Guity until proven innocent by Cama seeney, Monique x (howl and other poems .TXT) 📖

it is you who came here, so many people who are here are just wrong. So many…’ She trailed off getting quieter and quieter. ‘Is that right Lilian, you are not all that ‘Innocent’, as you claim to be are you.’ Whispered the stranger who walked in late. I shivered wondering myself what these people had done. I closed my eyes and sighed – it was my fault I deserve to be here. I told myself.

 

‘Lunch is nearly over we might as well start walking to the gym – you don’t want to work out after stuffing your face, you need at least ten minutes you don’t want to puke’ she told me after we had sat and ate in silence for a while. I nodded and picked up my tray, walking over to the bin I scraped the remaining food off and left the empty plate and tray on the metal frame that already had a few decorating them.

 

The lunch room had only around thirty people in it – no wonder those people from before thought themselves higher than us, they were taught it. Even segregated classes and eating times, dorms. It was ridiculous. I left shaking my head at the sight of so many grey watch like things. I left feeling disappointed, I knew I didn’t have any right to feel that way but it was true. I sighed and left for the ‘gym’ it was a nice slow walk, taking only a few minutes but none the less it was a nice day. Not to hot or windy, not to bright or dark – perfect would be when a slight rain fell but it didn’t look like it would for at least a while.

 

I smiled up at the sky and regretfully walked into the gymnasium. ‘Bleep test. Gear up and shut up!’ The same blond woman as before shouted, she was slender with hazel eyes. I began stretching, bending down I touched my feet easily, bending one leg forward I stretched again until I felt the burn. I did the same with the other leg and then lifted it up folding the calf and pushing my hips forward to stay balanced. After ten seconds I changed legs, next I stood with legs shoulder length apart and touched the ground again then turning my left foot I faced that way stretching again. Next I stretched straight up in the air and pushed my chest forward as I put my arms behind my back. I then turned right and bent that way too. Eventually I met back in the middle again.

 

I stood with my left knee bent facing the right side, I twisted my body right and then left hearing it click again. I then did the same with opposite knees and directions. I then started stretching my arms as I walked up to the start line.

 

The gym was lit hazily, and the walls were a pristine cream colour but the wooden floor was scuffed and well warn. Covered in basketball marks on the floor and running tracks around the outside. On either side of the hall was a basketball hoop. Adrenaline built up in my body preparing me for the run ahead, I was so psyched. The only time I shined was in sports, I was competitive in the few sports I knew but something about running just made me feel purely free. Upbeat pop music played loudly but stopped for a second and a ding could be heard clearly. That’s when we started to run. I jogged forward and waited until the dig so I could run back. I breathed slowly and mentally chanted ‘It’s all mental’.

 

I jogged again a little faster, my heart beat incredibly fast wanting run no sprint. I kept myself in check, I knew the bleep test could become hard. Ding, run to the other side. Ding and off I go again barely a fifteen second pause after I had stopped running. Ding, run. Fourteen seconds. Ding run. Twelve seconds. Ding, run ten seconds. Ding, run and an eight second break. Ding, run. I counted six seconds after my run. Ding, run. Four seconds. Ding run five people were no longer running. Ding, run. A two second break. Ding, run, no break. Ding sprint. Ding and another three are lost. Ding, sprint. Another four are lost. Half of the group was down. Ding, sprint. Another two.

 

This continued until there were five of us left, Lilly cheered me from the side lines – she hand dinged out last run. Ding, sprint – turn. Ding, sprint – turn. Ding, ding, ding. Three remaining. The rude guy from before and a tall athletic type guy. He was clearly 6ft something tall. Ding – opsie. I sprinted using everything – mini seconds before I needed to turn tail and run. This time I didn’t hesitate I just ran.

Ding, ding, ding and the tall guy was a step ahead of us both now. He was physically fitter than me. I stayed in for two more rounds before dinging out. The rude guy lasted a single round longer before also dining out. The tall guy ran two more before dinging out himself, sweat spread off his naturally dark skin. ‘Work on your turning Daniels, tomorrow I want another two rounds from you.’ I nodded as I bent over breathing heavily. ‘Right, you lazy lot get up twenty burpees now!’ She called out, the people all around me were suddenly jumping in the air crouching down and jumping into push up position.

 

On the second ‘burpee’ I joined in, they were actually quite fun. 18 later they were a little less fun. ‘Jump squats – twenty now!’ She called next. ‘Hands in front, knees over toes. Ass to the ground. Go, Go, Go!’ she called enthusiastically walking around the room, these were a little embracing but not all that bad in the end. On twelve I could feel a slight burn in my calves and thighs. At fifteen they started to burn. At twenty I was a little wobbly. Even my but did!?

 

‘Push up fifteen go! Asses down arms shoulder width apart.’ She called out next, to be honest I was finding this hard sweating profoundly. ‘You’re not dipping your tits in water get down and dirty girl!’ She shouted at me pushing my body inches from the floor. I managed four before I fell. I got up and did ten more. ‘For that pathetic attempt I want a hundred sit up’s now Daniels. I knew I could do this, I was good at sit ups – strangely. Last time I counted I could a hundred and fifteen. Before the injections to stop my trapped nerve from hurting 70. I knew I could smash both records. The first twenty a student counted out were done in 18 seconds.

 

I led with my legs firmly on the floor and my back just touching each time, Lilly stood on my feet stopping them from moving. The ground was hard and hurt my back but I knew I had to do this. It’s all in my mind, I can do it. The thirty marker was counted out – 24 seconds. The first fifty done in 39 seconds. I was getting faster not slower. No turning back now. I breathed out a gust of air and continued. The seventy marker was called out. 55 seconds. A hundred and ten and I was just breaching the 1 minute 24 seconds marker. ‘You can stop’ the teacher said off handily but she was leaning forward too. My back hurt and strangely my shoulder blades but for once my stomach was fine.

 

Ten down. Twenty. Thirty five. Forty! A hundred and fifty – two minutes three seconds. I was proud of that, once I had reached a hundred the speed had slowed down but two minutes was good. I smiled to myself and led back. 'Well done Daniels not only have you proved to be a pain in the ass but one that doesn’t listen!' She called as she winked at me and flicked her hand towards the ceiling as if to say get up you've proved your point.

 

 

 

Chapter eleven

Race me

 

‘We’re doing boxing today – get into your partners. Daniels your with Lincoln don’t scare this one away!’ She called out I turned until everyone had paired off. The douche from earlier, he stood with his arms crossed his chest looking bored. I walked over slowly and stood opposite him, he got himself into a defensive position and went to hit me in the face. I stepped back uncertain. ‘Arms up Rose’ he called taunting me. How was I supposed to do this, I’ve only ever punched one person before and it hurt my hand. Well I hurt that teacher but I hadn’t meant to.

 

I followed his stance, arms both in front of him. Facing different directions almost crossed over but the left was lower. I bent my legs a little and faced my feet facing the corner of the room instead of directly in front of me. At a slight horizontal line. Not facing forward but not facing left either. My hips faced the wall whilst my upper body faced him. ‘Take a step forward see how it feels.’ He told me doing the same. ‘Nothing is ever as it seems.’ He told me cryptically. I rolled my eyes ‘cut the bullshit and teach me how to fight already!’ I told him annoyed.

 

He shrugged and attempted to hit me again. I pulled my right arm (the one above the lower arm covering my stomach.) Best defence is a good offense, I hit out with my left as our right arms were thrown together. He moved his head to the side at the last second – my fist barely scraped his cheekbone. ‘Do they plan on teaching us to fight so we kill one another or so we are so tired that we cannot?’ Wondered aloud as I jumped backwards after my hit had landed. ‘Smooth’ he muttered laughing at me. He came at me again trying to punch me, we worked at different blocks and what to do for about an hour before we were called back into the middle of the room. My arms and back ached, throbbed even.

 

‘Lastly we have a challenge for you all. Outside we have set up a course for you all too run. It should take you around ten minutes to complete, anything above eleven is a fail and anything bellow nine will put you at the top of our school leader board. Of course the other students have been here much longer and we expect them to come quicker – let’s prove them wrong!’ She cheered and showed us the way outside, at least someone liked us – I thought with a mental chuckle.

 

She was right it was some course, to begin with were those silly tires footballers waddle through. Next came a huge wall with sparse climbing foot and hand grabs. Above the wall were metal bars – eight of them you had to monkey bar yourself across them. Beyond that was a hike up a muddy hill and a crawl through a fake barbed wire – well I hoped it was fake. At the end