Free The v Girl by Mya Robarts Page B

everybody is holding a broomstick.
    “Duque will take charge,” announces Veronica proudly as she kisses her fiancé’s cheek.
    TCR members are supposed to learn a combat skill and then take charge as the instructor in one of the sessions. Today, Duque will train us in wooden sword combat.
    We start with a warm up and simple combat exercises. Very easy.
    When we pair up for more complicated exercises, the ditched sessions take a toll on me. I’m usually part of the top four fighters, but today I have problems defeating Veronica, the most recent addition to TCR. When I finally manage to beat her, I’m sweaty and bruised. Even with our rudimentary protection gear, I get hit twice. While fighting Cara, I get my lip cut. It’s humiliating. Ignoring the pain, I swear I’ll wake up at four a.m. every morning to practice.
    Veronica notices my struggles and taunts me. “So, V-girl, will you ever take charge?”
    I frown. I haven’t been the greatest contribution to the resistance lately, but Veronica isn’t the most significant contributor either. Rey usually keeps the youngest of us out of the most dangerous missions: Holly, Duque, Veronica, and me.
    Rey scowls. “Leave her alone.”
    But I’m already sliding mattresses to the middle of the room. “I’ll take charge!”
    “Not another first aid lesson, V-girl?” asks Joey.
    I shake my head. “Freestyle wrestling. Grab a mattress.”
    “Yes!” Luke says enthusiastically.
    “Work in pairs,” I command. Cara and Holly, Divine and Joey, Veronica and Duque, Luke and Rey.
    Everyone’s eyes are on me. I have to demonstrate first.
    I walk straight toward Mathew, who is in a defensive stance over the mattress. Inside I’m feeling less secure than I’m trying to appear. He’s strong, but I’m fast.
    Aware of Rey’s proximity, I show off a little. In a sweeping move, I’m behind Mathew pushing his knees with mine, balancing him off. Using my hips to gain strength, I punch his side. He lands with a thud.
    Mathew smiles. “Nice! Way to go V-girl!”
    From the corner of my eye I see Rey smiling appreciatively, and I have to fight the impulse to grin at him. “Take turns to try to make your opponent fall to the ground. Then switch partners.”
    In no time, everyone is wrestling as I monitor the pairs, giving feedback here and there. I command them to switch partners. I almost snort when I correct Veronica’s technique as she struggles to keep her balance against Divine.
    I’m giving some feedback to Holly and Duque when someone grabs me by behind. In a fraction of a second, my back lands on the mattress and Rey’s hard rock body is above me, his face only an inch from mine. His hands grab my wrists above my head. I forget how to breathe.
    He grins playfully. “Don’t ever leave your defenses open.”
    I struggle to recover my composure. There’s nothing but friendship between us, but my body doesn’t know the difference. A hot, electrical sensation spreads all over my body. Rey’s eyes have mischievous glint. His body lingers over mine more than it should before he stands up.
    I’m left feeling dizzy. My accelerated breathing embarrasses me. At this moment, I realize how wrong I am in regarding him as a saint. He’s a man. A hot-blooded man who sets my body on fire.
    The rest of the afternoon is spent scheming and plotting. With our rudimentary weaponry and the ban on gunpowder, the most we can do for now is to mess with Patriot roads and railroads. We’re extremely cautious and start sabotage missions only when storms and tornados erase our tracks. If Patriots discover us, Starville will suffer the same destiny as Midian.
    Rey asks for volunteers for the next mission: An excursion to the electric wires that run north sixty miles from the lake. He’ll create an untraceable server with a wireless connection there to give us access to sites free of government censorship. Bandits, weather, beasts, and soldiers are risks we have to consider. We don’t have