Free LS: The Beginning by Kelvin O'Ralph Page A

ignored it. It was then the college life dawned on me; if we were in high school, either Lisa or I would have been called to answer a question.
    “I was thinking about going to the school’s gym, because I just got my membership card today.” I was so engrossed in our discussion I completely ignored Julie, who was staring at me from across the classroom. “So would you accompany me to the gym? You won’t have to do anything, I promise.” I gave her a puppy dog look, signifying I really wanted her company.
    “Hmm, I already have my membership card. I guess I’ll join you. I just have to go home and get some gym clothes.”
    I’d forgotten she had a black belt in karate, and as such, she may see the need to visit the gym once in a while.
    “That’s cool. I have mine in my car,” I admitted.
    I was reluctant to ask about the color of body and why it had a reddish look. Was it due to the power she possessed, or was she intentionally hurting herself? My thinking ended inconclusively.
    “I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” I told her.
    She smiled. “Go ahead.”
    Just then my left thigh interrupted the conversation with a vibration. It was my phone. I wasn’t expecting any call; hence I wondered who would want to call me. Instead, it was a message from Julie saying:
    Hey, was thinking we should play basketball after the lecture. Let's see if you can outplay a lady.
    Cheers
    Julie.
    I placed the phone back in my pants' pocket. “Sorry, it was a message.”
    “It’s obvious the blonde girl really likes you.”
    I ignored her comment.
    “Okay, back to my question. What's wrong with your skin? Have you been crying or something?”
    “Oh.” She pointed a finger to her left arm. “It started when we shook hands, so it’s probably due to my abilities. Also, my temperature is currently above 120°F. Can you believe that?”
    “Considering recent events, I can believe pretty much anything these days.”
    Lisa chuckled. “That’s true," she said.
    The class was coming to an end when I reluctantly replied to Julie, telling her I had plans for the day and maybe we could hang out the following week. Afterward, Lisa and I left the class, planning to meet up at the sports hall in a few hours.
    I hung out with Sharon for an hour during the time interval. We sat in the cafeteria and whiled away time. She kept on asking for the reason I never ate there after my first day of school. I was impressed she’d studied me but perplexed as to why.
    Later, I went to look for Derrick, the guy who'd invited me to the college’s basketball team. I heard he was majoring in Electrical/Electronic Engineering. That was the course my mother had advised me to take, but my parents raised me up to make my own decisions and live with the consequences. Luckily, Lisa was the consequence.
    Derrick wasn’t hard to locate; he was in the school’s gym, lifting various amounts of weight. I'd discovered earlier, he was the best basketball player in the school’s team, which explained why girls were always hanging around him. He'd received proposals from two different teams in the NBA, but had surprisingly declined them.
    “Hey, Derrick,” I greeted him as I entered the weight section of the gym.
    He turned back in surprise, trying to recognize my voice . He wore a black basketball short, which I noticed had Tracy Mcgrady’s brand on it. His sleeveless orange T-shirt had his name printed across the back.
    “Stephen,” he said, giving me a cool handshake accompanied with a half-styled hug. “Where have you been, bro?”
    “I’ve been around. Listen, I came to ask you about the …” I said, pausing for some seconds to create a suspenseful atmosphere, “tryouts for the basketball team.”
    He smiled. “It’s about time. Well, I'll hook you up for a private session with the coach. You need to be really good because we need a point guard, and I can’t keep playing that since I love playing side.”
    “Oh, cool. Thanks,” I