Flower on a High Cliff

Rivalry and Respect

The tournament will be held at Bracebridge Sportsplex, prepare the necessary things that you will need for our 3-day stay there. Practice will be scheduled to start after classes, report immediately.

I just read this mail from our teacher at the karate club. Seriously, things are getting serious. It's still morning and he suddenly sent this one. But, I will finally be able to confront him, all these training for the past six years will finally be tested.

"Hey Vaughn, how long will you keep on standing there? We are getting late you know." My friend Glenn said that to me. I just realized that I was standing there and was staring at my cellphone. Rias and Glenn are waiting for me.

"Who's that? Don't tell me that's your girlfriend?! My Big Brother sure is a hopeless romantic." Rias said that with a grin.

"Who are you calling a hopeless romantic?! It's my teacher from the karate club, we are making preparations. Let's go now, or else we will be late!"

Jumping to conclusions, how troublesome. But I need to double time practice, I will aim to surpass him.

Classes started with us arriving just in time. Classes started and we did French class which I hated and Art class which I sucked at. Recess came and I was walking to the cafeteria when someone called out to me-

"Vaughn, let's all go together!" As I turned around, it was Gayle and the others. They invited me to go together with them to the cafeteria along with Glenn.

"Well I'm on my way there, so okay." I agreed with them, well its better to be with friends.

As we arrived on the cafeteria, some girls approached me...

"Good luck with the tournament Vaughn, we are counting on you!" They encouraged me for the upcoming tournament.

"Well I'm not the only one though, there's also my teammates from the Karate Club. Cheer for them too."

"Okay, but we can give you special treatment if you want." They started clinging onto me when they said that. These girls are dangerous!

"No thanks, I can manage on my own." I lightly pushed them away when I said that. Seriously, what's with them?

When I turned around and saw the others I saw Gayle with a puzzled face, Ziana and Lizbeth staring daggers at me, and Glenn who looked like he's cursing me.

"Is it my fault? Please don't look at me like that guys." I tried to defend myself.

"I didn't know but, what tournament Vaughn? Gayle asked me that for clarification.

"Well, it's the inter-high karate tournament, it'll be held at Bracebridge Sportsplex two days from now." I just explained it to her in it's simplest form.

"Bracebridge, it's just next town and about 30 minutes from here. Can we go and watch the tournament?" Gayle asked me, the others seemed interested too.

"Well okay, you're free to do so. See you there. Oh yeah, let's go to the cafeteria now." After that, recess ended and classes continued. Lunch break came and passed by then afternoon classes started. Science class and literature stuff, also P.E. and Mathematics. Afternoon classes ended, I proceeded to the club room. On the way there, someone tapped my shoulder. When I turned to see, I'm so surprised that I took a step away from him out of instinct.

"Hey chill down, it's only me. How you've been? The person that I'm working so hard to surpass. Liam Roy, my senior in karate since when we were kids.

"What are you doing here?" I was direct to the point with that question.

"I paid you a visit, it's my duty as a senior to see how is the progress of my junior doing." He's still being the same nonchalant person like in the past. That feature of his is what gets on my nerves.