~For the super awesome SummerSunrays~
"Ki... YA!" I shouted, kicking high and strong. My foot hit the board powerfully. With a CRACK! the board broke.
"Very good Nicole," My Sensei complimented. "You are definately ready to earn your blue belt."
Yeah, I'm Nicole Vanenson, 12 year old green belt in Tai Kwon Do. I'm skinny and have a meek appearance, but I have tons of inner strength. But the girls in my class are all tough and mean.. its weird. The boys in class make fun of me for being a girl, but maybe thats just because I'm the only girl in the class that actually looks like one. In school, I'm called the Karate Freak... no matter how many times I tell them it's Tai Kwon Do, and there is a huge difference. And the kids who are smart enough to learn that its Tai Kwon Do call me the Tai Kwon Dork. How original.
Once Sensei dismissed the class, I took my strawberry blonde hair out of it's ponytail and grabbed my bag.
"Hey, stick bones Nicole!" One of the older girls called. I think her name was Janie...
I ignored her. I wondered why Sensei couldn't hear... he is pretty old.
I walked across the mat to my grandmother, who was watching me for a few days while my parents were in California for a business trip. They ran a company together. She took me home.
~|~|~|~
The next day, I woke up and got dressed. I picked up my hairbrush and looked in the mirror. My hair was a bit frizzy. I dropped the brush and went downstairs for breakfast.
At school, The first bell rang and I shoved my bag into my locker and took out my books. I started to walk to class. I had no friends, but I didn't really need any. I was happy being alone.
All day, people teased my about my hair, my long nose, my sense of style (I didn't have one), and my love for Tai Kwon Do. I was actually quite pretty. Really, I looked no uglier than the dominant girls. THats what I called the typical mean girls of our grade. Fortunately, they never noticed me. they pretended I didn't even exist. But I liked it that way.
At lunch, I sat down at the back table by myself and took out my lunch. A wrap, some lemonade, an apple, and a Ho-Ho. My favorite. A creme filled chocolate cak covered in chocolate. What else could be more delightful?
To my surprise, a girl sat next to me today. She had long, curly brown hair that was dip-dyed turquoise. She was stylish, pretty, and... new. I expected her to sit with the dominant girls.
"Hi!" she said cheerfully. "I'm Kelsey! Wow! I love your hair! how do you get it so poofy?" she smiled to reveal teal and pink braces.
"I don't do anything to my hair. I hate to brush it," I said quietly. "I'm Nicole."
By the time lunch was over, I had a friend.
Turns out, Kelsey took Tai Kwon Do at my school too, just at a different time. She had just moved to our town, but she had been taking TAi Kwon Do at my school for a while!
That evening, Kelsey was at my class. She prasied me along with Sensei. It made me happy.
Janie and her masculine friends had cornered me later.
"So, how about we use our Tai Kwon Do outside of the Dojo?" she said.
"But," I stated, "We are still in the dojo. Just in the back room."
"Oh, trying to be smart, are we?" She said, "Mmm... I don't like that."
They started to attack. I wanted to defend myself, but I didn't Sensei always told us about inner peace. I searched to find mine. Ah. "Why do you pick on others?" I asked her.
janie was stunned. "Um.. um... I don't know." Janie stuttered.
"Exactly," I said. "So stop."
"Yeah.. you're right. I should. And.. I will." Janie walked away. Problem solved.
"Wow!" Kelsey said, coming up from behind me, making me jump a little. "That was great! Wow, you take a pee and you miss so much!"
I burst out laughing.
I had found my inner peace. And now, I will use it.
In the dojo, and at school.
Everywhere.
