Chapter 2: Before The Ceremony
"I got it don't worry!" I pick up a stack of chairs to bring to the media section of the stadium. It's been about 30 minutes by this point since we had started helping. There was some faculty and the juniors that were assigned, helping with the set up. With few other seniors like me and Kai helping.
Setting the chairs down, I look to the center of the stadium, was a stage where the ceremony would be commenced. Center stage, setting down the podium was the best teacher in all of Renderwood High. Mr. Lodi, the combative course teacher for the students planning on joining the Specialist program, has been teaching his course since the time the program first started at this school 24 years ago.
He is African American, his greying hair is always in a military buzz cut. His sharp eyes could cut you if they were any sharper. He is barely 5'8" and his body is lean. He would be a very imposing person to look at if not for the fact that he is always smiling his pearly white teeth. He is maybe 50 years old or older but it's anyone's guess really.
Not exactly too keen on exposing a lot of information about himself. No matter how much I bugged him about it. The funny old man likes Kai and I. He said we had spark. Whatever that means, it wasn't what one would think, because to him it just meant he could choose me and Kai to be his sparring buddies to show the class how to do anything.
Still, compared to all six other Specialist prep course teachers that I had, he was the more open one. Noticing my task of setting up the chairs being done, the old man waved at me.
"Thanks kid! Haha, you finally getting outta here huh?"
Walking towards him I shrug my arms upwards. "Yeah old man, guess your best student is leaving you," I smiled at him, "don't be too sad when I'm gone k?"
"Hahaha, best student? You passed with an Above Standard assessment was my class. That was only because you are just a little stronger then the rest of average students," he said as he jumped down from the stage. "Out of the 136 of you that passed the Specialist prep program, only two of you got Exceeded Standards in at least four of the Specialist prep courses, one that got Exceeded Standards in three, three more that got Exceeded Standards in two courses. These people also got above standards in the rest of their courses except one or two courses. Of the rest of them, they all got above standards in almost all of their courses. With only 40 or so people only managing to meet standards in all their Specialist Prep courses," he stops in front of me and pokes me in the chest staring into my eyes.
"You didn't even manage to get Exceed Standards in any of the Specialist Prep courses. What makes you think that you were my best student?" He stated bluntly. He was right.
Out of all six Specialist Prep courses that I had, that I had in high school, I only got an Above Standards or AS in four courses. Those were in Limitless Science, General Strategies, Interrogation, and his Combative course about weapon fighting and hand to hand combat. I got a Meets Standards in Survival Tactics and Basics of Counter Intelligence.
Even though compared to the top of my class, I am a little far away from them, I got something that none of them had, or even the rest of the people who chose their Specialist Prep courses. So with a smile I looked him straight in the eye.
"That's true but out of all 136 students... no, out of all 72 students that took your Combative Course, even the ones that got Exceeds Standards, I am the only one that got an Above Standards in your class. Meaning I'm technically stronger then the rest of them. Isn't that right, old man?" Plastered on my face is a shit eating grin.
Yeah, you heard me. Everyone wants to know how to fight. Even the rest of the 136 students that didn't choose this prep course. But Mr. Lodi was notorious for only ever giving a Meet Standards assessment. While it isn't a bad score to get for the prep course, but most of everyone's dream, at least those in the prep course, wants to go into the Specialist program with their best foot forward.
This program would give you a chance to get into the top academies in the nation. Can't exactly get into these academies that allow you to work with Limitless without having outstanding qualification. Most of these academies even require you to get an ES assessment to get into them.
You could see why no one would want to take a risk with Mr. Lodi. Not like you would be willing to go to school for the normal seven hour classes and then take the extra specialist courses that each last another two hours a day including the Saturday class, just to end up not going to the school you dreamed of.
Nonetheless, I still did something no one else did. It kind of put me in a spot where I'm not the best of the Prep students but definitely someone to keep an eye on.
Especially since the only way to get an Above Standards assessment in the combative course, is to tie with Mr. Lodi. Did I already say that I managed to get that assessment? Maybe I did.
Mr. Lodi's eye twitches as he points at my face, "I could've beat you if I didn't hold myself back during that fight."
Laughing it off I reply, "and who's idea was that in the first place, mine or yours?"
He's right though, with his experience, he could most definitely have taken me down in a single instant. Still, it was the way he decided to do the exam. Ever since being able to beat him though, it has earned me some type of respect even among the other prep teachers. Maybe it's because Mr. Lodi was a Specialist?
That's just speculation because no one actually knows what his past experience was. Most prep course teachers have already revealed that they were Specialists. Like the Counter Intelligence course teacher revealed he was a Scout Specialist.
Anyways, it doesn't change the fact I tied with the old man. As if knowing exactly what was in my mind at that moment he says "Don't get your head blown up kid? Just cause you did it doesn't mean nothing. You didn't beat me. Don't get cocky, just cause you did better then the rest of the kids."
"So you admit that I am your best student," I say back. Pausing a moment Mr. Lodi laughs at my comment. "You're going to do great kid. Just make sure you don't act like that around your future instructors. They ain't exactly the easiest bunch," he turns to walk away, "see you when the ceremony starts."
I chuckled to myself. My banter with Mr. Lodi was always like that. I was going to miss him. I was about to head to the waiting area with the rest of my class when I stopped in my tracks. 'Don't act like that with your future instructors?' I questioned myself.
I turned to look for Mr. Lodi immediately, but he was already gone. 'He knows who accepted me already?' I thought in surprise.
I was just about to go look for him when I realized that the media reporters were coming in already. Actually there was a lot more media reporters then I thought. Checking my phone I saw that it was already 15 till nine. I had to head to the waiting area already. Pushing the fact that a lot of reporters were coming in.
All I thought about was how the old man already knew where I was going. No course instructors or even the faculty here are supposed to know where the students are going. Or even if they were chosen.
Heck they didn't even know which academies were coming today. The report cards are always sent to every academy in the nation, but no one ever knows who is going to be accepted or which academies would come to the school. My brain started wandering to think which academy could've accepted me, when my mind flashed back to the scene in the hallway.
It flashed back to the scene of me meeting her. The girl from Exceed Academy. 'That's right,' I had thought. Someone from this school is getting accepted to EA. Maybe it's those two. EA had a lot of high tier Limitless though. It was probably the only school that had an even number of Limitless and Specialists.
Which was impressive considering that there weren't a lot of Limitless compared to the normal people on the first place. Even those Specialists that made it in were people that either had background or had Exceeded Standards in four out of six prep courses. There were even some that had a perfect six out of six prep courses with ES assessments. Even rarer were the people that had ES assessments in more then the six prep courses. These were people that were infinitely close to the definition of being a Limitless but stuck inside a normal persons body.
That's when the other thoughts hit my head. If EA was coming, that might mean that the other top Academies are coming today. 'I guess Renderwood High is getting a lot of publicity today.' My thoughts came to a halt, as the back of my neck tingled.
"Ball! Six o'clock!" Someone yelled. I had already known it was a trick because it was actually coming from Eight o'clock(yes the exact direction matters.)
On instinct, I moved to the right. We were taught in our classes that when something is coming at you, it's better to dodge to the side rather then just ducking as there is a chance that something will still hit you if you remain in the same spot. It's been something those in the prep courses have been instilled since the beginning of High School.
The ball landed two feet to my left. Turning around I see two more seniors headed towards me. One of them was Kai and the other was Linski Jones. I recognized his voice anywhere.
He's about the same height as me. He had blonde hair that's always tied to a short pony tail, and wears thin gold rimmed glasses. He can be found in either the library or the gym. It's his two favorite places. Kind of like that fit nerd archetype from comics and stuff.
Linski is also the second ranked student out of the whole Specialist Prep Course program. You know. No big deal.
What's he doing here walking with Kai and I? Well he became friends with Kai first, since they both got an ES assessment in the same course. Computer coding is a hard one to get one in also. After the initial assessments for the class, those two hit it off and became real good friends.
Even then it's strange that he became friends with me right? Most of those that got an ES assessment, only hang with those that got an ES assessment. Mostly because those with these assessments, would make it into top academies, maybe even make it into the academies with together. It also wouldn't be too bad an idea for these "elite" few to be able to build connections to each other.
Me already being best friends with Kai, made it easy since even if he got an ES assessment, he would still hang out with me because we are basically brothers. But to also have the number two for the prep course as a good friend also?
Most wouldn't find it practical, since both of them are guaranteed to get into the academies that I can't make. Much less the academy that Linski could get into. So why does he hang with me, you may ask? Well...
"Looks like those reflexes are sharper then ever man! I only screamed to look out at the last second and you still dodged it. We gotta spar sometime soon man. Can't wait till this ceremony is done."
Did you catch on? Well, Linski really wants to fight me. Like badly. Why? Because I tied with Mr. Lodi.
Yep, all because I got an AS assessment in something he couldn't get more then a MS assessment in. The thing is, in Mr. Lodi's class, you are only allowed to fight those of the same assessment level group. Even among MS assessment level groups, there are those that just managed to pass and get a lower MS assessment level or those that got an middle MS assessment. Linski had just managed to get to a higher MS assessment level but he still could not manage to tie with Mr. Lodi.
Because of me getting an AS assessment level in that course, the only person that was qualified to fight me, was the teacher. We could all spar each other with his supervision, but the rules stated that outside of that, we are not allowed to spar outside our own assessment level. Even then we are only allowed to spar in designated areas and not outside those areas.
Me getting the level that no one else got, made Linski constantly try to test my reflexes. We are allowed to do that though it's really not a problem to me, as even the faculty were instructed to do something like this.
Anyways Linski started doing this because, if you didn't notice, he's a battle nut as well as a nerd.
He is always constantly analyzing to try to get better. I admired that about him, so I never really minded what he did. Eventually he started talking to me and then badabing badaboom, we became good friends. Making Kai, Linski, and I the three musketeers. (The reboot for that movie was actually awful by the way. Rebooting old movies in the late 20th century is just a bad idea sometimes. They changed too much of it. Oh hehe, I'm getting off track..)
"You just want the ceremony to be over, just so we could go all out huh?" I picked up the ball and threw it back at him.
Raising his hand and catching it one handed, "of course! Been waiting two years; since you managed to get the MS assessment when no one else could in junior year, and even more so when you got the AS assessment this year." Throwing the ball back to me, I caught it and said jokingly, "Don't be sad if I kick your ass, okay?"
"Kick my ass? You barely tied with Mr. Lodi anyways!" Linski exclaimed.
With a wide grin I say, "even if it's barely, a win is a win isn't it?" We both laughed out loud at that when Kai says, "y'all are leaving me out aren't you? I'm still good enough to spar."
Linski and I share the same look as we both say, "nah." Not letting up I looked at him and said, "You aren't as strong as me or as good at fighting as me." Linski nods his head at that.
"We don't want to make you sad if we beat you up," Linski joked.
"How exactly can you beat me anyways, if I said Linski can't beat me? Not even the instructor could beat me in normal sparring," I smirked at him.
I start laughing with Linski, then I heard, "But I'm taller then both you munchkins."
Talk about kryptonite. My face in a half broken smile, "that doesn't mean anything though," I said half-heartedly.
"What did you say down there?" Kai said cockily. "There's too much distance between you and me," he continued saying.
Linski steps in and says also in a state of defeat, "we aren't even that short though, man."
Oh this is familiar territory, Kai is about to use his famous one two punch line, that always knocks out Linski. Kai turns to Linski with a wide grin.
"So what is the national average for males, again? I think I forgot."
Don't do him like that, man! Defeating Linski with facts is just brutal.
You could hear Linski mumble something. "What was that? I couldn't hear you," Kai puts his hand up to his ear, "can you say that just a little louder?"
Linski sighs, "5'10." Kai looked at me then at Linski. "How tall are the both of you, again?"
"Ha," we both sigh heavily, "5'9"." It's always the same whenever we come to this argument.
Linski tried to save the situation and quickly said, "but we are barely short anyways!"
As if waiting for the chance, Kai looks at me then says, "what was that logic again? Even if it's barely, a win is a win? Well in this case, even if it's barely, if you are just barely short, are you not still short?"
With my own logic! A hit with my own logic! How cold. Noticing that both me and Linski are quiet now, Kai went for the final kill. "Plus, unlike some people, I've actually had a girlfriend and still managed to get an ES assessment in a course. Something both of you couldn't do."
(Hey don't misunderstand, it's not that we didn't want a girlfriend. We just felt that we would do better without one… yeah.. hehe T_T)
Oh he shouldn't have done that. Even cornered rats would be dangerous. That was just too hard of hit for Linski and I to take.
Looking at each other for a moment of understanding, Linski and I both looked at Kai. Then went to tackle him.
"Get him!" I yelled. "Oh oh oh, wait, I was just kidding, hold on!" Kai yells, running away.
That was that. As Linski and I both chased Kai into the waiting room, the sad thought that I had when I first saw those two, slipped to the back of my mind.
The thought that this day would probably be the last time, we see each other since they both got ES assessments. That thought had disappeared as we ran into the room laughing together. This day had no room for sad thoughts.
It was the day that our journeys would start. Alone or not, it was going to be the start of something great. Man, was I in for a surprise.
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