10 Teammates

How exactly should one react when a group of people walk in on you taking your shirt off? Should you apologize? Be embarrassed? Play it sexy? Waze did none of the above.

"Oh... you must be the other kids." Her expression flat, she finished pulling off her hoodie and folded it on the table before setting it next to her purse. The other teens didn't seem to know how to react either. Norris broke the silence.

"Students, I would like you to meet your newest teammate, Waze." As she had thought, they were more of Norris's students. She awkwardly waved to them.

"A new kid huh? It's been a while since we had one of those eh, Sable?" The boy who had spoken nudged in the direction of a bitter, yet elegant blonde. She shot him an annoyed expression. Waze figured that this 'Sable' girl must have been the last one to join, though she didn't look too happy about it being pointed out.

"Don't mind her! Her hearts just a bit frozen over." Another glare from the blonde. "Anyway, I'm Duke, your resident badass!" His cackles were interrupted by a sharp slap to the forehead. A blue haired beauty threw her bag against the wall as the others did the same before turning to the boy she had just slapped.

"Ow! What was that for, Michelle?!" The girl gave him a cold look.

"You're no resident badass, weirdo. Don't give new girl the wrong idea." Michelle's face brightened as she turned to Waze. Yeah, beauty was the best way to describe it. A picture perfect face, a curvy yet muscular body, and royal blue dyed hair that went halfway down her back. Her dark-blue gradient leggings and black sports bra matched her hair perfectly.

"Don't worry about him new girl, that hot-heads all bark. Don't let him scare you off." She sauntered over to Waze, who stood up feeling slightly awkward being the only one sitting.

"You're pretty cute without that hoodie on. But what's got you so special that Norris dragged you in?"

"She's gift-less." Norris said it as if it was the least interesting thing in the world, yet every head snapped to her.

"Gift-less?" began the pretty boy who had spoken first. "What are you thinking bringing a gift-less kid in here?"

"Yeah, Marco's right," said a small girl with twin tails in her strawberry blonde hair. "This is a place for cultivating gifts! Emphasis on gifts!"

"Well thats not entirely, well it is true, but not exactly... I mean-it, it's complicated..." Waze stuttered, attempting to defend herself. She couldn't just outright say she had been possessed by a god. Especially not until Norris gave her the go ahead to do so.

"I promise you she'll surprise you come time." Yeah, Norris definitely had no plans to tell them yet.

The pretty boy, apparently named Marco, gave Waze a scalding glare before putting on a dazzling smile.

"Whatever you say, Norris. You're the boss." He obviously didn't agree. And he definitely didn't seem to like Waze. Boo-hoo, he'd have to get over it eventually. They were 'teammates' now, as Norris had said.

"I've got confidence that Norris has got something up her sleeve. Welcome to the team, Waze," Duke said as he walked to the center of the room and started some stretches.

"Mhmm, I trust Norris. Plus you seem like a good kid." Michelle gave Waze's head a couple pats before joining Duke.

"Whatever! These guys may all be cool with it but I still don't trust it. A gift-less has no place here." Twin-tails threw her stuff down and stomped over to where Michelle and Duke had sat down. Marco joined them, forming a small circle on the ground.

Waze didn't really blame them, this was a cultivation center after all. As in cultivating abilities. Still, the way twin-tails had said "gift-less" really ground her gears. Despite the commotion, Waze couldn't really say anything without Norris's go ahead. And despite them having just met, she did trust Norris's judgement. If not as a clairvoyant, then as a friend of Abbus's.

Norris gestured for Waze to join the other kids on the floor.

"Introduce yourselves to Ms. Waze, please."

"Duke, like I already said." Waze took a second to take him in. He was tall, and had a very rough, almost delinquent-like look to him. He had a black stud in one ear, and his hair was buzzed on the sides, but long on top. Not to mention it was dyed a dark red. He wore a white tank top and black joggers.

"And I'm Michelle, as you might have heard." She had to commit their names to memory.

"I'm Sable." It was simple and short, yet befitting of the women in front of her. Sable was stunning to say the least. What was with all these pretty people? She wore a white workout shirt and grey capri leggings. She had straight, platinum blonde hair that went down to her waist, with clear cut bangs hanging in front of her face. As she spoke, she pulled her hair into a high pony tail. Michelle did the same.

"I'm Marco, it's very nice to meet you." Waze tried not to groan as she looked at him. Maybe she would've fallen victim to his good looks if she hadn't spent most of her life around another certain pretty boy. Despite his friendly comments, they were too forced and she couldn't forget his glare earlier. He seemed like quite a snake.

"Cassidy." The girl with twin-tails didn't even look at her. She was small in stature, and wore a light pink workout shirt as well as a dark gray tennis skirt that was sprinkled with pink flowers. Though Waze was reluctant to admit it, she was very cute. But if it was gonna be that way, it was gonna be that way. If this 'Cassidy' refused to give her a chance, Waze wouldn't push it. Anyway, they'd eventually find out about the whole 'god' situation, and maybe then they'd give her a chance.

"Just follow along, okay?" Waze tried hard not to cringe at Marco's patronizing tone. Hopefully he'd come around some time as well. Marco led them through some basic stretches, and Waze winced at every turn. She could see the smirks Cassidy sent her way. Her body still ached all over. Whatever, she didn't much care what Cassidy thought. After they finished stretches Waze slumped on the ground. God, she was in pain.

"You alright, kid?" Michelle looked down on her with a concerned look. She could tell everyone was waiting for some explanation for her evident suffering. Waze gave Michelle a pained smile.

"Just went a little overboard the other day, that's all. I'll be fine." Truth be told, she was in a hell of a lot more pain than she was letting on. But if this training was how she could find the answers she needed, how she could get stronger, then Waze could push through some pain.

"Well, that's that, then." Marco gave her a phony smile, obviously riding out her 'I'll be fine'. "Let's start training."