little bird // r.keene

xxxviii. friction.

"Evans!" Everyone had dispersed for a brief pause before the matches began and Wren stepped off the mat, turning away from her team but at the sound of Johnny's voice, she turned to face him.

"Where the hell have you been?" He asked but then saw her face, "Jesus, what the hell happened?" Johnny said, Miguel and Hawk were standing beside him as if waiting for their opportunity to talk but were desperately listening to what she was about to say.

"Nothing happened, I'm fine. Sorry for being late, it won't happen again." She lied all at once.
"That's such bullshit kid, you and I both know it. Whenever I see you, you're always beaten and bruised in a new way. Who is doing this to you, Wren? Tell me. It's my job to help you." Johnny tried to urge the truth out of her but Wren just shook her head.

"Sensei..." She began but Jonny knew.
"You saw your dad, didn't you?" He said suddenly a new found sense of sympathy in his voice. He remembered the night of the board meeting.

"I umm... I used to be afraid to sleep in my own home... Mr LaRusso." Wren looked at him, "Do you have any idea what that's like? Afraid to turn off the light because you're afraid the fight may come upstairs?" The room was quiet. "It got so bad my mum and I moved away. I barely spoke a word for three months, afraid if I said or did something wrong, I'd get a backhand from the person sitting next to me."

"Don't do that. Stop looking at me like that, all three of you." She told them, "Stop it. Stop fucking looking at me like that. Do you hear me? What happens to me is my business and if I feel like having a heart to heart I'll call you but until then... Stay the fuck out of my business." Hawk stepped forward, holding out an arm for her to take.

"Wait Wren, please just talk to us. Please. I'm sorry about last night. I didn't know, I just- I wanted to help." He urged, keeping his voice low and calm, his stomach was in knots and there was nothing he could do but hope she came back to him.

"Not now Eli, let's just win the tournament first, we can do all this later. Please just stop." Wren said flatly, using his real name, not even batting an eye at his arm, which was still outstretched towards her.

He cupped her arm and pulled her away from Miguel and Johnny, slightly off to the side of the mat, they had a few minutes before the tournament began.

"What do you want from me Eli?" She asked, defeated but when she looked into his eyes now, there were certain sparks behind them which she had never seen before.

"Who did that to you? Who fucked you up so bad, emotionally and mentally that you've completely shut down anyone who tries to help you. You don't talk about your feelings, you push people away but you let people like Robby in? You refuse to open up and let someone love or care about you. Who fucking did that?" Hawk's heartbeat was through the roof, he took heavy breaths as the girl he cared for remained silent in front of him.

"We all have our reasons." Unphased by his outburst, Wren walked onto the mat for her first match alone.

The tournament began and her opponent stepped onto the mat oposite her. He was a tall boy with shaggy blonde hair in a blue gi, though she couldn't remember the name of his dojo. He wore a faint echo of a smile as if confident that the bruise on her face meant she wasn't very good and he was sure this match would be easy.

The bowed to the referee and to each other and it began, he circled to his left and struck for her midsection but Wren sidestepped and raised her leg, kicking the boy's back with such force her toppled over. She kept her face solid and emotionless, he straightened himself and had a newfound sense of determination.

He swung again and Wren ducked, elbowing his middle. The boy fell to the floor again and she grabbed hi gi, striking his face. She was winning and the boy knew it. Daniel was watching her match and shook his head slightly.

One more point, that was all she needed. Wren didn't wait this time for him to make the first move, as soon as he was on his feet, Wren raced forward, using her smaller build to her advantage and it was over just like that. She stuck his shin and twisted, kicking his chest and it was over.

Miguel, Wren, Hawk and Aisha all won their first matches. Robby did too, Wren watched his match from afar, he dodged punch after punch then when his opponent was getting tired, kicked his middle and it was all over.

"Point! That's three points, Keene. Winner!" Announced the judge and held Robby's hand up, Robby's eyes scanned the judge then moved to the surrounding crowd where he spotted Wren watching him. He offered her a small smile which she pretended not to see.