E TREE......................................... LEAF FOURTEEN

Friends & Foes

“I wonder when we are actually going to get to fight…” Yaarah said while we were all having lunch during the interval after a tiresome training session one day.

“Yeah, me too. We’ve been practicing for like 3 months and Cleanor won’t allow us to fight actually. I mean common we are all improving aren’t we? And…. We are pretty much through the basic battle techniques now. She ought to let us fight by now.” said Kale who was sitting with us. She was pointedly looking at the next table where another set of girls from our class sat there.

“Oh no… no, no, no… No you are not Kale!” Cher suddenly cried out loud so that even the other tables could hear.

“Why? What happened?” I asked Cher. She was looking half amused, half annoyed. Kale gave her a frown look. “I’m not telling them. It’s your business” Cher replied Kale for her look.

We all stared at Kale who was struggling to tell something. She finally looked at Cher for help who immediately started to tell us what Kale thought.

“She wants to punch and crack some teeth out of Blona. It’s been on her mind ever since they were kids some kid revenge thing. By the way, Blona and Kale are from the same neighbourhood.” Cher was smiling and Kale was red on the face like a cherry.

“It’s not like that, she keep beating me from everything I do. And she got into White Lotus just like I did and add to that she is a Rage just like me.”

“Funny how that happens right? Anyways, you’ll need to drop that grudge right here Kale because we are on the same side now. And sooner or later, we have to face a real fight and the other side can use such grudges against us. That’s what Ms. Cleanor said isn’t it?” what Yaarah said was true. Sooner or later we will face a real fight.

“So that means I have befriend with everyone in this class?” Cher said a little worried this time.

“Well, that’s pretty much the idea. What’s your problem? A crush?” Kale responded.

“Nope. Not a crush. Cher doesn’t like Zenu, the other reader in our class. She hates competition." I was waiting for a chance to annoy Cher which is actually rare.

“No I don’t! Anyways, she’s not competition at all. I heard Mrs. Veene says that Zenu needs more practicing. She’ll need ages to reach my level.”

Don’t be so mean Cher. She’s a nice girl, you know. She helped me the other day when you were busy with your trumpet to practice my reading powers. She seemed cheerful enough and mind you, she asked me about you.” I told her.

“She didn’t! You never told me that. How come? What did she ask? What did you tell her?” Cher fired up.

“Woow, take it easy tigress. She didn’t ask whether you want to marry her. Only that she felt you were kind of resentful towards her and is it something she did. See, I told her there’s nothing like that. But I bet she read my mind because she kept quite after that.”

“Well, obviously it’s her problem. I didn’t do anything and she feels that I’m resentful.” Cher said.

“Well, obviously it is your problem if you look closer. She’s not a poison Cher. She’s a kind girl. If you just go and talk to her yourself you’ll realize that she is not at all competition to you. Not that I mean you are not brilliant but both of you are excellent in your own ways. You are not the only one who can read minds Cher.”

Cher knew that I was telling the truth so she kept quiet after that. Kale and Cher were not the only people who had problems it seems. When we first stepped into the class, I thought everyone was cool with each other but it took some time to realize the reality. Well, you can’t stop that from happening when all of you are equally talented and each one of you has another with the same power you have. So the competition is there naturally. Mrs. Veene felt the same way because she divided us to five groups where we had to share everything, do projects, make booklets for school work etc.

It was a working strategy because Kale and Blona got into the same group and Blona turned out to be a real charmer. She said she was relieved to see Kale because she was the only one she knew. Cher talked with Zenu and they became so much annoying to others in a relatively short period of time because both of them had the same sense of humor.

My group members were, Blona, Cha, Lil, Zenu, Yaarah, Cher, Savi, Dinkle, Nish, Polo and Kale. Blona and Kale were Rages. Lil was a Bliss. Zenu and Cher were the Readers (and the life of the group) while Yaarah was a Healer. Cha and Dinkle were Staroks. Savi and Nish were Orbs. Polo was the only Aqua the school had. We had so much fun at school and for the first time I felt like, I had a whole different world to live in.