Fair warning, I did not read through this just so I could hurry and get it to you guys. If there are mistakes, let me know and I'll fix them.
My grunts fill the air while I block, punch, and kick at a girl from a different Bobby Wasabi dojo. She was my last fight for this tournament. It was being hosted in our own Bobby Wasabi Dojo.
She flings her fist at me. I quickly dodge, grabbing her arm and kicking her in the side. She wobbles around for a second or two before trying to come at me with more punches. I block every single one before kicking her with all my might in the gut as she goes flying to the ground, indicating I won.
Cheers and claps could be heard as well as groans and moans about how the other girl lost. She held her side, getting up. We both bowed and she nodded in respect, so did I. I turned around to face my team, stripping the velcro off of my head from the safety guard.
Rudy ran up to me excitedly, "Naomi, you just won a match in the All Wasabi Invitational. This has to be the most amazing moment of your life."
"Well," I corrected, "actually, kicking Jerry in the balls was-"
"Boring." Rudy turned around.
"Did you not hear the part where I beat his ass 'cause he walked away from me while I was talking?" I sarcastically spoke.
Rudy looked at me before running straight into his office.
"Is she gone?" Rudy spoke through a crack in the door.
"Rudy, hurry up. We have Jack's match soon." I grumbled.
He runs out as I sit down on the edge of the bench by Milton.
"It's all tied up." Rudy smiles. "If we win the last match, we're the number one dojo in the Bobby Wasabi chain. Jack, you're up. Are you ready?"
We all look at Jack.
"Well, yeah, but I thought Bobby Wasabi was going to be here." Jack tells our sensei.
"People, Bobby can show up when ever he wants." Rudy states after we all nod at Jack's statement. Just then, a gong sounds into the small dojo. "Or he's here now."
Bobby comes in with a stupid blue helmet on while riding an electric scooter.
"Bobby, welcome." Rudy welcomes the founder of our dojo.
"I'm sorry, I... was hoping to slip in unnoticed." Bobby smirks. "So, how much is my Pittsburgh dojo winning by, hmm?" He hands his helmet to a ninja as he steps off.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. For your information," Jerry stands up, "we're kicking butt. Or as Naomi likes to say, we're kicking as-"
"Nope, that's a me thing, just be Jerry for once." I glare at him. Bobby sits down in his chair, well more like a thrown before he starts laughing and wheezing.
"Oh, that's rich. Almost as rich as my labradoodle will be when I die." He starts laughing again as we all crowd by him. Rudy on his left, and the rest of us on his right. We all give him a glare. I cross my arms over my chest, taking a deep breath so I don't try and punch the living shit out of Bobby right now. He slowly stops laughing, clearing his throat as he notices our facial expressions. "Seriously, you're- you're winning?"
"If we win this last match." Rudy nods, happily.
"Well," Bobby looks around. "let's do this!" He claps twice, motioning to the mat for the match to begin soon.
All of us start to walk back to the bench but Rudy stops Jack. I position myself behind Jack on the bench so I could hear what Rudy said.
"Jack, you can do this." Rudy encourages. "You want to know why there's a heat wave outside? Because you're on fire!"
Bobby hurriedly stands up, "Fire! Celebrities first!" Bobby starts running for the door with his arms spread straight out as everyone else panicked.
"Wait, wait, wait! No fire. Just a pep talk." Rudy settles everyone.
"Oh, well... Before the match begins," Bobby speaks to the crowd, "I have an announcement. This month, there will be an article on the principals of the Wasabi code in Karatefancy Magazine! The winning dojo will receive a gift from me, and the winning sensei will appear on the cover with me."
The crowd claps as Bobby sits back down.
"Do you guys know what this means?" Rudy speaks to all of us, minus Jack, on the bench. "If I'm on the cover with Bobby, people will finally know how great I am." We all give him a look of disgust. "And humble." He sits back.
"Ho-ho, this is going to be exciting." Bobby smirks. "Evan, sausage me!" A ninja throws a sausage to another with a bun, he gives it to Bobby.
"Wait, Jack." Kim gets up from next to me, going up to Jack who was on the mat. I could barely hear her talk. "You got this, don't worry. I'll reward you with a meal at Phil's... just you and me?"
"Yeah, if I win, why not?" Jack shrugs.
"Great." Kim gets all bubbly. She smiles, kissing his cheek before walking back to the bench and sitting down next to me. Jack puts his head gear on with a tint of dark pink on his face.
"What the hell?" I mutter to myself. I was more 'What the helling' the rock feeling that dropped in my stomach. My throat was scratchy, my face stuck in disgust, my head spinning, the feeling of a twenty pound boulder hitting me in the gut. Oh, shit.
I told her.
I told Kim about my semi-small crush on Jack and now she's trying to hit me where it hurts, isn't she? Damnit.
Muffled cheers fill my ears. My peers stand up from the bench as Jack smiles in front of me. I look up at him with the same look stuck on my face.
"Are you okay, Naomi?" His words come out muffled in my head. His lips move faster than the slurred words.
"You did it, Jack!" I snapped back in to see Kim hugging Jack close... hugging Jack how I used to hug him. Her face in his neck, her arms around his shoulders, his head on her shoulder, his hands wrapped tight around her waist. Shit.
I swallow the lump in my throat, stand up and clear my throat. "Yeah, good job, Jack." I said it nonchalantly, no emotion on my face or in my voice. Kim goes back in for the hug, I start walking out of the dojo.
———
Music blasting in my headphones, jean shorts, a tank top, and skating through the city, my favorite. My phone starts ringing in my pocket, it was Jack. I let it ring before starting my music again. I get another call, this time from Jerry, unknowingly, I answer.
"Hey, Jer, what's up?" I feel the wind in my hair.
"So you answer Jerry's cell but not mine?"
"Bye, Jack."
"No, wait, Nai, please."
"What?"
"Where are you?"
"Skating through town, why?"
"Meet me and Jerry at Mel's Market in 30."
"Why?"
"Just come..."
"And why should I?" I add attitude.
"It's for Rudy. Jerry and I messed up pretty badly."
"I'll see you 10." I hang up, taking one more big push and cut through an alley to get to Mel's Market.
———
"You dimwits did what?" My voice raises in the little supermarket.
"We got a sign and when we plugged it in, the electricity went out in the entire mall. The air conditioning cut out and this Bobby figure is made of wax, we gotta keep it cold or Rudy's dream of being in that karate magazine will never happen." Jack explains again.
"Yeah, no, this is a J and J problem so N is just gonna see her way out of it." I start to walk away.
"Naomi, I get your avoiding me for some reason but, come on, this isn't for me or Jerry, it's for Rudy. He's basically your dad."
"Rudy is my-" I stop myself.
"What?" Jerry asks.
"Rudy is like my dad so, fine, I'll help." I sigh. "What first?"
———
After a good hour, we were finally done shoving the wax Bobby into the freezer of the store behind some boxed pizzas. A lady, probably around the age of 60, grabbed the top two pizza boxes, revealing the wax figures face. She starts screaming as me, Jack, and Jerry ran to her.
"Ma'am, ma'am, ma'am, it's okay, it's okay." Jerry tries reassuring her. "I put him there. He's not alive." Jerry puts his finger to his mouth to hope silence the lady. Within a blink of an eye, she grabs her purse and starts hitting Jerry. They both shriek, Jerry backing into the corner and crouching.
"You wanna get outta here?" Jack looks over at me while we move away from the lady attacking our friend.
"Yeah, Jerry put himself in that one." We walk away, letting the shrieking of both of the people in the store far behind us.
———
Seaford Hockey Rink. A place I have never been to in my entire lifetime.
The Bay County Blizzards poster was behind us as Jack, me, and Jerry sit on the bench. Man was it cold as hell in here. Oh, and the Wax Bobby was standing up not too far from a us.
A whistle blows as the man on the P.A. system speaks. "Blizzards' Mancini goes to the box for a two-minute penalty."
I had only ever known hockey from The Mighty Ducks. I just realized how much I act like a mix of Dean and Averman. Maybe I'm their child for God's sake. Who knows?
The ref opens the box door, which we were sitting in, and pushed in number 17 on the red side. Jerry, being the dumbass he is, stands up.
"Hey, puckweed, find another penalty box. This one's taken." Jerry speaks to the huge hockey player. Jack and I tried to stop him but it was too late, Jerry had already been pushed up against the window. Jack and I stand up on the bench as the guy starts beating the living shit out of Jerry. We slowly start walking away.
"We don't know anything, we haven't seen anything." Jack whispers.
"I'm perfectly fine with that."
———
Bay View Zoo Penguin House. Really Jerry?
We all had t get winter coats, scarfs, hats, anything to keep us warm. I had a huge puffy blanket wrapped around me. Jack was beside me, shivering, and Jerry was sitting on a rock in front of us with a bucket of fish. I take part of the really big blanket and wrap it around Jack, since I could tell he was freezing. I could hear his teeth chattering.
"T-Thanks." Jack's breath comes out in a puff of smoke. I give him a light smile.
I look over at Jerry to see him eating the fish. "I don't think you should be eating that fish. It's for the penguins."
"Oh, no, this little guy doesn't mind." Jerry looks at the penguin sitting the the rock he was leaning on. "See, that's the thing about penguins. They're very generous. Right, little cutie." Jerry coos at the baby penguin beside him.
"His mother doesn't seem too happy." Jack looks at the mom not too far away from me and him.
"No, no, dude, trust me. These penguins are really-" Jerry screams as the momma penguin jumps onto him.
"Yeah, no, I'm done with this whole Jerry getting beat up thing, for some odd reason." I realize what I just stated.
"Wow, Naomi Adams wants Jerry Martinez to stop getting hurt?"
"Oh, shut up, Jack."
———
"Okay, okay, easy. Ow, Jack, thats's not a pebble, it's my toe."
"Sorry."
"Careful, guys."
"Open the door." Jack tell Jerry as we roll the Bobby on a wheel board. "Yeah, there we go."
"My toe, again."
"Sorry, Nai."
"All good, just get Bobby's skin ass in there."
"Yep, alright."
We finally get Bobby into the dojo
"Oh, yes!" Jack cheers, high fiving me and Jerry. We all sigh.
"Oh, Bobby, you're back." Rudy smiles. "I'm so happy. I thought I'd never see you again." He sits down in a chair.
"You're limping." I notice. "What the hell happened, Rudy? Do I gotta beat someone's ass?"
"No, no, no, Naomi. Nothing much. Just fixed the power, got blown off the roof, landed in front of the veterinary hospital. Nice people. They patched me up and gave me a coupon for a free flea bath." Rudy smirks.
"Hey, where's your shoes?" Kim speaks up. I just realized her and Milton were standing behind us in Hawaiian shirts.
"I have no idea." Rudy looks at his feet. "What happened to him?" He finally looks at Jerry.
"Old lady," I start.
"Hockey player," Jack looks at me.
"Angry penguin." We both finish off the list.
"We've all been there." Rudy nods.
"Guys, Bobby's going to be here in one hour for the photo shoot." Milton states.
"He's right. Everyone put on your gi's. I want you all sparring when Bobby gets here." Rudy smiles.
Jack and I nod.
"I'll race you to the locker room." Jack smirks.
"Okay." I start running, grabbing my bag and heading to the locker room.
"Hey! Not fair! There was no count down!"
———
Jack and I were just walking out of the locker room when we heard Jerry scream. We run to see Bobby now in a big waxy mess.
"I can't believe it. How did this happen?" Jack freaks as everyone runs over, including Rudy.
"Oh, oh, Bobby." He kneels down next to the mess. "Oh, Bobby. It's not so bad. Your legs just got a little soft, that's all. We'll just go call the doc. He'll fix you up. He'll fix you up real good. I can't tell if I'm talking to his face or his butt."
"I think it's a little bit of both." Jerry looks at the mess with a stupid little pink bow in his hair from the flea bath he just came back from.
"I don't get it. It's cool in here. The air conditioning is back on." Kim looks around. I see a reflector in the food court where a supposed beach was. I nudge Jack, pointing at the beach.
"That reflector out on the beach is shooting a beam of sun in here." Jack says, running over to the window and covering his eyes are the brightness.
"There's nothing left but a melted mound of man. It should've been me! It should've- Bobby!" Rudy hurriedly stands up. "You're early." We all stand and hide the mound of Bobby as people take pictures.
"How is my number 1 dojo? Rudy, are you ready for our picture?" Bobby stops when he sees us all covering something. He motions for us to move. When we do, he gasps so loud I think Colorado could here it. "Is that the statue I gave you?" We all stay silent. "I honor this dojo with a gift, and this, this is how you repay me?" Bobby sighs, looking at Rudy. "I thought you'd turned this dojo around, but I was wrong. There will be no cover of Karatefancy for you." Bobby whips his hair, almost walking out.
"Wait!" Jack yell out. Bobby turns back around and looks at him. "It wasn't Rudy. It was me. I put up a weird number 1 sign because I wanted everyone to know that we won the tournament. And it caused a blackout."
"It was me too." Jerry stepped up. "Rudy taught us true champions don't have to brag. Especially with a second hand underpants sign."
"It was my fault. I was angry at Kim." Milton pushes his way in between me, Jack, and Jerry. "I threw down the sun reflector which melted the statue. I love science, but she can be a cruel mistress."
"No, Milton, I'm to blame." Kim then steps by Milton. "I was so obsessed with getting my phone turned back on that I went all psycho boss on you. I'm sorry."
They all look at me.
"What? I can't think of anything that would make it my fault!" I shrug. "Well," I sigh. "I guess there's one thing."
Everyone looks at me again.
"I was avoiding Jack and I was pissed at Kim. If I didn't avoid Jack, I could have prevented him and Jer from even putting the sign up in the first place, and if I wasn't mad at Kim, I would have helped her get her phone turned back on and this entire mess would have never even happened. I'm sorry, guys, I really am. And Rudy, I'm really, truly sorry that your dream won't come true. I feel like a complete-"
"Asshat?" Jack asks.
"I was going to say an asshole, but that fits too." I sadly chuckle.
"If it makes you feel any better, I feel like an asshat, asshole, whatever, too." Jack states. I slightly nod.
"I'm confused!" Bobby cuts the silence. "Who is responsible for melting me?"
"I am." All of us say, Rudy too.
"Who?" Bobby asks again.
"Me." We all say again.
Rudy turns to us. "Guys, thanks, but this is my dojo, and I'm responsible for what happens here."
"Bobby, with all due respect," I step out and walk up to the man. "Rudy is a great sensei. An amazing one, at that. Oh, boo-hoo, we melted you man candle. Get over it! It's just a pile of wax." We all look at it. "Literally."
"Well, maybe you're right... little cute, terrifying girl." Bobby sighs. "But what I just saw here... is what the Wasabi code is all about." He walks down to Jerry and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Honor..." He then walks behind Kim and Milton. "Friendship..." And finally to me and Jack. "Loyalty. I'm not quite sure how the underpants fit in or why that one has a pink dog bow in his hair. But I do know... this dojo is number 1." He stands next to Rudy. "And you're right, Jack. Everyone should see that." He runs over and starts to plug the sign in.
"Uh..."
"No! No, no, no. No. No, no."
"I don't think you should."
He plugs it in. It glows a bight red before sparks start flying. The power goes down.
"Looks like your cruddy sign blew out the power." Bobby wheezes with laughter. "Bye." He runs out.
———
The whole group was sitting at Phil's. Rudy pulls up a chair.
"Hey, guys." He smiles.
"Hey, how was the photo shoot for Karatefancy?" Kim asks.
"Only the highlight of my life." He smiles brighter, if that was possible.
"Hey, I don't get it. The power's out in the rest of the mall but Phil has power." Jerry shrugs.
"Okay, tootsie, time to turn on the blender. Get on your treadmill and run, baby, run like the wind. Yeah, you like your new shoes, huh?" Phil speaks into the back.
"My shoes!" Rudy stands up, running to the back to get his shoes.
"Hey, finder keeper!" Phil runs after him.
———
"Bye, guys, see ya tomorrow." I walk out of the dojo. The power was finally back on. I was about to drop my skateboard to skate away but a voice kept me back.
"Hey, Naomi, wait up!" Jack jogs over to me. "So, earlier you told Bobby you were avoiding me and you were pissed at Kim. Why?"
"Do I really have to get into it now? I'm not avoiding you anymore, am I?"
"I guess you aren't, but you gotta tell me what's wrong so I can fix it."
"Can't really fix it, Jack. That was up to Kim to do and she didn't do it. No wonder why I barely ever talked to her before she joined our dojo." I mumble the last part.
"What do you mean? Come on, Nai. Talk to me."
"Kim asked you on a date, plain and simple."
"When?"
"Before you won the tournament."
"Oh, that? Nah, that wasn't a date."
"Mm-hm. Sure."
"You're jealous?"
"Me? No. I don't get... jealous."
"Then why else would you be mad at her for?"
"I gotta get home, take a shower. Homework, you know there's a big test in history on the Chinese culture."
"Naomi."
"See ya, Jack." And with that I skated off. Jealousy wasn't a thing I felt. I never did the whole crush thing either but, this might be different. Shit... I have a crush on Jack fuckin' Brewer.
A/N: So sorry I haven't been updating. I have had softball and no free time. I will try my best to keep updating this summer. Love yall! Please vote and comment. Should I do questions in these A/N?
QOTD: What is your favorite show?
Word count: 3469 words