Page 3 (1/2)

Her face told me the news before she said a word "Let him talk to you about it"

I shook my head "No way The suspense would killjudo"

"Out of," she corrected and I stared at her until she responded

"There’s been a snag"

I raised an eyebrow, like elaborate

"Since she’s sixteen and this is a permanent order, she has to have five character witnesses" I opened my mouth to protest and she held up her hand "No, it can’t be you and the gang It has to be others that are also sixteen and over"

"The J’s, Molance at the set of wheels that hung in the driveway Ireatness Yeah, that

She nodded "Yes, that makes some sense but it’s not as clearcut as all that Your father can elaborate on the specifics, sweet pea," she said, stepping to ruffle my hair and I did the lean

"Thanks for the banana bread, Mo her eyes I just wasn’t up to the daily maul anymore I was older now, I didn’t want the Moh I felt a stab of guilt and said, "Gotta get to judo orto rideave Onyx a pat and another crumb I’d stolen and slammed the door closed behind me

As I sailed past my car on the way to my bike I was tempted to stroke its sleek sides (sleek to otten me to more yard jobs than I cared to admit Of course, that’d been on the days Bry couldn’t pick roup Pimped out for the rich folks all suet assigned the Haive me The Lecture that I remembered as I rode:

"Caleb, you understand that you’re so to have to work for people that you don’t like, right?"

I nodded, responding, "Like Carson’s stupid dad Yeah, I gotcha on that one"

Dad frowned "I didn’t say anything about IQ son"

My brows sailed up and he did a sht," he held up a pal to win any chess h and he continued, "This will be a real challenge but as long as he doesn’t require anything illegal from you, it will be a terrific way to prove that you have the internal fortitude to see a task through to coardless of the personal undertone"

Personal undertone!

I folded my arms over my chest "K, but I don’t know if I can do it"

"Just keep us abreast of whatever transpires, are we clear?"

"Yeah, Dad Crystal"

"Caleb, swivel your hips, move with fluidity Too jerky," Sensei Anderson said

I wanted to kick his ass Sas dripping all over theme on turns I was completely past that

He saw my look and smiled "Think you can take me?"

I looked down at my instructor and knew I couldn’t Maybe he was five-nine But he o hundred pounds of muscle What Gramps would’ve called a brick shithouse

"No, sensei," I said through my teeth

"Then you better hustle your ass on the ot beside ether, side-by-side in synchronicity "What do I have to do to make you passionate about this? Do you need sorowled, s raw He’d really been ridinglike a sheep about excellence and all that happy crap I was tired Couldn’t he see I was trying?

"Keep going," he said, stopping besidewider Finally he let up on the suspense of his thoughts "Heard you got a girlfriend"

My step faltered and I jammed it back into place with an effort

"Yes, sensei" Where was this going?

"Hear she’s a real hottie," he said with feeling

Without thinking, I swiveled into sensei, takingmy hand like a plank into the soft tissue of his throat Not a death blow, no But a nice, sharp jab

He came at me in a flurry of defensive jabs, the breath locked in his throat Even without breathing-

He caer, older He foot-sweptsmack that echoed in the dojo The other kids stepped back

Sensei Anderson sucked in a lungful "Take a break, students" His hand palus where a red welt had blossoht with some satisfaction

He reached a hand out to rip He jerkedabout, Hart"

I got right in his grill, a flavor of pissed off beating in ain "That was just to show you what kind of intensity I’ out of you," he pointed to his head "It’s ot the physique" He walked a circle aroundat ed "Six foot so"

He cocked a brow "You’re sixteen?"

I shook irlfriend picking me up today because she was that month older than me, license already in hand

He studied h?"

I nodded "Yeah, Halloween"

"Really," he said on a chuckle "That’s the height of irony"

"Yeah, hilarious," I said, scowling at hiirlfriend is hot," I feltthe subtle tightening "But I’ a point"