the others
“Widows, as you all know we will be having a mandatory elimination round at the end of the month. This does not mean that will be the only eliminations coming up. Your current rank will factor into our final decisions. Nika, Sasha, and Svetlana will be returning from assignment come Monday. The board with be posted until then.”
The girls straighten their backs.
“Ballet Rank: One Galina. Two Nika, Three Alina, Four Sasha, Five Vera, Six Olga, Seven Svetlana, Eight Sofia, Nine Natalia, Ten Katya.”
“Combat Rank: One Svetlana, Two Natalia, Three Olga, Four Alina, Five Sofia, Six Galina, Seven Katya, Eight Nika, Nine Vera, Ten Sasha.
“Weapons Rank: One Vera, Two Sofia, Three Katya, Four Natalia, Five Nika, Six Galina, Seven Svetlana, Eight Alina, Nine Olga, Ten Sasha.”
Madam B finished announcing and stepped away from the chalk board before sending them back to training.
The end of the month was coming up soon, Natasha only had a week to get herself a higher rank. Those with lower ranks would be pushed through double the labor before a final test out.
Natasha pushed herself harder in training that day, her ballet needed to improve drastically for her to be safe from extra burdens.
After showering and being cuffed to her bed, Natasha pulled out her phone and found herself looking at Maria’s contact when a message came through.
maria h: wanna come over again on tuesday? coach may and her husband with be there.
natasha: i’ll ask tonight, some girls are coming back so mrs B has to get them settled
maria h: just let me know sometime, are you feeling better?
natasha: what do you mean?
maria h: when you last called you had a really bad stomach ache and were all loopy
natasha: ??? i don’t remember that, did i say anything dumb?
maria h: just that you miss kissing me and i was a better kisser than someone, i couldn’t hear who
natasha: i honestly don’t remember that, i feel much better now, just a little nauseous.
Truth be told her entire torso felt like it was on fire from all the cuts and bruises.
natasha: ive gtg, goodnight
maria h: night
Natasha shut off her phone and put it in her backpack for the next morning.
Halfway through the school day just around lunchtime Natasha noticed Nika, Svetlana, and Sasha walking from the main office, the quickly called her over with a glance.
“How was it?” Natasha walked next to Nika in front of Sasha and Svetlana.
“Good,” Mika’s accent had shone through before she corrected with her American one.
“Tell us the ranks, Madam has not shown us.” That was Sasha. Natasha grimaced.
“I do not remember.”
“Liar, you always remember.” Svetlana kicked at Natasha’s foot but Natasha stepped away just in time.
She rolled her eyes, “Svetlana seven in ballet and weapons, one in combat.”
“Fuck yeah, i’d say that balances out.” She flipped her braid behind her shoulder.
“Nika two in ballet, five in weapons, eight in combat”
Nika turned her head, “eight? i got fucking eight? out of how many? still ten?”
Natasha nodded and inhaled deeply, “Sasha ten in weapons, ten in combat, four in ballet.”
Sasha stopped walking and Svetlana had to pull her along.
“Who got ten in ballet?”
“Katya, she got three in weapons and seven in combat.”
Sasha stumbled and Svetlana pulled her again, “Snap the fuck out of it you’re fine.”
“I’m next.”
“No you aren’t.”
“They will match me with you- Svet-“
“No they won’t!”
“They always do! Strongest versus weakest.”
“You aren’t the weakest.”
“I am! Im gonna be the next to d-”
Svetlana grabbed her shoulders and slammed her into the lockers. Nika and Natasha held off on their reactions.
“Shut up! Shut the fuck up!”
“Svet-”
“You’re not gonna die.” Svetlana’s eyes were wide and wild as she whispered the words. Sasha slowly moved the blond off of her.
“We’re in public Sveta.”
Svetlana just grabbed her arm and looped it through Sasha’s, “I’m not letting you go. I won’t let you die.”
Sasha pulled away, “we’ll talk later, i- i cant-"
Sasha turned the corner and Svetlana stared off as she left.
Nika leaned over and grabbed Svetlana’s shoulder pulling her into the girls bathroom nearby, Natasha followed.
Svetlana was surprisingly near tears.
“You’re okay, you’re fine. Don’t cry, you can’t cry.”
it just so happened that as Svetlana started to cry Maria Hill entered the bathroom.
“Natasha? Are you guys okay?”
Svetlana’s hands shook as she ran a hand down her braid. Nika looked unsure of what to do.
“Natalia talk to her, please.”
Natasha looked to Maria then back to Svetlana and quickly handed her books off to Maria.
“Svetlana, give me your bag.” Natasha helped her take the bag off and set it on the floor, “Breathe with me.”
«No, no please they are going to kill her, I can’t i can’t be the one- please Natalia help me, help her.»
«do you love her?»
«yes- i love her- so much- i love her- i don’t care if it’s childish i love her»
«How did this happen? when did you discover these feelings?»
«On a mission, she almost- she almost died and i just lost it- i can’t feel that again Natalia»
«Focus on me, you will be fine, no matter what happens you need to be fine, You cannot let the life of another define yours. If she dies then you grieve but you will not go with her do you understand me?»
Svetlana nodded but the tears continued to flow, Natasha pulled her into a hug and Svetlana molded around her, soaking in the comfort.
«I don’t want her to die»
«No one does, but that is how we live, this is the life we have been born into.»
«We could run.»
Natasha shook her head, «You remember Anastasia, yes?»
Svetlana nodded, «She is dead isn’t she?»
«Yes, and if you think you can run then you will be too, stay smart, work hard, I know you will be fine, you cannot let emotions destroy you.»
Svetlana pulled away from Natasha and nodded once again before pulling on her bag and apologizing.
Natasha looked to Maria who was still holding her books, “I’m going to walk them to class so i’ll be late to lunch.” She grabbed her books from Maria.
“No I’ll come too, I don’t want to listen to Tony complain.”
Natasha nodded and took Svetlana and Nika to their sophomore level chemistry class. Before Svetlana entered she grabbed Natasha’s arm.
“If you see her can you just make sure she’s okay.”
Natasha nodded and Nika pulled her into the room.
Once the two girls were safely in their classrooms Natasha turned to Maria and was glad she came along.
“That was.. a lot.”
“Yeah, are you okay?”
Natasha nodded and gently bumped Maria’s shoulder, “They’ve been away for the past month at a different home, just came back now.”
“Is that why she was crying, because she came back?”
Natasha glared at the floor, “No, she’s just missing a friend, a close one.”
“I don’t think i’ve ever actually seen you talk to any of the other girls from the house.”
“I see them enough at the house, we literally live together.”
“Are all of them in highschool?”
Natasha shook her head, “Katya is eighth grade, Sasha and Vera are ninth, Svetlana and Nika are sophomores, Sofia, Olga, and me are juniors and then Alaina and Galina are Seniors.”
“What happens after you graduate?”
“You live on your own?”
“They kick you out?”
“Well no, Madam will check up on everyone once and awhile and make sure everything is running smoothly.”
“Madam?”
Natasha froze, like physically could not more, could not breathe. All of her training to cover stuff like this up and she froze.
“Nat?”
Natasha shook her head, “I don’t know why I said that, Mrs, Beivel will check up on us.”
They were silent the rest of the walk to lunch. All that could play in her head was a loop Natasha saying ‘you’re just so much better than Ma-‘
‘-dam B.’
She was so much better at kissing than Madam B.
Fuck she needed to call her dad.