MY BEST FRIEND ELI ⁂ E.M.

CHAPTER TEN

"Sensei Lawrence?" Flossie said to him in shock, crossing her arms.

"What's the matter, fist? Got something to say?" He asked her and she looked at Miguel for some kind of reassurance. However, he was only looking at her with wide eyes.

Flossie, still with her arms crossed, took a step towards her Sensei. "Y-yeah, I do," she said gaining her confidence. "How would you feel if everyone here started pissing on you?"

"Oh, yeah?" Sensei Lawrence questioned. "And what would they say, fist?" He egged on, seeing what she had to say.

Flossie gulped, looking at Miguel one last time who shook his head. "That you're not "badass", you're just an "ass". It's not like you cured cancer or anything," she sneers. "You're just a Sensei. There's no upward mobility from here—"

"Quiet!" He yelled at her. "Everyday you come into my dojo with your smart ass comments. Listen up, Ms. Akridge, because I'm only going to say this one time. You are no robin-hood, you are no hero, you're a nerd who can throw a few punches. Stop sticking up for kids like Lip and maybe you wouldn't get in so much trouble," he said fiercely.

Flossie shifted uncomfortable wanting to say something back, but couldn't find the words. Sensei Lawrence seemed pleased with the fear he injected in the girl, finally getting her to shut up.

But one thing to know, is that when Flossie is quiet Demetri is not. "She's right," Demetri called out, making Flossie shake her head rapidly. "You really shouldn't make fun of someone's physical appearance."

"Oh, is that so?" Sensei Lawrence turned to Demetri now. The one thing the man did not know, was that Eli had friends that would stick up for him no matter what. "So l'm not supposed to mention his lip at all?" Sensei asked Demetri and Flossie now.

Flossie nodded, "exactly," she chorused as Demetri let out his own comment of agreement.

Their Sensei shook his head at this, baffled. "Yeah, maybe that's what they teach you in school, but in the real world you can't expect people to do what they're supposed to do," he turned to Eli now. "Right? You hear that, Lip? If you can't handle someone making fun of you, how are you gonna handle an elbow to the teeth?"

Flossie had given up by now, knowing she'd probably have to do a bunch of push-ups if she continued, but Demetri didn't seem to catch on. "By calling the police?" He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Dude. Knock it off," Miguel begged, turning around just like Flossie.

Flossie nodded, "yeah, Demetri, come on," she said, "that's enough."

"What? He does realize the Nazis lost the war, right?Why should I be scared of him?" Demetri asked baffled, still pushing Sensei's buttons. "Because he's got a snake on his wall? It's not like he's a teacher who can give us a bad grade. We're paying him. He works for us. It's not like he can actually hurt us."

Sensei Lawrence perked up at his last statement and Flossie cringed. Everyone around Demetri started to back away, and she heard him mutter an "oh, shit."

"You done?" The man asked Demetri, who didn't say anything. "What? Hit me. Go ahead, hit me. Strike me right here," Sensei demanded.

Demetri swung but was easily blocked. "Harder," Sensei Lawrence commanded, and again the same thing happened. "Is that all you got, princess?" He questioned Demetri.

The boy looked defeated, and Sensei Lawrence turned to Flossie now. "Hey, trash mouth," he calls out to her, "come here, face him."

Flossie obliged, standing in front of Demetri now, waiting for her Sensei's command. "Let's show the princess here why we call you fist," Sensei Lawrence said, and Flossie shook her head wildly.

"No, Sensei, I'm sorry but no. He's my friend and—"

"Oh he's your friend?" Sensei Lawrence teased. "Yeah that tracks," he sneered, observing the two. "Punch him or do 50 push-ups on your knuckles. Now!"

Flossie groaned, looking at her best friend. "Sorry, 'Met," she said sadly before delivering a swift blow to his jaw that made him tumble back into the mat. "Hiya!"

"Let that be a lesson to all of you," Sensei Lawrence called out to the entirety of the dojo, but Demetri collected himself— running out, pissed.

Flossie called out to him, to say sorry but he just ignored her. He couldn't believe his best friend has just decked him. They both knew he would get over it, but he was still pissed off.