Roses and Hooks /// Harry Hook

Chapter 5: Fencing Men

Two days go by, and Mal is a little more at ease. Whatever her and Ben talked about must have been good. I hope Ben continues to talk with her, and hopefully the real Mal will come back. I'm sitting on the balcony in the fencing room watching Jay order the new tryouts around. My brother was originally the team captain, but after he became king, he had to give up all the extra things taking up his time, so he made Jay captain. Chad had a lot to say about that, but Ben shut him up.

"Alright, boys." Jay says to the team and the tryouts who are scattered around the room. I snicker, knowing one to them isn't a boy, but they didn't have to know that just yet. "Let's partner up and see if you can beat one of the boys on the team. Carlos, you're with me so we can show the new guys how it's done." Carlos goes over, though he knows Jay will beat him.

"Go Carlos!" I cheer at him, and the cheerleaders behind me give me odd looks, which I ignore. Carlos smiles up at me, and Jay shakes his head chuckling. Both boys get into position and start showing the new people the moves. Then they start fighting for real.

"Ready, Carlos? Assembler. Salute. Lower the point. Masks down. En Garde!" Jay and Carlos start fencing each other, and soon the other boys begin to follow their example. Jay defeats Carlos, and starts going around the room, training the boys to see who would make the team. "Keep your center!" Carlos sits down and watches everyone fight.

I jump down from the balcony, scaring the cheerleaders, and sit next to Carlos. He looks at me and shakes his head, not believing that I willingly just jumped down seven feet and onto the floor. I just grin at him and bow my head like I put on a show.

"Eyes on your opponent!" Jay tells one of his teammates. "Up and over!" Jay jumps over one of the new tryouts and disarms Chad in seconds, making him huff and complain as he sits down. Jay starts making his way through the new people, disarming them left and right. Then everyone sits and watches in awe as Jay proves why he's captain. Soon, there is only one left, and I know it is. It has to be.

Jay fights and the person meets him hit for hit, making Jay actually get serious. The person dodges Jay and spins behind him, whacking him on the behind in the process. Jay growls on frustration and rips his mask off, spinning to face the person. Isle Jay is starting to come out to play.

"Get him, Jay!" Carlos and I cheer him on as the fight begins to get intense. "Watch out!" Jay ducks as the fencing sword goes over his head and he parries the next attack. The person manages to steal Jay's sword causing him to have to dodge every attack. Jay kicks the sword out of the person's hand and catches it as it goes through the air. "Nice!" Both stop, breathing hard, and look at each other before the person takes their mask off.

"I knew it!" I jump up. "The only people who can match Jay is Lonnie and me, and I'm right here. I knew it was you, Lonnie!" Lonnie smiles at me, and I grin. She's been wanting to get on the fencing team since last year, but Ben wouldn't let her. It caused a fight between us because Lonnie would be a great addition to the team.

"Not bad. You're really good." Jay compliments Lonnie and she beams at him.

"You should put me on the team." She says, finally having the chance to get there. Jay stands there thinking, and I'm glad he's considering it. Ben had just told her that girls shouldn't fight. He said that. To the daughter of freaking Mulan, the warrior who won the war and saved her country!

"Hey, wait. No. No way." Chad comes rushing forward and Carlos grabs the back of my shirt to keep me from tackling the baboon. "No, no, no. You can't be considering this." He tells Jay who just looks confused.

"Why not? She's a great fighter." Jay says, not getting what Chad's going on about. The Isle probably doesn't care if you're a girl or a boy, just if you're good at what you do.

"We'll be the laughingstock of the kingdoms. A-And what's next? Are girls going to start joining the tourney team, too?" Chad looks around at everyone and turns back to Jay.

"Maybe I should. I'm more of a man than you are, Chad. You're more cheerleader than you are man." I snap at him and people around the room start laughing.

"So? We're down a man and she's perfect for it." Jay tells Chad, still not seeing the problem.

"Yeah, a man. Have you not read the rule book?" Chad pulls one out a rule book and I roll my eyes. Of course, he has one just sitting around in his pocket. This is sexist self-obsessed Chad here. "Section 2, paragraph 3, 11-4: A team will consist of a captain and eight men. Men, Jay. Why don't you read the rule book?" Chad shoves the book in Jay's face before shoving it in Lonnie's, who looks like she wants to hit him. Chad then waves it around to show everyone else. I'm going to incinerate that book.

"Okay, but you still need someone, or you don't have a whole team. I mean, Ben had to go do all his king duties." Lonnie tries to reason with Chad, but that never works.

"Yes, someone. A man. We are down a man. Not a girl." Chad mocks her. Carlos grabs my arms instead of my shirt, holding me back.

"Jay..." Lonnie pleads to the boy, but he sighs. I'm going to kill him, too. Right after I murder Chad. They can die together, how romantic.

"I'm sorry. Coach trusts me to be captain. I can't just throw out the rule book if I want to stay on the team." Jay says to her, and Lonnie scoff shaking her head in disbelief.

"If my mother thought that way, China would have fallen to the war." Lonnie snaps at them and Jay bows his head, knowing that's true.

"Okay? Rule book." Chad says, completely dissing the fact that Lonnie's mother is a war hero, and a powerful warrior. Lonnie storms off as Carlos throws his hands up in defeat, letting me go. He can only save Chad so much. I storm up to Chad and knee him in the family jewels. He groans and I slam his face into my knee as he goes forward, breaking his nose once again. Jay's eyes go wide, and half the room yelps in shock, the other half used to my temper by now.

"Sexist asshole!" I yell at him and turn around, running to the door. "Lonnie wait up!"

~~

Later that evening, I run around looking for Jay. My temper has cooled down, and I found a loophole in the rule. He won't break the rule, and he gets to stay on the team. But it seems he is hiding from me. I ask Carlos if he's seen him, but he tells me not since practice. Evie has been busy with fittings and classes all day, so I know she wouldn't know. Mal is missing too, but I don't want to bother her.

Thinking about everything I know about Jay; a light goes off in my head. I take off running out the building and to the tourney field. Jay likes to take his emotions out on the field by practicing, and I know he's upset at the fact the only person that could even be good for the team is Lonnie. When I get to the field, I see Jay practicing his throwing and swing of the tourney stick.

"Jay!" I call out to him, and he looks up at me. He sighs as I jog over to him, and he leans on the tourney stick, waiting for me to scold him. Best get it done and over with. "Alright, look. I'm mad at you for earlier with Lonnie, but I get where you're coming from. I wish it was different, but a lot of the guys agree with Chad, and I can't exactly go around breaking all their noses." I grin as Jay laughs at the image.

"You know, for being really short, you're actually pretty terrifying." Jay tells me and a sense of pride fills my chest. If they won't fear me because of my short height, then I'll make them fear me with my temper. "And I've looked through the rule book, but I can't find a way to get Lonnie on the team. We need her on the team, I mean, we've just barely won the last few fights."

"Lucky for you, I love a good rule breaking and I'm great at twisting words around so they're in my favor." I grin at him, and he smiles.

"I knew if anyone could figure a way through it, it'd be you. You're unstoppable when your determined to get what you want." Jay says.

"Of course, I am. Now, you ready to hear my solution?" He nods his head impatiently. "The rule is that the team has to be made up with a captain and eight men, yes?" He nods his head, still not getting it. "Jay. A captain and eight men." He looks at me confused for a minute before his whole face lights up.

"Oh my God. How did I miss this? It's brilliant! I don't break the rule, and I would still be on the team." He hugs me before running off. "You're the absolute best, Rose!" I grin at him and laugh. Now he just has to figure out a way to ask the coach. And he has to find a way to get Lonnie to talk to him after he told her no. He'll figure something out, they always do.