“Theater Kid Dusk|Gamer Girlie Dawn” (64.6) (Marmalade)

I got changed into my practice gear, by myself in the locker room. Any time I changed now, I thought about that night with Kalei. How easily I decided to do any of that.

Coach Gireau was checking in with everyone as we got onto the field, thanking us for coming in on a day off and promising not to push us too hard. As I scanned my new teammates, I noticed Kalei wasn't around.

I hadn't really considered the possibility that she wouldn't show up to this. She hadn't said much at all about her new devil powers stopping her from playing beam chasers, but it was possible. If she had to take any kind of drug test, what the hell would whatever she took show up as? Maybe it wouldn't show up at all if she wasn't in that beastly form? Maybe it was similar to Exa Cani, who had to just get beefed up power blockers to play sports. Or maybe it'd be like that all Exa Cani extreme sports league on Cool Tunes TV, where they encourage only Exa Cani in full shifted form to either play games or do full obstacle courses, which was always a cool watch.

As I pictured Kalei tearing through a Now Thatz XtremeXXX obstacle course in her full devil mode, she finally arrived.

In the mental image in my head, everyone in the practice court stood up and cheered as Kalei entered, and a beam of pure, heavenly light beamed down on her from the windows outside, making her glow as she strode to me, where we'd hug or something.

In reality, I don't think anyone cheered unless I inadvertently let one out, it was still cloudy and bleak outside so no heavenly sunbeam, and she looked a bit sheepish like she was trying to sneak in. I was starting to think my theory could be spot on that she was worried her playing would be affected by this devil thing as she kept her head low, not looking like her usual, confident self.

That said, she still looked radiant, and I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She always made me happy, she was always so funny and so cool, it was a wonder it took me so long to admit it to myself that I was catching feelings for her.

I wondered if she'd think I was weird if I ran over and hugged her. She'd probably just laugh. She was always grabbing me by my shoulders; I got floaty just thinking about her arm around me again. Then remembered again how my own arm felt on her bare back.

Kalei nodded at me as she approached, but didn't talk to me right away. She went to a group of our teammates first, where the Matora sisters and some girls I hadn't really said much to yet were chatting. Most of them leaned against a barricade that separated the court from the seating area.

Not wanting to just stand by myself waiting for a chance to be near Kalei to just happen to me, I joined her. Fate denied me this talk, however, as the second I reached her, a screeching noise got all attention to the doorway.

A group of about ten Echela students entered. Again, there weren't that many differences between Cani and Echela. Cani usually had fangs and Echela usually had pointed ears. Cani could go into the void, Echela couldn't. Cani tended to be more transform-y and power-y, but Echela had their own things that kind of lined up.

At the front was an athletic girl holding a megaphone.

"Sorry about that sound, not used to this equipment," the girl said. "There you are!"

The girl pointed at Ko, who looked kind of annoyed as she continued leaning against a barricade, only half turning around. She kept talking with the megaphone, which got loud as hell the closer she got.

"I have an answer for you, Ko! I, Roxana, will definitely go to the dance with you!"

Some gasps from the classmates in our grade from the crowd, but mostly there were just confused murmurs.

"I didn't even ask you," Ko said, rolling her eyes. "Can you turn that thing off?"

"Sure, sure," Roxana said into the megaphone until Ko yelled at her to stop that for real. Ko was laughing by the time Roxana finally turned the stupid thing off, though.

While Ko and Roxana talked, I lightly poked Kalei with my elbow. It was almost like I expected her to turn and do something similar for me. I wouldn't be opposed to her confirming she'd go to the dance with me with a big gesture like that.

"Hey," I said. "Pretty weird, the uh, all that."

"Seriously," Kalei said. "Everybody wants to make a big entrance lately."

"I heard the bird Cani for the third years busted up one of the skylights," I said.

"Tch," Kalei scoffed.

"Well, if these Echela cadets want a real big reception, they better kick Penteldtam's ass," I said.

"Pfft, yeah," Kalei said. "What does cadet even mean? Like are they wannabe soldiers or something?"

"I guess they're Echela with that Xionis power," I said. "If they're like the ones I looked up, they're gonna be in these tight bodysuits."

"Hot damn," Kalei said.

"I bet those would be a look you would rock," I said. That mental image was almost as good as the lakeside glimpses I got.

"You think?" Kalei said.

Her answers were getting shorter, I hoped I wasn't annoying her.

"You feeling alright?" I asked.

She turned away from me.

"It's nothing, let's just play," Kalei said.