Dirty Break (18+)

In Which Self Gains Defence

Lydia was by no stretch of the imagination a snob. However, she couldn't reconcile the yoga-pant and tank-top wearing reflection in the mirror with herself. She liked to dress up; it made her feel more like herself in some odd way and this stripped back version of herself was disconcerting to say the least. She didn't feel any better when she walked out of her room and a similarly dressed Andrea looked at her aghast.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Lydia?"

"Alright, shut up. Believe me if I thought I could take a self-defence class in a pencil skirt and heels, that's what I would be wearing right now."

She turned with her nose in the air to gather her things, and was appeased by a piercing wolf-whistle which belied her best friends delicate stature.

"Let me just tell you that those pants do magical things for your arse. And we would have never have known about it otherwise. Let's have a moment of silence in honour of the occasion."

Lydia burst out laughing and leaned in to give her friend a hug.

"I'll be back at the usual time, I think. If you make anything delicious, be sure to leave some for me."

Walking down the street, Lydia admitted to herself that Andrea might not have been entirely in jest. Although she often got attention from people for her vintage style, the amount of people she caught staring at the vicinity of her backside was ridiculous. She found herself walking with a bit of extra wriggle, however, just for the kick.

  ************

"Miss Granger?"

The male voice brought her out of her reverie, in which the programme had won a show for best documentary. Well aware that she was very much counting her chickens, she stood and shook the man's hand.

"Welcome to the self-defence training course. I'm Officer Lewis, I instruct the new officers in self-defence and I also teach some of the inmates MMA."

"Is it wise to teach hardened criminals Mixed Martial Arts?" She pondered out loud and then reddened at how bitchy that had sounded.

"Although I can see why you would ask that, it actually has very little to do with violence - which many of them have already been used to on a day to day basis anyway. It's about learning control, and I think it actually helps with rehabilitation in some instances, and at least gives them a distraction in here."

Lydia liked Officer Lewis immensely so she smiled at him, amused when his confidence melted away and he blushed.

"If you'll follow me, we'll get started,"  he was already gesturing and walking as he talked, leading her through winding corridors that seemed simultaneously familiar and alien, "I have a really quick powerpoint with the basic tenets to go through with you and then we'll move on to the physical - I mean practical - part of the course."

She couldn't see him, but she could just tell that he was blushing, which just endeared him to her further. When he came to a stop outside a room and ushered her in, she turned to find his eyes flicking back up from where her backside had been seconds ago. He cleared his throat and carried on like a champ, entering the room and closing the door behind him before crossing to the already set up projector.

He woke it with a touch and then looked around the room as though it was full of people.

"So, self-defence. It might seem intuitive, but the first rule is that prevention is better than cure. If you're in a  situation that has the potential to turn volatile, you need to make sure that you stay aware of your surroundings and the people in it. If this does nothing, then try to talk to your assailant. If you were on the outside world the likelihood is that the perpetrator would want something directly from you - your wallet or keys for example. In here, it's different. If an inmate did manage to grab you, you would be a means to an end; you can't help him in here, but you might get somebody who can to listen to him."