"I'd prefer to see you in the water," the older woman said, apparently unaware of the way the wet shirt clung to her. "It's easy to lose track of time and get a nasty sunburn on a day like this."

"Yes, ma'am," Grace said, forcing herself to look up at the instructor's face and not where her eyes wanted to focus.

"You haven't been on the swing yet."

"No, ma'am."

"Any reason why not?"

"I was watching the volleyball game, ma'am."

"You should try it."

"Maybe later, ma'am," Grace said, looking away to the lake before her eyes betrayed her, but making sure to catch a quick glance in the process. "I think I'll swim around for a while."

"We'll be spending the rest of PT here," the instructor said, causing Grace to smile. "Try to spend as much of it in the water as you can. I'm already seeing some pink on your cheeks."

Grace knew the color was not from the sun. "Yes, ma'am," she said, looking back to the dark-haired woman and waiting expectantly for her to say something. To her surprise, Instructor Carey smacked the water, sending it splashing at her.

"Just cooling you off, Waters."

Grace reacted quickly, slapping at the water and trying to dart out of the way. "Self-defense, ma'am," she said, using her arm to send up a large amount of water before slipping beneath the surface to avoid the endless deluge aimed at her. She came back up with her hands held up. "I surrender, ma'am," she said, closing her eyes as a few more slaps of water came her way.

"I knew there had to be a way to get a smile on that face," Carey said. "It doesn't have to be gloom and doom all the time. Go play."

"Yes, ma'am." The teen turned and headed toward the volleyball game, stopping after several yards to see where the other woman had gone. It's a shame you're such a bitch, she thought, watching Carey leave the water and take the path leading to the rope. Otherwise you wouldn't be so bad to look at.


SIX WEEKS


“All right, girls, settle down," Instructor Carey said. "Bravo Squad, it seems that Alpha Squad thinks they can beat you. Can they?"

"No, ma'am," the squad said in unison.

"And Bravo Squad is going to show that we know the meaning of good sportsmanship and fair play?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Jan, you're captain. Pick your starting lineup."

The game started off peacefully enough, Bravo Squad taking the early lead and steadily widening the gap as Grace, Jan, and Latisha combined for most of the baskets. When Alpha Squad called a time out, Bravo huddled together near their bench.

"Lauren's getting too many shots off," Jan said. "Grace, you and I are going to double-team her, keep her covered so they're forced to pass to Dawson. She can’t handle the ball worth shit. Mo, you keep her covered."

"Now wait a minute," Mo said, pushing her glasses up on her nose. "Are you trying to say that I suck as a guard so I have to cover the worst player they have?"

"You're faster than Dawson," Grace said. "You'll be able to keep her covered best." She held her hand out. "Bravo ready?"

"Let's go, Bravo!" they shouted in unison, knowing from the look on Alpha Squad's faces that it annoyed them. As soon as the whistle blew, Grace and Jan moved to cover the best player on the Alpha Squad. Where she went, they went, isolating her from the rest of the team. A slap by Mo knocked the ball out of Alpha's control, allowing Latisha to get it and lay it up for two more points on Bravo's side.

"Lay off, Waters."

"Just playing the game, Grenner," Grace said. "Get over it."

"Just back off. You too, Bowen."

"Tell someone who cares, Lauren," Jan said. "Stop whining."

"You'll be the one whining when I kick your ass all over this court," Grenner said.

”You and what army, fat ass?" Jan said. "If Scary wasn't around..."

"You'd be running like a chicken," Grace said, shifting to block Grenner from being able to accept a pass from Dawson. Together with Jan, she kept the heavyset redhead from getting the ball, allowing Bravo to lengthen their lead. When the ball went out near the Bravo basket, Grace stepped offside and readied herself to do something she had seen once at a college tournament. Grenner had her back to her, expecting Grace to pass the ball to Jan or Mo, but instead she aimed for the heavyset bully's back, then stepped into the court and caught the rebound, turning and sending up a shot that was nothing but net. "Yeah!"

"That's not fair," Grenner said, giving her a shove.

"Stop whining, crybaby," Grace said as they readied for Dawson to throw the ball in. A steal by Mo caused everyone to change direction and head down court, but when Grace came to a halt, Grenner did not, tripping over the blonde's outstretched leg and slamming onto the asphalt.

"You fucking bitch," Grenner said, lunging at Grace and knocking her to the ground. The whistle blew loudly as Instructor Carey came running over.

"Grenner you drop for twenty, then sit on the bench. Waters, are you all right?"

Grace rubbed her elbow and glared at Grenner. "Yes, ma'am."

"This isn't some corner lot, Waters. Wipe that look off your face or you can sit on the bench. We don't play street-fighting basketball here."

"Yes, ma'am.” She looked at her elbow, deciding that while the skin was scraped it was not bad enough to require a bandage. She caught Grenner's eye and smirked. Serves you right, you stupid bitch. It's just a damn basketball game.

"You sure no one's coming?" Grenner said.

"Clear," Dawson answered, running back from the double doors. "Okay, help me with this," Grenner said, bracing herself against the side of her stand-up locker. "I'll tip, you reach in and grab it."

"Don't drop it on me, Lauren."

"Shut the hell up, Sally. I'm not going to drop it. Just be ready. This thing's heavy," Grenner said. "On three. One, two, three." She pushed on the locker, tipping it up just enough for Dawson's hand to slip underneath and pull out the sharpened butter knife that had been hidden there. "Okay, I'm dropping it."

"Okay," Dawson said. Grenner dropped the locker, then took the knife.

"Go watch the window," Grenner said.

"You'd better be quick, Lauren," Dawson said. "I don't want to get caught."

"Shut up and watch the window," Grenner said, heading for Jan's bunk. "I'll teach those bitches to fuck with me." The first stab was at Jan's pillow. "How do you like this?" Crude but effective, the sharpened knife cut through the bedding and eventually the mattress, Grenner laughing as the linens were reduced to ribbons. After finishing with Jan's bunk, she turned her attention to Grace's. "Trip me, will you? Make me look stupid in front of everyone? Think you can hit me with the ball and get away with it?" She laughed maniacally as she turned the bedding into shreds. "Laugh at me and get away with it, huh?"

"Someone's coming," Sally warned.

"Shit." Grenner hid the knife in her pants. "Come on," she said, heading for the far door. "We'll hide it in the woods and go back for it later."

"I'm telling you, she slammed me on the mat."

"She did not, Jan," Grace said, reaching for the door. "She put her leg out and you tripped backwards."

"Yeah," Latisha said. "It's not Scary's fault your weight makes you fall harder."

"Come over here and say that, Short Shit," Jan said, juggling her books to free up a hand to take the door. "At least I knew what a simile was."

"But you didn't know what a homonym was," Grace said, opening the door wide enough for Jan to catch, then stepped inside. "Gage loved 'the opposite of homyn-her' though. What the hell?"

"What?" Jan said, bumping into Grace's back. "Oh shit."

"Ooh," Latisha said, drawing the word out. "Someone messed up your cribs bad."

The girls walked to their respective bunks. "Look at this," Grace said, holding up the tattered remains of her blanket.

"How the hell am I supposed to sleep on this?" Jan said, pulling the shredded linens back to reveal the mattress beneath. "Half the stuffing's out of it."

"Same here," Grace said, still stunned by the damage. "Anyone else's bunk hit?"

"No," Latisha said, returning from the far end of the barracks.

"You think it was Lauren?" Grace asked, dropping her ruined pillow.

"I don't know, but whoever it was, I'm going to kick her ass," Jan said, kicking the end of her bunk.

"What happened?" Grenner said as she and Dawson entered the barracks, followed by the rest of Alpha Squad.

Grace caught a glint in Grenner's eyes and knew that her guess was correct. "Like you don't know," she said.

"What makes you think I had anything to do with it?" Grenner said, walking past to reach her own bunk.

"Yeah, I wonder," Grace said as the door opened and more girls arrived. "It's not our fault you suck at basketball."

"You'd better watch what you say," Grenner said, throwing her books on her bunk. "I'll kick your ass."

"Fuck off," Grace said, readying herself for a fight. "I'm not afraid of you."

"I'm gonna jump you so hard your momma's going to feel it," Grenner said.

"Go ahead and try," Grace said, stepping away from her bunk and into the aisle. "Or do you want me to wait while you find your knife? Better yet, since you're too much of a frigging coward to fight someone face to face, why don't I turn around?"

"That's the only way your momma got anyone to fuck her," Grenner taunted.