18 Does everyone have hidden motives?

With everything over, I searched for the lightsaber club. Maybe this wasn't the best time or the best thing to do, after all the cold treatment I gave that captain guy, but it sure didn't stop me. Who cared if I suffered some humiliation? As long as I could get some money and reach my goal, everything was fine by me: perhaps even begging to get entry. Okay maybe not, but I sure wasn't going to give up on my dream of swimming in a pool of chocolate.

But then there was the problem. Just where the hell was this club? I searched the whole building but I never found a club that had lightsabers hanging around. I even checked the court but nothing. Just nothing.

"What are you doing?"                                                                             

On my travels across the glob- I mean school, I finally found Selene. More like she found me.

"Do you know where the lightsabers club is?" I was more than just lost.

"Yeah, why? I thought you-" 

"I kind of changed my mind, lead the way." I grabbed onto both of her shoulders. I wasn't about to let go anytime soon. 

Selene nodded and led me. I did let go of her, but maybe I spooked her a little?

She didn't seem the least convinced though. But she did stay quiet, awfully quiet. Had something happened to her?

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing. It's just up ahead that fence." She pointed at the small hill beyond the fence.

We walked out of the school building.

"But isn't that?" The fence was the boundary of the second school building. Which meant that part shouldn't have been the place for any clubs.

"Lightsaber club is the biggest club. Hence it's over there." Her voice didn't show any enthusiasm. Maybe something did happen to her. "Even a year ago it was inside the school building but… I guess things change."

We passed the fence. There was grass everywhere. Birds chirped in the sky and it strangely felt rural to me. There was a wooden structure in the middle of all this. It looked rather primitive.

"The members built that from the ground up. One of them had the power to control wood. So it's not as weak as you'd think." Selene explained before I could even ask. "Oh, and they have permission so don't worry."

"And you know that because?" I asked.

She tried to answer and her lips moved, but the words never came out.

"Well, well, well, look who's here." One of the students came outside the structure and grinned at us. I didn't recognize him but Selene did. 

I guess there were all sorts of people on earth but did this guy really needed to grin like that? It was disgusting with all that saliva. Besides, what was with all the wrinkles?

"I'll take my leave now." Selene and the guy might have had some history.

The guy grinned wider and my gag reflex wanted to make an appearance.  "Running back again? Is running all you can do? Oh sorry, you prefer climbing rocks now." The guy laughed hysterically. He pissed me off but there wasn't anything I could do about it.

Selene clicked her tongue and turned around. She had no intention of staying.

The guy snorted. "Yeah run back home. Oh wait, you don't have a home." His slanted eyes were filled with malice and he looked like a typical thug. 

Now he seriously pissed me off. But I still stayed quiet. 

Selene turned around again and just stared at the guy. She had no emotion to show off to a guy like this." Sorry moron but I don't take taunts from underlings like you with any seriousness."

"U-underling! Then how about you beat me!" Yeah, the guy was a muscle brain.

There were always guys like this around us. Just what was his problem? Did he think he could deal with everything with a fight? 

"I won't have to. Even this guy, the guy who doesn't even give a damn about sabers could whoop your ass." Selene looked at me, way too confident.

Was she out of her mind? Why did she think I was quiet all this time? Couldn't she take a hint?

The guy snorted some more. Was his nose okay? "Yeah right. I bet he doesn't even know how to hold a sword."

Well, he wasn't totally wrong here. I mean I did know how to use a real sword but that was because my grandfather forced me to learn it. But I never wielded lightsabers so he wasn't wrong. 

"Even so, he can beat you." Selene proudly puffed her chest. What was she, my mother? Even my mother wasn't this confident about me.

"Fine! But what if he loses?"

They were seriously discussing my chances of winning here without even looking at me. Shouldn't they have first consulted me on whether I wanted to fight or not? Did my opinion even matter?

"I'll dance in my underwear in the spring festival." Selene was dead serious. Her smile didn't falter. 

The guy snorted again. Seriously, what was his problem? "Sounds fair enough. In that case, I'll dance around naked."

Just the mere thought was enough to make me want to puke.

Yeah, seeing Selene dance in her underwear might not have been that bad, but I seriously didn't want to see this guy naked, no sir!

"I'm pretty sure that'd be a punishment to the audience but sure why not." Selene didn't back down. Her attitude was a lot different from what she showed off till now.

"Umm… excuse me?" I lifted my hand up. Both of them looked at me. "I actually haven't said yes you know."

Selene spread her hand over my shoulder and came close. "Well, I showed you around and led you to this club. You owe me one right?" She had this devilish grin I only saw on my sister's face. "So? You know…."

'This was your plan all along?'

Was she out of her mind? Most definitely. Was everybody this crafty around me?

"You sure about this? I mean you're a girl you know?" I had nothing to lose from this. So I wasn't completely against fighting either. Besides, if I won, I'd probably be treated better and it'd make all the process easier. So I had my own motives.

If just a newbie first year casually beats his seniors, yeah I'd be getting loads of attention but at least my joining process would be smoother. 

"Yeah, I have faith in you. It's not a big deal if you lose either. I'll just beat the shit out of him too," she whispered, with a smile. 

'Him too? Hey!'

'That's not what I meant.'

'Please don't have faith in me.' I couldn't say it out loud though.