The Recruit(7)

That was it. Nobody teased her half-brother but her. Throwing her bag down she pushed her way into the middle of the bullies’ circle to stand in front of Simon.

‘You okay, Si?’

He was rubbing his chest, but nodded his head that he was.

Now she turned to face the older boys. ‘Think it’s funny do you? Like picking on people smarter than you? Well now, you can deal with me. Who’s first?’ She stood there challenging them, waving them on with her hands while daring them with her eyes.

One of them, with an earring, laughed. ‘I don’t hit girls,’ he said. Jaz hadn’t seen him before, maybe he was new and hadn’t heard of her yet.

‘Well I don’t discriminate,’ she said, raising her hands.

The other guys took a few steps back. They didn’t look so tough now. Jaz was itching for one of them to make a move just so she could bust their butts. The one with the earring, who had hit Simon, stood tall, chest puffed out trying to intimidate her.

‘You come near my brother again and you’ll have to deal with me. I don’t like bullies.’

A guy with a shaved head leaned over and whispered something to the dude with the earring before he turned and left. The rest of the crowd went with him. Earring boy gave her an unimpressed glance before turning and following the others.

‘I guess your reputation is still alive and well,’ said Simon as he picked up his spilt books.

Jaz put her hand on Simon’s shoulder. ‘If they bother you again, you tell me.’

‘You can’t fight all my battles, Jaz,’ he sighed while putting his bag on his shoulder.

‘And why not? You got the brains, I’ve got the brawn, together we are unbeatable,’ she said with a laugh. ‘Come on, we better get to class before we’re both in trouble.’

‘Thanks, Sis,’ he said before turning and running towards the nearest door.

Jaz followed along at a slower pace. She was a little disappointed no one had thrown a punch. She did love a good fight but usually it was with her mates at The Ring. Maybe another day, she thought.





Chapter 3


Jaz was mesmerised. Yeah, the wooden bench seat in the gymnasium was hard on her butt and her white breeches were a bit tight, but Taylor occupied the rest of her thoughts. He was just so cool. Okay, so the get-up in fencing wasn’t as revealing as a pair of footy shorts but it was the way Taylor moved that was wonderful, his steps so graceful, his arm speed so quick and his riposte so decisive. Jaz wasn’t really good at remembering all the names of things in fencing but that didn’t matter, she could still do all the moves.

Taylor was right into fencing…and anything else different. Like his passion for guns. His dad was the Deputy Commissioner of Operations for the police and had a huge gun collection. Taylor had shown her a few times over the years, and he would ramble on about each new gun every time his dad had acquired another one. He probably thought she was interested but Jaz just liked the way the words rolled off his tongue and the way he spoke so passionately.

‘Hey, you. Finished practice?’ asked Anna as she walked into the school’s large gym. It had grandstands on either side of the court and two fencing mats were set up in the middle, where Taylor and Reece were bouting.

Jaz lifted her mask up off the bench so Anna could sit down. ‘Just about.’

They watched for a few minutes as Taylor won another point.

Anna sighed, ‘Wow, Taylor makes it look so sexy.’ Jaz glanced at Anna who held up her hands. ‘Hey, I’m just sayin’…no wonder you joined.’

‘Hmm.’ Jaz had joined the fencing team just to be with Taylor but she didn’t realise how much you needed fast reflexes and pinpoint precision. Fencing, she’d found, was a battle of the body, mind and spirit between athletes and she got that, it was an extension of what she did at Pax’s gym. Now she enjoyed it as much as Taylor did and she liked beating the other boys.

She watched as Taylor took a lunge and finished off his attack. She turned back to Anna. ‘So did you memorise a few more books in the library?’

Anna rolled her eyes at Jaz. ‘Don’t mock me, because you know you need me. I’m the smartest friend you’ve got.’

‘Anna you’re the smartest kid in the whole of Perth…and I’m glad that you’re my friend…and not just because of that marvellous mind of yours. So you coming to The Ring too?’

Anna tossed her long hair over her slim shoulder. ‘Yep, never know when Pax will be off. He’s always been capricious.’

‘What the…? Stop showing off! How many times have I said not to use big fandangled words I have no idea about? Talka enrish, please.’