Mate: Part One
She gave me a grin that made my inside twist- like she'd already decided this was going to be easy for her.
"Go on," she said, nudging me forward.
I stepped onto the mat, my pulse thudding in my ears. The girl raised her fist, waiting. I mirrored her awkwardly, my shoulders too stiff, my stance shaky.
"Remember what I showed you," the girl encouraged from the sidelines.
The girl lunged first, throwing a light jab toward my shoulder. I yelped and stumbled back, nearly tripping over my own feet. A ripple of laughter stirred from somewhere in the room, but before it could build, that sound again- Jay's low, deliberate throat- clear.