My class and I pile into the gym for another class. All of us riled up. Maybe it was being in the big gym for once. Maybe because it was almost lunch time. Eh, who knows. After a few minutes we had settled down in our “squads”.

Groups the teacher had selected that we had to sit with and occasionally have as our team for games. The only other girl in my squad, and my friend, Kyleigh and I sat comparing bruises when the teacher announced what we will be doing. Due to being in French immersion and her also being our French teacher I will translate this part for you.

“We will be playing three games today. First it will be fox tail” she said. 

Fox tail was a fun game. You and a group had the same colour pinny. You had to shove some in your pocket (or down your pants waist) but leave enough sticking out. The object of the game was to grab other people’s pinnies and get them out. Once out they had to go to the center and wait to be high fived by another on their team. Like I said, it was fun. As she quickly went over the rules the teacher processed to say the best words a bored class could say.

“You may pick your teams. Teams of five and one of six” everyone woke up, a spark returning to their eyes.

I looked across the rows of kids and saw two pairs of eyes staring back at me. Alanah and Ava. They both had the same wide eyes and straight posture. A universal sign really. I widened my eyes back. Smiling, I nodded to them. They relaxed their shoulders, returning my smile. I let out a breath, happy I was actually asked to be part of the team. After a minute or two the teacher let us get up and gather. A quick moment of chaos as we all gather together. I scramble to my feet and ran to Alanah and Ava. They quickly wave over my other friend Julia and grab my friend Clara. We count each other and nod at our group of five. Gathering our red pinnies, we walk away from the other groups. I tease my friends, being the only one with pockets. I get away with having to not put this old, probably unwashed pinnies down my pants. Clara makes a face as she holds hers.

“Oh god smell them” she says. 

I do and make a face, pretending to gag. After more time setting up the teacher blows her whistle. The games have begun. May the odds be ever in your favour. (I can’t help myself, just finished the book).

Reality faded away. A forest began to take form in place of the gym. I looked at my friends, imagining their gym outfits now a rich red. Looking around I saw the other groups clothes fade into their own colours. Now we hunt. We take off. Us all going in separate directions. I spot Sarah and Amelia, there clothes a bright yellow. Smiling I launch to them. They spot me coming. The begin running as I try and grab their tails, er, pinnies. Suddenly, Sarah turns and begins to grab at me. Stopping I begin to jump about, twisting and turning this way and that. One finial twirl and another desperate grab at them ends with Amelia tugging my pinnie.

I’m still in air as I realize what has happened. Amelia throws the pinnie back to me. I stumble onto the ground, the pinnie falling onto my outstretched legs. They both run off, to me disappearing behind imaginary trees and bushes. I feel the rich colour fading from me. A piece of me ripped apart. Grabbing the tail, I run. I run till I reach a clearing. A circle painted on the floor of the middle of the gym. Stuffing the pinnie back in my pocket I figure it’s safer down my pants. I could feel the grease. My colour returned. Once I was all set I waved down a team member.

Alanah spotted me and ran over. She slapped my arm more than a high five.

Hard.

The Alanah way.

My team began to gather together.

“We need to go for one person” Ava said matter-of-factly. 

We all nodded. Surveying the forest we spotted the target.

Elias. A human punching bag to Alanah for years. He’s ok, we all joke in this class. It’s hard not to when we’ve all been together for...oh wow wait more then four years now?! Whoa. Anyway, we took off. Alanah being the fastest lead the pack. Elias saw us coming and began to run, screeching.

We surrounded him from all sides as he tried to escape. One side surrounding him was the wall. I reached out and got a grip on the fabric. Pulling back, it ripped out. Elias spun and fell. I threw the cloth up and watched it float down onto his head. Laughing maniacally, we ran off, finding a new target. After some more kills and multiple deaths the teachers significant whistle filled the air.

My world fades to dust around me and our rich colours drained. I laughed with my friends as we walked back to the teacher, awaiting further instructions for the period.