Twenty

I left the room and Zara was waiting for me with a rather worried look on her face. 

"So?" she asked, as soon as I stepped out of the door. I looked at her before laughing a little nervously. 

"I think your half-sister hates me," I said with a sigh.

"I think she suspects something about me too, but maybe not," I finished, hoping that Lydia hadn't noticed the subtle signs of my true identity. 

We headed for the cafeteria, and my stomach rumbling, which made Zara laugh. She knew I was always hungry, and she liked to tease me about it. 

"Don't worry, we're on our way to the cafeteria," said Zara, taking my hand and pulling me along. "You need to eat something, you look pale. And don't let Lydia get to you, she's just a bully."

We made our way to the cafeteria, which was a huge hall with a high ceiling and large windows. There were lots of tables and chairs, and a long counter where the food was served. There was a normal area and a VIP area, especially for the nobles, who had their own menu and service. There was lots of good quality food, from salads and sandwiches to soups and pies. The smell of the food made my mouth water, and I couldn't wait to get some. 

"Follow me," said Zara, and we found ourselves in the VIP area, where the tables were covered with white tablecloths and silverware. All eyes were on us, and there were lots of people sighing, whispering, or staring. 

"She's the new girl in the epic rank," said a male student, pointing at me with his fork. "She beat Lydia in the test, can you believe it?"

"She's so hot," said another female student, eyeing me with admiration. "I wonder if she's single."

I pretended not to hear what they were saying, but I felt my cheeks burning. It was embarrassing to be the center of attention, and I wished I could blend in. I didn't like being in the VIP area, where everyone was snobbish and superficial.

I preferred the normal area, where the students were more friendly and relaxed. But Zara insisted that we sit in the VIP area, because she said it was safer and more comfortable. 

Once we had picked up our lunch, I had a simple sandwich and Zara had a gourmet meal, which was pretty normal for a princess. She had a plate of roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans, and a glass of sparkling water.

She also had a slice of chocolate cake for dessert, which she said was her favorite. I had a ham and cheese sandwich, a bag of chips, and a can of soda. I also had a cookie for dessert, which I said was my favorite. We sat down at a table near the window, and started to eat. 

We were eating peacefully, chatting about the test and the classes, when Lydia arrived and threw a glass of orange juice at Zara. The juice splashed all over Zara's uniform, staining it with a bright color. Zara gasped and dropped her fork, while Lydia smirked and pretended to be sorry. 

"Oh, sorry, my hand slipped," said Lydia, with a sly smile. "I didn't mean to ruin your outfit, sister. Or maybe I did."

I got up quickly and took Zara to the bathroom, where I could clean her up and calm her down. But before I did, I looked at Lydia with a dark look on my face, and I felt a surge of anger and hatred. 

I grabbed Zara's hand and dragged her to the bathroom, leaving Lydia behind. I hoped she would choke on her juice.

I helped Zara get clean in the bathroom, using some wet paper towels and a spare uniform that she had in her locker. 

We left the bathroom and headed to the gym, where we had our PE class. It was going to be dodgeball, and I was looking forward to it. 

We changed into our PE clothes, which were blue shorts and white t-shirts with the school logo. Zara and I were on the same team, along with some other students from the normal area. Lydia was on the other team, along with some other students from the VIP area. She smirked at us and made a rude gesture, which I ignored. I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of seeing me angry. 

The teacher blew the whistle and explained the rules of the game. We had to throw balls at the other team, and if we hit them, they were out. If they caught the ball, we were out. If we stepped out of the court, we were out. The last team standing would win. Magic was forbidden, and anyone who used it would be disqualified. The teacher divided the balls between the two teams, and told us to get ready. 

The game began, and chaos ensued. Balls were flying everywhere, and people were screaming and running. I dodged and ducked, avoiding the balls that came my way. I didn't throw any balls, I just focused on protecting Zara. Zara was not very good at dodgeball, and she knew it. She preferred to stay in the back, and let the others do the work. 

Lydia was in the front, throwing balls with force and accuracy. She was very good at dodgeball, and she knew it. She liked to show off, and hit the others with a smug grin. She targeted Zara and threw a ball at her with all her strength. Zara tried to catch it, but it slipped from her hands and hit her in the chest. She fell to the ground, gasping for air. 

"Zara!" I shouted, running to her side. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she said, coughing. "It's just a ball, it can't hurt me."

She smiled weakly and gave me a thumbs up. She was out of the game, but she was still in good spirits. She was brave and strong, and I admired her for that. 

"Go on, Aaliyah, you can do this," she said, encouraging me. " You can beat them all, especially Lydia. Show her who's the boss."

I nodded , then got back to the game. I was determined to win, for Zara, for myself, and for our team. I picked up a ball and threw it at one of Lydia's teammates, who was too slow to dodge. He was out, and he joined Zara on the sidelines. 

The game continued, and the students were eliminated one by one. Some of them were hit by balls, some of them caught balls, and some of them stepped out of the court. The teams were getting smaller and smaller, and the tension was getting higher and higher. The balls were flying faster and harder, and the people were screaming louder and louder. It was a war, and I was in the middle of it. 

At the end, there were only six people left on the court. On my side, it was only me, the last survivor of my team. On the other side, it was Lydia and five of her teammates, who were still loyal to her. They had formed a circle around me, and they were holding balls in their hands. They looked at me with contempt and malice, and they were ready to attack. 

"Looks like you're outnumbered, Aaliyah," Lydia said, taunting me. "You can't win this, you know. You can't dodge six balls at once. You can't beat us all. You can't beat me. You're doomed, you're done"

She laughed and threw a ball at me, followed by her teammates. Six balls were coming at me from different directions, and I had to act fast. I used my bodyguard skills and my reflexes, and I dodged them all. I jumped, I rolled, I spun, I twisted, I bent, I stretched. I moved like a ninja or more like an assasin.

The balls missed me, and they bounced back to Lydia and her teammates. They were shocked and scared, and they didn't know what to do. They tried to catch the balls, but they failed. The balls hit them, and they were out. They fell to the ground, groaning and moaning. They joined the other students on the sidelines, and they left Lydia alone. 

It was only me and Lydia left on the court, and we were facing each other. We were the last ones standing, and we were the final challenge. We had one ball each, and we had one chance to win. We stared at each other, and we felt the pressure. We hated each other, and we wanted to end this. We were ready to throw, and we were ready to finish. 

" Ready to lose." said Lydia with a smirk.

We threw our balls at the same time, with all our force and all our rage. The balls flew through the air, and they collided in the middle. They bounced off each other, and they changed their course.

They came back to us, and we had to dodge. I dodged mine, and I watched Lydia. She dodged hers, but not enough. The ball grazed her face, and it made her lose her balance. She stumbled and fell, and she touched the ground. She was out, and I was the winner. 

The teacher blew the whistle, and the game was over. I had won, and my team had won. The crowd cheered and clapped, and they chanted my name. They ran to me and lifted me up, and they celebrated with me. They praised me and thanked me.

Lydia lay on the ground, and she was in pain. She had a bruise on her face, and she had a tear in her eye. Maybe it was too much but she really got in my nerves.