Chương 102: ULTIMATE DODGEBALL PRINCESS STYLE

By the time Ultimate Dodgeball came around, I had completely forgotten about the meltdown earlier. Being with Shannon, Lizzy, and Savy somehow erased all the bad feelings. I was with my friends, it was fun, and we were going to kick butt at dodgeball.

"I hope I'm on your team," Lizzy told me. Outside the training hall, the other teens had gathered. Ben and Jonah came over to us. Link opened the door for us, and stepping in, I must say I was impressed. Ultimate dodgeball was played with obstacles set around the hall like a maze. Balls were distributed at various points at the start. After that, it worked like regular dodgeball mixed with laser tag. You pick up balls, and you hunt down the other team.

If you hit the other team member with a ball, they were out and had to go to the Out Zone. If the target caught your ball, you were out. It's war, and it's terribly fun.

"We have a lot of noobs this time," Link announced. Yeah, I had noticed—Angela, Carlie, Delilah, Susan, Nolan, and the other guys... Even Darlyn was here. Yeah, I'd only really ever hung out with the girls from this group, so the guys were just known to me as "guys."

"So it's going to be Noobs vs. Pros!" Link decided.

"What?" The noobs sounded anxious.

"You're going down," Tim, being the nurturing brother that he was, told Angela.

"That's not really fair," I said. I didn't like the idea of hitting any of the girls with balls.

"Remember how we used to cream you guys?" Link asked us. Oh yeah, when we first started playing, Link and the others had also played Noobs vs. Pros and completely wiped us out over and over again, until we figured out how to win.

"The fastest way to learn to win is to lose," Link said.

"So, what we gonna do, princess?" Jonah asked me. I heard Carlie gasp at that.

"Oh!" Since the noobs were listening, I said, "We're going to win. Split up in pairs, take the higher ground back there as the central stronghold, fighters on the attack, the others retrieve the balls."

"Why are you saying the strategy to them?" Tim jerked his head toward the noobs, who were most definitely listening.

"Because the faster they learn to play, the more fun it will be," I answered.

"But don't worry, they won't win." Our guys smirked at that. Their guys growled.

"Anything else to add, Ben?" I asked, because I felt like he had something to say.

"That one, and that one, and that one." Ben pointed out three guys.

"They shot the princess with snowballs this morning. Kill on sight." He made a gun with his hand and cocked it in the air. Our guys grunted in acknowledgment. Their guys looked nervous. This princess plague is spreading at an alarming rate. And it's totally killing me, if no one else.

"Okay, go strat. Don't keep us waiting," I said. The noobs scurried to the other end of the hall to make plans. We gathered in ours.

"How about we mess with them, eh?" Tim said.

"We're already going to completely destroy them repeatedly. What more do you want?" I asked.

"Wait, seriously?" Tim blinked at me.

"You're not going to let them win?" This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

"Yeah, how else will they learn to play?" I asked.

"Woah... who are you and what did you do to Sam?" Tim asked. I shrugged.

"Link and the others are already in their senior year. If these kids don't learn to play, who would we be left to play with?" Yeah, I had great foresight like that.: P"Oh, and Liz, I want you and Savy on attack. Target all the girls. Watch out for Susan and Delilah. Shannon and Drew will protect you with their lives. Jonah, you're with Tim—take out all the guys. Ben with me, we'll fill in the gaps." If only alpha-ing was like Ultimate Dodgeball!

"I'm hunting down those three," Ben told me.

"Yeah, sure. I'll play support," I told him. Ben smirked. I grinned. I liked when Ben was out for blood. It was always more fun when our wolves were playing too.

"Time's up!" Link shouted from the top of the bleachers so he and the older teens could all watch the action. I noticed Evelyn sitting with them.

"To the start line!" Link called. The noobs started trying to clarify last-minute strategy. The pros were completely silent, seeking out all the balls and possible routes in our path with our eyes.

"Go!" The noobs ran out. We could hear their shoes squeak on the gym floor. The pros grabbed any nearby balls and disappeared into the maze. Lesson 1: When hunting, it's always best if your prey doesn't know you're there. Ben and I grabbed a couple of balls and scooted quickly somewhere midfield. We found quite a high wall. There was a similar one opposite us. We heard two noobs run over to it.

"Over here!" one of them whispered too loudly to the other. I signaled Ben to be on the ready and lobbed the ball over the wall. With a bit of luck, it hit someone.

"Ow!" His friend scurried out, and Ben slammed the ball into his face.

"One down." A couple more balls flew out to hit the one who scurried. Link blew the whistle.

"Don't kill-steal," Ben growled.

"Sorry, it slipped," Shannon shouted back.

"Hahaha," laughed Drew. They were totally giving their position away, and I could hear the noobs rush toward them. Lesson 2: When a pro gives away his location, it's a trap. Ben returned with another couple of balls. He handed one to me. Suddenly screaming and the sound of balls hitting their target.

"Sorry, ladies," Shannon drawled.

"Hahaha," laughed Drew.

"Yes!" Lizzy sounded triumphant. More balls and grunts.

"Not sorry, guys," Shannon declared cockily. Link's whistle kept blowing the outs. Lesson 3: Don't all rush into a trap at the same time. You make it too easy. Sounds like their trap was even more successful than I had expected. Did all the noobs run in? Another whistle.

"Two down," Jonah announced, mostly for Ben's benefit. He was probably the only one on track with Ben's personal vendetta.

"Just one more." Ben was checking the bleachers where the outs were.

"Two more," Link informed us. I looked and saw the audience eyeing a particular corner of the hall.

"They're there." Ben gave a whistle. I don't know what it was for, and then Jonah echoed the whistle back. They were flanking the prey. Then Ben nodded at me and started toward where the last of the noobs were.

"In the corner, Jonah," Ben spoke casually when we were close enough to each other.

"Yeah, I smell them," Jonah answered. We could hear from the way his voice traveled that they were moving parallel to us.

"Yeah, I smell their fear," Tim laughed. I grabbed more balls.

"They're mine," Ben said.

"Yeah.

'Kay," Jonah answered. Ben and I flanked right. Jonah and Tim attacked and flushed out the fugitives. Ben threw two balls and hit them at the same time. Link blew a long whistle.

"Pros win. Prep for Round 2." We put back all the balls.

"Hey, Round 2 onwards, losing team replaces the balls!" Jonah yelled at the noobs. Link: "Ready for Round 2!" Me: (Loud enough for everyone to hear) "This time, Shannon, Drew, and the girls take center stage. Jonah and Tim flank right. Ben and I will take left." Tim: (Groans) "Why are you telling them our positions?" Me: (Pointedly) "To make it easier for them to find you." Ben: "This time, all three are my kill." Jonah: "Yeah, got it." Seriously, were they still making a big deal out of those three?

Technically, their target should be everyone. Lesson 4: If the pros say something that scares you, they're probably saying it to scare you. And Ben's wolf was freaking those kids out. I could hear them chittering about abandoning the three guys on their own.

"Okay, we good to go," I said. In ten minutes, Link was blowing his whistle hard again.

"Pros win. Prep for Round 3!"

"Losing team, prep," Jonah reminded them. These guys could be such bullies. But the noobs just sat on the floor.

"We surrender!" Angela said.

"You guys are too hard to beat," Carlie whined.

"You've only lost twice," I told them. I raised my brows when the guys collapsed on the floor with them.

"Even the guys?" Link came over, smiling.

"What, you noobs give up already?"

"It's impossible," one of the guys not-Nolan said.

"I remembered when those guys were noobs. They played us till dinnertime and wouldn't let us leave till they won," Link told them. Really? I didn't remember that.

"Yeah, 'cause Sam didn't let any of us go till we won," Jonah chuckled. I didn't?

"Slave driver," Tim nodded.

"But we won," I told them.

"We always won in the end."

"Okay, then," Angela said suddenly.

"We'll play. But Sam must be on our team." The other noobs agreed. Link grinned.

"Well, Princess?" Carlie sighed dreamily at that. I didn't mind which team I played, but I needed to manage their expectations.

"Even if I joined your team, you won't win."

"Hey!" one of the guys protested. Ben growled. He was immediately quiet.

"Okay, but you're joining our team," Angela said. I shrugged.

"Okay. Whatever."

"Okay, Round 3, get ready," Link announced. The game was up again.