The Angle and the Devil

Chapter Two

Just like Kiara thought Carmen came busting through the door of the dojo. Half her gi was untied, her belt was just strung around her neck, and she only managed to get half her hair up into a messy bun but she was there.

"Cutting it a little close Carmen," her sensei says as she walks past the front desk. She was hoping he would not be there.

"Sorry Sir, is Kiara already in class?" she asks.

He gives her a look.

"Sorry, dumb question, of course, she is," she says as she walked down the hall "she always is"

Carmen fixes her hair and her gi. She wants to look presentable for the little kids. Working with little kids is one of her favorite parts of karate. It reminds her of when she was little and she wants them to have just as much fun as she had. She remembers how much she looked up to her teachers and she knows the kids look up to her. She wants to set a good example for them.

"Knew it" Kiara laughs as Carmen walks into class "You never miss class"

"I know I should really give myself a break, these kids are tiring" she winks at her favorite student Madi and Madi smiles her big wide grin back at her.

Madi has been doing karate for almost 2 years and is just about to move up to the next class she is already a yellow belt with an orange stripe. If she keeps this up she might break Kiara and Carmen's record of being the youngest black belts in the dojo.

"Ok everyone Sensei Carmen is here time to line up"

There are about 15 kids in this class. Kiara and Carmen both know all of their names. All the kids line up in front of the two girls. Madi is the highest belt so she is in the front of the line. There is a poster on the wall above the mirror that has all the ranks on it start with the lowest...

White Belt

Yellow Stripe

Yellow Belt

Orange Stripe

Orange Belt

Purple Stripe

Purple Belt

Blue Stripe

Blue Belt

Green Stripe

Green Belt

Brown Stripe

Brown Belt

Black Stripe

Black Belt

And right under that poster, there is a hand-painted sign that reads "A black belt is a white belt who just never gave up" Carmen made this poster in her 8th-grade art class. She gave it to her Sensei after she passed her black belt test and he loved it so much it has hung there ever since. For the past 5 years actually.

The girls run their class. First working on drills, then forms, and finally, they finish up with games. Games are Madi's favorite part and Carmen knows this. After Madi wins the game (she usually does) all the kids line back up in their original lines.

"Great job in class today," Carmen tells the kids. "You are dismissed"

Carmen and Kiara stand by the door and high five the kids as they walk out.

"Madi we need to talk to you after class"

The girls pull Madi aside and hand her a testing paper and a class change notice.

"Make sure you give these to your mom sweetie" Kiara reminds her.

"Ok, I will!" Madi says smiling wide

"You are doing a great job sweetie! We know you are working really hard"

After Carmen says that Madi gives her a big hug and Carmen hugs her back!

"Now go find your mom, I bet she is waiting for you and she will be excited to see what you got today"

Madi runs off. Kiara is about to say something to Carmen but just then Ryan shows up in the doorway.

"Hey, babe, you ready"

Kiara rolls her eyes but Carmen runs over and grabs Ryan's hand and he leads her out the door and into his car.

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Kiara stays behind and cleans up after class. Then she changes out of her gi and heads to the door but her Sensei stops her.

"Kiara, do you know where Carmen is? I would like to talk to her."

"Carmen already left. I don't know what she is doing now."

"She didn't stay to help clean up?"

"No, she seemed to be in a hurry. It's ok though I picked everything up." Kiara was trying to cover for Carmen. 

"I'll need to talk to her next time I see her but this is for you." He hands Kiara a paper and walks off.

Kiara did not open the paper until she got into her car but she did not have to look at it long to know what it was. I was a testing paper to get her second-degree black belt. She had been waiting for this for a while. She had been working hard. She could not wait to tell Carmen. She called her but she did not answer.

"Figures" 

Kiara pulls out of the dojo parking lot and heads home to study.

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Carmen is sitting on an old couch in Ryan's basement. Ryan has his arm around her. She is holding a cigarette and so is Ryan. Ryan reaches over and takes the cigarette out of Carmen's hand.

"Hey"

But before he could say anything else he starts kissing her. She kisses him back. But then she pulls away.

"Ryan"

He leads forward and tries to kiss her again.

"Stop it I wanted to talk to you" Carmen demands

"We don't need to talk. Talking is for lame couples who go out on fancy dates and dress nice. We don't need any of that." 

He leans in to kiss her again but this time Carmen is done. She shoves him away which shocks him. She stands up.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ryan yells. He is standing now too. "Stop being a bitch and come here"

Ryan steps forward and grabs Carmen by the face with one hand. Carmen struggled to get his hand off her. He started to slip his other hand up her white crop top and under her bra. Carmen punches him right in the nose and he stumbles backward. 

"What the fuck? Shit." Ryan puts his hand over his nose and when he pulls it the way it is covered in blood.

"Yeah, what the fuck is right" Carmen grabs her phone and keys off the little table she had sat them down on. "Whatever we had here is over."

Carmen runs up the stairs and out to her car. She gets in, locks the door, and starts the car. One tear rolls down her cheek but she wipes it away as she pulls out of Ryan's driveway.