without any hesitation. “Of course. I always do.”
“Then I'll be off. Enjoy your break until classes start. I'll drop in later this semester to see how things are going.” With that said, Shifter turned to head back to the main part of campus, twirling his cane as he walked despite the fact that made his limp even more pronounced. Ryan watched him go then turned his attention back to the other teenagers. Everyone was staring at Mackenzie as if awaiting instructions.
“Guess that's it for training today,” Logan remarked with a grin.
Mackenzie shook her head. “We'll go for another half hour. Clarisse, you can take Ryan back to the villa and help him get settled.”
Clarisse strolled toward him. “This way,” she said heading in the direction of the lake. Behind them, Ryan could hear Eva telling the others that they all needed to work on their defense and to pair off again with a new partner.
After a ten minute walk, Clarisse led him to a pier. “We'll take a boat. It's faster than walking all the way around the lake.” She motioned to one of the several boats tied in place. “You first,” she said. Ryan did as he was told and carefully stepped from the pier into one of the boats, hoping the entire time that he wouldn't misstep and fall into the water.
He glanced up at Clarisse waiting for her to take a seat in the boat as well. “Well?” he asked when after a few moments she didn't move.
“Aren't you going to offer me your hand?” she said expectantly.
Ryan thought that was a little strange, but he did reach out a hand to help her step off the pier. “I prefer chivalrous transportation specialists myself,” Clarisse remarked once she was settled.
“Does that mean you expect me to hold open car doors for you?” he joked. It was impossible to maintain his sullen attitude around the girl. After all, she was in the same situation as he.
“I expect everyone to hold open every type of door for me,” Clarisse replied and while the statement could have come off sounding arrogant, the tone of voice was nothing other than playful. “Maybe you would like to give this a try since it's more your field than mine,” she pointed to the engine.
Once again on familiar ground, Ryan smiled at the engine but his experience with boats was limited. In fact, he had never before been on a boat. Clarisse briefly explained how to operate it and then pointed in the direction they needed to go. After a little tinkering, Ryan found the watercraft relatively easy to control.
He soon had them on the other side of the lake where he secured the boat under Clarisse's helpful instructions. Grinning to himself, and remembering his company, he held out his hand to help her climb up the much narrower pier.
“We're the only ones who live on this side of the lake,” she said, accepting his hand with a nod. “They gave us the villa farthest from the main part of campus as an insult, but we all like it really. We have a lot more privacy than the others and if we climb onto the roof we have the most incredible view.”
“Who is 'they', and why would they want to insult your team?”
“Our team,” Clarisse corrected. “They want to insult us because they think we're strange.”
“Strange?”
“We've never been quite the ideal candidates for student Belligerents. Shifter's a little eclectic. He likes unique things, so he picked us for his team when no other Owner would have glanced twice at us.”
“You talk about being a Belligerent like it's a good thing.”
Clarisse glanced over her shoulder at him. “It can be a very good thing.” She then changed the subject as she led the way up a trail that wound around the cliff. “Mackenzie used to say that I was going to end up falling off the edge because I get too distracted when I'm walking, so Aria made Logan add the railings.”
Ryan had to admit that he would have been a little frightened to climb the trail himself if there had been no railing. The path was steep
“Then I'll be off. Enjoy your break until classes start. I'll drop in later this semester to see how things are going.” With that said, Shifter turned to head back to the main part of campus, twirling his cane as he walked despite the fact that made his limp even more pronounced. Ryan watched him go then turned his attention back to the other teenagers. Everyone was staring at Mackenzie as if awaiting instructions.
“Guess that's it for training today,” Logan remarked with a grin.
Mackenzie shook her head. “We'll go for another half hour. Clarisse, you can take Ryan back to the villa and help him get settled.”
Clarisse strolled toward him. “This way,” she said heading in the direction of the lake. Behind them, Ryan could hear Eva telling the others that they all needed to work on their defense and to pair off again with a new partner.
After a ten minute walk, Clarisse led him to a pier. “We'll take a boat. It's faster than walking all the way around the lake.” She motioned to one of the several boats tied in place. “You first,” she said. Ryan did as he was told and carefully stepped from the pier into one of the boats, hoping the entire time that he wouldn't misstep and fall into the water.
He glanced up at Clarisse waiting for her to take a seat in the boat as well. “Well?” he asked when after a few moments she didn't move.
“Aren't you going to offer me your hand?” she said expectantly.
Ryan thought that was a little strange, but he did reach out a hand to help her step off the pier. “I prefer chivalrous transportation specialists myself,” Clarisse remarked once she was settled.
“Does that mean you expect me to hold open car doors for you?” he joked. It was impossible to maintain his sullen attitude around the girl. After all, she was in the same situation as he.
“I expect everyone to hold open every type of door for me,” Clarisse replied and while the statement could have come off sounding arrogant, the tone of voice was nothing other than playful. “Maybe you would like to give this a try since it's more your field than mine,” she pointed to the engine.
Once again on familiar ground, Ryan smiled at the engine but his experience with boats was limited. In fact, he had never before been on a boat. Clarisse briefly explained how to operate it and then pointed in the direction they needed to go. After a little tinkering, Ryan found the watercraft relatively easy to control.
He soon had them on the other side of the lake where he secured the boat under Clarisse's helpful instructions. Grinning to himself, and remembering his company, he held out his hand to help her climb up the much narrower pier.
“We're the only ones who live on this side of the lake,” she said, accepting his hand with a nod. “They gave us the villa farthest from the main part of campus as an insult, but we all like it really. We have a lot more privacy than the others and if we climb onto the roof we have the most incredible view.”
“Who is 'they', and why would they want to insult your team?”
“Our team,” Clarisse corrected. “They want to insult us because they think we're strange.”
“Strange?”
“We've never been quite the ideal candidates for student Belligerents. Shifter's a little eclectic. He likes unique things, so he picked us for his team when no other Owner would have glanced twice at us.”
“You talk about being a Belligerent like it's a good thing.”
Clarisse glanced over her shoulder at him. “It can be a very good thing.” She then changed the subject as she led the way up a trail that wound around the cliff. “Mackenzie used to say that I was going to end up falling off the edge because I get too distracted when I'm walking, so Aria made Logan add the railings.”
Ryan had to admit that he would have been a little frightened to climb the trail himself if there had been no railing. The path was steep
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