Althena

26. Bug Spray

I wake up with my phone beside my head. I'm sleeping on the blankets. I was not joking about being tired. I look in the mirror and my makeup is everywhere. I didn't do anything but pass out last night. It's 6. I have time to get ready for training.

My outfit is different. I have a white t-shirt, it says safiri across it in pink, pink running shorts, and bright white tennis shoes with pink sparkles. They can't say I don't match. I can definitely tell I'm from the city though. I pull my hair back in a bun and put my sunglasses on.

Granny hands me a ham and egg sandwich and a water bottle on my way out. I don't even ask how she knew.

I get there 20 minutes early, so I sit and eat. Slowly, about 20 people show up and look at me funny. I understand though. They're dressed in plain shirts and shorts. Brown shoes.

"You're so fancy." A woman about 30 stares at me.

The younger girls laugh.

I smile at them. "When I first moved to the city, I dressed like you. The people there made fun of me for it. So, I bought this expensive stuff to fit in. My t-shirt cost $6,000. Now, it's all I have, and I'm back in a place like this. Feel free to make fun of me. I'll be going back in 30 days. This will all be behind me. 30 days is not that long. I'll be fine."

"That's not what I..."

"We are going to start off today with archery. Then we'll go for a run." Monte is leading it. I guess I didn't expect it since he said it's not for warriors. "Stand on the line in front of a target."

I find an empty spot. People give me plenty of room on each side. Can't say I blame them. I went straight to b***h mode today. He hands out bows and arrows. Then he demonstrates how to use it. I've never done this but it looks fun.

I do everything he said and hit the middle of the target. I can't help but smile. I did good. He has us shoot for an hour. I get them mostly in the target zone. I'm proud of myself.

Then we go for a run. I'm not so good at that. I guess it doesn't help that I've never ran before. But add-in the forest, it gets worse. I'm used to the pavement now. I survive somehow. Then I sit at the picnic table and suck down a full bottle of water, before I fall over, dead. The bugs are stupid here. I've been bitten so many times.

Monte just uses it as his warm-up. I think. Right after the run, he starts training another group. These guys are warriors. They are all muscles and doing hand-to-hand combat.

"YOU HAVE TO GET LOWER. HE IS GOING TO KNOCK YOU ON YOUR ASS."

Another trainer yells, "THAT LITTLE GIRL COULD KNOCK YOU ON YOUR ASS, GET DOWN."

They are picking on one guy. I'm not going to pick on him. He's like 4 times my size.

"COME HERE." The trainer is looking in my direction. I look around. "YES, YOU. COME HERE."

I go over. This should be interesting.

"Why are you over there?"

"I was trying not to die from the run earlier."

"Was she there this morning, Monte?"

"Yea."

"Do good?"

"Amazing at archery."

I smile. "I liked it."

"You'll like this even more." He holds up a jar. "A full bottle of bug spray if you can knock that man on his ass. I don't care how you do it."

"Does it work well?"

"It's amazing."

I look at the man and he laughs. "Give her the spray, beta."

"She has to earn it."

I cross my arms. I can figure this out. All I have to do is take his knees out from behind him. He'll fall down. But I don't know how to get behind him. "Alright."

The other guys circle us laughing. "She must really hate bugs."

I have to get him to look away from me. I focus on him. He's laughing with everyone else. I run straight for him. He picks me up over his head and holds me upside down. Then he tickles me.

I laugh. "DO OVER."

"Alright." He puts me on my feet. "Try again."

I watch him and his friends keep getting his attention. They're laughing about the situation. He keeps turning towards them. So, I get as far in the other direction as I can without him noticing. Then, when he turns again, I run for him. I throw my body weight into it and get him right in the back of the knee. He drops quick.

I pull myself off the ground. "MY BUG SPRAY."

The beta holds it above my head. "How did you get the scar on your stomach?"

"That wasn't the deal."

"Tell me."

"A pack captured me. The hospital had to do surgery to stop the bleeding inside."

"What pack?"

"They're dead now. It doesn't matter. BUG SPRAY. YOU PROMISED."

He hands it to me. "You did well. Go drink some more water."

I run over to the picnic table and spray myself. Then I lay on it and down another thing of water. This is better. A break from the bugs. Then my phone rings. I tell Mike about the training and how I kicked a warrior's butt. He thinks it's hilarious. I get off the phone with him and sit up.

Granny is standing there with her arms crossed. "Were you planning on coming back?"

"I can't move."

She cracks up laughing. "DON'T WORK HER SO HARD TOMORROW, MONTE. POOR THINGS A CITY GIRL."

He nods and I see him laughing.

"Come on. I'll give you something. You'll be fine."

I follow her home, and she gives me something in a vial. I suck it down then take a shower. By the time I'm out of the shower, I'm perfectly fine. "What was that?" We sit down for lunch.

"A mixture of stuff your body needs. It replenished you."

"Was it magic?"

"No."

"It felt like magic."

She smiles. "We'll start your magic training in the afternoons."

"Magic training?"

"Yes. I do believe you got magic from me."

"I don't have magic."

"The ladybug works with the magic from inside you. It's a very easy spell if the person has magic. If they don't have magic, it's a pain in the ass. A magician has to keep recharging it. It's easier to find a different spell. But nobody here has recharged it, and it's still going. It's getting magic from you."

I rub the ladybug mark. "Oh."

After lunch, we stand in the yard. "Hold out your hand and close your eyes. Magic is all around us. Imagine it collecting in your hand. Now open your eyes."

There is a light blue orb swirling in my hand. It's pretty. It kind of reminds me of the smoke in the crystal balls. This seems more liquid though. More full somehow.

"Throw it at the tree."

I throw it. It makes a big bang and the bark flies off the tree. The car alarm goes off. I swear the house sways a little. "Sorry."

She waves her hand at the car and it shuts up. "That was good. I'll get you something quieter to hit tomorrow. For today, collect the orb and release it. Don't throw it. Just release it."

"Ok." I sit on the ground and practice for hours. I can't believe I'm a magician. I never even thought about it. I call Mike and tell him about it. I miss him so much already. It hasn't even been that long. I wish he was here sitting with me.

After dinner, I go to bed. I don't know what else to do.