Summer's End

"C'mon, one fight. Please!" Jenn pleaded.

"Ha, you really like getting your ass kicked. What are you, some kind of masochist?" Monroe asked, laughing his ass off.

"Shut it, moron. I'm gonna beat him this time, or do you want me to kick your ass instead?" Jenn rebutted.

"Watch it, tomboy! With that mouth, no person will look your way when you grow up; especially, if those don't grow-up either," Monroe retorted, pointing at Jenn's chest.

Going into their own little world Jenn and Monroe continued to fight. We were sitting at the commissary around a circular blue plastic table eating. The Arena was packed as students, teachers, and other seasonal workers decided to rush in today for their last Arena day. So we decided to just practice a little in the gym, after which we headed here to rest.

'My synchronization is progressing nicely, especially after I started going to the Zero Zone; unfortunately, I had to stop going these last two weeks. So while my progress has slowed down, I had enough growth with the time I did have.'

The primary reason I'm wearing a mask is not to look cool; it's for protection. While the Arena protects its gladiators from injury and death, it does nothing to prevent interpersonal conflict. Especially the presence of the Underworld Emissaries. The Criminal Organizations situated in the Underworld make it their business to recruit as many people that attract their attention.

I needed to push myself, fight as much as possible, and show off, essentially.

Unlike Jenn's military background and Monroe's family fame, I have no such protection. No matter how much knowledge of the future I have, if the Underworld places its sight on me, I'll have little I can do to get out of it unharmed.

'I'll have to deal with the Underworld sooner or later, but I prefer it to be later when I can have some means of protection.'

There are only two reasons why someone would wear a mask; the shield of anonymity or the misguided idea that they make them look cool. I have to protect myself until I have people behind me that'll defend me from threats I can't handle alone. I could just write a paper of all the future scientific knowledge I have and gain some fame, but that would merely make me a bigger target.

Some corporations and organizations take the current state of the world and make it their advantage to make as much money as possible that includes magic knowledge monopolization. They hoard spells and techniques and only share them with people loyal to them that'll make them more money.

If I freely share all the knowledge I have, many of those entities would not be happy, they'll try to buy me off, and when that doesn't work, they'll try to end me or those around me. I have to do things slowly; however much I dislike that approach, it's the only choice I have that'll benefit the most people in the long run.

'For now, I have to focus; there are only five months left until the end of the year, school starts tomorrow, and my synchronization is only at 35%. That gives me 10 months at the latest to get to 100%; from here on out, the rate of progress will be much slower.'

"C'mon, Ost. One fight!" Jenn said, bringing me back to reality.

"What for? Unless you drastically improve from 3 days ago?" I said sarcastically.

"It's just one fight, c'mon school starts tomorrow. Dad won't let me come to the Arena for the whole school year. It's the last day I can check my strength against you." Jenn whined, exaggeratedly moving her arms.

"Wait until next summer, you know as well as I do that it'll be the same result as last time. Additionally, fighting solely against one opponent is detrimental to one's growth." I said, causing her to respond with a groan.

"Come on, we're both 9th Class. I just want to test myself against someone of the same skill level," Jenn tried adding to see if she could convince me.

"If it's someone of the same skill level you want. There's Monroe, go fight him." I said, pointing towards Monroe, who was sitting to my left.

"Huh? How dare you insinuate that, that monkey and I ...." Jenn started saying point to Monroe sitting in front of her before Monroe interrupted.

I stopped listening as Monroe and Jenn returned to their cat and dog bout.

'I've been monitoring her health every time that I see her, but I can see nothing wrong with her. Is it perhaps not medical? I know that Jennifer passed away on June 3rd, 2092. But aside from that tidbit, I don't know how or where.

All I know is that Allister truly regretted not being there for his daughters' last moments. He was down at the Yucatan peninsula for some classified mission and wasn't back in time. He always said if he were there, there was something he could perhaps do. Either safe her or at the very least be there for her last moments.

He never talked more about the situation, so I have no other choice but to keep an eye out for her at all times.'

"Jenn, here," I said, cutting between their bickering. I extended my hand over the table and gave her a small circular charm around 2 inches in diameter.

The circular charm was relatively simple in design. The outer ring was made of intertwining silver-colored rings where an opal-like gem disk covered the inside. Over the whole disk were interlocking golden color rings.

"What's this?" Jenn asked curiously; as she examined the charm.

"A gift. Since we're gonna miss your birthday, just consider it an early birthday gift," I said. I was only half lying.

"Whaaa!" Jennifer said, flabbergasted.

She stared at the small charm with shock and then at me.

"How come you give the girl the gift; my birthday is also coming up," Monroe whined.

"Your birthday isn't until January; stop whining," I answered.

"Really? You're giving me a gift. I really thought you didn't even like me. You're always saying how annoying I am," Jenn explained.

"You are annoying. You're a spoiled daddy's girl. You throw a tantrum every time you don't get what you want. But even through all that, you've grown on me like a weed," I stated.

"Thanks? I guess," Jenn said semi-confused. "Anyway, you got me a gift; it's a little girly, though." Jenn held the charm up to her sight.

"I can take it back," I responded, holding my hand out towards her.

"Wha.., no, that's fine, thanks," Jend responded by bringing the charm up to her chest and holding it tight.

"Hahaha, it doesn't fit a tomboy like you," Monroe added, laughing at the wide smiling Jenn.

"I'm gonna kick your teeth in!" Jenn responded by throwing a miniature flare at Monroes face.

'That charm took me almost two months and over 30,000 points worth of ingredients and resources to make. Thankfully I was able to make 4 in total. But still, that's 7,500 points each, around 9,000 Coins.

The charm is an enchanted talisman invented around 30 years in the future, designed for protection and location. However, I'm not an Enchanter, and crafting is not my specialty, so I could only add a locator spell and emergency alarm.'

If the wearer is ever in a situation where their life might be in danger, the charm will activate a siren that will temporarily disable any being in its immediate radius. Additionally, it will send out its location to personalize receivers to alert them of the wearer's situation.

"Just make sure to wear it at all times; additionally, here, it's a matching pendant, give it to somebody that makes you feel safe," I said, giving her a small pendant very similar in design, with the same color scheme.

"Ah, it's a matching set? Wow! Hehe, my dad would look totally ridiculous wearing this," Jenn said, essentially to herself as she examined the small pendant.

----

"So, I did it, right? I beat Angie," Mike asked in anticipation.

"Well, since you've managed to complete the first set, technically, you did, but it's not a competition. It's just training; Rose finished the first set only a month in." I responded as I looked at Mike playing with a square sheet on his palm.

"Yeah, yeah, but I still finished before Angie. That's all that matters," Mike said with a smile on his face. "Kiss my ass, Angie," Mike added, turning around on his chair to face Angie behind him.

"Shut it! I'm trying to finish my homework," Angie snapped. Not turning her gaze from a pile of papers in front of her.

"Sheesh, someone's grumpy," Mike said, leaning back on his chair.

"I'm doing my work, not talking to you," Angie replied.

The three of us were all sitting in the living room, each on our own desks. Angie was wearing her red pajamas, with her black hair in a bun. Mike was wearing his yellow pajamas, with an annoyed look on his face. The sun was already set, but for some reason, the room seemed darker than usual.

"Guess, that whole thing at the lake and party, still pissing you two off, huh? You know you can't blame us. They started it," Mike said monotonously. "Or is it the other thing?" He added with an unnecessary hostile tone.

"Mike, this is not your smartest move. You should drop it," I added, knowing full well the explosion he was about to set off.

"Oh, c'mon! They can't hold it against you forever; you weren't in the wrong," Mike retorted, his usual bright personality nowhere to be seen.

"It's not about right or wrong, Mike. This has to do with emotions not logic. You know that, so drop it," I said with some unwanted force behind my voice.

"Oh, you want to talk about emotions? How dare you? I know you, Jason, and I know you aren't an idiot, so how could you?" Angela exploded, turning around, and stood in front of me.

"How could I? Seriously, Angela?" I said with some indignation.

"You knew how Rosa felt about you! Yet you still decided to make out with Jenna at her party and then start a whole fight. Why? Huh, why hurt her like that?" Angie yelled.

"First of all, As I've said before, multiple times, I didn't make out with Jenna; she kissed me out of the blue. Secondly, as Mike said, we didn't start the fight Hunter and Brooks did; we just defended ourselves. And lastly but not least, What did you want me to do, lie to Rose?

Tell her that I had the same feeling for her as she did for me? To agree to a date, just not hurt her feelings, even if I was lying to her? Wouldn't doing and saying what she wanted to hear, not to hurt her, just be worse?" I tried to explain as calmly as I could; unfortunately, my teenage brain refused to cooperate with me as my anger leaked out towards the end of my monologue.

"That's not what I meant," Angie added after a few moments in silence as she sat back down on her chair.

"Then, what did you mean?" I questioned.

"Well... I..." Angie stammered as she looked between Mike and me. "I don't know but certainly not what you did," she finally said in a semi-defeated tone.

"Rose is her own person; she has to be able to deal with this herself one way or another. So do I," I said, my calm finally starting to return. "And Yes, I did know how Rose felt about me, but I'm not really in a place where I can think of Rose in that way."

"Why? What changed? Just a few months ago, you used to blush like a ripe tomato when you and Rosa were alone in a room. What happened in that time to make you change so much? One day you were a rebellious, irresponsible kid who used to try so hard to be a badass. The next day, you wake up at 5am to go for a run, start studying, and diligently practicing your magic. Why?" Angie pleaded in a small voice.

She hurt to see her best friend and, essentially, a sister of over 4 years hurt. She was aware of Rose's feelings and did as much as she could to get them together, even going so far as to try to hook Jason up with other girls just to light a fire under Rose. She knew Jason's personality, she knew that he would never say yes to other girls, but if it was Rose, he would, of course, he would. But now, after all that, Jason said no, and in the worst way possible by saying yes to somebody else.

"I got a goal. A goal I must accomplish above everything else. It's the only thing I know how to do." I answered.

'I've had the same goal for 55 years; to save humanity. It's the only thing that kept me moving forward; it's quite literally the only thing I know how to do.'

"Besides, What the hell is Rose going to do with an orphan like me? She's in the process of getting adopted; she'll leave us behind in no time," I said, the words escaping my mouth before my brain could process them.

"She would never do that!" Angie yelled, jumping from her seat, all color drained from her face.

'Of course, she wouldn't. Why did I just say that? Why am I getting so emotional over this conversation? I'm losing my future self a little more every day.'