Part 8E

Sam

The room wasn't so bad. It was spacious enough, taking up about half the attic space, the rest of which could be accessed through a door, like an enormous closet space. The pull-down stairs led directly into the guest room, and had a lock on the inside for privacy. It was an odd guest room, but a rather nice one all in all. It was obviously disused, though.

We moved the boxes that had been collecting dust into the other attic space. Jenna raised the blinds on the single window and dust started wafting around the room. I sneezed and helped move more boxes. About half-way through getting the clutter hauled out, Jenna snatched Edd up to help with the dusting and cleaning, to which he protested mightily.

Once we had the last of the boxes stored away I stepped into the room and took stock of it. It would definitely do. The walls were plain and the light blue paint was old and faded. The roof was slanted sharply on one side, but the room was big enough to keep it from creating a claustrophobic effect. Jenna had wiped all the dust away so things looked a bit fresher than they probably had in a good while. She had also dusted the blinds, hung some curtains they had apparently kept stowed away downstairs somewhere, gotten Tony and Theo to flip and rotate the mattress on the bed, put together fresh bedding for it, swept the wooden floor, and carried the bag of stuff I'd brought with me and put it down beside an old squat dresser standing opposite the bed. The bed itself was an old but comfortably soft queen, which I found to be worlds better than my cramp little twin at home. The room was big enough to fit two of mine in and probably still have room. It was bare and simple, but so was my room at home, and I was glad for the extra breathing space.

"Thanks again for letting me stay here," I told Jenna's Dad as he stepped inside.

"No problem, just make yourself comfortable," he nodded, motioning to the dresser and bed. "And don't worry about making noise or anything like that at night, the previous owners had this room sound-proofed for some reason, so we can't hear footsteps coming from in here downstairs or anything."

"Cool," I nodded. "I'll try to keep quiet just the same."

"What are you two planning on doing now?" he asked as Jenna stepped up beside me and put a hand on my arm.

I glanced at my watch and nodded. "I've got class in about a half-hour, so I should probably get going."

"Class?" Mr. Mathews asked.

"His martial arts," Jenna explained.

"Ah," Mr. Mathew's nodded. "When is it over?"

"Around 8:30," I replied.

"Okay. I'll tell Karla to save some dinner."

"Thank you," I nodded.

"Thanks, Dad," Jenna added.

"So what do you think?" she asked me as Mr. Mathew's left the room.

"A lot better than what I'm used to," I smiled. I took her into my arms and hugged her firmly before grabbing my bag. Jenna sat down on the bed and watched as I took out my things, putting the few clothes I'd brought into the small dresser. I pulled my alarm clock out of the bag and plugged it in, then put my books and such onto the single bedside table. I pulled my Gi out and placed it on the bed. Jenna picked it up and started inspecting it.

"Are you sure you get to wear this tonight? The week isn't over yet," Jenna pointed out.

"Yeah," I smiled. "This isn't a school event. The dojo classes and school classes are independent of each other, though a few of the students from school do go to the dojo."

"Are we going to go ahead and go?"

"Soon," I smiled. "I gotta change first. I'd rather not show up at the dojo in my jammies."

"Jammies," Jenna giggled and shook her head. She stood up and smiled. "Guess I should meet you downstairs then, huh?"

"Yeah, your parents may not be too keen on me getting all nekid in front of you." "Bit late for that," Jenna rolled her eyes as she stepped out.

I changed into a simple pair of shorts and one of my favorite, comfortable shirts with a dragon on the front (I'm a dork, I know). I grabbed up my Gi before walking down the stairs leading into my attic room. I pushed the stairs back up and used the bathroom before going downstairs to find Jenna. She was talking with Tony about a possible trip to the mall this Sunday, an idea that the twins were whole-heartedly supporting.

"Ready?" Jenna smiled as I walked into the room.

"Yeah," I nodded.

Karla poked her head in from her bedroom down the hall. "Have fun you two. Be careful. Don't get hurt too bad, Sam."

"I won't," I grinned. "They make me wear the extra-thick pads so I won't cry like I used to."

Karla laughed and waved.

"I wanna go!" Edd proclaimed excitedly, hopping up and down on the couch.

Jenna smirked and glanced at Karla.

"And have you done your homework yet?" Karla asked.

"Uh... yes?" Edd tried less than convincingly.

"Are you lying?" Karla pressed dryly.

"Yes," Edd muttered glumly.

"Uh-huh. Upstairs, now," Karla ordered. Edd stomped noisily up the stairs in a little-boy fit of exasperation.

"See you at dinner," Karla winked, then stepped back into her room.

"Let's go," Jenna laughed and ruffled Tony's hair as she jumped up from the couch.

We drove to the Dojo, just under twenty minutes away from Jenna's house. Jenna drove this time and we talked about school stuff. I had a test in History tomorrow that I really didn't want anything to do with. We both decided we were actually kind of looking forward to seeing how today's drawings in Art turned out, if anyone was willing to show us tomorrow. It was simple, relaxed talk, comfortable and oddly familiar for how short a time we'd known each other. Maybe that was why we were so attracted to one another; it just seemed as if we'd been around each other for years.

The Dojo was a small, simple place. At the front of the Dojo, several small benches were situated for guests and parents to view and wait. At the other end, a shrine was set up, ornate yet simple, with various small jade and cherry-wood carvings and statuettes arranged upon it, small Chinese dragons and monks settled in various meditative or fighting stances. A scroll hung over the shrine stating the precepts of Ryu-Hon Kenpo in Japanese characters, with English subtitles below. A bowl of incense sat on a low table beside the shrine, two sticks of fragrant and strong incense glowing softly, tendrils of smoke drifting upward. Against the left wall sat the weapons rack, the tools of the weapon art of Kobudo, ranging from common weapons such as the Bo staff, the three pronged hand-trident known as Sai, and Nunchaku, to Kama, or hand scythe, and Eku, a weapon similar to a boat-oar.

We stretched and warmed up, a thorough and familiar process that followed the old stretches handed down through generations of knowledge. It took nearly a half-hour before our warming up was finished. After we were all stretched and warm, class began. Sensei dedicated most of the night to instructing on the application of pressure points. Pressure points were a pretty advanced area of Kenpo, and though we went over the most basic and easily accessible ones tonight, it was a bit difficult for some of the students to grasp. I knew pressure my pressure point techniques passably well, but even with all my experience I couldn't match the casual and light touch Sensei Marcus employed that could make your whole left side fall numb or your jaw feel as if it were locked into place. I was partnered with Amelia to practice the pressure points we'd been shown. She had been training long enough to know these basic points fairly well. Sensei Marcus said she needed someone more advanced than her to polish the little things that made a technique complete and effective.

"Glad you've finally got some clothes on for once," she mumbled softly, wincing as I pressed my middle two fingers into the pressure point in the soft tissue just beneath her mandible, near the corner of her jaw.

"Yeah, me too," I chuckled. It was my turn to wince as she applied the technique to me. I reached out and gripped her hand and directed it deeper in under my jaw. "Right there. Now lift more with your hand... ah, yeah, that's it."

Amelia grinned. She always grinned when she got a chance to hurt me. Devil-woman.

We went through various other points; the one behind the collar bone, the joint where the shoulder met the arm, one in the wrist, and the soft nerve-clusters in the armpits and between the ribs. It was a precise, methodical principle of the art, one that required more focus and care than more standard fighting techniques. It wasn't something I saw myself using in a fight, at least not for a long, long time. But I had seen what Sensei Marcus could do with pressure strikes during Kumite sparring, and I knew they could be the most effective way of disabling your opponent. They were just immensely impractical if you hadn't damn near mastered them yet, which I definitely hadn't.

After about a half-hour of this, we moved on to Kobudo, our weapons training. Bo was the weapon of the night, and we went straight into Kata. Bo was the foundation of all weapons training, according to Ryu-Hon Kenpo Kobudo tradition, and we trained with it twice as much as any other weapon. Most people saw the Bo staff as a basic and simple weapon compared to others, but we employed it with a depth and familiarity that made it our most effective and deadly weapon. I could do things with a Bo that I would never be able to manage with some of the more flashy and impressive weapons like the Sai or Kama.

At the end of class I felt as I always did after all was said and done; refreshed, relaxed, and ready to continue. I was glad I had come, as I felt more comfortable and at peace with things than I had all week.

Amelia walked up to me after Sensei called the class to an end and we'd bowed out. She saw Jenna in the sitting area and smiled, waving, before turning her attention back to me. "We still going to practice some for the tournament?"

"I think," I said slowly. "Let me check with Jenna and see if she's cool with us being a bit late."

"Okay, cool. I'll come say hi too."

Jenna hugged me as we stepped off the Dojo floor, then made a face at how sweaty I was.

"What did you think?" I grinned.

"You looked great out there, both of you," Jenna smiled.

"Thanks," Amelia smiled. "Do you mind if I borrow him for a few more minutes? I need to get some practice in for the Tournament this weekend and Sam's my usual punching bag."

"Sure, no problem," Jenna nodded, giving my hand a soft squeeze.

"We won't be long," I assured her, kissing her forehead. I nodded to Amelia, then got a quick sip of water before walking back onto the Dojo floor. Most of the students had already stepped into the changing rooms in the back, though a few lingered to further practice Kata or particular exercises.

I faced Amelia and we bowed to one another. I settled into a fighting posture, my hands extended before me and my knees comfortably bent. I arched a brow at her questioningly. "How heavy do you want me to be?"

"Give me all you can without hurting me," Amelia nodded.

Amelia was a green belt, with a stripe. Our Dojo's belt system was different from most Dojo's, at least by appearances. We only had four belts; white, green, brown, and black. Between the belts fell stripes, which were considered a full and substantial rank. She had been training two and a half years compared to my nine.

That said, Amelia could take a surprising amount of punishment.

I lunged forward, my feet maintaining stable contact with the ground as I led with a high front-kick, my heel aiming for her chest. Instead of skipping back, Amelia stepped into the kick, lunging to the side and into my guard. She tried to grab my leg but I pulled it back before she could grip it. I struck her belly with an open-palm strike with just enough force to make her know it would have been bad had I put real power behind it. She blocked my next body-shot with her forearm and tried to drive a hook into my face. I lunged out of range, then came back in with a looping round-house kick to her outer thigh. She stepped in again, this time trying to drive a cross elbow into my midsection. I caught the elbow with my left forearm. I pushed against her arm, pressing her back as I launched a short hook with my right hand.

As Amelia leaned back she gripped my left arm and gave it a yank, using my momentum to drag me forward. I flowed with the movement, focusing on using my advancing leg to check and turn the low kick she struck with instead of fighting to keep my feet. I briefly touched the ground with one knee, but I was up and advancing into Amelia's guard before she could attack. I planted one hand into her abdomen and used the other to grip her thigh, pulling her leg as I rose up and pushed at an upward angle. My low position allowed me to get my weight under her and maneuver her off her feet. I gave an extra firm tug on her leg at the same time I shoved her sharply in the middle, and her legs slipped from under her as she fell back. I hastily gripped the front of her GI to help ease her less violently down.

Amelia hopped up and we had a few more exchanges. I pushed her pretty hard, but she pushed back with everything she had. Her knuckles rapped on the corner of my brow at one point and left a raised, red bump. I grinned and nodded at her, admitting that she had had me. In the next moment I sidestepped a solid punch and gripped her wrist, yanking her forward and lunging around her side. My free arm shot forward and wrapped around her throat as I maneuvered behind her and dragged back. I drove my heel into the back of her knee and tightened my arm around her throat enough to show her that she wasn't going anywhere. I let her back up after she tapped my thigh to show my point was well taken.

Fifteen minutes later we bowed to each other, both of us puffing slightly and grinning. I walked into the men's changing area and emerged in my street clothes. I walked off the dojo floor and found Sensei Marcus conversing softly with Jenna. They both looked up at me as I sat down beside her. Sensei Marcus sucked a breath through his teeth as he saw the red mark on my face, a gesture that generally meant he was about to poke fun at someone.

"You really should stop letting the under-belt students beat you up," he reproached me.

"I wish I was," I grumbled softly, even as I grinned at him. "It's not my fault if the girl doesn't have enough respect to let me win."

"I heard that," Amelia growled as she stepped up to us.

"Remind me never to make you mad," Jenna told her.

"If you figure out how to avoid that, let me know," I said, putting an arm around Jenna.

"Me too," Sensei Marcus suggested.

"I'm not that bad," Amelia sighed. "I'm working on being nice, really."

My eyes boggled playfully at that. "This is you being nice?"

Amelia smacked me in the same spot where she had tagged me earlier, but on the other side of my face this time.

"Now you match," Sensei Marcus teased.

"Joy," I said darkly.

Amelia laughed and smiled. "I've gotta get going, my ride is waiting. Thanks for helping me, Sam."

She bowed to Sensei Marcus and me, then walked to the door.

"Well, I know you two need to get going as well," Sensei Marcus nodded as he stood up. We shook hands, then he clasped my back in a light hug. He turned to Jenna and shook her hand, smiling at her.

"You're welcome to come any time. I hope to see you again sometime. And think about what I said."

"Definitely," she smiled. "Thank you."

Jenna and left and hopped into her car. I raised a brow at her but didn't say anything.

"He invited me to try a few lessons if I wanted, for free," she explained.

My brows went up at that and I thought about it for a moment. "Are you interested in that?"

"I'm not sure if I'm up to it," she said slowly. "You guys seem pretty serious." "We are," I nodded. "But we're not stupid about it. Most of the students that showed up tonight are the serious ones, and most of us have been doing this a while. But we know some people haven't had any kind of experience with this kind of thing. We generally have the philosophy that you should do what you can, but only what you can."

"It is really interesting," Jenna smiled. "And it was cool watching you do it. I think I would be interested. Plus..."

Her words trailed to a halt and I glanced at her. After the silence had stretched to an uncomfortable length, I prodded, "Plus what?"

Jenna still didn't answer for a moment. She glanced at me and I knew what she said as soon as I saw her eyes. Still, she said, "Plus, I could learn to defend myself... so nothing like that would happen again."

I nodded slowly and reached out to gently squeeze her hand. "I'd be there to protect you... but you're right. It would be a good thing. And it might help you feel better about things. More secure."

"Maybe," Jenna said softly.

We made the rest of the drive in silence. We walked into the house to find leftovers of dinner cold but waiting for us. The house was quiet, subdued, though it seemed like everyone was home.

"Probably in the living room," Jenna guessed.

I stuck my head into the living room to discover she was right; the TV was on, though it was on quietly, and Tony and the twins were sitting on the couch watching it. Jessica and Ashley were talking softly. Edd was laying on the floor, facing the TV, coloring in a coloring book. Mr. Mathew's was sitting in his recliner. He caught my eye and nodded, but seemed to be wrapped up in whatever they were watching. I wasn't sure where Theo or Karla were.

"Karla makes a pretty good pot-roast," Jenna informed me as I sat down beside her at the dinner table. After a few bites, I decided she was right. I tried to remember the last time I had had pot-roast. Years, probably. How long since I'd had homemade pot-roast? Even longer.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

Jenna gave me a questioning look. "I'm fine. Why?"

I shrugged slightly and swallowed my food. "I dunno. You've kinda been through a lot lately. I worry about you."

She watched me for a few minutes, her eyes scanning my face. She seemed to be trying to decide something. Then she smiled and gave my hand a squeeze. "You really are sweet, Sam. I'm fine, really. I'm sorry I'm worrying you."

"I didn't say you worry me, I said I worry about you," I stated. "There's a difference."

"How do you figure?"

"Oh, I don't know," I muttered. "It's like... if you worried me, that would be something you initiated. It'd be a reaction I was having, I guess. But worrying about you... that's voluntary. Nothing has to happen for me to worry about someone, especially someone I care about. I just do. It's more a matter of caring that worrying, I think."

Jenna smiled softly and leaned in to kiss me softly.

I grinned at her as we drew apart. "Careful. I almost didn't swallow the pot-roast juice before you did that."

"Yummy," Jenna giggled.

"Is that a complement, then?" Karla asked as she stepped into the kitchen behind us.

"Yes," Jenna and I said at once, then laughed.

"Uh-huh," Karla grinned. She pulled a carton of juice out the fridge and, glancing at it, put it back and fished a coke out instead.

"I thought you were trying to wean yourself from caffeine?" Jenna asked.

"Trying," Karla grumbled.

"You too, huh?" I smiled at Karla. "I'm thoroughly addicted, I'm afraid. Total junkie."

"Really? You don't seem to be especially buggy like most caffeine addicts are," Karla offered.

I chuckled softly. "If you'd known me a few years back you would've said otherwise. I still have instances of hyperactivity, but I've managed to get it a bit under-thumb."

"Sounds like Edd. Minus the under-thumb bit, I mean," Jenna laughed.

Karla rolled her eyes, but there was affection in them. "That boy. I swear, he has ADD or something."

"Could be worse," I grinned. "He could have Tourettes."

"Don't say that!" Karla laughed. "He's got a runaway mouth as it is."

Jenna playfully swatted my shoulder. "You're so optimistic."

"I know," I smirked. "I'm a regular ray of sunshine, huh?"

"You're my ray of sunshine," Jenna said, preening mischievously.

"And on that note, I'm going to my room," Karla said, casting a wink our way.

"Karla!" Jenna whined.

Karla laughed and walked out of the kitchen.

"So," Jenna spoke after several moments of comfortable silence. We'd finished our food and sat staring at one another. She braced her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands as she watched me. A thick tendril of rich brown silk dangled along one side of her face, framing the gently angled jaw line and full cheekbone and contrasting the pale cream of her skin and the soft, delicate pink in her cheeks. I stared at her, enraptured by the sight of her all over again. My eyes met hers and I felt myself quickly and wonderfully becoming lost in that liquid chocolate gaze...

"Sam?" Jenna asked. I started and shook my head. Okay, so I really did get lost for a minute there.

"Sorry," I grinned sheepishly. "Say that again?"

Jenna shook her head, but her eyes sparkled with amusement. "I asked you why you got into martial arts." "Ah," I muttered. I shrugged a bit a smirked. "My Dad decided it for me, mostly. He wanted me to learn some discipline and self-control."

"Were you a trouble maker?" Jenna smirked teasingly.

I shrugged and glanced down at the table. "Probably. But that wasn't the issue... I'm sure you've noticed I'm not exactly a big intimidating guy, huh?"

"Not when you've got your clothes on," she giggled.

I laughed and arched a brow at her, but continued my story. "I've always been a runt. Runts get picked on. Unfortunately, I never took very well to being picked on. I've always had a pretty short fuse, and I wasn't very good at walking away when I was younger. So any time a bully would even start picking on me, I pounced."

"So beating down guys twice your size isn't a new trick for you?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say I beat them down," I laughed. " 'Guys twice my size' is pretty accurate... but more often than not they beat the shit out of me. Not that I didn't try, of course. I fought back as well as I could. In the meantime I started getting a bad reputation with teachers and what not. I didn't exactly initiate fighting, but I certainly didn't avoid it.

"So, between my temper getting me into trouble and coming home with a bloodied face, my Dad decided something had to be done. He thought I needed some discipline, but I also needed to learn how to really defend myself. He checked around the area for various Dojos, and eventually found Sensei Marcus. The rest is pretty much history."

Jenna nodded and sipped her drink as she leaned back in her seat. "That's not really all though, is it? Did you get in more fights after that?"

"No, actually," I shrugged. "I kinda idolized Sensei Marcus, so when he told me I shouldn't get in fights, I actually wanted to do what he said. It was hard, but I learned self restraint. I got picked on more, yeah, but I took up the practice of walking away or disarming the situation. I didn't want to fight anymore; it seemed stupid."

"So Wednesday..." Jenna ventured.

"Was the first time I've been in a fight in years. And the first time I've ever really used my training," I nodded.

Jenna fell silent, and I fidgeted a bit. I didn't want to the conversation to fall on a subject that would upset her, so I said, "Your turn."

"Huh?" Jenna asked.

"I told you something most people don't know about me. So it's your turn."

"Oh," Jenna smiled. She leaned back in her seat for a moment and looked thoughtful. After a moment, her eyes dropped to the table and she softly said, "I was anorexic. Once."

My whole body tensed. "What?"

"I'm not anymore," she assured me quickly. "And I won't be again. I'm done with that."

"Did your parents know?"

"No," Jenna shook her head. She let out a soft sigh. "No one did. It wasn't something I was proud of."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I gently suggested. I didn't want to push her too far... I could tell this wasn't a very comfortable subject for her. But I also badly wanted to know why she would have considered such a thing. She shrugged and glanced at me, her eyes awkward but honest. "It was my freshman year. I... well, you know. I'm not exactly the skinniest person in the world."

"So?" I challenged, then realized maybe asserting anything wouldn't be the best idea this exact moment. "Go on."

"It wasn't a very good time for me," Jenna continued. "I didn't have any friends... and I'm not really very outspoken, if you haven't noticed. I felt alone and I was kind of depressed and confused. I was also growing these things," here she motioned at her bust, "and it was freaking me out, because I had the biggest chest in school. I was really self conscious about them, and, well, all my other curves.

"So," she sighed deeply, "I decided to do something about it. I figured if I just didn't eat, I'd lose weight, and my figure would stop growing. It didn't last that long... a month or two, I guess. By then I had a few friends, and started feeling slightly less self-conscious. And it was hurting me... hunger pains and weakness and all that. I decided it just wasn't worth how much I was hurting myself, and started eating again. I also had a relapse into it when I started going to school at Monroe, but I became friends with Derik and Theresa soon enough."

I gently reached out to cup her cheek, running my thumb along her skin as I gazed into her eyes. "You're beautiful, you know. I mean it. Don't ever think otherwise."

Jenna smiled and turned slightly to kiss my hand. "Thank you, Sam."

We talked for a bit longer, then washed out dishes and put them away. Karla and Mr. Mathew's came in to wish us good-night. Mr. Mathew's sternly told us not to stay up too late. The kids ran in at various points after that to wish us good night. Tony got a Coke and nodded our way, then headed upstairs. Theo was curt and closed when he came to retrieve a snack, and barely acknowledged us. I wondered what his problem was. But then, he was just about to enter into his teen years. I wasn't exactly Mr. Bright-and-sunny at his age, either.

At about 9:45, Jenna and I walked upstairs. We lingered at her door and I held her in my arms for several moments. We kissed, a light, lingering, gentle kiss that stirred my blood in more ways than one. My hands trailed along her spine, rubbing lightly and reveling in the simple feel of her.

I went up to my attic room and switched the light on. I looked around the room. It was as empty and featureless as I'd left it, but it was home, for now. And it was somehow immeasurably better than the room I'd left behind. I stripped to my boxers and switched the light off, then flopped onto my bed with a contented sigh.

Time passed, a minute and an hour blending undiscernibly. A glance at the small alarm-clock revealed the former to be closer to the truth. I glanced at the ceiling and braced my hands behind my head. I could feel a soft smile curling my lips, and pondered that for a moment. I was happy about... what? Jenna, of course. Everything seemed to return to her lately, and I was perfectly okay with that. Amazing, how a single person could affect such changes in you. So many things were different now. I had finally separated myself from my Mother. I finally had a girl who I felt a real, deep connection with, the kind of connection I had wanted for years. And I felt happy, really happy, for the first time in a long time.

Strange how I realized that. I hadn't been happy. Not for a very long time. Months. Years, maybe. Oh, I was relatively okay, maybe even close enough to happy that I hadn't even noticed the difference. But it had mostly been me convincing myself I was happy. It was easy enough to do, when you felt you didn't have a choice. For a long time, I had been doing my best to be optimistic. One of the notions that I enjoyed most in my martial training was the notion of balance, physically, mentally, and spiritually. I realized now that I had been striving so hard toward a sense of balance, a bit of light to offset the darker parts of my life, that I had forced myself toward it. I wondered what that said about me, for good or ill.

It didn't matter, though. Now I was happy. And all because of Jenna. I swore to myself that I would do everything I could to keep this wonderful girl happy and safe, and the thought made me smile even wider.

I jumped as a soft creak filled the room, a quiet sound that seemed deafening in the quiet confines of my attic room. I glanced at the clock. I'd been laying there lost in thought for almost an hour. I glanced in the direction of the noise.

Jenna's head popped up from the attic stairs. I'd forgotten to lock them.

She climbed up into the room, then pulled the attic steps up and gingerly easing the stairs/door up so it wouldn't thud loudly.