The American Ninja

Chapter Four

A frenzy.

          That's what I would describe today as. Mom, Charlie, and I have been running around all day trying to get everything ready for the Thanksgiving family gathering at lunch. This year, it's at my house. Lucky me...not.

          Charlie took a 'break' and is now sitting on the couch.

          "Charlie," I yell, "Get your lazy butt off the sofa and help! I am lazier than you are and I am doing my fair-share! Charlie---"

          "Okay, okay! God, shut up for, like, three seconds would you?" He says as he rises to his feet, stretches, and then walks into the kitchen to help. Dad says I have a "switch blade attitude" and he is right. It comes in handy in times like these.

            "Okay," Mom says, "Lindsay is coming---" Our groans cut mom off.

          "Not Lindsay," Charlie whines. No one likes Lindsay, well, except for Lindsay and her mom. She is all, "Look at me, I'm lactose and tolerant! I can't eat exotic cheeses!" Then I'm standing there thinking it's bad enough to be related to Charlie and I don't give a fuck about 'exotic cheeses'.

          "Charlie, go easy on her. She is your cousin," Mom says.

          "Mom," I say, "Have you seen her talk about... you know, the things she normally talks about. She snorts and always has her fingertip in front of her nostril like she is feeling for buggers or something."

          "That's enough, now either stop talking about Linday like that or get out," Mom says. Charlie and I both walk out.

~~~

          "Okay," one of the coaches for my ninja training shouted, "Pair up and duke it out in front of the class." Great, a demonstration...not. I sighed and looked around. I was in the ANTP building and out of all of the new recruits, I had no friends. No one to partner up with. I am horrible at making friends so I don't even try. I found myself wishing Carson was here.

          "Gemma? Gemma!" I came back to realtity with a start, some girl was waving a hand infront of my face. "Wanna partner up?"

          I looked around, everyone else had a partner. "I guess I don't have a choice," I mutter.

          When it was our turn we had to step onto the mats and bow to each other, you know, like they do in karate. This whole 'beating people up without getting in trouble' thing was the only thing I was good at.

          The girl swung her leg out at me but I grabbed it and flipped her. She hit the mat with a scream but got up quick. Her knees were bent, ready to move. She's waiting for me to make the first move, I realize. Her mistake.

          I lash out with my fist and back-slap her, then I swing out with my leg and kick her in the throat. I can see her gasp as the air gets knocked out of her.

          Out of the corner of my eye, I see the most stupid thing. A poster that says 'Fight responsibly!' How the heck are you supposed to fight with responsibility? If your a responsible person, which I am not, you wouldn't be fighting in the first place.

          "Pay attention!" The girl screams and punches me in the face. Crap! I crab her fist before she can pull it back. I bite down...hard.

          She screams and strats kicking but I don't let up. The coach blows a whistle. "Coach," the girl whines, "This syco bit me!"

          "Yeah," I say, "And this syco won!"