Best of the Best

Chapter 3: Kick to the Head

Camila tilted her head at the instructions, turning the page upside down hoping a new perspective would make things clearer. It didn't. "Which way am I supposed to put this drawer sliding thingie?" She mumbled, tossing the instructions back onto the floor. "Stupid Ikea. So many screws. Setting me up for a fail."

Dropping her screwdriver, she got up from the floor with a grunt and stretched tired, cramped legs. This was suppose to keep her occupied, but she was too distracted to be distracted. How was she suppose to follow instructions when the hot lady with the cute kid was coming Saturday. Except they weren't just the hot lady and the cute kid anymore. They were Lauren Jauregui, television megastar, and burgeoning media mogul, and her son Thomas who was slightly less intimidating, but only slightly. Kids were scary when you want them to like you because you want to kiss their mom.

She groaned and rubbed her face. She really needed to stop thinking about kissing Lauren Jauregui. Kissing Lauren Jauregui was never going to happen.

She stepped out of her small office and stood at the front, looking around for something less frustrating to do. She settled on unpacking and sorting the uniforms and gear she had ordered. The first box was filled with white belts. One hundred of them. She hoped after a few months she'd have to order more. With the signs finally up out front and her website up and running, she'd already fielded calls and emails from a few interested people.

She pulled out a particularly tiny belt, and her attempt at distraction ended immediately at the thought that this one would fit Thomas, and continued with thinking about if he'd join, which immediately transformed into thoughts of Lauren signing up too. Camila wished she could kick herself in the head. She did not need to think about teaching Lauren Jauregui. About correcting her form, hands on those hips. Lauren would look so good all in white, skin flush, just a little sweaty.

No, she needed to stop thinking about this. She needed to snap out of it. Camila was a firm believer, and proof that you could dream big, work hard, and make things happen, but as far as her chances with Lauren Jauregui went all she believed was that there was no amount of effort that could achieve this dream. It wasn't going to happen, no matter how much she wanted it.

Camila groaned again, falling back onto the mats. Maybe Sofi could come over tonight and give her the kick to the head she needed. She'd probably do it. Olympic champ or not, Camila could always count on her big sister to knock her around a bit. It was that or dream about Lauren Jauregui again.

---

When Sofi wasn't available because "Fuck, I've got a shitload of paperwork", Camila called the only other person she knew who would happily kick her in the head.

"Don't take it easy on me, Jane," Camila taunted. She bounced on her toes, shaking out her legs, and adjusting her headgear.

"Did you just call me Jane? You better make sure that headgear is on tight."

Camila laughed and put up her hands in mock surrender. "Sorry, Hansen," she emphasized.

Hansen popped in her mouth guard, and smiled. "What was that lady's name?"

Camila put in her own mouth guard and threw a few practice kicks. "Mrs. Thompson. You hated her."

Hansen threw a lazy kick that Camila easily blocked. "Yeah, she called me Janey. Jane is bad enough, but Janey is where I draw the line."

"The conditions of that foster home weren't really the best either. I think we had a lot of reasons to not like Mrs. Thompson," Camila said, blocking another kick, and throwing a few of her own. "She sucked, and was mean, and she knew that you hated being called Janey, and she put a lock on the fridge, and then we went back to the group home."