Jacob was sitting down in the stands watching the football trials. Leo was running the show for now and Leandro gave his verdict from his position in the stands with a thumb up or down to Leo. Jacob couldn't help see him as a roman emperor in an arena deciding the faith of fighters. He was quite fitting for an emperor. If he was born centuries ago he would have been ruling.
He shook his head at Leandro and thought of how much he had changed his life. Now his sister was known as jean the queen or queen jean amongst the kids. He was getting a nickname of the wall again. So much for wanting to be invisible in a new school.
Jacob saw Leandro moving towards him and he thought of whether he should have moved. Everyone else around him moved giving way to the emperor. He wondered for a second why did everyone leave to sit elsewhere and then remembered the dean needed privacy.
Leandro sat next to Jacob and as he looked at the field he patted Jacob on the back "Hello, sparring partner."
Jacob turned to him "Excuse me? What was that?"
Leandro said "I said ... hello my sparring partner. You will be practicing with me every day after school in the boxing rink."
Jacob sighed "Of course. We are a team of two. Aren't we? I didn't see you letting anyone else into your boxing club."
Leandro said "There is a league below me. In my league there is just you and me. I know your reputation back in your old school... "Nobody gets past the wall." He then chuckled "I made sure I wrote it on a poster in the sports hall under your name in the boxing section."
Jacob said "Great... Now I will get wall lines again... You know what? I don't even want to argue on this. I don't mind throwing punches at you. I will think of how you overwhelmed my sister on her first day in this school and that will give me an adrenaline rush. What will you be thinking about when you hit me?"
Leandro said "I will be imagining you witnessing your sister getting attention other boys and you do nothing. That is a big motive to beat you up."
Jacob said "Joy, looking forward to it."
Leandro said "I didn't think you will be at my level. You don't look it. Where did you learn to fight? You are not a boxer. You are a fighter. I can tell."
Jacob asked "Doesn't my file supply that information ? I am shocked. You have dug up everything about me. You must know who taught me."
Leandro said "Your file doesn't say you can fight."
Jacob said "My father taught me how to fight. Add it to the file then."
Leandro said "Serious? Do country boys need to fight?"
Jacob said "More so than city boys. Yes."
Leandro asked " You need to fight what exactly at your ranch? Don't you have guns?"
Jacob said "We do have guns."
Leandro asked "Good. So you can shoot. Have you ever killed anyone?"
Jacob laughed "No. I haven't."
Leandro asked "Can jean shoot a gun?"
Jacob said "Yes. Why don't you check the file? Doesn't it say anything we do at home? It only has school and medical records right? And maybe family history..."
Leandro asked "So Jean was taught to shoot by your father? I didn't think she would. She has medical history."
Jacob said "Yes. She can shoot while riding a horse and then jump on trees and climb them. She is not powerless Leandro. She just needs to make some adjustments to her lifestyle here and there. The doctors say she will get better as she gets older. Now she is attending school full time hopefully without problems."
Leandro said "I don't like her climbing trees. I won't ever allow it."
Jacob said "Why not? It's fun. You, city kids surprise me. You drive cars illegally before you are allowed to... You do cage fighting ... You go on crazy rides in theme parks ... But you freak out at someone climbing a tree. Leandro don't you think you can't protect jean from everything?"
Leandro said " You are right. But I will try or die. Wouldn't I? I am actually against extreme sports for your information and haven't been on extreme rides in theme parks. I know how to drive. It's a necessary skill."
Jacob said "But you have broken laws on driving. Right?"
Leandro said "You talk too much. No questioning the dean. Demerit. 50 push ups."
Jacob said "Now?"
Leandro said "You have 10 seconds to get on the field and do it or I make it 100."
Jacob said "Of course. Whenever you are offended by the questions you don't answer."
As Jacob made his way to the field he heard Leandro " I have never been caught driving."
Jacob sighed. Leandro was peculiar and unpredictable. When he felt like it he was approachable to people that he chose to be nice to. But at times he was rude.
Jacob went on the field and got on with push ups. He heard how Leo was saying to the prospective recruits to learn from Jacob on how to do push ups. He was referred to as one of the stars of the team who had won honours in football. What he didn't like was when people whispered about him.
As he looked up he saw Jeanelle . He shouted "Jeanelle I need some weights here. Will you come sit on my back while I do push ups." He forgot that her man was crazy. Leandro at hearing that shouted at jean "Girls are not allowed on the pitch at this time."
Jacob chuckled. He watched as jean sat down quietly watching his brother. Jacob finished his push ups and then stood up. He did a back flip and winked at jean to cheer her up but of course the crowd mistook it was for them and started cheering saying "Neuer, Neuer ...."
Jacob shook his head and went to the stands. He sat next to jean. "Flower pot. Why didn't you come? I don't think the dean would have given you de-merits."
Leandro said from behind him "I would have."
Jacob turned around "Really? Come on. The girls teams or cheer leaders at least here don't help in training? In the country the girls helped a lot. We helped them in their training too lifting heavy things and setting things up for them. Football is s team sport. At home flower pot helped me in training."
Leandro sat next to jean. "Jean. Is your brother telling the truth? He makes you become a weight?"
Now jean was sitting between her brother and her admirer. She didn't know who's side to take. She shrugged "I ... I was... I don't mind..."
Leandro said "My father says women are not objects so you will never use jean as weight. Got it?"
Jacob was looking at him with his mouth open "What? It's called helping. She helps me in training..."
Leandro said "I can lend you some weights."
Jacob crossed his arms over his chest and watched Leandro shouting at Leo as he walked to the field to deal with some of the kids on the trials."
Jacob whispered to Jeanelle "Why is this guy so crazy? He doesn't know how to have fun." He then mocked him imitating his rough, bossy voice "My father says don't treat women like objects." He then reverted his voice to his own "Well. My Pa always says go with your gut instinct. My gut says this school is a dystopian land and a dictator is running it."
Jean laughed.
Jacob turned to her "You find it funny. Do you? Why are you laughing."
Jean shrugged "He is like you."
Jacob gasped "Me? How?"
Jean said "Come On Jacob. I have seen you when you have been leading teams. You are not exactly nice. You don't play nice when you are the boss..."
Jacob said "I am serious but not extreme..."
Jean said "You can be extreme too if you want to be."
Leandro arrived and sat next to jean "Oh. Can he be extreme jean? Tell me more."
Jacob cleared his throat and turned to jean "Do you want to go for a break?"
Leandro said "Of course Jacob. Why dont you go for a break and I will have a chat with your sister about your past."
Jacob said "Flower pot might need a drink."
Leandro said "Great idea. Why don't you get a few bottles of soda for her."
Jean said "I am fine..."
Jacob said "No. I will get it Flower pot." He then left. The stand was just up the steps. So he wasn't going to be gone long.
Leandro said "So jean... You were saying... What is your brother really like in school? He holds back a lot. I see how he is with you but like to know what he was like when he was out there."
Jean said honestly "I wasn't in school very long. I kept taking time off for medical reasons and was home schooled. But when I was in school I think he was ... very like you... But not like this... It was different. He was the captain of the football team. So he was quite harsh in training. He was very disciplined. My father jokes it's his German side that's so organised and takes no nonsense. He likes jokes but he is serious when he is the boss."
Leandro liked getting more information on Jacob that wasn't on his file. "Go on. So he has been boss?"
Jean said "Yes. He did a lot of work at the ranches that my father owns. He loves it there. So he is nice on the ranch. But he is not so nice when he is in school if he is leading anything. He knows it. So he shies away from being boss."
Leandro said " Thank you jean. You have been very informative."
Jacob arrived with some bottles of soda. He let jean choose first. He then gave one to Leandro and took one himself.
Leandro watched Jacob Who was looking to the field. He saw him in a new light. Obviously Jacob was one who didn't like attention and praise. He was easy going and humorous but when he was given responsibility he delivered. He recalled his father talking about his best friend J who turned out to be Jacobs father, Johnny Neuer. He talked highly about how J either didn't do anything or he did it perfectly if he attempted it. J was disciplined too and had taught his son to fight and be the best. But Jacob didn't seem to like to be in position of power. It was quite a contrast to his first impression. Jacob acknowledged his sister was ill and needed protection but he seemed to like that his sister could do what she was good at.
Leandro said "Jean... Your brother tells me you can use guns..."
Jacob coughed on his soda.
Jean said "I can shoot."
Jacob could see the ice was broken and she wasn't so shy with Leandro. But she seemed a bit tense by the looks of how she sat. Credit to Leandro he was quite laid back around her and even Jacob because he chose to be. Leandro wasn't like this with anyone else.
Leandro said "So you don't mind joining the survival camp that we have? There is a lot of rifle shooting in the course. I can see you pass many modules. The course is compulsory unless you have a medical note. In your case you get the choice due to medical reasons."
Jean shrugged "If it's compulsory I will do it like others."
Jacob said "I read about that course. It's pretty tough. They say the new survival coach is going to be stricter compared to the his predecessor."
Leandro said "That's me. I am the new coach."
Jean and Jacob looked at each other and then at him baffled.
Jean said "You are too young..."
Leandro said "I graduated from a special military school. I am fully qualified. If Laviana hangs in there a while she can lead alongside me. She was called up early this morning to finish her training."
Jean said "Excuse me..." She then picked up her empty bottle and walked to a bin to put it away.
Jacob said to Leandro "Why do I get the feeling that the description in the booklet was underplaying what the course is about?"
Leandro said " It's fun Jacob. You like fun. The course is quite fun."
Jacob said "I doubt it's fun. But flower pot will sign up to anything that's compulsory. She doesn't like to get the feeling that she gets treated differently." He then watched his sister being held up talking to a girl. He whispered "By the way can you not tell jean I am your sparring partner? She doesn't like to see me fight."
Leandro said "She knows you are in the boxing team. The sports team names and members are clearly displayed around the school."
Jacob said "She will think I just train to punch a bag. She won't know I am your personal sparring partner. She might freak out."
Leandro asked "Why?"
Jacob said "Why should there be always a reason for you to believe me. Just I will tell her slowly. She won't like it when I fight..."
Leandro said "Did something happen before? Did you get hurt?"
Jacob sighed "No. Not me..."
Leandro turned his attention to jean and the girl she was speaking to "That girl has been occupying jean for a while." He then stood up.
Jacob said "Are you going to give her de-merits and push ups too for talking too much?"