*Parker's POV*
I hastily extended my arms above my face, blocking Shay's quick jab. Damn, that was close. I'm glad I could move my hands fast enough before that hit landed directly against my cheek. Shay smiled proudly the second I successfully avoided her move. I wonder what my best friend is going to do... She is calculating, intelligent, and knows what she's doing in a fight. I threw a punch her way, but that didn't stop her as she attempted another swing at me. When I dodged it, I followed through with my own right hook.
She ducked with ease, almost elegantly.
Our arms were up, steady, yet guarding. I could tell we were both ready for whoever took the next strike. As we began circling one another, Shay squinted her eyes at me, smirked a bit, then said, "We've been going at this for a little over ten minutes now... You still got some more fight left in you, Park?"
"Yeah, I'm good..." I answered, taking a couple of breaths as I raised my right eyebrow at her sudden slight smirk, "This is simply a warm-up. I'm not stopping until you're the one yielding."
"Competitive, are we?" Shay teased. She's got something up her sleeve; her tone and current mannerisms are some of her easier tells.
"Says the woman who gets peeved every time I land a hit on her," I quipped, smirking back at her.
Shay grinned, rolled her eyes at me, and added, "Alright, I'm not going to hold back as much this time around, be sure to remember what I've taught you. You'll need it."
Before I could reply to her, she lunged forward, and it startled the hell out of me. I wasn't quite ready for that because her punch struck me right under my sternum, knocking all of the air from my lungs. As I caught my breath, it only took a second until Shay attacked me again. Suddenly, with a swift low sweep that, unfortunately, landed, I fell to the ground fast. I scrambled quickly, getting to my feet as fast as I humanly could, but my best friend was faster. I couldn't ready myself and stop what happened next. With speed I didn't know she had, Shay hurried around me, grabbed my arms, and pinned them from behind.
Oh, shit. Not again.
The last time Shay used this move on me, she didn't trip me as she just did, so I wasn't prepared. It makes sense, though... In a fight, anything can happen, and this is why she's been training me. I want to be ready and able to defend myself should anything occur. I don't want to be a victim ever again. She will probably try to use the headlock move like last time if I don't maneuver myself fast enough.
"Come on, Park. You know what comes next if you can't successfully get out of this. Now, show me what you've learned, and don't hold back either. A real attacker wouldn't, and you know it. You can do this," Shay said to me. She is absolutely right. Remember the steps, Parker!
Here goes nothing.
I moved my hips, angling them as much as I could to one side, which caused my friend to tighten her hold on me. It's now or never. I took a quick breath and stomped my heel onto her toes, making her grunt. This allowed me to get my elbow free enough to jab it backward toward Shay's chest. My hit landed correctly, but it wasn't strong enough to weaken her hold on me. I can't stop now. I continued repeating that action until it hurt her enough that she needed to block my next attack.
Her grip finally loosened.
I quickly turned around in order to proceed to the next step, subduing my opponent. Shay taught me the best way to do that was to strike my adversary in the nose with the heel of my hand in a fast, uninterrupted thrust. Doing that attack would most likely end up breaking their nose. Thus, giving me enough time to get to safety by providing me with the upper hand. 'All that matters in any fight is to find a way to gain the upper hand.' On the first day we began training and doing self-defense lessons together; those were exactly Shay's words.
However, I wasn't going to do that to my best friend because it could seriously harm her. Instead, I tackled her to the ground, and with her hands raised in a surrendering motion, she quickly said, "Okay! I yield, I yield!"
I rolled off of her, and we were both lying on our backs, panting. We haven't trained this hard together for a while; I should thank her. I feel good, but I'm exhausted. I really enjoyed myself, and I'm glad we did this again. I must thank her.
"Fuck, I wasn't expecting you to tackle me like that. Haha," My best friend stated with an amused and shocked tone after she caught her breath some.
"I didn't know I was going to either until the last minute; there was no way I would strike you in your nose as you taught me," I pointed out after just laughing along with her comment.
"I would have blocked it, you know."
"True, but... I couldn't risk it, and I would have felt extremely terrible if I actually harmed you," I explained, and she smiled at me.
"I understand, Park." Shay said, then added, "I'm so proud of you. You did very well."
About five minutes passed when I knew my body was rested enough to physically move again and stand up, so I did. Once I was on my feet, I firmly planted them and extended my hand for Shay to grab. She accepted it without hesitation, and I helped lift her off the ground.
"Thanks for this, Shay. After actually getting out there and doing it again, I feel good. I'm glad you mentioned it," I responded honestly, and we both began to dust off whatever dirt and grass remained on our clothes.
Together, my friend and I walked to the workout shed and removed our light boxing gloves, putting them back where they belonged. I could tell how sweaty and tired I was from our recent activities, and a shower was definitely at the forefront of my mind. It's days like today when I realize how far I've come with my life and overcoming trauma. I'm very fortunate, and I know others out there are not as lucky as I am... like that distraught, beautiful woman who fell off the bridge... I wonder if she is doing okay after everything and how she's—
"I've told you this once before, Park, but... I am glad you wanted to learn some self-defense tactics. Obviously, you came to the best person on the planet to teach you," Shay then said, bringing me from my thoughts.
"Of course, I wouldn't want anyone else to do this with because I trust you."
"Girl, same," She commented, making us both chuckle.
After everything was put away, we grabbed our cell phones, and my friend locked the shed. When we started walking toward the house, I noticed I had two missed calls from the university. Shay must have also caught that because she said, "Who would call you twice from there?"
"Hmm, probably my boss," I replied, then I realized there was a voicemail too.
I put it on speaker.
"Hello, Professor Avery; this is Sandra Dean Bradey, the art department chair. I'm sorry to call you on your day off, but it is imperative that I speak to you today. So, if possible, please return my call at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your time. Goodbye."
"You gonna' call her back?"
I nodded and dialed the number.
"Good afternoon; this is Mrs. Bradey's office. How may I help you?" The receptionist greeted me as soon as she picked up my call.
"Yes, hello. My name is Parker Avery, and I am returning Mrs. Bradey's call. May I speak to her?" I asked.
"Let me check if she's available, one moment," The woman stated, and I hummed in agreement.
She placed me on hold, and I waited patiently. Five minutes had passed, and by that time, Shay and I were sitting on our patio, relaxing. A minute later, the on-hold music stopped, indicating someone was on the other end of the line, "Professor Avery, thank you so much for calling me back. How are you?"
"I'm good. Thanks for asking, and yourself?" I inquired.
"I'm doing alright, just my typical busy day. The reason why I called you was to ask if you would be willing to take an additional class this semester. Is that something you'd like to do?" My boss questioned, and I didn't have to think about that answer; I knew exactly what it would be.
"Yes, it is."
"Excellent. How does three this afternoon sound? We can meet and discuss the details further at that time," She explained.
"Yes, ma'am. I'll see you in a few hours. Take care."
"Goodbye," Sandra said, and we hung up the call.
I took a deep breath and let the phone conversation sink in. So, it appears I'll be able to teach a second class this semester... Wow. I can't wait to learn what class it'll be and what I can teach. The happiness I felt emitting from my entire being was incredible. This will be awesome!
"Another class, huh? Eager are we?" Shay excitedly asked, and I beamed at her.
"Oh, yes. I adore teaching. I think taking on another class will be fantastic, don't you?"
"If it means I get to see that goofy-ass, happy smile on your face more often, you bet your ass I think it'll be fantastic!" My friend replied, teasing me.
I nudged her shoulder playfully, rolled my eyes at her, and stood up from my seat, stretching. Shay followed suit, and soon enough, we were finally walking inside our home. The cool air immediately breezed past me, and it was utterly welcomed. However, my best friend scowled at the cool air and cringed, shaking her head frantically.
"Oh, hell no. Fuck this icy-cold air in this evil house. It's too cold. There is no way I can shower without absolutely freezing to death when I try drying off. I'm changing the thermostat before I freeze my goddamn tits off completely!" Shay dramatically explained, and I chuckled.
"Go ahead; it's okay."
"Oh, thank the heavens above and all that is kind and loving in this beautiful world!" She said and took off into an actual run, zooming towards the controls of the air conditioner.
I shook my head, watching as the scene unfolded before me. She sure is crazy, but I love her nevertheless. Once I heard the clicking sound of the air being turned off, I asked, "Could you take me to my meeting when we're done showering? You don't have to, of course."
"Nah, I don't mind getting out of the house. In fact, while you have your meeting, I'll pick up something for dinner," Shay suggested, and I truly loved that idea.
"Perfect, thank you."
~
From that enjoyable moment, we separated, going to the locations of our rooms as well as individual showers. I prepared the clothing I'd wear once I was done and set everything on top of my fixed bed. It took me around thirty-five minutes to shower and another ten to get dried and fully dressed. I dried my hair and made sure it looked presentable before grabbing my bag as I left my bedroom.
I went into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and poured a large glass of orange juice. I took a seat in the living room soon after, and as I waited, I thoroughly enjoyed my thirst-quenching drink. Once Shay was ready, she made her way to where I was, but she was on the phone. It seemed like it was her new partner from the way things sounded. I must remember to ask my friend how things have been with the rookie these past couple of days.
When Shay got off the phone, she plopped next to me on the couch and sighed, "Tomorrow's gonna' be a long day."
"Yeah? Why's that?"
"Well, we are going to be driving around, patrolling a couple of districts, and I will teach her how to handle whatever situations arise. It can be anything, small or big, but... It's my job as her superior to teach her correctly. The other day, when she first arrived, I was just showing her around the building and things of that nature," Shay informed me.
I was genuinely curious about what that would involve, so I asked, "Besides the general idea of being a cop, what are you teaching her? Are there things that should already be instilled in her when she transferred to your department?"
"To be honest, learning the job and duties is easy enough. Eventually, it becomes second nature. I want to show her smaller yet more meaningful things that will stay with her forever. For example, the most common rookies I've come across are cocky or over-confident. When you pass the police officer exam, you feel an enormous sense of pride, which is to be expected, but..." My best friend paused briefly, taking a short breath before continuing.
"It's important to be humble, to ask many questions, and not be too hard on yourself. Quite simply, this is a learning experience. So, if a rookie can't learn these things and adapt, they'll eventually burn out and very fast at that. Most officers who burn out start to make mistakes that could end up putting themselves, their partners, or civilians in danger. All of which we don't want happening; we are meant to protect and serve, not harm," Shay explained in further detail, and it made complete sense to me.
"You're going to do an excellent job teaching her, my friend," I stated proudly, and she grinned.
"Thank you, Park. That means a lot. Shall we get going? Maybe we can grab a smoothie on the way there, whaddya' say?" She suggested, and the thought of drinking a cold strawberry and banana smoothie sounded ideal.
"I'd love that; yeah, let's go."
~
It didn't take long for my friend and me to jump into the car and take off, heading towards Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Once inside, we ordered our drinks, sat down, and waited for everything to be made as we talked amongst ourselves. Shay decided it would be nice to continue enjoying the restaurant and leave once we finished our drinks. I, too, favored that idea. My smoothie was perfect, and I found it hard to stop consuming it once I started.
As soon as we were done and felt content, Shay drove me to the university. I checked my phone, noticing that I was on time, so I proceeded to walk toward my boss' office. When I reached my destination, I greeted the receptionist and told the woman I was there for a meeting with Sandra Dean Bradey.
"Go have a seat. I'll let her know you've arrived, and I'm sure she will be right with you," The receptionist said.
"Okay, thank you," I replied, then did as instructed and took a seat directly where she pointed.
Ten minutes passed when my boss opened her office door and motioned for me to enter. As soon as I sat in one of the chairs across from her desk, she said, "Good afternoon, Professor Avery. I take it all is well since we last spoke on the phone?"
"Yes, ma'am, everything is well."
"That's great. So, let's get down to business, shall we?" My boss suggested, and I nodded affirmatively.
"It has come to my attention that one of your fellow colleagues can't finish the remainder of the semester due to her pregnancy. She requested to take her maternity leave early, and I can't think of anyone more qualified to take over her class than you."
"Wow, that is very kind of you to say," I responded after taking in the information I was just given.
"True, but I know the worth of the professors I employ; otherwise, they wouldn't be here," Sandra stated, and she made a valid point.
"That makes sense," I said, then asked, "When would I start?"
"Two days from today, actually. That is why I needed to meet with you today. We needed to approve everything and get this sorted out as soon as possible."
"I understand."
"Perfect. So, the course is Advanced Art Principles and Painting Techniques; it meets twice a week from two in the afternoon to five in the early evening." She began clarifying, then paused as she looked up something on her computer in front of her.
"So, according to my records, your current class is Introduction to Art Theories and Principles? You attend that class from ten-thirty in the morning to one-thirty in the afternoon," Mrs. Bradey stated, and I nodded.
After confirming that with me, she continued, "Basically, after your first class finishes, you would just go from that one to the new class on the same day. Does that work for you?"
"Yes, of course, I don't mind that," I answered honestly.
"I'm happy to hear that, just as I am happy you are so accommodating and eager to teach more," She stated.
"What can I say except that I love teaching," I explained, and my boss smiled at me.
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind. So I asked, "Will I be given lesson plans and information ahead of time, or should I arrive prepared with the lessons when I start this class?"
"From what I was told, if it's possible for you to prepare your own lesson, then yes. If not, I'm sure I can ask the professor you'll be replacing this semester and have her give you something to work with."
"There's no need for her to do any extra work. It is not a problem; I can take care of it; no worries," I promised, and my boss seemed relieved at my words.
"Thank you, Professor Avery. Take a few minutes and meet with Professor Ellis. Let her know you have her class covered, and I'm sure she can advise you on where her class is at in terms of the syllabus."
"Will do. Have a good day," I returned.
"You too, and should you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me," Mrs. Bradey finished, handing me a piece of paper, and I smiled as I left her office.
I took out my phone to text Shay.
Parker: "My meeting is done, Shay. Let me know when you're here, and I'll head out."
Shay: "I'm waiting for our order to be done, and then I'm on my way to you."
Parker: "Perfect, sounds good. I'm going to meet with the teacher of the class that I'll be taking over for a few minutes. See you soon, my friend."
Shay: "10-4."
After putting my cell away, I observed the paper my boss had given me and noticed the location of the new class I'd be teaching soon. Okay, I might as well go there and introduce myself; better now than never. I leisurely made my way down a set of stairs, passed my main class, and around another corner. Once I continued a little further down the hallway, I finally reached the door.
I knocked firmly and waited outside, as I didn't want to walk in abruptly and disturb everyone. Not even thirty seconds had passed when the door opened, and a pregnant woman stood before me. Shit, that's right! I'm an asshole... I shouldn't have made her move like that by waiting outside her door. The expression on my face appeared to be evident because she said, "Hey, don't worry. Yes, it looks like I am about to pop, but I'm happy to walk still. Especially since I am not going to for much longer."
I couldn't help but chuckle.
"I understand. It's nice to meet you; I'm Professor Avery, and I'll be covering your class for you," I said, introducing myself to her.
"Ah, I'm so happy things are working out, and likewise, it's good to meet you too. I am Delphine Ellis. Would you like to come in, and we can go over everything and where everyone is at?" She kindly offered, and I nodded in agreement. Her name, Delphine, is pretty and unique.
"Yes, I'd like that," I stated.
Shortly, I entered the class, following behind Professor Ellis, and sat down on the chair next to hers at her desk. I quickly glanced around the classroom, noticing that every student seemed to be working on something. I was undoubtedly curious about where this advanced class was in terms of the curriculum, but I knew I would be informed of that soon enough.
"Okay, so, right now, my class is working on an assignment. We have yet to go over the Principles of Art, and I wanted to see where their knowledge of these might be. So, I prepared a worksheet, asking different questions, which they will need to answer and give an example. Depending on the results, I planned to have a lesson detailing everything regarding the elements and principles of art and design. Then, I'll assign them a project they need to create and include at least two principles. Later in the semester, I planned to give them a brief anatomy lesson too. As you know, there is a different class in their studies that delves deeper into anatomy. Anatomy itself is required for both bachelor's and master's degrees, but I figured I might as well give a basic overview at some point before the final to help prepare them."
"I think that's a splendid idea."
"Thanks! Is there anything you'd like to know or ask of me?"
"Yes, actually, there is... When you collect the paperwork later today, can you send me a synopsis of everything so that I can prepare for the upcoming lesson?" I asked.
"Of course, I can do that. Here..." Delphine paused, grabbed a blank sheet of paper, then continued, "Give me your email address so I can send you everything you need."
I took the pen she was handing me, slid the paper closer, and began writing down my contact information for her. When I finished, I said, "There you go."
"Awesome, thank you."
~
Once Professor Ellis and I discussed everything I needed to know, we conversed further and got to know each other better. It was pleasant speaking to another professor who enjoys teaching as much as I do. I learned more about her teaching methods, which seemed more practical, like tests rather than hands-on experiences like I use. To each their own. After I was done and received a text from Shay notifying me that she was waiting outside, I said goodbye and left her classroom.
As I walked to meet my best friend, I grew more eager and was very pleased with the events of my day. Upon entering the vehicle, the delicious aroma of Coal-Fired Pizza filled my senses, and my mouth immediately watered. I couldn't wait to get home and devour the food she got for us, and the second we arrived home, we did just that. The food didn't stand a chance, and there were no leftovers either.
The remainder of our day went quite well. My friend and I cleaned our messes from dinner and watched one of her favorite shows to help us wind down. Eventually, we talked about my meeting and how I'd be taking over and teaching a new class. She informed me how happy she was for me because she could see that I was extremely excited about this opportunity.
The last thing we spoke about was my upcoming ink. My tattoo artist, Boris Humphrey, contacted me, saying he had finished designing my next tattoo. He sent me an email with his work attached, and I showed Shay. She thought it was beautiful, adorable, and colorful, which was all I cared about. I made a mental note to call the tattoo parlor in the morning and, if possible, schedule an appointment with my artist to have this done sooner rather than later.