Rowena“Take it easy.” Eric’s strong arm easily looped around my waist, steadying me before I could stumble from our sudden impact. He smirked down at me, his blue eyes catching the warm sunlight streaming in from overhead.“What are you doing out here?” he asked, glancing past me. “Visiting the combat manager’s office?”
RowenaThe gymnasium erupted with excited cheers as the first friendly match kicked off. I leaned forward eagerly, gripping the edge of my seat as two contestants—one wearing white, the other in our camp’s navy blue color—began circling one another on the mat.Beside me, I felt Emma tense up. I glanced over to see her gripping the edge of the bench, her mouth set in a hard line and a determined look in her eyes. But she wasn’t looking at our warrior in navy blue.
EricI stared in shock as Rowena leaped over the barrier and practically sprinted across the gymnasium, her steps sure and steady and utterly unhindered despite the ankle injury that had previously required her to use crutches.How was she walking like that all of a sudden?The gymnasium fell silent as Rowena tended t
RowenaThe gymnasium erupted with cheers and applause as the announcer's voice boomed over the speakers, signaling the start of the cheerleading ceremony. My gaze instinctively drifted towards Eric, standing tall and proud amongst the victorious warriors from our camp.A pang of sadness tugged at my heart as I realized that, according to the rules of the competition, he would soon be allowed to select one of the winning cheerleaders to accompany him on a date to an upcoming dance.It was only natural, I supposed—he was our camp’s top warrior after all, and had proven his prowess by securing victory in the final team round.Still, the thought of Eric going on a date with one of the overly made-up, giggly cheerleaders left a bitter taste in my mouth. What did I expect, though? He was a skilled, desirable warrior in the prime of his life.Of course the cheerleaders would be fawning all over him.Just picturing the cheerleaders being with him made my gut twist. I quickly looked away, my c
RowenaThe cheer competition finally came to its climax as Heather’s squad executed a flawless final routine, the petite blonde sailing through the air in a series of dizzying twists and turns before being caught by her teammates in a perfect cradle catch. The crowd roared with excitement, and I found myself slowly clapping along, torn between my obligation to show support for our camp and the nagging distaste I felt towards Heather herself.As the cheers died down, the announcer’s voice boomed through the loudspeaker once again. “What an incredible display from both camps! But as you all know, only one squad can claim victory. The judges have made their decision…”He paused for dramatic effect, clearly relishing the tension in the air. I rolled my eyes—the pageantry of it all was so ridiculous.Still, I couldn’t deny the tiniest swell of pride I felt as he finally announced, “...And the winner is Camp Laurel!”Our side of the bleachers exploded into thunderous applause and victorious
EricI felt Rowena stiffen beside me as Heather sauntered up to me, her hips swaying hypnotically with each step—like a snake preparing to strike. I knew what was coming, and a knot of dread twisted in my gut.“Eric,” she purred, running a perfectly manicured fingernail along my bicep, “I I would be honored if you would accompany me to the Victory Dance.”I stole a momentarily glance over at Rowena, and her pained expression seared itself into my mind. I swallowed hard. “Heather, I…”“Yes…?” She arched a perfect eyebrow up at me expectantly.Squaring my shoulders, I steeled my resolve. “I’m going to have to decline your invitation.”Heather blinked at me for a moment before letting out a high, tinkling laugh. “Oh Eric, you’re such a tease.” She batted her eyelashes coquettishly. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you have a night you’ll never forget. It’ll be just like old times.”“You misunderstand me,” I said flatly. “I don’t want to go to the dance with you. With anyone, really.”The moc
RowenaA few days had passed since the unsettling incident in my office with Eric, and I found myself actively avoiding him whenever possible. Just being in his presence made my skin prickle with a confusing swirl of emotions I didn’t even want to begin to acknowledge—shame, longing, disgust, and so much more.“It was a prank,” he had said, that telltale smirk of his ghosting the corners of his lips. “Nothing more.”I couldn’t decide what hurt more: the fact that my own brother would pull yet another disgusting prank on me, or… the fact that part of me, even the tiniest part, wished it had been real.No. This wasn’t right. And I refused to let myself think that it was.That week, I tried to push the whole night out of my mind, throwing myself into my work instead. But seeing the influx of new patients come to my clinic certainly helped get my mind off of things.One afternoon, I found myself passing by the bulletin board in the main hall. I stopped to take a peek at the ballots, altho
RowenaI washed my hands briskly, trying to calm my nerves as I prepared for my first shift working under Dr. Reynolds’ supervision. Taking a deep breath, I stepped back into the infirmary ward.“Rowena. Let’s get started, shall we? I need you to scrub the scuff marks off those floors over there.” He gestured to a far corner with a dismissive wave of his hand.