Coach Cooper
December 04, 2004 10:50 AM
Lesson 1: Introductions by Coach Cooper
It was a warm and sunny morning; not so sunny that you couldn't see while in flight, but just sunny enough. She inspected the field's ground and smiled upon realizing it was hard and dry. Perfect for kickoff.She had arrived at the Quidditch Pitch earlier than her classes would arrive so that she would have time to practice herself.
"Hair back," she said, checking her brown curls were tied in a pony tail, "check. Goggles," she put her flying goggles on over smiling brown eyes, "check, flying gloves, check." Now that she had gone over her list, she was ready for flight.
Mounting her broom, she quickly kicked off the ground. She zoomed around the stadium, like a bird long held in captivity, that had finally been freed. She did double eight loops in the air, and went on to do some more advanced Quidditch moves.
"Sloth grip roll," she said to herself as hung upside down off the broom, gripping tightly with both hand and feet, then recovered. "Starfish and stick," she identified, and one hand and one foot curled around the handle, keeping all limbs outstretched. She had never been able to do this one for very long, and quickly sat back on her broom.
She then realized that the students were slowly coming in, and grinned. She knew just the move to finish off with. Pulling straight down into a dive, heading just a yard away from where the students stood, she did the Wronski Feint. She pulled out of the dive just in time, and then proceeded to land.
"Good day, class. I am Coach Cooper, your flying instructor. Welcome to the Quidditch Pitch."
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Subthreads: Flying! by Elizabeth Lavine with Mia, Jen
Oh dear by Sally
Lesson 1: History by Coach Cooper with Sally Porter
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Coach Cooper
Lesson 1: Introductions
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Coach Cooper
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Elizabeth Lavine
December 04, 2004 11:50 PM
"UP!" by Elizabeth Lavine
Elizabeth grinned. She set her broom down gently, making sure that nothing happened to it. With a swift motion, her right hand flew out and she called out confidently:"UP!"
Her broom, like it had done for years since Elizabeth knew how to fly, came soaring up into her outstretched hand. She smiled, getting very excited about being able to practice her very favorite part of being a witch. Flying was a plus, but her real forte was in Quidditch. When she was five or six, her parents bought her a brooom of her own, and from there on in, it was all that she did. Each moment of her day was either absorbed in friends who played quidditch or reading anything from "American Quidditch" magazines to "Quidditch Through the Ages".
'C'mon let's get off the ground and fly around abit!' she wished to cry out, but she only held onto her broom which seemed to vibrate in excitement. \n\n
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Elizabeth Lavine
"UP!"
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Elizabeth Lavine
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Layla Radovon
December 05, 2004 12:45 AM
A more negative response by Layla Radovon
Layla was unsure about Quidditch the sport and the Flying class as a whole. Var had always kept up tabs with the Quidditch world through newspapers and the occasional chat about who's-who in the sport world, but she herself had no knowledge or experience with the game. Honestly, she couldn't even names of the positions and the final object of Quidditch.Feeling queesy about being surrounded by skilled players and many brooms, and even more nauseated by the daring move their coach pulled off, a rational voice in the back of Layla's head finally kicked in like tabasco souce and pointed out that she couldn't be the only one with no experience.
Stepping up to a broom, Layla briefly watched with fascination as the broom belonging to the girl next to her soared perfectly into her hands.
Shaking back her long, bright red hair, Layla looked down at the school broom and commanded fiercly, "Up!" The broom, as if lazily basking in the summer sun, lolled over groggily, and did nothing more.
"Up!" Layla demmanded, almost hissed, positively pitted into a steel will of at least getting the broom into the grip of her palm. What was the point of even trying to fly if she couldn't do as much as that?
"Up!!!!!" The mousy girl nearly shouted at the top of her lungs, fists clenched, only jump back in fright as her broom, as if jerking awake from a nap, flew up, nearly skinning her nose, and floated a couple inches above her grasp.
Jumping and pulling it down into her hand, Layla meekly looked at the anxious-looking girl next to her, smiling sheepishly.\n\n
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Layla Radovon
A more negative response
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Layla Radovon
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Elizabeth
December 05, 2004 9:32 AM
The most exciting thing by Elizabeth
Elizabeth smiled at the girl next to her. She was a beginner at the flying scene, that was for sure. But she seemed really nice, well, from what she oculd tell, so Elizabeth grinned even more broadly and introduced herself."Hi, I'm Elizabeth Lavine."
Her brillant ice-blue eyes sparkled and danced merrily in the sunshine. Her long black hair was pulled up and away from her fair, yet tanned skin. She was still holding her vibrating broom, just as eager as it was to mount it. \n\n
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Elizabeth
The most exciting thing
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Elizabeth
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Layla
December 05, 2004 1:30 PM
Yes, I wouldn't argue with its thrill by Layla
Layla returned Elizabeth's wide grin, matching it with one of her own. It was a fascinating thing; never had she been surrounded with so many people around her same age.Tucking a hazardously red strand of hair behind her ear, Layla locked her virid eyes with Elizabeth's pale blue ones. "Glad to know you. I'm Layla. Layla Radovon."
The broom, which she gripped tightly in two hands, squirmed and twisted violently, as if trying to escape her. She wanted, very near to flipping out of her mind, to shout and scream at the twig of a thing, demanding and pleading that it would just let her fly.
Glancing back at Elizabeth, with a broom calm and serene in her grasp, Layla tried to act casual about the broom-gone-wild in her own posession. "So, I take it you fly," It was a novice assumption to make about Elizabeth's skill, "What's it like? Quidditch and Flying, I mean?" Layla asked with the curious tilt of her head, the broom stopping its bucking for a moment as if to listen to Elizabeth's answer, too.\n\n
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Layla
Yes, I wouldn't argue with its thrill
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Layla
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Sally
December 05, 2004 1:40 PM
Re: Yes, I wouldn't argue with its thrill by Sally
Sally, having no idea what to do, desperately tried to call her broom into her hand. However, it was having a mind of its own. It was completely ignoring her.Finally, she commanded it, "Up" and it worked. But not presisely like it was supposed to. It flew across the pitch, and hit another girl in the shoulder.
Sally jogged over, and saw that the girl was talking to Liz. Well, if Liz likes her, she can't be that bad, she thought, and she smiled apologetically.
"I'm sorry about that. I hate heights, and I guess brooms must be like dogs, able to sense your fears. I'm Sally Porter." \n\n
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Sally
Re: Yes, I wouldn't argue with its thrill
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Sally
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Layla
December 05, 2004 1:58 PM
Animal instincts by Layla
Before Elizabeth could answer one of her questions that came out in a big rush, as once she was on a roll, Layla knew she could be quite the blabbermouth, something came at her from behind and struck her in the shoulder.Too surprised to cry out, Layla turned wide-eyed and noticed the other broom hovering near her, and the girl jogging towards them.
"I'm sorry about that. I hate heights, and I guess brooms must be like dogs, able to sense your fears. I'm Sally Porter."
Layla laughed loudly at this, knowing all what Sally meant about brooms being like dogs, and then smiled, "It's okay. I'm Layla Radovon, and I think my broom has to sense something funny in me as well." Layla looked down at her broom, which was back to jerking and twitching spastically in her hands.
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Layla
Animal instincts
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Layla
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Sally
December 05, 2004 2:15 PM
Perhaps... by Sally
Sally smiled back. SHe was so glad she found someone who agreed with her sentiments. "Maybe it's just that the brooms can sense sanity, and we're the only ones who possess it. Everyone else seems very eager to get on their brooms adn start flying. Me, well, the ground is a very nice thing."\n\n
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Sally
Perhaps...
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Sally
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Elizabeth
December 05, 2004 2:51 PM
Re: Perhaps... by Elizabeth
She smiled at the both of them. 'Such interesting friend choices, Liz. At home you'd immediately buddy up with the extreme Quidditch girls and guys...' a little voice in the back of her head poked. 'oh shutup' another voice replied. Was it good to have voices fighting in your head? Oh well, she thought, coming back to the real world."Nice to meet you Layla, and Hey again Sal!" Elizabeth grinned at Layla and Sally's cause of meeting. "So," she said, trying to stir conversation, "Where are you guys from? What's your family like? I know Sally has a bunch of siblings, and thats it, so fill me in before we have to start flying around and stuff." \n\n
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Elizabeth
Re: Perhaps...
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Elizabeth
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Sally
December 05, 2004 3:23 PM
Re: Perhaps... by Sally
Sally grimaced. "Do you think we have to fly? I don't want to give anyone here any more taunting material on me than i have to, and fainting from having to fly on a broom probably wouldn't help my cause."Anyway, I'm from Texas. I went to this really preppy private school. I like to debate, and I like to sing. THat's about all that's interesting."
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Sally
Re: Perhaps...
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Sally
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Elizabeth
December 05, 2004 3:45 PM
Cool by Elizabeth
She smiled. Texas, Louisiana (her homestate's) neighbor. That was cool, so was her intrest in singing. Elizabeth couldn't sing a note for her life. It was as if god just casually forgot to give her vocal cords that work for more that shouting on a Quidditch Pitch. Her eyes sparkled as she reassured her friend."Oh dont' say that, flying isnt that difficult. It's, well, if I might use the muggle expression, 'like riding a bike. Once you learn, you never forget'. I think it goes something like that. Anyways, I'm from New Orleans, I have two very annoying but completely loveable prankster older brothers, Brett and Javon. That's all of my family, and don't think for a second just because I'm the baby that I'm privaliged. Oh, no way. That's why I love quidditch so much is because I can usually give my brothers a good run for their money when I play with them."
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Elizabeth
Cool
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Elizabeth
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Layla
December 05, 2004 9:19 PM
Neighbors (Of sorts) by Layla
Layla beamed, bemused with herself, at Sally. Singing. Now singing was something she never could do very well. It wasn't that her voice was horrid, but she always meant to be kind to Var and her old friends to save it for the shower and under blasting radio music. She also had to laugh when Elizabeth mentioned giving her brothers their two-cents in quidditch. From the looks of it - and she didn't even know Brett and Javon - Layla bet Liz could cream just about anybody standing in the pitch at the moment."Ooh, this is kind of cool. We're all state neighbors, in a way." Layla said with a sly grin, looking back and forth between Liz and Sally.
"I'm from Las Cruces, in New Mexico. Well, not originally; originally, I'm from Chicago. See, my parents are both anthropologists, and they're working on a long-term project in Mexico, so I live with my Uncle, Var, in New Mexico," The redhead shrugged lightly, realizing she really didn't have any hobbies like Liz had quidditch and Sally had singing.
With her virid sparking with amusement, Layla added, "Var actually kind of sounds like your older brothers, Liz. He's too much of loveable trickster - even at 25 - to do any serious magic work. So he likes to do muggle jobs for fun, and makes a bloody lovely mess out of them."
The school broom in Layla's hand had stopped twitching violently, and now had moved to vibrating in an uncomfortable manner, such as that it felt as if her bones shook. At her last wits, Layla suddenly sighed and looked towards Elizabeth questionably, "Is there anything I can do about this broom, or am I destined to flying failure?" Perhaps she should get another broom, or perhaps she should just give in and take as an omen towards her future in the Quidditch world. Hopefully Sally was right about brooms sensing sanity, or whatever, or Layla would swear she was going insane.\n\n
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Layla
Neighbors (Of sorts)
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Layla
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Elizabeth
December 05, 2004 10:30 PM
Flying by Elizabeth
She grinned. Her brothers were 21 and 16, and both wizards at the New Orleans Wizarding Council. She had been living in their parent's old house in New Orleans ever since forever, and when Brett, her eldest brother, became her and Javon's legal guardian, Brett got the house for all of them to live in through her parent's will. So technically it was all of their house, now, but she preferred to think of it as her parents."I guess we are sort of neighbors in a way," Elizabeth grinned, breaking from her semi-depressing reviere, "And you are NOT a failure! Trust me, the first time I got on a broom, it whizzed away, I fell off the back, and then the broom came back around and hit Javon in the chest!"
She laughed wholeheartedly as she remembered that. It was hilarious- everyone in her family was laughing, her included. Her mother and father even had to clutch each other in order to remain standing. There were always such fun times at her house, Elizabeth remembered. \n\n
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Elizabeth
Flying
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Elizabeth
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Sally
December 05, 2004 10:46 PM
Re: Flying by Sally
Sally laughed. "Now, if it hit your brother in your chest, was it an accident, or did you do it on purpose." Her face sobered, however."Do you think they can make us fly? I can't stand heights at all. One of my brothers accidentally dropped me out of a treehouse when I was like 6. I still can't even climb bleachers very high."\n\n
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Sally
Re: Flying
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Sally
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Elizabeth
December 06, 2004 7:00 PM
Oh nonsense by Elizabeth
"Of course you will learn how to fly! But first we're just doing kickoffs. It's simple, just swing your leg on over.." she did so, "and once your situated, then just push off!"Elizabeth grinned as the wind softly rushed in her ears as she rose a comfortably low height of three feet. Her black hair shone in the sun, and her blue eyes practically laughed with excitement. This was where she truly felt like she belonged, flying in the air. Elizabeth looked at her friends, as if begging them to do the same as she did.
"C'mon," she said after a moment, "You can do it, I have faith in you both!"\n\n
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Elizabeth
Oh nonsense
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Elizabeth
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Sally
December 06, 2004 7:24 PM
Uh-Oh by Sally
It's alright, Sally thought to herself. You can do it. Just get on, and you can do fine.Seeing Elizabeth soar like that, she was really jealous. But she knew that she would never be able to be so comfortable up there, no matter how hard she tried.
Sally did want to try, though, so she calming told her broom to "Up," which it did. Then she climbed on, and kicked up.
It was glorious for a moment, but then she kept remembering when she had fallen for that first time. What had happened, how she thought she was going to die. How she nearly did.
With a small gasp, she loosened her grip, still scared out of her wits, lost in memory. Then, when the wind blew up, she nearly flipped in the air, and crashed back into earth.
SHe heard her arm crack as she hit the ground, and looked at it, to see the entire arm already swelling up.
She looked up at Elizabeth and Layla, her voice choked. "I think it's broken. WIll one of ya'll come to the hospital wing to get it checked out with me? I don't know the way."\n\n
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Sally
Uh-Oh
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Sally
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Elizabeth
December 06, 2004 7:49 PM
AH! by Elizabeth
Elizabeth saw Sally sway and she knew that it wasn't going well. She dipped a bit to see if Sally could right herself, but it didn't happen. Upon hearing that crack, Elizabeth came down to the ground and dropped her broom, rushing over the few feet to where Sally lay. The breath caught in her chest and examined the arm. She was no medic, so she yelled for the nearest authority figure... Coach Cooper."COACH COOPER!" she shouted, trying with all her might to catch the instructor's attention, "COACH COOPER!"
"Houston, we have a problem..." she muttered to no one in general as she knelt down beside Sally, attempting to calm her down. \n\n
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Elizabeth
AH!
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Elizabeth
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Sally
December 06, 2004 8:08 PM
Re: AH! by Sally
Sally mumbled, "I'm fine, I just need to go see the medic. Will one of you come with me, please? I don't think Coach Cooper'll mind very much."\n\n
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Sally
Re: AH!
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Sally
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Elizabeth
December 06, 2004 8:18 PM
Sure... by Elizabeth
She took a quick worried glance over to the professor, then stood."One sec." she said, hurrying back to her broom.
She picked it up and rushed back to Sally, helping her up off the ground. Elizabeth takes a deep breath, seeing that Sally's arm was still swelling. She gulped, medicine was NOT in any way, shape, or form her place, and injuries freaked her out. It was ironic, really, since she played Quidditch so rough with her brothers.
"Ok then, let's go. I think it's... this way?" she said, heading back towards the direction of the school building. "C'mon then, we'd better get you there quickly, that doesn't look good at all." \n\n
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Elizabeth
Sure...
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Elizabeth
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Mia
December 06, 2004 9:10 PM
More trouble by Mia
Mia watched the whole turn of events from her own broom a little ways away. She sharply inhaled as she heard the crack of Sally's arm. Mia watched Elizabeth take Sally from the stadium. She was obviously taking her to the Hospital Wing. Mia didn't know whether to follow the girls but then she might seem like an annoying tag along, or if she should just stay and hope Sally got better soon.In a split second desicion, Mia decided to follow. Sally had always been nice to her so maybe there was something she could do to help. Mia quickly dropped her broom and hurried after the other two girls.
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Mia
More trouble
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Mia
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Coach Cooper
December 06, 2004 9:23 PM
Everyone on the Ground! by Coach Cooper
Coach Cooper was occupied with the rest of the class when it happened. When she realized someone had fallen she yelled out to the class, "Lean forward on your brooms! Everyone, on the ground now!"Making sure that everyone was on the ground, she zoomed over to the girls leaving the class.
"What happened?" she asked worried, "What's wrong?"\n\n
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Coach Cooper
Everyone on the Ground!
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Coach Cooper
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Coach Cooper
December 06, 2004 9:27 PM
A Messenger by Coach Cooper
The girls hadn't heard her call, and she sighed. She could not leave her class unchecked. She would have to send a messenger to find out what had happened."Would someone like to follow those girls and find out what happened for me?" she asked.\n\n
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Coach Cooper
A Messenger
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Coach Cooper
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Jenna H
December 06, 2004 9:28 PM
I'll do it by Jenna H
When she heard that Coach C needed a messenger, Jenna was eager to volunteer. They were her friends, besides, she didn't like flying."I'll do it," she said quickly. The coach nodded and Jenna ran over.\n\n
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Jenna H
I'll do it
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Jenna H
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Sally
December 06, 2004 9:44 PM
Re: I'll do it by Sally
On the way to the Hospital Win, Jenna H. ran over to them, and asked what had happened.Sally showed Jenna her arm, and said, "It cracked when it hit the ground, and I think it's broken. WIll you tell the professor we're sorry we left, but it was hard to get her attenion, and it's been swelling so fast we figured it would be better to go to the hospital wing as soon as possible?"\n\n
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Sally
Re: I'll do it
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Sally
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Layla
December 06, 2004 10:23 PM
Me too! by Layla
Layla was still stuck between squeemish of being off the ground, and antsy to get into the air, that she was still indecisively about to kick off, seeing how confident and happy Elizabeth looked afloat, when she watched Sally do a frightening sway in the air and drop to the ground. If the sight wasn't horrible enough, the crack afterwards was enough to make Layla go rigid and turn her face the color of milk.Blood, hospitals, and anything that involved physical injury was the one thing that truly got right down in Layla and twisted her internal organs into a knot. Blinking, the small girl suddenly snapped back to reality and ran to her friend's side. Her arm definitely was turned in a funny angle, and it had made a loud snapping noise...
Elizabeth was already in action and escorting Sally away, Jenna following, and all Layla could do for quite some was stand as firmly as a shaking leaf, her new ivory palor constrasting greatly with the wild, fiery red of her head, watching her group of friends grow smaller and smaller, until they were a small speck.
Needles and white walls. Maybe that was what frightened her so much about Hospitals and blood and gore and all of that, but once she saw Sally, Liz, and Jenna disappear completely into the school, Layla snapped back, and decided that she had to go, too. It wasn't like she'd be able to fly after seeing that, anyway.
"Coach! Coach!" Layla called up to their flying instructor, though she bit her lip, her imagination conjuring up a frightful image of Sonora's infirmary for her. "I'm going too!" Not sure if the woman heard her, Layla ran towards the school.
Now, quidditch probably wasn't going to end up being her thing, but being small built and light weight, running was, and Layla was fast. Decisively, as she entered the school, she tagged the closest person for instructions to the Hospital Wing.\n\n
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Layla
Me too!
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Layla
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