A Challenge

When I walk into the training ground, Cleo is already busy with the pups.

The youngsters quietly wait their turn and watch with amusement as the pups try to master the techniques with clumsy attempts. I walk right up to Cleo and when he sees me, he instantly smiles.

“You missed practice early this morning. It is now almost noon. Fortunately, there is a second group of young people who have already left work and need to be trained so that you can join in,” he points out. I grin embarrassingly, knowing that the workouts in the morning are much more brutal and now I feel like I'm hiding from it. I look at the girls around me, they are all around my age, some are already eighteen, just like Jasmina.

Speaking of Jasmina.

She's staring straight at me now, but I'm ignoring her. As usual, she is with her group of worshipers who support her mindlessly in everything. “Maybe Mercedes just likes to sleep and do nothing,” one of the girls commented. "Some are just slacking around, their bed is ma