Kammy is shocked and shaken as she didn’t consider how her tricks were received by her friends.  Yes, she won the fights, but her constant scheming, both on and off the battlefield, has left her in a lonely limbo of uncertainty.  She’s all but lost the trust of her friends, and if she’s that much of a weasel now, how would they even know if she wanted to genuinely stop.  How would she even know the way to change.  The only way is, of course, the Way, so she prays for a moment and then tries to give an answer.

    “Guys, as far as we’re concerned, when I’m not fighting, that’s real.  I promise you I didn’t know about the exam.  Yeah, I guess I’ve tried to be more open with everyone, like being nicer to the guys and not letting my insecurities hold me back.  I was trying to open up like you’ve been trying to balance, Faye.  We talked about this.  I was trying to be like Lady Spectacular.  I wasn’t trying to use anyone.  The notetaking and…”  She’s trapped.  She has to be honest about the cards.  She just prayed, so she can’t lie.  “The cards…were a setup.  Just like Faye had guessed, I wrote Owan’s name down to make it look like I was keeping battle stats, but you read the actual info.  It was character qualities and such.  I thought it was immature to evaluate which boy I like better, so I tried to hide it.  My opinion of your battle skills is true, so it all just worked together perfectly to make me look like a tactical genius instead of a creepy geek obsessed with boys.  And yes, Gigi, I like Paul, too.  The things that irritate you about him I find extremely cute, and I’d love to be the friend to help him grow into the hero I know he can be.  But then again, when I’m talking with Ent or competing with him, I don’t have to be so reserved, and the fire that I see in his eyes when we’re able to take each other by surprise is alluring.  That’s why I refuse to admit I like him.  I’m not sure if it’s a genuine connection or just the rivalry between us.  I’m not sure if I like Paul for Paul or if I just feel compassion for him.”

    Hugging the girls, she says, “And as far as our fighting goes, now that you know, hopefully you won’t take it so personally if I use a little strategy.  You know I’m not really like that off the field, right?”

    “No,” Faye says with a firmly shaking head, “we don’t.  Kam, there’s you and there’s Elfie.  When you fight, you turn people into your tools.  You show that your friendship, even off the court, is a convenience to you that you can use as a trump card when it matters the most.  I’m sorry for last year with scaring you half to death, but if that’s got you so paranoid that you need desperate Plan B’s for all of us, then you’ve got paranoia problems.  But more specifically, when you treat your friends in such a hollow fashion, guess what; they feel the same way about you.  If it’s a trivial relationship to you, it’s trivial to them.  You get your little championship and we hold you at a distance, wondering if we’re going to get a nice Kammy, the same old bossy Kammy, or a mix of the two in preparation for next time’s fight.

    “But then, take Elfie.  If you were fighting the boys, would your empathy for Paul have mattered or would you have thrown him out, or even used him as a pawn to defeat Owan, making him feel like trash along the way?  Is Paul afraid of Elfie?  No, he highly respects him and wants to be just like him.  Does Owan wonder if Elf’s using him as a tool in combat?  No, they’re best friends.  I don’t believe for a second that you intend to take advantage of us now, but you need to see this potential problem before it consumes you and you lose your sisters.  I love you, Kammy, and you’ve highly irritated me.”

    Gigi twiddles her fingers as she prays for whatever reaction, or fight, that may follow this rant.

    Kammy stares at the ground while Faye inwardly scolds herself for not choosing softer words to encourage her friend, or even just accepting Kam’s initial attempt at explaining things.  Crystal sneaks a glimpse at Elfie talking the boys before her eyes quickly race back to their safe spot on the ground.  “He is an addictive hero, isn’t he, Faye?”

    She’s not a fan of the word addictive being Kammy’s description for her Elfie, but she agrees, “Yes, he is.  That’s why it’s hard to not retreat…back to old Faye.”

    Grace can’t help but find the situation annoying, having two girls, especially her best friends, both praising her brother as such an amazing hunk, only to fight over him.  “Sure, would be nice to walk into a discussion of Paul and Owan arguing over me,” Gigi humorously thinks to herself.

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