Chapter 8

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"I swear to god Penguin, if you can't land a punch on me then there's no point in you being on this team." I state.

I was circling Hawk in the dojo while the rest of the students were slowly arriving in.

"Vera come on, I can do this and please don't call me Penguin." Penguin said.

"You'll get called by your real name once you land a punch now come on attack me!"

I feel a tap on my shoulder and it was Miguel giving Hawk some sympathy eyes as he pulled me aside.

"Come on Vera, that's just a little harsh. He's better than some of the other students here right?"

"Please, other than you and Penguin we'll never win this thing. I mean Chris and Mitch and maybe Bert might get a few punches in but we both know against other karate dojos they don't stand a chance." I tell Miguel. He steps back into the circle and I get into my ready stance. "Come on Penguin, I don't got all day, now strike first!"

Hawk throws a weak punch towards me and I instinctively catch it. I then use my free hand and throw a punch to his gut before sweeping his legs out from underneath him. I stare at him on the ground and just shake my head.

"Jesus Penguin you suck so bad it's giving me a headache." I tell him.

I walk away from the boy laying on the ground going to my bag to get my water when I hear Hawk walk in with Mitch and Chris behind him.

"14 hours in the chair, you wanna see this badass tattoo?" He asks them.

I turn around and see Hawk whip off his Gi to show them his bird back tattoo.

"Holy shit you got a baby flamingo aw that's so cute." I say almost spitting my water out as I walked up to them. Hawk panicked for a split second turning his back to the mirror in the dojo to make sure it wasn't a baby flamingo.

"Haha very funny Vera."

"Damn dude that's so sick." Mitch remarked, "definitely gonna get all the hot babes with this thing."

"I know right." Hawk smirked while checking himself out in the mirror.

I scoff before walking up behind Hawk to examine his tattoo more.

"Uh huh, definitely getting all the hot babes with this tattoo." I joke while slapping Hawk's back. Hawk flinched at the contact, pretty sure it was because the tattoo still hurt. But I like to imagine it was my strength.

"What's wrong with my tattoo Vera?" Hawk questions while turning around to face me.

"Oh nothing, just wondering how you're getting 'babes' in the first place?" I smirk

"What? You don't think tattoos are hot?" He asks.

"Oh no, I love guys with tattoos." As I said that out of the corner of my eye I see Mitch nudge Chris with his elbow. "This one just doesn't fit your personality."

"And why's that?" Hawk asks.

I sigh before leaning my head on his shoulder.

"Ohh I don't know Eli just doesn't seem like you, you know?" I turn my head up and glace at his eyes. A glimpse of the old Eli showed on Hawk's face before disappearing again as he shoved my head off his shoulder before walking away.

"No, I don't, Verena."

"I think this is a cool tattoo." Chris pipes up but Hawk was already too far to hear it.

I take my glossier hoodie off leaving me in a sports bra and spandex before calling out.

"Alright class, tournaments tomorrow so I better see everyone work their ass off! Miguels going to lead the class, I have better things to do right now."

I see Hawk frown at the corner of my eye.

"Vera, you're supposed to train us, not just leave us to fend for ourselves." Bert says.

I spotted him in the middle of the rows before walking up to him and bending down so our eyes were levelled.

"Bert honey, no offence but how are you going to take someone down like this?" Other students start snickering. "Yeah laugh now but every single one of you can be easily beaten right now. Miguel and Hawk may be the best in the class but against other dojos they're beginners. So either leave or start sparring with your partner because I'm done helping people who aren't willing to take the time to practice."

The class was silent as I stood up and went back to the front. Chris stepped out of line and started walking up to me.

"Uh- Vera, we actually do appreciate you very much, I just wanted to say thank you for helping us and we will try our best to not let you down."

I smiled at that comment, Chris was always so sweet to me.

"Now if I had a guy like that I'd make him my boyfriend." I chuckle

Spontaneously the class burst into compliments.

"Vera you're so beautiful."

"Thank you so much for training us Vera."

"You smell nice."

"Woman, please give me a chance."

"Yeah, I guess thanks for making us better Vera." Hawk mumbled but since I was upfront I heard him. I widen my eyes and stand in front of him before putting my hand on his cheek and tapping it a couple of times.

"Did everyone hear that?" I ask silencing the class. "Hawk just gave me a compliment, I think the world's flipped upside down." I chuckle "Alright I was going to let Miguel lead but I guess since I'm so appreciated in this dojo might as well sharpen everyone's skills."

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I was laying on the mat full of sweat gasping for air.

Training was the most intense today, I had given everyone a one on one just to focus on them and their skills.

"Vera you good?" Miguel asks while chucking as he peers down at me on the mat.

"Oh yeah, you know just sweating and dying of exhaustion over here." I sarcastically say as Miguel helps me back and we walk towards our bags. I was grabbing my hoodie to put over my sports bra before I realized that I'm still all sweaty and I could use this to my advantage. You get what I'm saying?

"Hey Miguel?" I say as I watch him turn back to me. I reached out my arms and it took him a split second before realizing what I was asking for. "Come give your bestest friend a hug won't ya?"

"Oh hell no Vera." Miguel replies while trying to back away from me. "I am not hugging you while you're all sweaty and gross."

"Hey! You're the one to talk, you're just as sweaty and gross so I guess it cancels each other out right?"

I watched as Miguel kept backing up; he eventually bumped into Hawk's back as Hawk was talking with Chris and Mitch. I used this opportunity to wrap my arms around his neck before he could realize what was happening.

(a/n: for all you visual people here's what I was imagining)

"What the-" Hawk questions.

"Hey Hawk, just trying to rub my gross sweat on you as Miguel put it." I chuckle pressing my chest to Hawk's back.

Hawk turns his head to look back at me in disgust before trying to shake me off.

"Aw, gross Vera's got cooties." 

I laugh before taking my arms off Hawk's shoulders.

"Oh me next!" Mitch exclaimed.

I open my arms wide playing along with the joke before Hawk used his arm to push me back.

"Nah bro you don't want that, her sports bra is just filled with cooties."

I gasp before hitting Hawk in the shoulders.

"It's better than me wearing a skirt on the first day okay."

"Sure Vera, whatever you say." Hawk replied, smirking before walking over to my bag handing me my hoodie. "Might want to put this on you know? Cooties and all?" He chuckled. I smiled back before grabbing the hoodie off his hands and putting it on.

"But-" Mitch said, turning to face me with arms stretched outwards.

"Let's go bro." Hawk said while putting an arm around Mitch leading him out the doors. "See you at the tournament yea?" Hawk asks.

"Yea." I reply smiling as I watch Miguel and the last of the students leave the dojo.

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Jex ✰

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