Cherry Mountains

(XIII) Wake up. You're in Love.

     The right of self-defense is a justification for any person to use reasonable force to defend and protect one's own life from harm or the lives of others.

When it comes to self-defense, gender plays no role—legally. In the social aspect, unfortunately, it's an entire different game. This is when folks want to talk about chivalry.

Prince was at the top of his game, in his hometown, surrounded by people who love and respected him. So was Kat. I'm not sure what went through her mind when she decided to attack Prince for the third time. And in public! I guess she got away with it twice already, so in that split second it was an easy move to make.  I don't know. I didn't get that far in my psychology courses.  But I do know that my brain made the quick decision to defend Prince and I acted on instinct.

Then the real question is, why did I make that decision?

Prince seemed to have an idea.

My heart pounded into the pillow as I was woken up by a 70's soul melody.

"Hey love (hey love). Turn your head around (turn your head around). Take off that frown. You're in love."

My bare stomach was pushing into the mattress and I remembered I fell asleep naked. The thin bedsheet slid down my back as I lifted myself on my elbows and rubbed my waking eyes.

Prince was behind me singing out to the loud music. "Wake up (wake up). Open the door (open the door). Don't cry no more. You're in love. You know we need each other. And you girl...yes, you should be lovin' me."

I held the cotton barrier across my chest as I turned around and laid on my back. As comical as this was, I couldn't laugh at the grooving man at the foot of the bed. I was still feeling conflicted about last night.

It all happened so fast. Kat's drink went flying across Prince's face. The alcohol and snapped glass landed in my hair. I jumped forward and my left fist met Kat's throat and in the same second, my right fist flew up under her chin.

Before her body hit the floor, Prince yanked me so hard by my waist I fell over, myself. It was so quick and sudden, it took my breath away. And I didn't understand why he used his strength like that in the first place. I wasn't going after her. I purposely used enough force just to get her away from us.

I felt her threat as soon as the martini glass was in her hand. That bar table was so small, of course I was physically affected by the strike. But I won't lie. My aggression primarily was to knock some sense into her.

Just because you're a girl doesn't give you the right to beat on a man, especially knowing he won't fight back like he'd really want to.

"Wake up (wake up). In your own way (in your own way), than you might say, you're in love."

I piped up a smirk for him.