Book 1: Awakening (The VIth Element Series)

Chapter 19: Alex

PE. This word was comprised of two single letters, which would normally not cause anyone any trouble. They were two single letters that were usually associated with the further words of "health" and "extended life" and therefore, had a positive reputation. However, for me, the P and the E put together was the worst possible combination. Every time they were mentioned, I would sigh in displeasure, my heart rate would increase and I would feel lightheaded. After all, in my mind, PE = exercise and exercise = torture!

As I approached the changing room and smelt the vile stench of sweaty bodies, unhappiness began to kick in. On cue, my heart started to beat faster and I felt as if I was about to be sick. Jasmine saved me at the last second by poking her head around the door, before I thought I was going to faint.

However, she was not the bearer of good news.

"Alex, you need to hurry up and get changed," she said quickly, her face paling. "I tried to reason with our new PE teacher but she isn't taking: 'Alex needed to stay behind and talk to our Music teacher' as an acceptable excuse to be late to this class."

"Too right she isn't!" Suddenly shouted a deep, booming voice from behind me.

As soon as this sharp, harsh voice met my ears, I nearly jumped out of my skin at the fierceness of the sound.

"You girl need to get a move on if you want to avoid having a detention on your first PE lesson."

Hastily spinning around, my shocked gaze met the fearsome sight of my teacher nemesis. She was now standing directly in front of me, inches from my own feeble form and flexing her bulging muscles in a threatening manner. She fixed me with a heated stare.

Great! I thought, inwardly groaning and wishing that I could be absorbed into the floor. We had ox woman as our PE instructor. She had more hair on her upper lip than 'Chewbacca' had on his entire body!

I shuddered.

"Well don't just stand there, gawking at my beautiful self," Ox woman abruptly roared, as I lost all sense of communication, making me jump again, so much so that I almost leapt right through the changing room roof. "Get cracking."

Instantly, after this bark of a command, I bounded into action, practically throwing my PE clothes onto my quivering body. As I changed into my PE kit, faster than a 'Quick change' act, I became ever fearful of having a detention, let alone receiving potential broken bones all over my body if I didn't managed to get ready on time. One punch from those bone-crushing fists would surely leave me in hospital for well over a month. I must have set a record pace by the time I stood ready to be put through hell. Grunting and muttering silent curses under my breath, I prayed that the type of PE we were about to endure was something I could just about cope with.

After smiling at me, or more grimacing, ox woman turned her fierce expression onto the whole class.

"So...girlies (she mustered up as much sarcasm as she could) now that all of us are ready (she threw me a particularly unpleasant glare) I feel that it is my duty to inform you of my name and what we're actually doing in PE today."

Ox woman's thick, rubbery lips peeled back to reveal a set of humongous teeth, before she continued.

"My name is Miss Beast (I actually had to stop myself from choking on my water bottle at this revelation) and I've decided that we will be attempting Netball today. Therefore," she concluded, "I'm hoping that at least some of you possess the ability to throw a ball properly and if I hear one whiny comment about breaking a nail, then so...help....you...god."

After she had threatened us and had clicked her knuckles hostilely, no one spoke for fear of being reprimanded, even if I did see a few of the girls quickly look at their perfect nails and grimace. Still, turning abruptly on her heal, Miss Beast marched us out of the changing rooms and into the huge sports hall.