Fight or Flight

Chapter 4: Dojo Chores

Josie was loving her new school. She spent breaks walking around with her friends, Miguel, Eli and Demetri, and enjoyed talking to Eli even more in third period History.

It was now lunch, and Eli and Josie were working on their science project in the cafeteria while Demetri and Miguel watched.

"I thought you guys hung out last night to finish it?" Miguel asked.

"We did, we just watched a movie instead." responded Josie.

"I heard you guys did a little less watching and a little more stripping." Demetri chimed in.

Josie turned bright red. Eli had obviously told him that Josie had shown him her scar.

"I'm sorry," Eli mumbled to her apologetically.

"It's fine." she really didn't care that much, Demetri could be dramatic. Miguel just looked between the three, confused, but no one explained.

They finished their project just as the bell rang. They still had to test it, but it looked pretty good.
Josie went through the rest of the day feeling great, and excited for her next karate lesson after school.

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"You can't strike first if you don't know how to strike." Johnny explained.

The three of them were in the dojo once again, and the actual karate had finally begun after a few weeks of just setting up the dojo. Dummies had been placed in front of them.

"The cobra strike is composed of two parts," Sensei continued, "the lunge, which requires the use of the whole body. And the bite, which is everything that happens after you make contact."

He punched the dummy square in the face. "You punch through the bone, like the guy you really wanna hit is standing behind this asshole. All right?"

The two students nodded, and Johnny punched the dummy again, harder. "Hyah!"

He demonstrated the different spots to hit. "All right, line up. I want you guys to practice."

They stood in front of two dummies and started to punch them, pretty weakly. Johnnys phone started to ring.

"Keep practicing, punch through the dummy." he said as he went to answer the phone.

They continued to punch, Josie's seemed to come in a bit faster than Miguel's. Johnny returned from the phone and saw what Miguel was doing. "No, no, no, no. You're doing it all wrong! What, you want those kids at school to keep dumping shit on your head?" he turned to Josie.

"Not too bad, but you're gonna break your thumb." He adjusted her fist. "See?"

"All right, the two of you, plant your feet, look your enemy in the eyes. And punch him in the face!" yelled Johnny. "Picture your enemy."

Josie didn't think she had an enemy, but still she imagined Kyler's stupid face pouring pink liquid all over Miguel. She felt her anger growing.

"All right, do you guys have pictures?"

They both nodded.

"What are you gonna do?"

They both punched the dummies square in the face, much harder than before.

"Are you a loser?" Johnny yelled.

"No Sensei!" came a reply from both students.

"Again! Again!" Sensei yelled repeatedly.

They both punched aggressively, over and over and over. Josie was letting her anger out, and not just at Kyler. At her Dad, too.

After a while, Johnny decided, "All right, lesson over for today. Go wash the office windows, I got some papers to fill out."