Chapter 5

I woke back up into the library where I first saw the book. I looked to my side and saw Apple, frightened and still shaking me.

"Girl!" Apple said in a hushed voice.

"What happened?" I asked her, groggy and tired from whatever just happened.

"You're late for your club!" Apple said, scared.

I looked at my phone to find out that it's already 2:30 pm. Ohh, crap. I ignored the books that I took and dashed right away to my locker and immediately took out my fencing foil. I quickly dashed some more to our fencing clubroom, where I see everyone just finished stretching as I entered.

"Looks like someone's late." Sir Jenkins said.

"I-I'm sorry, sir." I said as I lowered my head in terror.

Paul Jenkins. The terror teacher and instructor of our school. Students who get taught by him in a class won't have their schoolyear end without atleast a small bruise from his extreme punishments. Though he's heavily held back by the updated school law a few years ago, he will still find ways to exert his iron fist. If I remember correctly, the worst he had done was make a student from the fencing club fight 10 of his peers with no rest time for the said student. The student had a few bruises after that. Ohh no.

"How many times has this happened, Howards?" Sir Jenkins asked me as he flipped through some papers on a desk in the far end of the room.

"I-I believe that it only happened once, sir." I looked down.

"Hmm. Alright. Since this is your first, Howards, you won't get any form of warm-ups for today for punishment." Sir Jenkins said.

My clubmates began wooing and cheering. I mean, not bragging, but I have a clean record when it came to fencing. My clubmates even gave me a title: "Gentle Meteor", from my name in relation to stars, and meteor showers are pretty to watch, until it hits something. But anyway, I don't mind the punishment. today shouldn't be any different, right?

" Thank you, sir." I said as I quickly sat down and pulled out my fencing foil from it's bag.

Each of our fencing foils are different to suit the club member's taste. On my case, I have an epee blade. The difference of this blade against a foil? epee's blade is flat, not like the foil which is a rounded blade. And against a saber? Well, the saber's blade is much more wider than the epee. Still, the epee blade is a well-rounded, a mix of both worlds between the saber and foil, with saber accentuating someone's strength, and the foil accentuating someone's wits. At least that's how I see it. I usually see the foil blade being flimsy most of the time, so my clubmates who have the foil take their time before lunging. And the people with saber tends to try as hard as they can to parry and block attacks. Because their blades are strong enough to take hits, my clubmates who have the saber blade are usually reckless.

"Right, before I forget. Today's HEMA-Style fencing. Everyone, gather around at the square stadium." Sir Jenkins shouted.

I froze at what mister Jenkins said. HEMA-Style? Ohh no. HEMA-Style fencing means that we will have a full-on stadium to fight on, and not just a straight line. Oh goodness, it must be a friday. I quickly followed everyone behind and sat beside Mervin Callorina, a friend and a rival of mine.

"Goodluck, Star. You need that since you can't stretch for today." Mervin said as he adjusted how he sat.

"Ahh. Yeah. Thanks." I said, looking away completely scared.

Mister Jenkins began calling a bunch of students to spar. They win, they lose. I'm scared. Until my name gets called. Our HEMA-Style fencing involves us to win in a three-point system to advance further. We keep going until atleast 3 students remain. There's not much people who joined fencing club because of sir Jenkins, so we're only about 20-25 students here? Either way, that number got cut in half, and I'm up against Mervin.

Mervin began walking to the other side of the tape stadium as I stood across him. I breathed in deeply exhaled slowly, my scared expression and emotion leaving my face.

"I won't hold back, Howards." Mervin said as he took his standard textbook stance. Foil pointed towards me, his legs in a square stance, his other hand on his back.

"I hope you don't." I nonchalantly said as I twirled and flicked my foil towards Mervin. My stance is completely different from everyone, which I'm glad sir Jenkins didn't bother correcting. My blade pointed towards the floor, instead of the opponent, my other hand on my side, not on my back, and my legs standing me completely upright, as if I was prim and proper. As if I was royalty.

Or maybe it's my ballet training manifesting.

"Goodluck to the both of you, now fight!"

To be Continued...