He Does Not Belong Here

The remaining contestants were given a 15-minute break until the next round started. Malakai, Ray and Maria went to Delilah and Tanisha on the side.

"Yo, you good?" Malakai asked, giving Delilah a fist bump.

"Yeah, I'm good. That dodgeball match was amazing", Delilah replied.

"I know, it was mad", Malakai said, smiling ear to ear.

"OH MY GOD! YOU'RE IN THE FINAL!" Tanisha cheered, hugging Maria.

Maria hugged back, "I didn't do anything. It was all Ray", Maria said.

"Nooo. You did a lot. I was watching you the whole time", Tanisha replied happily, glad to see her friend again. Nada returned with a bottle of water in her hands, which was deserved.

"Hi, are you Malakai's friends?" Nada asked, approaching them.

"Yeah, my name is Delilah. Your name is Nada, right?".

"Yeah. I'm in class 1-E", Nada introduced herself.

"How did you two become friends?". Delilah questioned, as this was the first time she'd talked with Nada.

"I'm his apprentice", Nada casually replied, looking innocent.

"What?" Delilah thought she was hearing things.

"He's my sensei", she continued to say like it was normal.

Delilah looked at Malakai, who was trying not to laugh. He was smiling and biting his lip. Seeing that made Delilah burst into laughter.

"Delilah, I think you should be my apprentice as well", Malakai said, laughing between his words.

"No, thank you. I think I would waste your time", Delilah replied, covering her mouth and laughing.

Malakai took a seat next to Delilah. "So what? You got eliminated in the second round?" Malakai asked her, leaning back in the seat.

"Yeah. I mean, I don't mind we got 50 points at least", Delilah said, looking like she didn't care much.

"It was my fault; I took too long to find our object, " Tanisha said, taking the blame.

"Malakai did the same thing", Ray joined in.

"Really?" They both said, turning to Malakai.

"Yeah, I took too long. I had to give Nada a piggyback so we would make it", he said, pointing at Nada.

"It was hilarious", Ray laughed, thinking back to the moment.

"I wish I could've seen that", Delilah said, looking at Nada, who was slightly embarrassed.

"I gotta admit, in the dodgeball match. You were kinda cool." Tanisha didn't want to admit it, but he was the reason her friend got through the round, so some praise was needed.

"Oh my god, are your hands okay?" Delilah asked, looking at Malakai's hands. Thinking they would be hurt or injured.

Malakai showed them his hands, which were still red from the match. "They're fine, but during the game, they were stinging."

As he showed his hands, Tanisha noticed they looked worn out, with little scars and jagged nails.

"What's wrong with your nails?" she asked, pointing to the nails and not the scars, with a disgusted look on her face.

"Oh shit", Malakai pulled his hand away and looked at his nails. "Didn't want you to see that", he embarrassingly said.

"Do you bite your nails?" Maria asked, looking at him.

Malakai looked at all the girls, and he thought he gave them all the ick, "Yeah, it's a bad habit I got", he said, looking at his nails. "Everyone's got bad habits, though", he said, trying to ease some of the pressure off him.

"It's fine; I used to bite my nails", Delilah said, relating to him.

"Used to? You stopped?" Malakai looked at her, wanting to know how she stopped.

"I stopped like a year ago. It's just something you have to commit to".

"Commit to what?" A voice said from behind them. They all turned around to see David, Benjamin, William and Lucas standing there.

"Yooo! Why're you man here?" Malakai said, standing up and hugging them. Delilah and Tanisha were also surprised to see them.

"We got eliminated", David bluntly said.

"Hahahaha. You lot are shit", Malakai laughed.

All his friends couldn't hold back a smile; they knew the reaction they would get.

"What, you lot couldn't throw a bean bag properly?" Malakai continued to laugh and take the piss.

"Bro, we had people in 1-B and 1-A in our group; look at who you have?" Lucas took Malakai's bait and bit hard. "Why are you here? Did you get eliminated?" Lucas questioned, hoping the answer was yes, triggered by Malakai's reaction.

"Na, me and my apprentice are waiting for the next round", he said, putting an arm around Nada.

"Your what?" Benjamin asked to see if he was hearing correctly.

"Nada, tell 'em".

"I'm his apprentice", she said in her same cheery tone. After hearing that, the four of them had the same reaction as everyone else. While all the commotion was going on, David broke free from it and went to Delilah and Tanisha.

"What happened in your building?" Tanisha asked, looking at him.

"In the dodgeball match, we got split up. Me and Will were on the team with Ryan and a bunch of students from 1-A, and Lu and Ben were on the other team", David answered.

"Why did you go on different teams?" Delilah questioned.

"The teams got chosen for us," David slowly answered, thinking the question was stupid. Tanisha and Delilah looked at each other with open mouths. "What's with those faces?" David asked, looking at their reactions.

"In here, they chose who to team with", Delilah explained.

David didn't complain. He accepted it, "It's different classes, can't complain about it now".

"How did the match go?" Tanisha asked.

"Our team destroyed theirs. I didn't even do anything. Me and Will threw the ball once, and we both didn't hit anyone", David replied

"Totally different from this game", Tanisha said with widened eyes.

"What happened here?" David questioned.

"It's a long story; we'll explain later", Delilah said, waving her hand. "How was the bean bag throw?" Delilah continued.

David shook his head, "I don't even know how to describe it; everyone's throws were so close together. Mine was a bit behind everyone else's, so we got eliminated. Everyone over there was too good". David looked at Malakai and Ray, who were still talking with the group. "I'm happy they've made it, though", he said, smiling.

"It's been crazy, we need to tell you about it". Delilah told him.

"Who's in the final?" David asked, looking around.

"Ray and Maria", Tanisha answered.

"So, who's Mally versing?" David asked, kind of expecting Ray to be in the final.

"I don't know. I think two boys from 1-E", Tanisha tried to answer.

"Two boys from 1-E", David mumbled. "Mally!" David called out. Malakai heard his name and looked at David. "Who are you versing in the next round?" David asked him

"I don't know his name—that guy from the meeting. You know who I'm on about", Malakai replied.

"He's the real deal. Maybe he wasn't at that meeting for no reason", David thought. David took a seat. "This next round is about to be good", he said, rubbing his hands together.

"CAN THE FINAL THREE PAIRS COME HERE PLEASE!" The teacher shouted.

Malakai stood up, “Aryt let’s go”.

"Make sure you don't get eliminated", William pressured, shaking Malakai's shoulders.

"We'll be watching. If you embarrass yourself, you better hide". Benjamin warned him, patting his back.

"I'm not like you, man. I'm built different", Malakai responded walking away, excited for the next round.

"Good luck", Tanisha and Delilah said to Maria and Ray as they walked away.

"Ray, make sure you beat him", Lucas said to Ray as he walked past.

"I'll see what I can do", Ray smiled as he replied.

The six students were around the teacher now. "Good, all of you are here. You two are in the final, so you will watch this round", he said, pointing at Maria and Ray. "The four of you will verse each other this round. The game you will play is You Shall Not Pass".

"Is that the actual name?" Malakai questioned, thinking the name was stupid.

"We tried; this was the best we could think of. Anyway, this is how the game will work. Before the match, you will decide who you will go up against. There have to be individual matchups. Then you and your pair will stand in your half. The aim is to get the other side without being touched by the opposition before you cross the line".

"Is that it?" Kyle asked, thinking the game was easy. "Can't we just run past them?" He continued.

"Yes, but if they touch you before your whole body crosses the line, you're out. Then they can run to the other side because you've been eliminated".

"Does that mean they win if one person reaches the other side?" Malakai questioned.

"No, both pairs have to reach the other side. If one pair crosses the other side, a 30-second timer will be set to quicken up the game and force people to try and cross over. I know this game may sound simple, but it is tricky". The teacher explained the game to the students, who looked like they understood.

The area the students were playing in was big, so there was a lot of space to run. There was also a line dividing the area into two sides.

RULES

1)Each pair will choose who they have to stop crossing to the other side before the match.

2)Each person has to try to cross to the other side without being touched by their opponent.

3)If a part of their body is on the other side but gets touched by the opponent, they are out.

4)As they are out, their opponent has no one defending them, so they can cross over.

5)The person's entire body must pass their defender; their opponent cannot turn around and touch them once they pass them. A person cannot touch the opposition if they are in their own area.

6)Once one person has crossed over, a 30-second timer is set to speed up the game and force others to make a move.

7)Both pairs must cross to the other side to win the game. If the 30-second timer is set and no one else has successfully crossed, the one person who crosses over wins the game for their team.

8)The students can go anywhere inside their own area.

"Hopefully, you understand. Can you choose who you will be defending?". The teacher said.

"Him", Malakai said, pointing at Adam without any hesitation.

Adam stared at him with the straight face he had on show 24/7.

"Do you have any problems with that?" The teacher asked Adam.

"No", He replied, shaking his head.

"Okay, that means you two will be defending each other". Nada and Kyle had to stop each other from crossing. "We'll start right now, so can you pick a side".

The two pairs separated and stood at the back of their area. At the same time, Ray and Maria stood to the side to watch.

"What game are they playing?" Delilah asked, trying to figure it out.

"I don't know, we have to wait and see", David answered.

"What's the plan?" Nada curiously asked.

This time, Malakai had a plan, sort of. "You stay on the defensive; make sure he doesn't cross over. Let me cross over first; when I do, then you cross over", he replied.

"Do you think I can defend him for that long?" Nada asked, questioning her ability again.

"Yeah, the guy you're up against doesn't look athletic, and you're agile, so you can follow his movements. If he tries to cross over, you can easily eliminate him; that will be the best outcome." Malakai said, breaking down his analysis.

"Okay, I'll do my best", Nada replied, taking in the advice.

Malakai smiled to himself, "Two steppin', two weapons, everything will be fine. It's aryt," he quietly said.

"Did you say something?" Nada asked, not hearing him.

"Nothing", Malakai replied. "Don't worry, we got this", he said, putting his fist out.

"Yeah", she replied fist bumping him.

"IS EVERYONE READY?!"

The four students took their stance.

FWWEEET!!

The four students ran to the line in the middle, separating the two areas. When they reached the line, they stopped, each standing in front of the other, blocking their path.

"Aryt, let me find an opening", Malakai thought. He looked ahead and saw Adam following his eyes. This was the first time he'd seen Adam properly. A bland-looking boy with brown hair and brown eyes. He looked average height at about 5'10, maybe 5'11. It was written for this guy to be somewhat of a main character. From the side, it looked like Malakai and Adam were staring at each other. Malakai looked around Adam, but,

"Everything looks blocked off", he thought. There was no way Malakai could run past Adam without being touched.

Malakai wanted to try something, so he started walking to the right. Adam followed him. He walked behind Nada. Adam walked behind Kyle. Now, Nada and Kyle were to their left as opposed to their right.

Malakai figured out, "He's following me. Let's try something." He feinted to go right and then sprinted left back to where he was before. Adam followed.

"The fuck? He could've run to our side. This guy just wants to defend me. How am I going to get past him?"

"He's probably figured out I just want to defend him. I did have an opening to go, but I need to make sure me and Kyle both cross", Adam thought.

This was the first time Adam had seen Malakai properly. A Short 5'6 boy with a scar across his nose, wavy black hair with brown tips, followed by hazel nut-coloured eyes. With his unique appearance, it was written for this guy to be somewhat of a main character.

Adam was thinking about more than just defence. He was also looking for an opening, but like Malakai, he couldn't find much.

"He's quick, so running past him is not an option. The same goes for him; I can just about match his pace so he can't run past me. If Kyle can find a way through his opponent, I can get past Malakai in 30 seconds. For now, I need to make sure he doesn't get through". Adam was thinking steps ahead, analysing everything and thinking of problems and solutions.

"Let me try something".

Adam feinted to his right. Malakai watched it.

Adam feinted to the right again. Malakai didn't fall for it.

"He can't be fooled with feints. He does come from the UK. In Soccer, they use a skill called a body feint. It's one of the most used skills, so I'm sure he's got that skill hammered in his brain. He probably knows how to defend it and all sorts".

Adam looked over at Kyle and saw him struggling to find an opening; he looked at Nada, who looked comfortable.

"How is struggling to get past her?"

Malaki noticed Adam's gaze shift to something other than him. He feinted to the right, which caused Adam to lean to his left a little. Malakai then shifted all his body weight to the left, causing Adam to do the same. But it was feint. Malakai pushed himself to the right, catching Adam by surprise. It wasn't that big of a surprise, though. Malakai's right shoulder crossed to the other side, and Adam swung his left arm to try and touch it. Malakai retreated back. He had to; if he got touched, he would have been eliminated.

"Fuck! I nearly got him", Malakai thought.

Meanwhile, in the crowd.

David understood the game from watching and explained it to the rest.

"That's difficult", Benjamin said, watching the game.

"It looks like Mally is having a hard time", Lucas said, observing his friend.

"I've watched his dodgeball match, and I saw him pull through there, so I know he'll pull through this time", Delilah confidently said, believing in Malakai.

"Are you sure?" He looks different from the dodgeball game", Tanisha said.

"Huh".

"I don't know how to describe it; in the dodgeball game, He had this look on his face that showed he looked in control, but that look is gone. It looks like the other guy is controlling him", Tanisha replied, seeing Malakai struggle.

"He's still smiling though", Delilah said. Malakai did have a small smile on his face.

"No, Tanisha's right. I've always backed Malakai, but the guy he's versing is not some ordinary guy", David said nervously, watching.

"You lot are crazy. It's Mally", Willaim interrupted, sitting down with his feet on the chair in front of him. "Think about it: when he wins this, will you be surprised?" William questioned the group, having no doubt Malakai would win.

"To be honest, I would. I was less nervous when he was facing that third year", David answered, fidgeting with his hands.

"Hearing your opinions has made me nervous", Benjamin said, leaning forward. "Shit, you're right. Now that you've said it, I am more nervous now than when he faced the third year", he continued.

"Don't say that", Delilah said, also getting nervous.

"Y'all are crazy", William smiled, shaking his head at his stressed friends.

"Please, Malakai, make it through", Maria thought, watching on from the side of the court.

The crowd was getting louder; they wanted to see something. All they were seeing were two people standing in front of each other. Malakai tried a few more feints, but nothing came of them.

"I can't do anything," Malakai thought.

"Why won't he do anything?" Adam thought.

"What should I do?" Malakai thought.

"What should I do?" Adam thought.

"Can I qualify?" Malakai thought.

"When will I qualify?" Adam thought.

The two looked each other in the eyes. Two different people, two different appearances, two different classes, two different backgrounds, two different personalities, with the same thought but two different meanings.

They both thought,

"He does not belong here".