My Secret, My Bully, My Mates

"You ready Sky?" Delta Kyle calls out to me. I nod my head without looking away from my target. “Ready? GO!"

A torrent of sound comes from the kids. Several charge my way as I run towards them. Just before they reach me I break left towards the side walls of the arena and jump to the ledge continuing to run without a missed step. I go as far as I can and make a large broad jump landing on the tips of my toes on the top of the curved climbing bars leading up to the main platform of the obstacle course. I continue running and make the same leap to the ropes that Sam did. The only thing I did differently is jump from the side collecting 2 of the three ropes in my legs while reaching for the third. I climb up taking the extra ropes with me so they can't follow. I get to the top and grab the flag, stuffing it carefully in my sports bra. I look around to assess where the kids are. For the most part they are starting to swarm the ground where the ropes would land if I let them go. I choose to pull them up over the support beam and walk across the support structure like a gymnast. Making it to the cargo net before any of them can make it around, climbing only as low as I need to jump to the arena wall on the other side, almost missing my footing. As soon as I'm sure, I take off as fast as I can. I know I have to be close to time. They made me run more than in the past. They are starting to learn to trust their instincts and learn my habits, weaknesses and strengths. Kyle and I decided to not let them win this without a fight to make them build their long term observation skills, anticipation, tracking and learning from past mistakes. I jump from the wall, the kids hot on my tail and run like my life depends on it over the finish line. I didn't get tagged, which sucks for the kids, but I want to know if I maintained my time.

I look expectantly at Delta Kyle, my hands on my knees while I am bent over panting, trying desperately to ignore the looks on the faces surrounding him. He just stares at me blank faced. I am ready to cry from anticipation. He looks down at the stop watch and back up at me a couple times before taking a deep breath in.

didn't realize I was holding and matched his smile and then it's like someone turned the volume on full blast. Cheers and yelling surround

“That was my fastest time yet and they put the flag as high as it could go. Today was hard, they put up a good fight.” I say patting a little boy on the back, while one of the girls is trying to hug my leg. There is just a commotion of words. I catch bits and pieces, but you would have thought the kids had won the challenge the way they were retelling it. “Did you see that jump? It was at least 20 feet.” “No way, it was more like 30, we could totally do that.” “I'm going to remember that rope trick, it

deep booming voice