Read Online White Ninja by Tiffiny Hall - Free Book Online

he started.
    â€˜I’ve never seen anything like this,’ I say to Jackson.
    Jackson blazes his green eyes towards me and smiles proudly.
    â€˜My favourite-ever demos Sabomin’s done are one: the Island Cheese Company “Cheese is our life” convention, on a floating barge on a river; two: Petra Peters Real Estate; three: a sixth birthday party at FunCity; four: a performance for a top athlete, who loves Taekwondo and bumped into Sabo at the Olympics. Sabo had to drop everything and demo on the spot. Five: Mega Eyewear for “Eye Love Sunglasses” day. Plus, Sabo won an award,’ Jackson pauses casually, ‘when we did a demo at the Royal Easter Show in 2006: third-best display in the Sports and Leisure Pavilion.’
    â€˜Impressive,’ I say and nod at Ed. ‘Can you do that?’
    â€˜Practising on your own exercises the mind and teaches you focus,’ Jackson says to me.
    When he leans in close, the smell of him creates a kind of energy. I pretend to check out my nails like I’ve seen Elecktra do whenever someone is trying to explainsomething to her. I also try to ignore the fact that I’m wearing his hoodie and can’t escape his smell even if I wanted to.
    Sabomin’s voice pulls me back to the demo. Ed finishes and bows deeply … to no applause, even though Salvatore’s managed to drag a group of teenaged boys over to form a small audience.
    â€˜When’s he going to smash someone?’ one boy yells.
    Sabomin takes Ed’s place on the oval. Salvatore and Kellie run out with an armful each of tiles and stack them on two blocks. Sabomin rolls a shin guard over his uniform and throws his whistle to the side with a dramatic open hand.
    â€˜To bust tiles with your elbow is one of the most difficult things to do in Taekwondo,’ he says. ‘I consider myself a master in this.’
    Sabomin lowers his elbow to the tiles to achieve the correct position. He does it again, gritting his teeth, his breathing in sync with his movement. He signals Salvatore to cut the music.
    â€˜ Hannah. Dul. Set ,’ he counts in Korean, then slams his elbow into the centre of the tiles with an ‘Ay-yaaayaya-yah!’
    The tiles crack with the weak sound of a window popping open. There are feeble claps from the audience.
    Sabomin turns to his team, who are leaning against the trailer, watching the master at work. ‘Damn,’ he says and shakes his arm out.
    He turns back to the spectators. ‘They were tiles, people. Tiles!’
    A sip of coffee, checking of a phone; nobody really cares.
    Salvatore appears with a square piece of pine wood and holds it out towards Sabomin’s head. His fingers grip the bottom of the board. Sabomin bows to the piece of wood.
    â€˜ Hannah. Dul. Set! ’ he yells, then rushes at the board with the heel of his palm.
    Instead of snapping into pieces, the board flies out of Salvatore’s hand and lands intact on its side, rolling in a circle like a coin before tipping to the ground.
    â€˜Stunt double!’ Sabomin calls. He points to me.
    I look at Jackson.
    â€˜Don’t be shy,’ he says.
    I pick up the board and hand it to Salvatore. Is this what Mum means by getting your ninja on? Usually I wouldn’t have the confidence even to stand up in front of a crowd and now I’ve walked out and committed myself to breaking wood with my limbs. I must be mad!
    Salvatore holds the plank of wood above his head between his outstretched arms. I’ve never done thisbefore, but that feeling of instinct returns and, without counting to three, without thinking, I jump into a climbing double front kick and snap the board into three pieces. Two of them fly so high into the sky they seem to disappear. The third bit of wood almost hits a pram. The mother kicks off the brake, spins the pram violently and steers her child back towards the jumping castle, which is now so deflated the kids are touching