“Volleyball…”<br/><br/>The words were spoken with an absence to them.  Around them the crowd had only grown with steady enthusiasm and pressure.  Unease forced her to shift again as the looks on her became more apparent.  Her flesh was tanned with an obvious favoring toward her arms and shoulders, much like anyone that worked in the sun.  Fingers that had found abuse from the gym and the work of her family twisted around the strap of her bag.  Along her cheek a muscle flickered, flexing so that her face took on a much darker feel.  Eyes found too many condescending grins turning her way and her ears found the hint of distaste in conversation forming around her.  The look only deepened before she found the other woman that stood at her height and size.<br/><br/>Confidence radiated from the other woman.  A strength that was not tied to her physical body, but rather to a personal knowledge.  Caroline found herself immediately envious of that inner reserve.  All her life she had hidden from the taunts and insults, fearful of what might happen.  Somehow she knew that this woman would relish in what would result, would indeed call forth such a fate.  There would be no hiding for her.  Those eyes took in the essence of the woman, examining her admirable physique.  Then her brow knitted together when she noticed the hammer at the woman’s side.  Such an odd thing to carry around at school.  Still, she seemed friendly enough.  The offered hand was taken in her grasp for a shake, though the grip was kept weak.  Caroline had learned early on to not apply much pressure on another’s hand.<br/><br/>Her mouth opened to speak before the sound of violence caught her ear.  Immediately her attention turned toward the multitude of men focused on only one.  The straps of her bag were forgotten, dropping the weighted satchel to the concrete.  There was a moment of hesitation only because the shorter man seemed to quickly subdue his opponents with an odd maneuver, blocking the fist with his face.  Most people would have been felled by such a strike, especially when they didn’t seem intent on brushing off the strike or even defending themselves.  Instead the attacker was the one left in pain while the shorter man just walked away.  That his lip seemed to get better before her eyes only made her trip over the words even more.<br/><br/>“I…err..ummm…I’m Caroline.”<br/>