Center of Attention// (The Zodiacs)

At a glance it seemed like a simple game of capture the flag, but any spectator who paid closer attention saw that this was more; this was battle. The ruthless physical struggles and the effort put into every sprint had the desperation of gladiators in the arena. They even looked the part; covered with sweat, some with crimson blood flowing from fresh cuts, and sand stuck to their bodies, the boys clearly had more concern for protecting the precious, small patches of fabric than injury. It was easy to see why they drew a small crowd of admirers.

Triumph

Casl had just thrown an opponent to the ground with ease, his left palm pressing on the boy's chest to keep him in place and his right arm cocked back, ready to bring his huge fist crashing down with the force of a paint can full of lead. Casl locked eyes with the boy and the message was clear: Surrender and I won't ruin the bone structure of your face.
The boy understood quickly and Casl released him; he liked this game and his other Careers so there was no reason to be more brutal than necessary. Besides, between his sheer size, strength, and training no one could beat Casl hand-to-hand; being caught within his massive wingspan was essentially a death-sentence. The other Careers knew it and even though a game like this seemed hand-crafted to his physical gifts, Casl's team was losing by a noticeable margin.

Frustration

Casl, like other Careers, was fiercely competitive almost to a flaw. Under the hot sun and his patience running thin, Casl was more than simply frustrated. He was furious. He was being out-smarted and out-performed. The other team had come up with a way to circumvent having to get past Casl: they would send two teams down opposite sides and wait to see which Casl would unleash himself upon, and then their best player would enter with another group make short work of the other side of the playing field while Casl was occupied. That boy was the mastermind of the plan, and their team captain too. How appropriate. What was his name again?

Beck

Casl remembered it, they were only a year apart in school and though they had never spoken other than the occasional greeting in passing, Casl was sure they were pretty familiar with each other. Or at least each other's reputation. Casl couldn't care less right now because he was being upstaged by Beck and he couldn't stand it. He looked over to the other side and it seemed like the other team was waiting for time to run out, they weren't doing much offensively. His eyes moved to the spectators, particularly those of the female persuasion; it seems Beck's performance had captured their attention as well.

Jealousy

Casl noticed the bright pink immediately, but it wasn't her appearance so much as her actions that caught his attention. Was she crazy? She was walking right into the middle of things with no regard for any of the mayhem around her. Walking right up to... Beck. Obviously. He couldn't make out the conversation but from what he could tell from their body language the girl was making her intentions clear and the boy loved the attention. Who wouldn't? She was gorgeous. Just looking at her she stood out from many of the other girls on the beach who came to enjoy the show and maybe get the attention of the Careers when they finished.

The casual conversation in the middle of the competition frustrated Casl, Beck was acting like he had already won and to be honest, he probably had. Now Casl was wondering more than ever what would have happened if he had managed to catch Beck just once. All he would have needed was one opportunity with Beck within an arm's reach, but his opponent had been too clever to let that happen. Casl thought about if maybe his team could have had the lead, and if that pretty girl would talking to him instead. Time expired with a ring and Casl kicked up a huge cloud of sand in frustration. Usually the teams shook hands after, but Casl decided he would wait before he did that. He turned to go and rinse off in the ocean and over his shoulder he saw the two still talking, apparently hitting it off quite well. Casl then ran and heaved his huge body into the air, diving directly into an oncoming wave.

Splash

A smirk played across my lips as I felt his eyes follow me into the water, I glanced back sending a wink in his direction, and I went to wade further in. Its not like I really wanted to swim, but for some reason being wet and slippery is an easier conversation starter for guys. Or at least guys like Beck.

Suddenly I shreak sounds next to me and I turn to to my side watching some girl run back like the water was going to get her. Rolling my eyes I wait for Beck to join me, I don't have time for girls like that. It probably wasn't anything more than a bit of seaweed that touched her anyway.

Seeming like Beck was taking his sweet time, making me wait, I decided to swim out farther, after the next wave I ducked under the water. The salty ocean surrounding me in a soft bubbly blanket, as I try get my head back in the game. Pushing up through the water I find myself face to chest with the larger boy from before.

From my eyes to my lips a coy look crosses my face, "Didn't know you'd be here when I popped up..." Using my hand to balance myself against his chest in the rising and falling of the waves, I drawled making sure he knew I wasn't going to be sticking around for long"Anyway I'm Rosalita, hope to see you around..." I knew most the Careers on site, well the ones who were on top, but this guy, I wasn't sure. He looked big enough to be, but something in his eyes told me he didn't have the right mindset to deal with the game, he was too...nice? Earlier I saw him cock his fist back to punch someone, but held off, something I'd never seen Beck do.


Diving back under the water I headed off, always leave the new ones wanting more. Never stay too long until you've got them wrapped around your finger and begging for more was my theory. You could say I was a bitch, and you'd be right, but it was all in good reason. I had to have the best, be the best, and date the best, and with that thought I headed back to the shore.

Stepping next to Beck with my hand on my hip, my tone a little more playful, "I really don't like to be kept waiting...", my eyes flicked back to the taller boy in the ocean as if to show Beck that there was more than just him who could entertain me this evening. "But maybe you're worth the wait." I finished batting my eyelashes.

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Anyone watching Alaric 'playing' capture the flag would probably be able to tell he was enjoying himself. You could see it in the way he moved. The shirtless seventeen-year-old treated fighting like a dance, gracefully stepping over or past his beaten opponents to face the new ones, adding in a few fancy turns and such just for looks. It was a dangerous and fierce dance, and Alaric knew he was surrounded by people with bruises and cuts of various sizes, as was the norm for this version of capture the flag. However, he paid no attention to these people; the only thing that mattered was Alaric, his opponents' flag, and the distance between them. When he removed everything else from his mind, he was a relentless fighter, a tough foe to beat.

Alaric was one of the Careers who didn't mind being a Career. Though he wasn't a big fan of the games themselves, he had no problem with training for them. If there's a chance you're going to be forced to fight other teenagers to the death, then hey, why not be prepared for it? Besides, Alaric loved the adrenaline rush he got from fighting his fellow Careers, and he loved adventure in general. He hated sitting still; it was a waste of time. So if you're gonna get some exercise, why not prepare for the Games in the meantime?

Alaric easily sidestepped an attack by someone from the other team, turning around and jabbing the guy in a pressure point on his back with his index and middle fingers. The kid thudded to the ground, but Alaric paid no attention to him. He knew he'd be okay in a few minutes. One thing the Career prided himself on was his knowledge of pressure points. Alaric had spent about four years of his life learning about where they were on the human body, and by now he was able to knock people down just by jabbing them in the right place. It wasn’t too easy, though; he still had to be sure to hit the exact spot or the move wouldn’t work. Still, it was a useful skill.

When Alaric heard the whistle blow, signaling the end of the game, he relaxed and looked around. A flash of pink caught his eye, and he turned his head towards it, noticing it was the bikini top of a girl standing in the water. And an attractive girl at that. Alaric had seen her before; he recognized her now as Rosalita Ramos. And who wouldn’t have recognized her? Pretty much all the guys in District Four knew who she was. Rosalita had no shortage of curves, and she definitely knew how to move so that people would notice them. The girl had brown hair, dark eyes, and plump, pink lips, and Alaric could tell that she knew she had all those things. She walked like she wanted attention. And attention she seemed to be getting.

Alaric saw who she was talking to, a tall, muscular teenager who he knew immediately to be Beck. Along with being the captain of the capture the flag team, he was one of Alaric’s best friends. And he was flirting with the girl in front of him; it was obvious by the way he was talking. This didn’t come as much of a surprise; Beck was definitely the flirty type. He thought for a second about waving at his friend, but he didn’t think Beck would appreciate the interruption. Alaric saw Beck lead Rosalita out of the water, but he didn’t see where they were going. He just noticed that he was hot and sweaty, and that a swim would be awesome right about then. So he ran towards the water and dove in. When he came up for air, he swam back towards the shore a little so that the water was about up to his elbows when they hung at his sides.[/size][/color]


[[OOC: Sorry if this post doesn’t make a lot of sense, I wrote it late at night and I was kind of rushing to get a post in]]

Glancing down at her ankle, Leila felt a blush spread across her cheeks. It was only a pair of shorts that had gotten tangled around her ankle. Way to go Leila, she mentally scolded herself before glancing around to see if anyone had noticed her sudden outburst. From the odd look the girl in the pink bikini gave her, Leila could tell she had heard. Luckily, the other girl simply shrugged it off and focused back on the boy who had been flirting with her. Leila couldn't help roll her eyes as she watched the pair make their way away from the beach.

As Leila shifted her wieght, she remembered the shorts that had captured her ankle. Suddenly, a thought dawned on Leila. If these are someone's shorts....Then that means- she began when a shout caught her attention.

"Hey!" Leila looked back towards the water to see the large boy who had dived into the water not long ago waving at her. Now that she had a better look at him standing up in the water, Leila could tell he was definitely much taller than her. "Sorry to bother you but...uh..." he began and even from the shore, the embaressment on his face his face was evident to Leila. After all, she was used to being observant and picking up on small things.Well, most of the time, Leila corrected. "I think you found my shorts"

Leila's gaze flickered back to the shorts on her ankle and her blush deepened as she realized the situation. Bending down, Leila carefully untangled the shorts. "Oh, um yeah," Leila said, feeling a bit awkward as she finally freed the shorts. Unfortunately that last tug caught her off balance and sent her into a rather ungraceful fall onto the dunes.

Pushing her blush down, Leila hesitantly made her way near the water's edge."Here you go," she said before tossing the shorts right next to the boy, making sure to stay focused on his face rather than the water. Although only his top half was above the water, thankfully, Leila could tell the boy could probably snap her arm easily. Diverting her eyes so that he could pull his shorts back on, Leila watched as yet another Career boy launched himself into the ocean surf. Again the water kicked up by the dive showered onto Leila. Looks like I'll be drying in the sun for a while, she thought, grimacing slightly at how soaked she was again.

Shaking her head, Leila kept her eyes focused on the dunes farther off as she said, "I'm Leila by the way," hoping that the boy whose shorts she found was as nice as she thought. Of course he might have just been acting so I'd give them back, Leila thought, hoping it wasn't the case.

"What you afraid to be seen with me in public? Most guys would want to make sure everyone got an eyeful of me before they whisked me away," Rosalita said with a smirk. Just before I was able to come back with some smart, smooth comment she burst out laughing. I wasn't sure what was so funny, until I caught sight of Casl and another girl. Apparently he lost his shorts and she had them. I few thoughts came into my mind as I wondered how that could've happened. I began to chuckle a little too. A small bit of satisfaction came over me when seeing Casl in such embarassment.

Just then, Rosalita tugged me back toward the beach, waving at a guy I surely recognized. Alaric Grey. Pretty much my best friend. We had been pals since twelve years old, when he had just joined career training and I was in the program for two years. I had already made my way up the totem pole, so I kind of showed him the ropes and we really got tight. Me and Alaric rarely ever fought about anything, and if we did it was over before it really started. This was probably because our personalities were different, so we didn't rival. He was more laid back and passive, while I was much more bold and aggressive. When someone is similar to me in that way, like Casl Warren, we naturally butt heads and end up rivals.

Anyway, we made our way toward Alaric, but not before Rosalita had her word with Casl. I wasn't threatened. I knew she was obviously into me. I suddenly realized she was up close talking to him earlier when he was naked, which I'm sure she had thought about. "Bet you wish someone else would've been caught with their pants down," I whispered teasingly in her ear as I gave her side a soft pinch.

Alaric then popped up and Rosie greeted him, saying, "Hey you, long time no see. Guess I didn't need your help meeting him after all," she teased. So apparently they knew each other, which I was not aware of, and apparently, she had asked about me? "What's the matter, Rosie? I'm too stunning to approach alone?" I joked. Then I gave Alaric one of those bro hugs/handshakes even though we had been playing alongside each other only minutes ago. Hey, it was a guy thing.

The sound of footsteps splashing through the water alerted Leila that the boy must have successfully pulled on his shorts. Turning around, Leila pushed a strand of, once again, sea water drenched hair out of her face before taking in the large boy in front of her. "Thank you I really appreciate it, you didn't have to help me you know" the boy said with a large smile. Leila momentarily asked herself why she did help him. Although she had never been as brutal as most Careers, her ambitious nature made Leila, normally, more focused on picking out competition and crushing it as soon as possible. "I promise I don't do this with all the girls I meet" he continued and Leila couldn't help the small smirk that played across her face. Maybe not but I bet you wouldn't mind the situation happening with a certain pink clad Career girl Leila thought silently as she glanced over her shoulder.

Speak of the devil.. ran through Leila's mind as none other than the same girl and boy pair began sauntering towards them. Of course Leila had met much worse as far as Careers went, but she still felt herself tense slightly as the two finally stopped a little ways in front of her and the other boy. "Got a little bit ahead of yourself didn't you big boy? Whats your name anyway?" the girl practically purred and Leila watched with amusement as the large boy's attention was immediately diverted. " So you get me with my pants off first and ask questions later? Are you like this with all the guys you meet, or am I just special?" he finally answered and Leila mentally checked the 'cocky' box under her list of traits for the boy.

Glancing down at the girl's hand, Leila nearly laughed at the death grip the flirty boy had on the girl's hand. Here comes a fight over who gets the 'prize' Leila groaned to herself before crossing her arms and watching the scene play out with a bored expression. Career boys were always fighting for the attention of girls like the one in front of her and Leila found herself simply watching.

Soon another Career boy joined the picture, the same who had just dove into the water. Up close, Leila recognized who it was: Alaric Grey. Just what we need, another Career boy to stir things up, Leila thought as she eyed the boys who were practically frying each other with their eyes. "My name's Casl. Seems like you have a little something attached your arm though," the boy, Casl, said and Leila mentally begged him not to continue. She could see the looks on both the boy and girl's faces. Of course, Casl did continue. "Do you belong to him or something?" Resisting the urge to bury her face in the palm of her hand, Leila mentally scolded him Just perfect.

Still, Leila had to admit the look on both faces was priceless. Casl suddenly turned back towards Leila and she raised an eyebrow as she watched the body language between him and the other girl. I am not going to be used in this fight, Leila silently seethed as she watched Casl return to his position in front of her. Leila made sure to keep her face neutral as he approached although on the inside she wanted to slap him for being a moron just like all the other hormone guided Career boys. "Sorry about that, I don't mean to be rude. As I was saying, my name is Casl. I think I've seen you around before, what are you doing on the beach?" Casl said with another cheek splitting smile.

"Just enjoying the beach," Leila replied smoothly, now a bit more hesitant to be open with Casl after watching his interactions with the group to her right. "Thanks again for my shorts by the way, that was really nice of you" he said and Leila offered him a small smile and shrug. "No problem," she began before leaning in slightly so only he could hear her. "But don't use me to win her," she said softly before giving a meaningful look over her shoulder to the three others. Although she had decided to be fairly friendly to Casl and he was acting the same towards her, Leila's blood boiled at the thought of being used by anyone for anything.

Turning fully towards the three, Leila focused in on Alaric. "Hey Alaric," she began with a grin. "Thanks for the shower," she continued with an easy smirk and pointed look to her still wet hair and clothes. She and Alaric had known each other since they were little and were close friends. Since her parents, mostly her father, had become more strict in her Career training, the two hadn't seen each other as much recently. Letting her gaze fall to the other two, Leila wasn't quite sure how to approach them. Since Alaric had become a Career before her, he had made a couple of Career friends that he had told her about, but she still hadn't met. Leila wracked her brain for traits he had given her describing each friend and she finally identified the other two as Rosalita and Beck. "I'm Leila" she said, introducing herself.