A Fresh Start

[Adriana Kent]

Adriana was hurt, emotionally that is. She'd flown down to the pitch where it seemed everyone was congregating rather than practising and had overheard a hurtful comment about her. She had known she wasn't a good keeper and even said so when Loren had first asked her, but had thought she'd try it out anyway. Trying very hard not to just throw down her broom and say she was done, she dismounted, her face a little screwed up from being upset, and walked up to Loren, sending the boy with the ego a bit of a glare. "If I'm really that bad I don't have to play," she said calmly and steadily, hiding how she really felt. "I was just trying to help out. I didn't realise that I'd be scrutinised for doing so. Isn't this just a try out? Not a 'let's make the younger players feel worthless' event..." She stopped talking and shook her head. She was losing her temper and quickly. She thought she'd best just go sit on the side lines. If she was eventually needed to play some other position, then great. But at the moment, she didn't much feel like playing at all.

[Loren Hayes]

Loren felt awkward as Alana decided she wanted first choice, but was relieved when Charlie chose to stand up for himself and interrupt her. 'Chaser then, Charlie?' Loren smiled appreciatively before turning to Alana and giving her an apologetic look. 'He was here first, I'm afraid - and he didn't get his first choice either unfortunately. Second beater is still open though, and definitely needed,' she smiled persuasively. 'Unless you had your heart set on chaser? You could always be a reserve for Russell, Charlie or me, you know...'

Loren was distracted from Alana as Charlie suddenly gestured toward Adriana with a churlish glance, slighting her. 'Shhh, Charlie!' She prompted with a surprised frown, hoping Adriana hadn't heard. Unfortunately she had.

'Now, now - this is why it's called a practice.' She said in a mock patronising tone, smiling around at them softly. She looked at Charlie. 'Adriana can't get any better unless we give her a chance to actually try. We're all a little rusty from the summer so lets all give each other a break, okay?' She added, speaking to everyone now.

Adriana stood a few feet away from everyone, her face calm and her voice nonchalant, but Loren could tell she was probably rife with indignation. She walked up to her with a pleading look in her eye, placing a hand on her shoulder. 'Please don't be like that, Adriana - we really need you. We can't all give up at the first hurdle, can we? Besides, I'm captain,' she said a little louder. 'If anyone else has a problem with another player they can get it off their chest now. Then at least we know where we stand with each other.' She placed her hands her hips, staring around at the team expectantly.

[alana]

Alana glared at the other girl. "I thought the point of tryouts was to see who was better suited for the position. Not who asks first." she stated coldly. "But, if you prefer to do it this way, then fine. But count me out." with that, Alana shouldered her broom and turned to walk off the pitch

[Loren Hayes]

Loren sighed. 'Charlie was here first, Alana.' Loren informed her, 'And he's had quidditch experience before. I was going to say you could switch roles in the middle of practice, see what fits you both best, but if you can't handle compromise...' Loren turned away from her, mounting her broom and rising into the air. She was not going to argue with this little girl, and she especially wasn't going to tolerate anyone being short with her because they didn't get their own way.

'Okay people, are we going to get started or would anyone else like to get something off their chest?' Loren asked a little irritably, not meaning to. So far they had got nothing done, and it was beginning to wind her up. It did not help that Professor Starsmore, their Head of House, was watching them bicker from the sidelines.

[Adriana Kent]

Adriana suddenly felt quite guilty. She knew she had overreacted and now was ashamed. She hadn't meant to make such a scene. She bit her lip and went to apologise, "Please, I'm sorry. I, of course, won't give up now, that would be silly of me. But if it turns out that I'm just not made for Keeper, could I please try out for something? Or maybe I could just be an alternate? I wouldn't mind at all." She smiled uncomfortably and noticed one of the other girls storm off. Her smile faded, a little worried it was because of her; it wasn't, she soon realised. It was then that Loren asked if there was anything else anyone would like to say. "I'd actually like to say something if I could," she said, looking down at her feet awkwardly. "It would be really quite nice if we could try and refrain from saying mean things about others. A little constructive criticism is nice, but..." She looked up from the ground and then back down. She'd wait until she heard further instructions before doing anything else.

[Loren Hayes]

Loren's shoulders relaxed as Adriana took over, giving Loren a rest from being the bossy lecturer. I never realised how tough Helia must have been not to get fed up with people, she thought wearily as she slowly circled over the other player's heads. She remembered how last year the Ravenclaw team had never stopped bickering, and she suddenly found a whole new level of respect for her old captain for not loosing her rag every five minutes.

'Thank you, Adriana,' Loren said genuinely as the keeper finished up. 'She's right, of course. You all want Ravenclaw to win, don't you?' she paused for a minute, letting them consider. 'Then lets not make enemies of each other. Lets keep it to House rivalries!' she gave a wry grin. 'Do you want to go and get back into position, Adriana? Rus, Charlie - follow me. Parker? Your job is to make it as difficult for us three to score as humanly possible.' Loren called as she swooped down, plucking up a beater's bat and tossing it to Parker. The boy looked as though he had a strong swing, and she gave him an encouraging wink as she soared back up into the air...

[Russell Parkhurst]

((lighten up, ladies! It's just a game!))

Russell stood with his arms crossed and watched, in a daze, as the quaffle flew high into the air. It never quite occurred that what goes up, must come down, so he stared at the ball for a while longer.

When he heard Loren say his name, Rus was pulled to the practice and said, "yes?" Suddenly the quaffle collided with his head. He was so shocked Rus actually fell to the floor like a girl. "Ooph!" he said, rubbing the top of his head. He picked upp the quaffle and tossed it from hand to hand.

Then Rus noticed Adriana on the ground again. He watched her curiously, thinking, why she not in the air anymore? He tossed the ball around a little more and watched Loren walk towards Adriana. She seemed apologetic about something but about what Rus could not figure out.

"Finally," Rus said upon hearing his orders, "let's get going!" He hoped onto his broom and flew high in the air. When he reached the same level and the rooves of the towers around the pitch he look down. "Come on you lot, we haven't got all day!" he cried out going lower and throwing the quaffle.

[rileybabe]

Andie smiled. "Bout time we got this show on the road!" she cried as she released the snitch. She waited a few seconds, then set off. Andie weaved in and out of the other players, did a few fancy tricks, and finally spotted the snitch by Russell's head. With a burst of speed she shot forward. Stretching out her hand, she grasped the snitch. Andie pulled to a stop beside Russell. "Hey Rus. Having a bad air day!?" she teased goodnaturedly.

[charlieackers]

Charlie watched sheepishly as the others bickered amongst each other all because of a stupid little comment of his. He felt bad that the girl, who he had never met or even knew the name of had overhear him. It was definately not the first impression he had wanted to make with his new team and hoped that he would have a chance to at least talk and try to smooth things over with her after practice.

He was glad when Loren resolved the little arguement and started the practice. He watched the quaffle land on the boy named Rus' head and gave him a bit of an odd look and then mounted his broom. He kicked off into the cool calm air, he loved the feeling of taking off on a broom and never got tired of it. He flew up to Rus' area and watched silently as one of the other girls quickly nab the snitch.

[rileybabe]

Andie waved at Charlie and smiled, then released the snitch once more. She waited about thirty seconds then set off...

[Adriana Kent]

Adriana nodded before mounting her broom and shooting off to the goal posts, no longer as shaky in the air as she'd been earlier in the practise. Once at the goal, she whipped around and searched for the three chasers. She was going to have to keep a close eye on them if she was going to have any chance to stop the Quaffle. She swallowed nervously not at all aware of what to expect. She had no idea how good they were or whether or not they would work well as a team. She'd just have hover around and see what happened. Meanwhile, she noticed, the seeker had already caught the snitch. "Well that's something at least," she mumbled to no one but herself. She shook her head abruptly and looked back at the three chasers, trying this time to be less easily distracted.

[rileybabe]

Andie looked around for the snitch. Finally she spotted it and sped off, she followed the snitch around the pitch before finally catching it by the goal posts on the opposite end. Snitch in hand, she flew over to Loren. "So captain, think we'll win our first match?"

[parker]

Parker barely caught the bat as Loren tossed to him. He was so preoccupied with trying to figure out what was going on. The way he saw it... Actually, he didn't see it any way in particular. He was utterly confused. That'll teach me to not pay attention for a measly second, he thought. He swung the bat around, warming up his batting arm a little. Everyone else was already up in the air, he noted so he took off too. "Oh bludger," he said quietly before yelling, "Wait! Cap'n, miss, do yeh want me to start hitting bludgers at the lot of yeh? Or ...?" He wasn't entirely sure what to do. He supposed he could also charge at them and try to knock them off their brooms, but that was a bit violent perhaps. He flew to about 50 feet off the ground and waited there until he knew what to do.

[Russell Parkhurst]

Russell tossed the quaffle from hand to hand, waiting for either of the other two chasers to join him. His hopes that it would be Loren were dashed when Rus spotted the new chaser a few dozen feet away. He called, "hey kid!" and threw the quaffle with a powerful thrust. When he caught it, Rus smiled at him and bowed slightly, "names Rus. Pleasure."

[ashley]

Ashley looked around,she sat on her nimbus 2000, waiting for something to happen, she was willing to join the game, but she didn't want to just budge in, it looks like they were already well in "uh hello..may i play" Ashley bellowed