fault - eli moskowitz

twelve

i wore my new robe as i stood behind eli, or well hawk, it was still kind of weird calling him that but i didn't want to be rude. "bow." sensei instructed and well bowed. "fighting positions." he told everyone and we all got in position. sensei lawrence walked up to hawk and corrected his stance, "stabilize your base, hawk." he said. "keep your balance. full rotation when you strike." he told hawk as he showed the boy. "yes, sensei." hawk answered as he punched out. sensei then turned towards one of the kids that stood beside hawk, they flinched. 

"did you just flinch. virgin?" he asked. sensei then walked up to me and lunged at me a little bit, i made sure not to flinch but im pretty sure i did a little bit, sensei didn't notice it though. sensei then walked over to the boy next to me and he flinched. "holy shit, we got a room full of flinchers." he said. "yes, sensei." everyone responded. "that was not a question!" sensei yelled at us. "raise your hand if you've ever been punched in the face." sensei told everyone, some people rose their hands but i didn't. 

"all your lives you've been avoiding fights." sensei spoke up. "so you don't break your nose or lose a tooth." he continued as he walked to the front of the room. "this concussion nonsense." sensei said. "so there is only one solution, and that is before you leave this dojo, each and every one of you is gonna take a punch, very hard, to the face." sensei told us and i gave him a look, which he noticed. "you have something to say lucia?" he asked and everyone looked back at me. "no." i answered. "no sensei!" aisha corrected. "geez, no sensei." i said harshly. "that's what i thought." sensei responded. "ms.robinson, line them up." sensei told the girl. "unflinch this group." he finished before he walked away and into his room.

next thing i knew i was standing in line, waiting to get punched in the face, this is so stupid. 

"hey." i heard someone say and i turned around, hawk. "i'll make sure she doesn't punch you too hard. wouldn't want that pretty face getting messed up." he told me with a smirk. "thanks." i answered, this was strange to hear coming out of eli's mouth but i guess he wasn't really eli anymore.

when it got to my turn hawk walked up in front of me and whispered in aisha's ear with a stern look on his face but when he looked back up to me, he smirked. what was this smirking? not that i didn't like it but it was just, weird. "alright." aisha said when she turned back to me. then her fist had become in contact with my face, and i tumbled back but made sure to keep my balance, my nose had started to bleed so i looked up and wiped it. i nodded at the girl before i walked over to the wall, where my bag was. 

after class had officialy ended and we were all dismissed, hawk and i walked out of the dojo together. "so what are you doing tonight?" i asked hawk. "nothing, why?" he asked. "just being polite and making conversation, you know?" i answered. "alright." hawk said. "you gotta ride?" he asked me. "nah my mom has got work so i'm just gonna walk home." i answered. "what about your dad?" hawk asked and i felt my breathing hitch. "don't live with him." i answered. "he's back in new york." i blandly told the boy. "oh okay." hawk answered. "i live pretty close anyways, won't be a long walk." i said. "i can walk you home?" hawk asked. "it's fine." i said. "no really it's-" hawk started. "it's really fine- besides i gotta get home." i said as i patted hawk's arm as a way of saying bye. "see you." i said. "bye." hawk replied as i started to walk away, but he stood back.