Everyone is silent as I make my way to the changing room.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

I don't remember apologising.

In the year I've been here, never has anyone apologised to me. Well, unless it was to save their own skin. In fact no ones ever apologised to anyone out of guilt. This is a place where no one gives a damn if you fall dead in front of them, let alone if you stained their shirt.

I'm sorry.

She was so.... sincere. She truly felt bad about my, shirt? She approached me to apologise for my shirt. Doubt it. She wants people to think she's the sincere little angel. Typical leech. She only stopped and looked over because I was practicing with a knife. Conveniently it's her weapon for the Trails. She just wanted to do what all leeches do and feed off the strength of others. She knows she isn't going to win against Chloe next week and she's so close to being evicted too. She must be getting desperate. I'm not exactly known to be kind or 'friendly'. She knows that and yet she still risked approaching me. The fear from our other encounter should have stopped her. Reason should have stopped her. Common sense should have paralysed her legs. I doubt she came just to apologise. I can see her hidden agendas and through her 'apology'. Which was... sincere? No. She's a manipulator. A trickster. A bottom feeder.

Hopefully your shirt isn't stained.

She tried to smile. Through all her fear, she tried to smile at me. Why?

"Dude, that was awesome." Travis beams his food dribbling out his mouth. I grab a seat placing my tray down with me.
"Would have been better if you wiped the floor with her face." Chloe sneers, pushing her food with her fork. Troy like a good little lapdog nods in agreement. Chloe has always been particularly hateful of Megan. Whether it be in training, class or lunch she always spat or hurdled insults towards her. The very topic of her sparked a flame of resentment in Chloe only Megan's misery could tame. She climbed the ranks quite quickly. When she first came she was the top of registration three, rank forty- six, Chloe soon climbed the ranks and now she's only four ranks behind me. It's impressive, especially in the short time we've been here. When Megan was moved to our registration Chloe became extremely bitter. Instantly she spoke out against her. Throwing insults. Megan being Megan took it on the chin even smiled in greeting. Chloe became edgy, angry but what I noticed most was behind the scenes she was nervous. Even a little scared. This emotion though has faded as time passed.

"Yeah, maybe knock out one of her teeth." Travis adds sparkles emitting from his eyes.
"Yeah why didn't you?" Keira questions spooning some rice in her mouth.
"You collect teeth too?" Travis chimes in, his excitement growing. Simultaneously we give a look of distaste.
"That's a no isn't it. It really is relaxing, especially if you get the ones with blood still..."
"As I was saying." Keira interrupts turning to face me. "You could have given her a concussion but last minute you stopped your attack, why?" They all wait patiently for a answer. Why did I? I could have hurt her but I didn't. Though I wouldn't say it's mercy either. I didn't see a point in disfiguring her face and I didn't have a reason to fight her although Mr Edwards didn't seem to mind what happened to her.
"It wasn't out of kindness, if that's what your getting at."
"Kindness, wouldn't think you knew the meaning of the word." Chloe states, staring intently at the mushed up food on her fork.

"Out of curiosity, right?" Keira suggests ignoring Chloe's comment. "I told you not to dwell on it."
"What you guys talking about?" Troy asks, through his chewing. He's so irritating. Maybe even below the leech Megan. The only reason he's sitting here is because Chloe and and Troy are together. This mutual friendship is the only reason I haven't ripped out his throat. Although some days it's terribly tempting.

Comes in at a rank of seventeen but that's all he has going for him. He's alright at everything. One on one combat he has some talent and throwing knifes, he's not bad. Everything else though. He's a fake. A egocentric asshole. I resent Megan for climbing on the strength of the strong. I resent Troy for the placing down of the strong. Megan acts as a burden to those above her, she clings for support. Troy however is more devious. The only reason he's at the rank he is at, is because the kid is a natural born fox. A charismatic genius. He is brilliant at winning people over. Everybody loves Troy. He twists and bends his fans, no matter their rank, into doing his work for him. As Megan weighs down the strong, Troy uses them to hold him up. No matter what the cost and it infuriates me. He's a cheat, using his charisma to bend the minds of his disciples. It's a slap to the face to the people who actually put effort into what they do. The worst part is, they don't even know he's doing it. They smile and cheer him on but they don't notice the flesh cutting binds he's placing on them. When they do, it will be too late. He would have already drained them.

"What you guys talking about?" Troy repeats looking from me to Keira.
"Is that what that whole incident was. Dude, just let it go." Travis chimes in silencing Troy's question. They're right. I'm been focussing too much on her. So what if her farther is the Jester. It's none of my concern. Yet I can't stop thinking about it. It doesn't make sense. Megan. The Jester. They're related.

They're actually related.

"Let go of what? What's going on?" Troy and Chloe both pull the same identical expression.
"Jackoboy here thinks Megan is something more than her rank of sixty- two." Travis explains.
"What?" Chloe drops her fork, her internal flame rising. "Why? Because she's not dead yet."
"You find nothing wrong with Megan being the daughter of the Jester?" I question, directing it to everyone.
"So what." Chloe leans in her golden locks coming close to landing in her food. "It doesn't matter if she born in a mansion or out the ass crack of a unicorn. She's a rank of sixty- two, end of story." Chloe expresses with finality.
"You're thinking too much into it, Jackson." Keira adds drawing the discussion to a halt. It's true. Although it doesn't sit right with me. It doesn't matter where she is born if she was anything special the school would know. They would have picked up on something on the entrance test. She must have been living with her mother and something must have happened so she had to live with her farther. Then her father just signed his daughter, that he doesn't know, to Westfield. This sounds like more of ridicules story then what I've been suggesting. This story has many loopholes and assumptions but it's the one I'm going to stick with. I'm wasting my time pondering over such pity things. Over whether Megan is more than a leech. However she came here, she's here now. I don't even know why I'm wasting my time with her.

Light conversation passes. Mostly about the Trail and what we think the Elites are up to now. Keira punches Travis for something. Troy and Chloe leave to take a 'walk'. Keira soon goes off for arun claiming she'll snap Travis's spine if she stays any longer. I try not to think about Megan but the topic keeps surfacing. It's like having the jigsaw pieces for the wrong puzzle. It's probably not even anything but I just needed to make sure and I hate myself for being so damn curious.

"Anyway man, we should probably make our way back." Travis suggests standing up from his seat. The cafeteria was almost completely empty. Only a few people sat finishing their late dinner. I stand taking my tray with me. I drop it off at the bench, the trays beginning to pile up. We exit the cafeteria turning left heading back to the male dormitory. "You probably want to put ice on that." I point to the pink mark forming at Travis's cheek. He never learns.
"Are you crazy? It's battle scars. Chicks dig that." He rubs at the tender skin, a mischievous smirk planted on his face.
"That's not even a scar."
"Bruise, scar it's all the same to the nurse. If you know what I mean." He winks snapping his fingers as he does so.
"Maybe you could show your chicks how cool you are if you just learned how to dodge Keira's attacks."
"That's impossible. Do you see how fast her punches are? I don't think anyone can dodge that." It's true Keira is fast and ferocious. To Travis her punches are out of the blue. Mainly because he doesn't know when he crossed the line or not but if he knew it was coming, I would say he has a second to dodge. Definitely possible, even for him.

I don't think anyone can dodge that.

I slow down, Travis dragging on ahead. Dodge it. That's whats not been sitting with me. I knew something was off. Megan, she dodged all my attacks. All but the last. Although her form was awful she managed to successfully move out the way. A dodge. Even with the last attack she saw it. She saw it coming but she couldn't... she didn't know how to dodge it. In her eyes I saw it. She just submitted to it. She saw my punch coming. All the people I used it on, were dazed just before impact. They didn't know what was going on but she did. Travis stops to turn and address me.

Coincidence?

Lucky dodging?

My first punch was about the same speed or maybe a little less than Keira's. One second dodging window if alert. She was concentrating on my question. She wasn't even looking at me. I asked her, what's the real reason you're here? Okay so less time. Say half a second. I don't think anyone can dodge that. Well, it's time to find out. Travis turns to tell me to hurry up. He face turns and he sees me. He's alert. He should be able to easily dodge this. I twist my torso mimicking the first attack against Megan. It takes Travis a few seconds to figure out what's going on. I extend my arm aiming for his jaw. He tries to move to the side while lifting his arm to block but I'm about to make contact. My fist only inches away. My muscles tense as I stop my attack mid air. His eyes, they're dazed, confused. They are a complete contrast to Megans. She was focussed and alert. Almost like she was analysing my movements. I lower my fist to my side, Travis taking a step back.

"Okay..... then?" I know he's heart is hammering behind his ribs, his voice is still and calm. He couldn't dodge it. How did she do it? That was the same punch maybe even slower. I don't doubt Travis's abilities, he's definitely above a rank thirty in close combat. How could Megan dodge that and he couldn't?
"You goin explain -" he exhales pushing his hair back "- why you tried to cave my face in!" He points to his already red cheek. "Battle scars bring chicks not a bruised up Shrek." He draws a circle around his face with his index finger.
"You didn't dodge it." Rank twenty couldn't. Something isn't right. If she has such fast reflexes why she almost the lowest rank here.
"Yes that's right, Jackson." He says in a patronising voice. "Any other scientific discoveries today."
"No, Megan she dodged it. In the gym, she moved out the way." I explain the words taking long to process.
"Enough with Megan. Jackson, just -"
"No, just listen." I blurt out silencing him. "That punch it's the same as the first punch against Megan. The difference is she dodged it."
"She was facing you head on." Travis explains crossing his arms.
"So were you, I waited until you were fully facing me." I rebuke his claim.

"Okay, adrenaline. It makes you more alert and more focussed. It would definitely increase reflexes." Travis states although I could tell he was thinking the fight over. Adrenaline? That can't be it. Could it? It can't cause that amount of focus.
"How many people have you seen dodge my punch?"
"Jackson, come on man." Travis sighs slumping his shoulders.
"Answer the question." Travis stays silent. "She saw it, Travis. Megan, she was analysing my movements and when I was off balance she went in for the attack. She would have got me too. If she was just a little faster."
"You're imagining things. This is Megan we're talkin about." Travis announces not sounding convinced. He's thinking it over. He was there. He saw the fight. For someone of rank sixty- two she lasted longer than some opponents that I battled of a higher rank. "This Megan dodged almost all my attacks."
"So what, she has super human reflexes?" Travis unfurls his arms.
"I don't know, it was though she knew where I would attack next."
"You sure that was the same punch?" Travis is finding it hard to believe. I'm having trouble as well. You can't just become a professional over night. "I'm positive."
"Then this is one of three possibilities." Travis swallows his thoughts churning.

"One: Megan was lucky and the adrenaline in her system made her a dodging pro." Possible but still seems so unlucky. It seems like a cheap explanation for everything.

"Two: your curiosity is blinding you to the sixty-two Megan really is. Your mind is just tricking you into seeing Megan as someone... as something else." I doubt it but it's still a likely explanation. Maybe I'm just wanting her to be something more magnificent than she is. I've fought many people though. Combat professionals, assassins, martial arts masters. What freaked me out the most was that she had the same look in her eyes, yet she didn't have the skill. The look of thrill. The hunger for the kill. It was puzzling to say the least. Travis shuffles from one foot to the another. His forehead deep with wrinkles.

"Or three: Megan, rank sixty- two is not who she claims she is."

Dun, dun, dunnnnnnnnn!! Hope you enjoyed. I certainly had fun writing it. Don't hesitate to comment what you think, I love suggestions <3 If you did enjoy don't forget to punch that egocentric vote button in the face.

Until next time Unicorn Out.