I am Isabel (published)✔️

Chapter eight Busted

"He was beating you up Iz. What. The. Hell. Are you doing?"

The dads, Jarred and the other twin entered the room with Mark and another man I didn't know. My dad took the lead saving me from a reply. "What is going on?"

The boy I'd been fighting looked at me and shrugged telling me it was my show. He'd probably get beat up if he opened his mouth now so I looked dad in the eye and replied.

"We were just playing."
"HE WAS TRYING TO BEAT SHIT OUT OF HER!" The first twin, I now recognised as Jake, yelled. He looked like he was ready to attack again so I moved slightly in front of the boy I'd been sparring with.

"Son?" The other man asked sternly.
"What she said dad. You know I'd never hurt a girl."

"Better explain son. Because it doesn't sound like you were playing." He pointedly looked around the room to make his point to us.
"Look, I told him that I'd learned a few blocking moves from Jarred but I was afraid to ask my guys to see if I did alright. Don't want to get put on my ass by someone I see every day."

I shrugged innocently. My dad was barely holding back a smirk and Jarred looked serious but I knew he was hiding is laughter. Derek was looking at me intently and the other guys looked pissed, Mark included.

"Is that so?" The man asked.
"Yes dad, it is so." He replied sarcastically as I said "Yes sir." as innocently as possible.

He looked at both of us before asking. "How was she holding up son?"
"Good?" He replied unsure.

"Tanner? You been teaching her a bit too?"
"You've seen her, she's always here."

"Okay. Well it looks like you get your wish girl. Take it to the mat."

Shit! We looked at each other, stunned and started to protest vigorously.
"NOW!" The man ordered sternly.
Everybody filed out and I heard dad and Jarred chuckle. I grabbed the boy and whispered. "Slow down the attacks, I'll only block and punch and let you win. We'll do this some other time."

He nodded then smirked. "I'll need your number."
I smirked back. "I might need your name then." He laughed.

"Move it Tanner!" I heard from the door where all the boys were looking at us whispering.
I stalked up with my head held high, winked at Mark and Jarred and made my way to the mats in the now mostly deserted hall.

Dad was smiling at the side then I saw that most of his team and ours were still there. I walked past dad and he explained. "Both teams were looking for someone."

"Competition rules." The other man said as we approached the mat.
"Euh, excuse me Sir?"

"Yes, Miss Tanner."
"I was blocking not fighting, so that sorta excludes competition rules."

"You are your father's kid and you had a few belts before you quit. I remember you as a little tyke, surely you can still fight." He winked at my shocked expression and I tried to cover.

"Your guy was in the nationals!" I argued.
"Well, then you better hope he's tired." He replied deadpanned. "Now get in the lines Miss Tanner."

We bowed. He threw a weak assed punch and I dodged. We danced around for a bit and I blocked or dodged everything. Then dad piped up.
"My daughter is better than that, kid. Speed it up."

I threw dad a glare and the guy winked. "Yes sir, Mr Tanner sir."
I punched him, hard, while he was distracted. He grunted at the strength of my hit. He retaliated with two more weak punches but he was speeding it up.

"So anyway. I know my best buddy Marky asked for your number but didn't get it. I'm Elliot, can I have your number?"

"NO!" Jarred answered from the sidelines reminding us of the rest of the audience.
"There you go, Elli, no."
"Boyfriend?" He asked.

I didn't reply but his smirk was getting under my skin and my dodges and blocks were slowly replaced with the occasional hit. I was awesome at kicking but I refrained. "None of your business."

"Come on baby, we all wanna know!" There was a chorus of cheers and guys yelling 'hell yeah'. And all I saw was my dad and Jarred laughing. I stomped to the line where Jarred stood and grabbed his shirt pulling him closer and wiping the smile from his face. "I hate you!" I said as I crashed my lips on his. We didn't deepen the kiss, I heard the dads laughing their asses off and it felt wrong to even have my lips on his but his red face when I pulled away just in time to see Elliot stalking my way was worth it. "There you go, Elliot."

He laughed as we exchanged a few hits but then he said. "My grandma kisses more passionatly than that. I could show you!"

He'd managed what Jarred never had, pissing me off while fighting. He never saw it coming as I landed a solid blow on his shoulder, he hadn't expected me to be that fast and while he was still staggering I landed another on his solar plexus. He fell back and suddenly it was quiet as I jumped on him to bring him down with his back on the mat and with my fist in the air to beat him to bits. "STAND DOWN, ISABEL!" I heard my dad yell through my rage.
I froze.

Dad pulled me off while Elliot stood up with a bleeding, bruised lip and an awed expression. "I think I'm in love with you!" He said. "Call me when you dump him."