked, tossing a ball up and down in her hand.

  Blake glared at Natalie. "Go back to where you came from, freak."

  I want to.

  Natalie didn't answer aloud. She took a step toward the nearest ball, making them both flinch. Natalie took another step, still carefully watching them both. Melanie wound up to throw. Natalie tensed up. Her muscles were like strings pulled tight.

  Natalie dove, just as the ball flew at her. She landed in a somersault, grabbing up a ball and twisting around on the floor to launch it away at Blake. Natalie felt real triumph in her veins—there was no way Blake could move out of the way in time. She was committed.

  Another body dove into the throw. Melanie took it right in the chest, saving her friend. She gave Blake a high five as she walked off, leaving Blake to face off with Natalie alone.

  "You got this, Jenny!" shouted Kelsey. Other words of encouragement for both sides filled the room. Even kids sitting out in other games were cheering one or the other on. Natalie heard a few more voices for her, but far more supporting Blake.

  Blake was saying something. The shouting filled the room, but Natalie could still just barely hear her. She doubted anyone else could—not without ears like hers. "Can't even hold hands. You're never going to be kissed, freak. You don't even know how. You're just trash that got into our school. Get out. Get out of my school."

  Don't listen to her. Remember, they are words. You don't need to concern yourself with words.

  Blake heaved another ball with all her strength. It whistled past her ear as Natalie dodged it, too worried to risk a catch. By the time she'd recovered, Blake already had another ball. Natalie threw her own, but Blake used hers like a shield to deflect it aside.

  "Get her in the face!" someone shouted.

  Natalie wasn't sure who the instruction was aimed at, but Blake seemed to take it to heart. The next throw went sailing right for Natalie's head. She ducked it easily, but she hadn't had time to grab up another ball.

  "No, hit her in the boobs!"

  "She doesn't have those!"

  "All girls have boobs!"

  "Maybe Jenny's not really a girl!"

  Okay, this got stupid really fast…

  Blake smirked, still glaring at Natalie. "How about it freak?" she muttered. "Are you even really a girl? Or are you just too crazy to know what you're supposed to be?"

  Natalie threw, and Blake dodged. Blake threw, and Natalie dodged. Neither of them seemed able to get an advantage, and the crowd around their court was growing fast… and still arguing about whether or not Natalie was really a girl.

  This isn't fun anymore.

  So end it.

  "Would you just die already?" Blake shouted, punctuating it with her hardest throw yet. It missed Natalie by millimeters. She could feel it brush past her, but it wasn't close enough to count. Blake's voice rose to a fever pitch. "You insane psycho bitch!"

  End her.

  Natalie didn't throw her ball—she launched it. Every ounce of strength, and a burst of magic beside, went into the rubber grip that slid out of her hand.

  The ball shot across the gym like it was fired from a cannon.

  Blake didn't have time to react. The ball slammed into her face with a dry slap that echoed through the abruptly silent gym. She was hurled off her feet, plummeting to the gym floor with a thud.

  …Oh god.

  The gym teacher rushed to her side. Nobody else in the whole gym moved. Everyone was staring—not at the fallen Blake and the teacher, but at Natalie. She could feel every single eye, every held breath like they were all pressing down on her. They were waiting to see what she'd do next.

  Natalie just waited. She needed to see if Blake was okay, but she didn't dare cross the line. The teacher was examining the back of her head, but she was awake at least.

  Blake's face was leaking blood: dark, red, and thick. Natalie took a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm, but it didn't help much. Worse, Blake was glaring at her, even more hateful than before if that were possible.

  The bell rang.

  Natalie let out the breath. She turned and walked away, back to the locker room. Kelsey hurried to follow her, but not a single other kid joined them. They changed clothes in silence. Kelsey watched Natalie with a worried look, but she felt surprisingly calm now that she'd left the gym. Dressed in her normal clothes again, she felt like she was moving on.

  "Jenny…" Kelsey started.

  "Yeah?"

  She paused. Natalie waited, and the worry returned. She didn't care what the rest of the class thought, but she definitely cared what Kelsey thought. If Kelsey thought she was crazy, if Kelsey had finally realized just how dangerous Natalie was… What kind of person Natalie really was.

  A murderer. That's what I am.

  You aren't. You do not set out to kill.

  I'm a killer, then. That's not much better.

  "...Nice throw," said Kelsey weakly. She tried to flash her usual grin, but Natalie could see the reluctance. She'd scared her friend, and that hurt more than any word or dodgeball that Blake could ever hurl at her.