Chapter 13: A game of Dodgeball (1/2)
Coach Warren's words must have been additional salt on Rudy's wounds, but Sophie agreed to his notion. Dodgeball was always a decent amount of fun.
With his injured pride, limped he slowly off the field, while she watched his dejected retreat at Felix's side with amusement.
The contrast with his exaggerated attempts before made his swift end even more satisfying.
But her joy got replaced by alert, as Jeremy threw the ball as soon as Rudy stepped outside and barely missed Charlie with his cheap shot.
Felix caught the ball with ease and took immediate aim at the big girl's back, hitting her on her vulnerable side as she turned around.
That harsh throw let Charlie squirm and gained Felix a reproachful gaze from Coach Warren.
"Are you alright, Thorn?"
The big girl waved off while joining Sophie outside the field. Which was enough reason for her attacker to smile.
"Charlie is tough. No need to worry about her, Coach."
Sophie still scolded herself for not warning her teammates about the dirty tactics she knew all too well from the last time they played together.
Back on the other side jumped Rudy in excitement over the hit, ready to rejoin the field.
Yet his excited run back got interrupted by Coach Warren, who dragged him on his arm backwards.
"Did you hit her, Einstein? That was your captain's throw, so back outside."
It was no surprise that Warren had changed the rules after Felix and she had abused them in their last game, so the disappointed boy returned to his captain's side, while Max picked up the ball from their own side of the field.
Unsure who to target, took Max his time to aim at Kim, the now weakest part of the other team. Sophie positioned herself behind her as reaction, so she could catch the ball and finish the target off.
Except Izzy jumped in front of her, caught the predictable projectile with ease and launched it back at him with all of her force.
Sophie didn't even get to curse inwards before the returning ball landed in Jacob's arms as he slid in front of Max to protect him.
Izzy was in perfect position to get hit after her own throw.
But once more passed the opportunity for retaliation, while Jacob gave the ball to Lukas instead of throwing himself.
'Oh, come on! What's now again?'
Without showing hesitation threw Lukas at Jeremy's feet, who dodged and mocked the feeble attempt, only to realize his mistake as Charlie caught the ball behind him and passed it to Sophie right besides Kim.
Her throw connected with Kim's exposed back and send her out, dropping the enemy team numbers to two.
Sophie took no time to celebrate the hit, instead monitoring Izzy as she grabbed the ball.
The touchy girl threw once more at Max after fainting to aim at Jacob, missing him only by hair width as his voluminous body dodged miraculously the skilled shot.
Yet out of balance by that move, dropped Max exhausted onto his butt, wide open to the next attack.
Seeing his predicament, Rudy darted over to catch the rogue ball with wild excitement and he passed it fast back to Kim, which followed a quick throw by her hands.
Only for the ball to end up back in Jacob's arms. By much relief from Max behind him and a lot of dismay from the other team.
Her brother helped Max back up and sent a few questionable hand signs in Sophie's direction before giving him the projectile.
'Because I know exactly what you want to say…'
She judged from his aim at Izzy that they planned to retaliate by taking out Felix's best player, so she ordered Charlie to move over to make a triangle with herself and Max, so they could hold Izzy in the middle.
The first throw got dodged with no effort, but Izzy found herself trapped by the continuous fire from the formation they had around her.
Izzy got exhausted by her constant dodges and found no time to try catching.
Whatever side she faced, the next throw would always come from the other and Jeremy's attempt to breach it only ended up in a frontal collision between the two.
A chance they used by passing to Charlie, who hit her on the stomach while she was still down, allowing her to rejoin the field.
The two recovered from the collision with no scratches, except to their pride, and Izzy left the field with a sour face.
Despite being outnumbered one to four, Jeremy's face still featured a confident smirk at the sight of Max, who took an immediate step backwards at that challenge.
She knew he wanted to go for her now exhausted friend, yet there was nothing she could do but hope Jacob would be fast enough to catch the throw.
Jeremy's condescending smile grew only wider when Izzy left the field.
The guy went all out on the throw, clear by the swishing sound of his projectile.
Jacob went forward to catch it, but he was this time too slow.
She knew it was due for Max to get hit and it wasn't even a tight situation that would decide over the outcome of the game, which made it only more surprising when Max caught the ball.
His unexpected catch was reason enough for all her teammates to cheer him on.
Max had shown unprecedented agility and stamina today, enough to let Sophie look as befuddled as Jeremy.
'Just a diet can't possibly work this fast!'
Before either could recover from the shock, fainted Max a throw at Jeremy, catching him off guard.
The short build boy stumbled backwards in reflex, devoid of the usual confident attitude.
Both of his arms raised in defense, blocking the view of the pass Max threw to Charlie.
Sophie almost missed catching the following throw, but got to her senses fast enough to aim at Jeremy's legs.
Her target stumbled out of the way, but got hit by the following projectile out of Lukas' arms.
His triumphant scream got soon followed by cheering. All from the other team got taken out, and they still had everyone of their own on the field.
Which left only the captain of the opposing team.
Felix walked onto the field and threw one more challenging look towards Sophie.
"Hey Coach. It's still three lives for the captain, right?"
Warren graced him with a suspicious glance before answering.
"I probably shouldn't give 'you' three, but yes."
The sadistic smile on her friend's face told Sophie already what he meant to say.
'One life would still have been enough.'
All of Felix's teammates waved, clearly signaling him to pass over, only for him to strengthen his grip around the ball.
He pointed at Lukas to announce his target. Instead of passing to his teammates, to get switched out again.
Not really a surprise for Sophie, since she knew he wasn't a team player.
That Lukas accepted the challenge, though, that was a surprise.
"Move, you dumbass! Don't just take the hit!"
Sophie's order hit only deaf ears and Felix threw with all the strength in his oversized muscles at the poor idiot, hitting him straight in the chest.
The heavy hit bounced the ball right back in Felix's hand and sent Lukas coughing to the ground.
Jacob rushed right at his side, trying his best to help his injured teammate.
Closely followed by Coach Warren, who took a close inspection of Lukas before fuming with anger.
A sight that made Sophie shudder, even though she knew she wasn't the target.
"That could have ended way worse! Just a few centimeters upwards and you would have hit him in the head!"
Felix took a defensive stance while the furious Coach approached him.
"But I didn't hit him there, and he didn't need to take that hit full on either."
Warren grabbed the ball right out of his grip. Their noses almost touched and his beard was already on Felix's face.
Which followed the most terrifying thread Sophie ever heard from Coach Warren.
"I do NOT care! YOU take your responsibility or I SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS! Together with this DAMNED BALL!"
'Holy shit…'
In a display that Sophie hadn't seen since he had grown so much, shrank Felix together like the child he still was.
Defeated and robbed of all of his confidence sneaked the now not so giant teenager over to Lukas, with the eyes of everyone else on him as well.
"Ugh… I'm sorry. That… was my fault. I shouldn't have done that."
If by similar fear from Warren, or just honestly, Lukas fought through his heavy coughing to answer.
"It's fine… I should have dodged… ugh… that gives a bruise…"
Felix helped him back up, and everyone relaxed when he limped to Sophie's side.
Coach Warren gave him the ball when he passed, still quite the angry expression on his face.
"One more move like that, and I'll let my actions speak for themselves. Now play normal, you freaks."
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A certain tension filled the air after Warren's outburst and Sophie's jaw relaxed only when Lukas reached her the ball.
Her target stood right before her, still shrunken from the lecture he received, but his stance betrayed the determination in him.
Felix would try to catch her throw, she knew it.
She pushed the ever-present gaze of Warren to the back of her mind and threw the ball the only way he couldn't catch it.
At his big and slow legs.
The ball missed, as Felix twisted his posture just enough to make it fly past him and Max moved to catch the throw.
Exhausted from the dodging and aware of his shortcomings, passed Max to Charlie.
Sophie was glad that she didn't make the mistake of firing at Felix directly, yet her attempt to hit his legs was just high enough for him to catch it, anyway.
'Well, that was it with the advantage…'
The cheering of his teammates filled the field, yet despite his regained control over the ball, Felix still lacked his usual confidence.
His eyes darted over to the expectant faces of his team, all eager to return to the field and exact retribution.
She couldn't believe her eyes when Felix actually threw a half-hearted pass in Izzy's direction, sluggish enough even that Max could dodge, and that despite the overabundance of sweat on his forehead.
'Was screaming all he needed to become a team player?'
Sophie could only glance for a moment at Felix's face, which hosted a timid expression she hadn't seen since he got his muscles, before Izzy drew her attention.
Her annoying friend had nothing holding her back and sent the ball right back at the heavy breathing target.
A swift shot, which he only avoided by falling to the ground.
Felix's following weak toss bounced from Max's belly, gathering no reaction from him.
Even an intervention from Jacob couldn't have saved him from the inevitable end that he met during every sport lesson.
At least he wasn't a stumbling risk on the sideline.
Sophie walked over to him and helped Jacob by moving the exhausted boy from the field.
Max looked weakly up at them from his now seated position on the ground.
"How… did I fare?"
She gave him an encouraging smile, with only slight worry in it.
"Great. Just don't expect diet results soon. That takes time."
Lukas joined in, giving him a little support, while Jacob returned to the field.
"You could also do more sport than just in school."
Sophie gave him a last pat on the shoulder before returning to her position.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Verhygo
Verhygo 24. March
Tuesday
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone