saw Jeannie writhing in pain before her, her mind had gone elsewhere.
Natalie was on the ground in the middle of the caves. Jennifer could see her and Dhiraj beside the former team captain as blood poured out from her stab wound. She remembered Mr. Faraday with his arm around her neck, threatening to kill her and bring her back as a dark soul. Then Jennifer pictured herself pointing a gun at Daly just after she'd fired a round into his ear, the blood pooling on the off-white carpet.
When she reached the spot of the foul, there was nothing left inside her but rage. Jennifer leapt off the ground and tackled the offending opponent to the ground. Amid the cries of pain from Jeannie to her left, the team captain took a swing and connected with the defender's cheek. She slammed a second fist into the girl's nose, causing a steady drip of blood to seep out. Jennifer felt nothing as she let a third and final blow rip, connecting with the girl's eye socket. She wasn't sure if the referee or a coach pulled her away, and she didn't know the source of the primal yell she let out, either. All she knew was that nobody was going to hurt her or her team ever again.
Chapter 13
A few days after Ted's return, Natalie dribbled a basketball between her legs on the edge of her bed. A year earlier, she would've been nursing the pain of a long day of field hockey camp. After a recommendation from Coach Fowler, she opted to quit her secondary sport to focus on training and recruitment. The latter had taken up way more time than she'd expected.
Natalie palmed the ball and looked at the overflowing box of letters. Dhiraj and Jennifer had helped her sift out all the Division II and III offers, but the number of letters from Division I alone was staggering. She let the ball roll into her closet and dumped the envelopes on her bed. All the big schools were there, and many of the teams were the ones she'd followed growing up. She'd done her best to avoid thinking about where she'd visit or commit.
Earlier that summer, Dhiraj held a get-together at his house to discuss the next step for Ted Finley LLC. Natalie didn't give two craps about the company, but she'd been isolated ever since Ted hopped a plane to DC. When Dhiraj left the room to get snacks, she, Jennifer and Erica changed the conversation quickly.
Natalie leaned her head back and sighed. "Do any of you actually care about Dhiraj's enterprise?"
Erica shook her head and laughed. "If I hear the word synergy one more time, I'm going to throw Dhiraj through a wall."
The two of them looked at Jennifer.
She forced a smile. "I want Dhiraj to be happy, but I don't care either."
Natalie smiled. "Good. Ugh, my social life this summer is gonna be nonexistent."
Erica groaned. "I know, right? The whole reason I'm here is in a government straight jacket."
An idea formed in Natalie's head. "Wait. You're supposed to be training him, right?"
Erica nodded.
Natalie leaned forward in her chair. "Train me instead." Her smile grew wide. "I'm gonna be training anyway. The lovebirds are gonna be off talking dividends."
Jennifer suppressed a giggle. "You're probably right."
"So, you can train me. Get me a leg up before I get recruited."
Erica's eyes changed. She'd gone from bored to purposeful in a hurry. "I like it. Besides, I'd like to see how far I can push a human body."
Natalie raised an eyebrow. "Good. I think."
Dhiraj returned to the conversation with a plateful of cookies. Natalie couldn't believe the way they were shaped.
"Um, did you seriously make cookies with an 'LLC' cookie cutter?"
Dhiraj looked at Jennifer and smiled. "I did."
Jennifer cleared her throat. "It was a three-month-iversary present."
Natalie and Erica groaned in unison.
The last three months had been grueling. Five-mile runs and weightlifting followed by hand-to-hand combat and time on the court. Even though Erica was stuck in a cheerleader body, her enhanced strength and speed made her an incredible
Natalie was on the ground in the middle of the caves. Jennifer could see her and Dhiraj beside the former team captain as blood poured out from her stab wound. She remembered Mr. Faraday with his arm around her neck, threatening to kill her and bring her back as a dark soul. Then Jennifer pictured herself pointing a gun at Daly just after she'd fired a round into his ear, the blood pooling on the off-white carpet.
When she reached the spot of the foul, there was nothing left inside her but rage. Jennifer leapt off the ground and tackled the offending opponent to the ground. Amid the cries of pain from Jeannie to her left, the team captain took a swing and connected with the defender's cheek. She slammed a second fist into the girl's nose, causing a steady drip of blood to seep out. Jennifer felt nothing as she let a third and final blow rip, connecting with the girl's eye socket. She wasn't sure if the referee or a coach pulled her away, and she didn't know the source of the primal yell she let out, either. All she knew was that nobody was going to hurt her or her team ever again.
Chapter 13
A few days after Ted's return, Natalie dribbled a basketball between her legs on the edge of her bed. A year earlier, she would've been nursing the pain of a long day of field hockey camp. After a recommendation from Coach Fowler, she opted to quit her secondary sport to focus on training and recruitment. The latter had taken up way more time than she'd expected.
Natalie palmed the ball and looked at the overflowing box of letters. Dhiraj and Jennifer had helped her sift out all the Division II and III offers, but the number of letters from Division I alone was staggering. She let the ball roll into her closet and dumped the envelopes on her bed. All the big schools were there, and many of the teams were the ones she'd followed growing up. She'd done her best to avoid thinking about where she'd visit or commit.
Earlier that summer, Dhiraj held a get-together at his house to discuss the next step for Ted Finley LLC. Natalie didn't give two craps about the company, but she'd been isolated ever since Ted hopped a plane to DC. When Dhiraj left the room to get snacks, she, Jennifer and Erica changed the conversation quickly.
Natalie leaned her head back and sighed. "Do any of you actually care about Dhiraj's enterprise?"
Erica shook her head and laughed. "If I hear the word synergy one more time, I'm going to throw Dhiraj through a wall."
The two of them looked at Jennifer.
She forced a smile. "I want Dhiraj to be happy, but I don't care either."
Natalie smiled. "Good. Ugh, my social life this summer is gonna be nonexistent."
Erica groaned. "I know, right? The whole reason I'm here is in a government straight jacket."
An idea formed in Natalie's head. "Wait. You're supposed to be training him, right?"
Erica nodded.
Natalie leaned forward in her chair. "Train me instead." Her smile grew wide. "I'm gonna be training anyway. The lovebirds are gonna be off talking dividends."
Jennifer suppressed a giggle. "You're probably right."
"So, you can train me. Get me a leg up before I get recruited."
Erica's eyes changed. She'd gone from bored to purposeful in a hurry. "I like it. Besides, I'd like to see how far I can push a human body."
Natalie raised an eyebrow. "Good. I think."
Dhiraj returned to the conversation with a plateful of cookies. Natalie couldn't believe the way they were shaped.
"Um, did you seriously make cookies with an 'LLC' cookie cutter?"
Dhiraj looked at Jennifer and smiled. "I did."
Jennifer cleared her throat. "It was a three-month-iversary present."
Natalie and Erica groaned in unison.
The last three months had been grueling. Five-mile runs and weightlifting followed by hand-to-hand combat and time on the court. Even though Erica was stuck in a cheerleader body, her enhanced strength and speed made her an incredible
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