Academy.
The Saturday afternoon practice included a welcome change in routine. During the last hour, the coaches staged a mock tournament. Ava endured being embarrassed, but not because of her fencing skills. With just a week of training, her attacks and parries had vastly improved, surprising her. Signore Salvatori even gave her a “buono.” High praise indeed.
No. The embarrassment came from her mother. She arrived in time to watch the bouts. Bad enough to have her mother there, but then the woman compounds Ava’s mortification by cheering and hooting for her. Good thing the fencing mask hid her red face.
When Ava finally slinked from the locker room, she stopped in horror. Jarett was talking to her mother. Just kill me now.
She rushed over, intent on hustling her mother out the door.
“… Did you see her feint-disengage attack? It was perfect,” her mother exclaimed.
Ava jumped into the conversation. “It wasn’t perfect, Mom. I didn’t win any bouts.”
Her mother swept her hand as if waving away a fly. “It’s just a matter of persistence, practice and experience.”
Ava rolled her eyes. Mom’s such a dork.
“I like that. Can I tell it to my students?” Jarett asked. He even managed to appear sincere.
Bonus points.
Her mother blinked at him for a few seconds. “Ah … sure.” She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, I thought you trained here.”
“I do, but I teach karate, too.”
“Oh.”
“Did you have trouble parking?” Ava asked her mother, hoping the change in topic would get her moving away from him.
“Not at all, but, Ava … Do you think you can get a ride home with Tammy?”
“Why?”
“A few of my classmates invited me to dinner nearby.” Her mother practically bounced on the balls of her feet in excitement.
Ava was tired, hungry and had been looking forward to a quick ride home. She opened her mouth to complain, but stopped. Her mother had already read Ava’s disappointed expression. She no longer bounced.
If Ava said she couldn’t get a ride, her mother would skip dinner to take her home. She couldn’t even recall the last time her mother did something for herself. She had given up her social life for Ava, and her daughter had been too focused on fencing to notice.
So why did I realize this now? Jarett. Perhaps the water thrown in her face had woken her up. A good thing. Now the only other things she had to worry about were punks on the bus, and strange wooden stakes in Bossemi’s closet.
“Sure, Mom. I’ll get a ride.”
Delight flashed in her eyes. “Thanks, sweetie. See you at home!” She kissed Ava’s forehead and swept out the door.
“Sweetie?” Jarett smirked.
“Don’t start.”
“That was pretty clever. You told her you’d get a ride home, but didn’t say how, so technically you didn’t lie to her. Does Tammy work Saturdays?”
“No.” She dug in her bag for the bus schedule. She’d missed the five fifteen bus by ten minutes, and the next one wasn’t due until six thirty. Her stomach grumbled. She hunted for money, finding only a few bucks. “Is there a hot dog cart around here?”
He winced. “Hot dogs? No wonder you’re so thin. You should be eating healthy foods.”
She clamped down on a laugh. He’d probably have a fit over her daily diet of junk food.
Despite his protest over her food choices, he led her to a local food stand. The shoppers had gone home, and it was too early for the theater crowd, so the area was empty. Jarett set a quick pace, and Ava hustled to keep up.
On the way back to the bus stop, Jarett entertained her with stories about his karate students.
“… Little guy was so proud of his new move, he ran over to his father and kicked him right in the … Damn.” Jarett grabbed her upper arm. “Listen,” he said in a tight voice. “If I tell you to run, you run to the Academy. Understand?” He talked to her, but he watched three figures walking toward them.
“Yes, but—”
“Not now.” He
The Saturday afternoon practice included a welcome change in routine. During the last hour, the coaches staged a mock tournament. Ava endured being embarrassed, but not because of her fencing skills. With just a week of training, her attacks and parries had vastly improved, surprising her. Signore Salvatori even gave her a “buono.” High praise indeed.
No. The embarrassment came from her mother. She arrived in time to watch the bouts. Bad enough to have her mother there, but then the woman compounds Ava’s mortification by cheering and hooting for her. Good thing the fencing mask hid her red face.
When Ava finally slinked from the locker room, she stopped in horror. Jarett was talking to her mother. Just kill me now.
She rushed over, intent on hustling her mother out the door.
“… Did you see her feint-disengage attack? It was perfect,” her mother exclaimed.
Ava jumped into the conversation. “It wasn’t perfect, Mom. I didn’t win any bouts.”
Her mother swept her hand as if waving away a fly. “It’s just a matter of persistence, practice and experience.”
Ava rolled her eyes. Mom’s such a dork.
“I like that. Can I tell it to my students?” Jarett asked. He even managed to appear sincere.
Bonus points.
Her mother blinked at him for a few seconds. “Ah … sure.” She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, I thought you trained here.”
“I do, but I teach karate, too.”
“Oh.”
“Did you have trouble parking?” Ava asked her mother, hoping the change in topic would get her moving away from him.
“Not at all, but, Ava … Do you think you can get a ride home with Tammy?”
“Why?”
“A few of my classmates invited me to dinner nearby.” Her mother practically bounced on the balls of her feet in excitement.
Ava was tired, hungry and had been looking forward to a quick ride home. She opened her mouth to complain, but stopped. Her mother had already read Ava’s disappointed expression. She no longer bounced.
If Ava said she couldn’t get a ride, her mother would skip dinner to take her home. She couldn’t even recall the last time her mother did something for herself. She had given up her social life for Ava, and her daughter had been too focused on fencing to notice.
So why did I realize this now? Jarett. Perhaps the water thrown in her face had woken her up. A good thing. Now the only other things she had to worry about were punks on the bus, and strange wooden stakes in Bossemi’s closet.
“Sure, Mom. I’ll get a ride.”
Delight flashed in her eyes. “Thanks, sweetie. See you at home!” She kissed Ava’s forehead and swept out the door.
“Sweetie?” Jarett smirked.
“Don’t start.”
“That was pretty clever. You told her you’d get a ride home, but didn’t say how, so technically you didn’t lie to her. Does Tammy work Saturdays?”
“No.” She dug in her bag for the bus schedule. She’d missed the five fifteen bus by ten minutes, and the next one wasn’t due until six thirty. Her stomach grumbled. She hunted for money, finding only a few bucks. “Is there a hot dog cart around here?”
He winced. “Hot dogs? No wonder you’re so thin. You should be eating healthy foods.”
She clamped down on a laugh. He’d probably have a fit over her daily diet of junk food.
Despite his protest over her food choices, he led her to a local food stand. The shoppers had gone home, and it was too early for the theater crowd, so the area was empty. Jarett set a quick pace, and Ava hustled to keep up.
On the way back to the bus stop, Jarett entertained her with stories about his karate students.
“… Little guy was so proud of his new move, he ran over to his father and kicked him right in the … Damn.” Jarett grabbed her upper arm. “Listen,” he said in a tight voice. “If I tell you to run, you run to the Academy. Understand?” He talked to her, but he watched three figures walking toward them.
“Yes, but—”
“Not now.” He
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