Part of Van's introduction to St. Margaret's had been an overview of the summer curriculum for optional (and not-so-optional for some) summer classes. The idea of summer school had initially made Van snicker very loudly, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt like maybe it would be nice to do something like this voluntarily. He wouldn't have that luxury in a couple months when school started in earnest. And while granted, he wouldn't have the opportunity to tell the school nicely where to shove their summer courses, he decided in the end to give them a shot.
Besides, archery? Were they actually serious here? Was this real life? Of course he wanted to learn archery!
Soon after signing up and meeting with the class a bit late in the summer schedule, Van discovered that he was somewhat far behind. There were older students in the class who had taken it the year before and they took great pleasure in making those not having such an easy time of it feel like fools. Van contemplated turning the bow and blunt tipped arrow the other direction and shooting them instead of the straw targets, but he abstained.
That's when he noticed the determination of one student, a brunette with a very focused look, beside him. "Uh," he let out a laugh and glanced at her while trying to put the bow string between the little notch in his own arrow. "You're asking the wrong person. Seriously. I'm surprised I can pull it back, honestly."
Van lifted the bow to shoulder height like Mr. Cavanaugh had taught them, and he pulled the string back. Ever since discovering his Kelpie-self, Van had realized he'd gotten stronger, so now he worked on trying not to make it look too easy to pull back the tight string. "Look down the shaft, both eyes open, aim into the wind or some shit," he was muttering the list, going through what he could remember. "Where is the wind, anyway?"