***
Melody stands before Mr. Verim. He looks down at her and waits for her to begin, expecting some form of a complaint or request for change.
"Am I really the best fit for Emily's team? I think I might do better by myself, honestly?"
Melody blurts out her questions, fed up with the looks Emily and Vera stare through her. Melody, now, can tell that the two of them are imagining striking her with their weapons.
"No!"
Mr. Verim very suddenly shouts, holding up a single index finger.
"Your teams are final!"
He moves to speak to the whole of the class now, seeing all of them have properly joined in three's.
His sudden outburst embarrasses Melody but it also serves to keep everyone in line about thinking they've made bad choices. Mr. Verim actually grows impatient here, waiting for word or signal or something from Gentus. His thoughts spit the words thinking about him.
Melody backs away, bowing out and going back to Emi and Vera. Coming up to them, Emily shoots her a disgusted look and rushedly asks,
"So?"
"He's not going for it."
Melody relents and huffs her response.
Emily and Vera's shoulders drop.
"Ugh, oh well."
Emily and Vera turn towards Melody now, a move she finds suspicious. Melody turns away a few degrees, eyeing them curiously.
"Well? What do you think you want to do in a match… basic battle theory for 3v3's is we have someone attack, someone strategizes from the back and someone to defend while the leader commands."
Emily speaks as if teaching the lesson herself. Vera nods along, keeping attentive during her speech.
"What? Don't want to call yourself the leader immediately? How noble."
Melody tries to be snide, waiting for her to burst back and curse her out.
Emily does no such thing, calmly thinking about her options, a tiny fist at her chin, deep in thought.
"Well, maybe, but I think my speed might make for the best attack position. Hit 'em hard and fast."
Melody tries to interrupt, but Emily continues,
"And vera has the best ability for scout-work, meaning she might be best to watch our backs and call out to us if anything we don't expect comes at us."
Emily lets her fist fall free, facing Melody fully now, waiting for her response with an odd amount of sincerity.
"So…"
Melody has to take a breath.
"You want me on defense then?"
Melody slowly works it out.
"You're easily the strongest among us here."
Emily starts,
"Ah-"
Melody gets cut off again,
"Sheer strength-wise, yes, I admit you're powerful, but there are things you lack. Your amount of Blessed energy is bigger than ours, meaning you can put a lot of it into keeping Vera and yourself safe. Also freeing you up to make it up to me quickly if I get into trouble."
Emily's thoughts lay bare between the three girls, well put together and making more and more sense. Melody can't argue.
"I guess some of us just had to grow in other ways."
Melody playfully mocks Emily's small-chested armor, raising her eyebrows twice before them. Paying her the crude compliment, all the same, Melody admits that Emily has a well-thought-out plan and agrees to it.
FMP.
Melody swings her arms around Emi and Vera's necks, slacking her weight onto them.
"This is gonna kick ass."
"Get off me, Melon-y"
Emily shoves at Melody's chest, freeing herself from her strong arms.
Melody reaches for her again, chasing her away, leaving Vera to stand alone in a dust cloud.
Standing in the shade of the lower-level viewing deck, Okirk and his ogre-like thugs watch Melody prancing about. Okirk spits to the side and kicks off the wall, heading towards her.
"Mr. Okirk… Ready to begin?"
Mr. Verim calls out, breaking free from a few questioning students to stop his march. Catching up to the halted boy, Mr. Verim meets his face closely, breathing nose his nose now.
"Of course… sir."
Okirk quietly eases off, turning away from his teacher.
"Good."
Mr. Verim coldly brushes past him to gather the rest of the students, just about ready to stream across the field to make Mr. Gentus hurry along.
As he looks over to the far away Cursed class, the grossly familiar voice grasps into his head, causing him to physically shiver.
"Mr. Verim…"
Mr. Gentus whispers, oddly soothing. He can't directly see him, but Mr. Verim can tell he's facing him from across the to-be battlefield.
"Gather some paper and a hat, will you?"
Continued in PART FORTY-NINE…