Locking In With My Life System

Chapter 29: Dodgeball

(A few minutes earlier...)

The ladies were generally the most tired bunch after every PE session.

As a result, Coach Ramirez, for as tongue-in cheek as his earlier jabs about equality had been, knew better than to actually act on it.

To that effect, he was often more lax on them than he was the guys.

It was also why they could begin gossiping amidst themselves without care that they’d be barked at.

"I can’t believe Coach Ramirez calls this a warm-up. My legs are filing for a divorce." Megan, the President of theatre club muttered under her breath, one that had her friends quietly chuckling.

Afterall, the caramel-haired lady with her signature red-rimmed glasses hardly ever showed up for PE and would never have if she didn’t have to get the minimum credit required to graduate.

"Did you guys watch Nicki B’s new music video yesterday?" Anna, one of the girls in Clarissa’s clique asked to which one of their friends nodded eagerly;

"Twice! That routine’s a killer!"

"Forget the routine! I need those boots! Gimme those boots!" Clarissa remarked with gestured palms to the sky.

"Have you babes figured out who you’re going with for Homecoming?" Daisy on the other hand, asked the girls from their soccer team.

"Nope," Tilda, her the vice-captain was the first to respond, to which she then asked coyly;

"Does Aiden have anyone he’s asking--"

"Sorry gals. You’re out of luck. He’s going bachelor mode again this year." Daisy immediately stopped an eager Tilda and her the other girls whom were curiously looking on.

Perking her ears upon hearing that, Lizzie felt some form of relief. At the very same time, a friend of hers whom was also on the cheerleading team that had also overheard the conversation said;

"Well, that sucks."

"Won’t stop me though." Clarissa whom was seated a few meters away from them casually remarked, her gaze studying Aiden’s side frame as he wiped the sweat off his chin with the lower hem of his shirt.

To that, almost every lady within close vicinity seemed to whip their gazes over to her.

Not that it stopped her from continuing to ogle him... or rather the slightly defined abs that seemed to be forming on his torso.

The guys on the other hand;

"How many of those gator balls do you think would fill up this field?"

"Maybe a million?" Benjamin thoughtfully replied to Larry’s dumb question.

Not that it stopped Clyde from joining in;

"Statistically, that isn’t even close. Try twenty or thirty million."

"Quick question. Could a hundred toddlers beat one gorilla?" one of the guys whispered to his buddies as Coach Ramirez called up the groups.

"The fuck? Where’d that come from? How’d we get here?!" the friend recoiled, his expression stunned.

"Gorilla whoops their asses!" the other friend confidently said.

"Who do you guys think will win?" one of the guys on the football team curiously asked.

"I mean, considering it ultimately comes down to Kevin and Casper, it’s not even a competition." Joel, a tan-skinned youth and Silvercat’s wide receiver casually shrugged in response to which the former nodded in agreement;

"That’s true. If only Group B had someone a bit more athletic, they just might have a chance."

Yet, as the guys and gals watched Coach Ramirez check with the groups, Aiden on the other hand kept staring at the quest details in his field of vision, one of his eyes twitching slightly.

-

[Ding!]

[Exclusive Quests Updated!]

⸢Exclusive Quests

› Nah, I’d dodge.

└ Win the dodgeball match – [1 LP]

-

Unfortunately for him, Billy who was in the marching band--a teen of fairly average build with black hair styled in a short shaggy cut--took his expression as a challenge.

Yet, even as Coach Ramirez moved to the side and raised his whistle to his lips to signal the start of the match, Aiden’s gaze remained trained, solely on his system.

No sooner had the whistle blown though, he dismissed the panel almost instantly, his entire demeanor switching from exasperated to razor sharpness.

The opening ball blitzed towards him, courtesy of Billy’s powerful throw.

Yet, without the slightest delay, Aiden side-stepped it and threw his, the gator-ball soaring through the air to bounce off of Billy’s arm!

"Butcher! One hit!" Coach Ramirez immediately called out with a pointed snap of his finger.

To that, the spectators, alongside Billy and Aiden’s teammates themselves looked rather stunned. But Billy himself was probably the most bamboozled.

For a fact, everyone knew to target either Theo or Aiden first in dodgeball with the opening throw.

Given his track record, he was typically always worn out by the time they were done with the initial exercises, much less have any energy left in the tank to engage in the sport properly.

Yet, it was that very same Aiden that had reacted so fast, most couldn’t quite believe it.

Without a moment wasted, he fired yet another throw, the ball bouncing off a dazed member on the opposing team.

"Parker! One hit!"

It was only after that second hit that it fully registered to everyone on the pitch that the game was in full-swing!

In an instant, colored balls began blitzing and streaking across the field, each one aimed to eliminate a member on the opposing group.

In sync, Coach Ramirez went full commentator et referee, his eyes tracking each hit with a razor-sharp efficiency;

"Brooks! Three hits! You’re out!"

"Allen! Two hits! You’re on thin ice!"

"Wiles! Foul shot! Out, now!"

The next couple minutes following that, more than half of the members on each respective team had been eliminated.

Soon enough, it remained only four people on both sides; Kevin and Billy against Aiden and Casper.

Yet, it didn’t even take a minute after before Aiden’s arm whipped, his ball slamming right into Billy’s chest!

"Butcher! Three hits! You’re out!" Coach Ramirez blew his whistle.

To that, Aiden gave the youth a thumbs up as a show of sportsmanship while wiping the sweat pooling down his chin with the hem of his PE shirt.

In response, Billy who seemed to have realized that he may have mistaken Aiden’s original demeanor, reciprocated in kind as he called out;

"Good game!"

"Good game!" Aiden reciprocated.

"Man! What’s gotten into you, today! You’re on fire!" Casper on the other hand couldn’t help but remark as he heaved in genuine exhilaration.

"Well, you did tell me to bring my A-game." Aiden replied, a hint of a similar smile on his lips.

"Boy, am I glad you did!" Casper turned to face Kevin who was now the only member on the team.

"Now, let’s smoke his ass," he gestured to their school’s star quarterback who couldn’t help but retort, a self-assured, cocksure grin spreading across his lips as he gestured with spread arms.

"You can try, Casper. You can try!"

Even now, despite the athleticism Aiden had been showing thus far, Kevin still didn’t count him as much of a threat.

And for good reason too.

Afterall, not only had he not incurred a single hit, whereas Aiden and Casper were on their last lifeline, but he also had more than enough energy left in his tank to easily destroy them.

Yet, despite this, Aiden, somehow, someway, looked deathly composed as he offered him a light grin in response.

Casper on the other hand, flashed their school’s quarterback a competitive grin, his grin only widening by the second.

On the sidelines though, everyone else was now completely invested in the match-up.

"Oh, boy! This is so exciting!" one of their peers remarked, to which Benjamin, Larry and Clyde called out to their friends;

"You asshats better win!"

"You got this Kevin! Show ’em why you’re our school’s quarterback!" one of the guys from the football team countered.

"I’ll sit on your face if you win, Casper!" Daisy shamelessly called out to which more than half of the grade turned to her, as did the coach himself.

Unfortunately, before the blonde-haired youth could reciprocate, not only did his buddies, but practically half of the boys in the grade immediately turned against him!

"Kevin, mop the floor with them!"

"Don’t let that handsome piece of shit win, man!"

"Fuck!! I’ll give you a hundred bucks if you eliminate Casper now!"

As for Kevin, the ladies, and even some of the students from the other grades, they were currently laughing their asses off right now, beads of tears forming on their eyelids.

Aiden on the other hand, simply remained as he was, a light amusement playing on his features as Casper remarked in response to all the hate, his own cackle echoing through the air;

"Music to my ears, you jealous shits!"

Then he turned to face his buddy and said while dramatically slicking his hair back;

"One day, my overwhelming charisma is gonna be the death of me."

"You wish." Aiden chuckled in response.

Though he was now the recipient of Casper’s stray bullets, it didn’t stop him from remembering that he had to reserve his stamina if he wanted to have any chance of winning and also completing the quest.

It was also why he smiling instead of laughing as boisterously as everyone was, a stark contrast to Kevin who was guffawing on the other end of the line and Casper who was cackling like an overlord.

And though their actions shouldn’t have been that much of a strain on their energy levels in a normal scenario, this wasn’t a normal scenario.

As a result, both individuals were bound to use that much more energy, one that was sure to have a bit more of an effect on their already drained stamina.

In any case, it didn’t take long before Coach Ramirez whipped everyone back into form, the laughter lulling as the man blew his whistle for an extended period that was longer than usual.

Then, seeing that everywhere had quieted down, he then turned to the trio, gesturing to them in an effort to ask if they were ready.

Reciprocating with curt nods, the man then raised his whistle to his lips, looked to both sides once again and then blew. Hard!