A step forward

The morning air was fresh and crisp as Leina stepped out of the car, her backpack settling comfortably on her shoulders. Diane, her ever-joyful Samoyed, barked from the front porch, her fluffy tail wagging with unrestrained enthusiasm as Leina turned toward the school. The dog, as always, remained the embodiment of unconditional love, but today, Diane would have to remain at home. The school, after all, wasn't a place for pets.

"Be good," Leina murmured to Diane as she gave the dog one last scratch behind the ears. Diane's eyes followed her every movement, but eventually, she turned back to lie down on the porch, content in the knowledge that her owner would return soon enough.

Leina wasn't thrilled to be heading to school, but there was a shift in her attitude today. It wasn't a dramatic change, just a slight nudge in her thoughts. The agreement to join the debate team still felt a little foreign to her, but she had to admit that it didn't seem as daunting as before. Alexander had been persistent, of course, but there was something about his gentle persistence that had softened her resolve.

As she walked through the school gates, she spotted Alexander standing near the entrance, chatting with some of his friends. The moment he saw her, his face lit up, and he excused himself from the group, striding toward her with an easy smile.

"Leina!" he called out warmly, his voice carrying over the bustle of the courtyard.

She gave him a small nod, not quite matching his energy. "Hey, Alexander," she replied, her voice calm but not unkind. There was something about him—he always seemed to radiate energy, something that made everything seem more manageable. Maybe it was the way he made her feel like she didn't have to try so hard. He had a way of making things easy.

"Are you ready for today?" he asked, falling into step beside her. "First day of the debate team. It's gonna be fun."

Leina resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She wasn't sure if she was ready, but she wasn't about to admit it. She didn't like to show weakness, and she had never been fond of people thinking she needed help. She was capable, and if anyone was going to see that today, it would be her.

"Yeah, I guess," she said, her tone measured. "I'm not sure what to expect, but I'll figure it out."

Alexander's eyes softened at her response. "You'll do great," he said. "I'll be right there with you."

The offer of his support felt oddly comforting, even if Leina didn't fully understand why. She couldn't help the quiet flush that crept up her neck at the way he looked at her, the slight warmth in his gaze that lingered a bit too long for comfort. She knew he was just trying to be supportive, but something about it made her feel... strange. But she quickly pushed that feeling aside, shaking it off with a flick of her hair.

As they walked into the debate room together, Leina was greeted by the sight of her fellow team members already chatting and gathering their materials. A few of them looked her way with curiosity, but no one spoke to her directly until Coach Marlowe addressed the group.

"Alright, everyone, we're going to start today's practice. Leina, I'm glad you could join us." Coach Marlowe smiled at her encouragingly.

Leina nodded curtly, her usual tendency to keep to herself working in her favor today. "Thanks for having me," she replied, her voice clear and confident. She wasn't here to make friends; she was here because she'd agreed to something, and she planned to keep her end of the deal.

The coach continued, handing out slips of paper with debate topics. "For today's exercise, I want you all to pair up and argue one side of an issue. Leina, you'll be with Malvern."

Leina glanced around and spotted Malvern sitting in the corner. He looked up when his name was called, his face flushing slightly as his gaze darted between her and the coach. Leina raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She knew who he was—quiet, a little shy, but someone who had potential. He wasn't exactly someone she would have picked to work with, but she didn't mind the pairing. She could handle it.

She made her way over to him, sitting down without waiting for him to speak first. "Alright, Malvern," she said with quiet authority, "what are we debating?"

Malvern seemed startled by her directness, but he quickly recovered. "Uh, we're debating about animal rights—whether or not it's ethical to keep animals in zoos." His voice was tentative, but there was a spark of thoughtfulness behind it.

Leina considered the topic for a moment, then nodded. "I'll take the pro side. Zoos aren't all bad, some have rehabilitation programs. They do good work for endangered species."

Malvern looked down at his notes, visibly relieved that she had taken charge. "Okay, I'll take the opposing side then. There's a lot of stress on animals in captivity. It's not natural for them to be confined."

As they began to prepare their arguments, Leina noticed Alexander watching them from the side of the room. His gaze lingered on her longer than necessary, and for the first time, Leina felt a strange sense of awareness. She wasn't used to being the center of attention, and yet here she was, caught between Malvern's nervous energy and Alexander's persistent gaze.

She pushed the thought aside and focused on the debate at hand, but the tension in the room shifted subtly. Malvern was surprisingly well-versed in his arguments, speaking with passion about the ethics of keeping animals in captivity. Leina found herself engaging with him more than she had expected. He was a bit shy, yes, but there was something honest about the way he spoke, something that made her want to listen.

When their brief debate came to an end, Coach Marlowe gave them both a nod of approval. "Good job, Leina and Malvern. That was an interesting exchange. You two work well together."

Leina felt a sense of accomplishment, but it was tinged with an odd feeling she couldn't quite place. Malvern smiled at her, his eyes lighting up with something close to gratitude, and she offered him a small, genuine smile in return. For the first time, she didn't feel like a stranger in the team. She felt like she had a place here, even if it was just for today.

As the session wrapped up, Alexander walked over to her, a small grin on his face. "I told you you'd do great. You looked really confident up there."

Leina shrugged, but the warmth in her chest told her she didn't mind the compliment. "It wasn't that hard."

Alexander raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk on his lips. "Maybe, but you still looked like you were in charge. That's a rare sight for you."

Leina couldn't help but smile back at him. "Maybe I'm just getting better at it," she said, her tone more teasing than before.

As they left the room, Leina's thoughts were swirling. She wasn't sure what had shifted today, but something had. Malvern, with his quiet demeanor, and Alexander, with his insistence on helping her, both made her feel... different. Stronger, maybe. More like she could take control of things without hesitation.

And maybe, just maybe, it was the start of something she hadn't anticipated—a new chapter of her life where she didn't have to be so reserved, so distant. Maybe she could find a way to balance being assertive with still staying true to herself.