Sparring

Gisa

Gisa paced the floor of the gym where Jamison had disappeared around the corner to fill his water bottle up before they continued.

"You know, you could try apologizing to him," Emma said from a nearby machine, pulling a weight down, her muscles slightly straining, "You've driven him to the ground again and again. He just got cleared to work out after his concussion. You've yelled at him twice and sworn more times than I can count at this point." She huffed out a breath as she continued.

Gisa shrugged, rewrapping her fists. "He told me not to go easy on him. He's lucky we're not fighting like we were in the pitts. This here? This is just good exercise."

"Look, Gisa—"

"Don't 'look Gisa' at me." she said, frowning. "You have a whole life ahead of you. You're super smart, and your designs are becoming known around the school and on social media, you and Sean are official as of a week ago." Gisa flopped into a bench, resting her elbows on her knees. "I have the intelligence of a brick, my only talent is beating people into the ground and dumb magic that I'm not supposed to use out of the classroom, and— and Camden and I won't see each other until this life is over. Even if we do. If he somehow escaped the magic that I— that he said he would face." Gisa ground her teeth. She knew it was the only way but it still felt wrong. Camden had only been dead for a short while. He'd still be traveling to the afterworld. Either he'd escape the monster or be forced to live in the blood realm forever.

Emma sighed, standing and adjusting her ponytail slightly. The sun caught on its golden highlights making it practically glow. Gisa couldn't help but envy it. "Fine, I'm going to finish my workout. You and Jamison have fun doing…" she gestured to Gisa sporting a new bruise, "whatever it is that you enjoy doing." She turned on her heel, stalking away.

Gisa glared at her even after she rounded a corner out of view. Ever since Camden's murder, they'd grown distant. Gisa was content to sulk over what she'd lost while Emma… Emma didn't allow herself to grieve. She didn't even want Gisa to. For Emma, everything was moving forward. She started a new platform on the internet, selling her custom made clothing. She was back in the running for valedictorian, she had only managed to make herself prettier when she started working out, and her skin got to see the sun. She started taking music lessons and could play the piano quite well after scarcely a month of practice. On top of everything she'd already done, she had time to go to the fancy parties and go shopping with her friends. Sean started taking her to the charity balls and dinner parties he was invited to. Her life… her life was everything Emma had dreamt about. It was the fulfillment of the journal entries that she'd shared with Gisa years and years ago. It was like the story books she read.

Gisa scowled at her reflection in a mirror on the opposite wall. Jamison came back in, dropping his water bottle on the bench, wrapping up his own hands. "Ready?"

"Better question, are you?" She jutted her chin to the ring they'd claimed for the past half hour. She attempted, and miserably failed at a humorous tone.

Jamison didn't respond right away, instead shrugging and jumping to his feet, "I could be going easy on you, come on let's go."

She jumped into the ring, still not used to the soft floor beneath her feet, the flexible barriers, so unlike the sand and concrete back on the island— It even bounced a little.

Jamison made the first move feigning a high punch. Like he had done at the beginning of almost every match. One of these days he might actually try to hit her instead of pretend. But she played along, blocking high, using a low kick to block his incoming fist as he twisted from his hips. His left hand slung across his body, she took the opening and swung a knife hand into the side of his ribcage. She managed another strike before he recovered,twisting to face her fully.

Gisa used her left foot, the weaker one, arcing high from the outside in, before dropping it just short of him, hopping quickly, delivering a kick with her right foot to his stomach as he fell for her deceiving first kick. She then spun around, kicking the same spot again. In the moment it took for her to drop back into her neutral stance Jamison jumped at the temporary openness, delivering a burst of punches in different directions. Gisa had to give him credit. As she blocked another one, moving to the side, she could tell they had greatly improved somehow since the island. She hadn't sparred with him very many times since they'd been here. He was always busy with Tourney before. He used the twist of his hips to give an extra boost to his fist.

A blow connected with her jaw as she expected his right fist, Jamison punching again with the left. She used the momentum, as painful as it was, to roll over backwards, jumping back to her feet.

As she and Jamison bantered and exchanged blows, her mind began to clear a little. It was more fun to do this now that they were no longer making a living from it, earning more money for more damage. Now… Jamison ducked under a kick aimed for his head, just barely blocking her knee that she drove towards him. Now she found it liberating. It was something she could do better than most. If felt right.

She blocked his kick with her hand, striking across her body, countering with a kick to push him off balance. Grabbing the back of his shirt, she drove a knee into his chest, throwing him down, and landing an elbow into his back.

He coughed, but smirked from where she pinned him. "Feel better?"

Gisa swore at him again, but she couldn't help the smile that graced her lips. "You're getting better Jamison, but not good enough yet." She stepped back offering him a hand. He gripped her arm as she pulled him to his feet. "Ready to call it quits?"

"I think I'm going to take a nice run around the campus then hit the showers and go back to the dorms. Ron and I are going to order a couple pizzas. A few guys are coming by to study for the coming math test." Jamison said as they walked out of the ring.

"Ugh I had forgotten about that test. Why'd you have to mention it?" Gisa groaned, jumping off of the platform. She stuck her tongue out as Jamison took a leisurely step from the elevated surface. He mouthed "shortie."

"Gisa?"

She whipped her head around in the direction of the voice. "Michael. What are you doing here?" Had he seen them spar?

"I take martial arts here. I have a class in a few minutes. What are you two doing over by the rings?" he asked, dropping his bag on a bench. Gisa wanted to smirk with satisfaction as she noted the various array of sparring gear in his bag. Then again, they couldn't have the picture perfect king sporting any bruises.

"Jamison and I were sparring." Gisa said simply. Jamison held up his hands, still tightly bound in emphasis. "Enjoy your lessons." she turned to leave, but Michael grabbed her elbow, spinning her around. She fought the urge to twist his hand and throw him to the ground. She'd done worse to others for less. But at least his intentions were… harmless.

"I didn't know you did that… martial arts? Boxing? Some other style?" He asked innocently.

"I'd say a fair combination," Gisa said cautiously, looking at Jamison.

Apparently her discreet glance worked because, "Do you mind if we stay to watch your lesson for a little prince?" Jamison asked, smoothly shifting the attention.

"Oh no not at all." Michael said, his face lighting up. Gisa smiled a little at it. He shoved a hand in a pocket of his sweatpants, glancing around at the white room with blue stripes running around it, interrupted by a wall of mirrors. "If you wanted," he offered, meeting her eyes in their reflection, "You could join. My instructor wouldn't mind." timid… but genuine.

She met Jamison's eyes. Gisa couldn't explain it… but she really wanted to. Sure, Michael had his moments. The fire… Gisa almost couldn't blame him. It had been a freakish coincidence. But he was the one who had used his first decree to free them. He used his first decree to give them the chance they never should have gotten. He braved the scrutiny of the people whose opinions mattered most to his career.

Gisa turned to look at Michael with a smile. He wasn't so bad. "Maybe I could watch. Jamison has to finish his workout so he can go study like a nerd—"

"You have to study too!" He interjected, throwing one of his wraps at her.

Gisa ducked under it as it became unraveled, laughing. "Get out of here Jamison before you're late for your study session."

Michael joined her laughter as Jamison retorted again, picking up the wrap and leaving to pack up his gear. "So you want to stay for real?" Michael asked, his laughter dying, but the excitement in his eyes staying.

She hesitated for only a second but, "yeah. I really do."

The instructor was showing Michael how to escape someone grabbing his wrist. Gisa watched him demonstrate the motions a few times on Michael, stopping short before he hurt his arm. The two then walked through the motions together.

Gisa's eyes drifted to the mirror across the room at the circles beneath her eyes.

"What will you do when someone grabs you like this? What will you do?" Audenzitios's volume elevated as she clutched Gisa's wrist, yanking her across the floor, throwing her to her knees. It didn't really hurt, but things had only just started.

Gisa got to her feet, facing her mother, her chin dimpled as she frowned. She couldn't understand why. How had it led to this? Why did everything she said lead to something? She only waited for her mother to cross the distance between them, grabbing her wrist again. She knew better than to pull back on it.

"Why aren't you trying to escape? What did I just drill you on?" Audenzitios shouted, repeating the same action.

Gisa's knees hit the floor, the bones barking in pain. She bit back a cry. She was supposed to tug back? Her eight-year-old mind didn't understand. She couldn't do anything right. Gisa got to her feet again, her left knee throbbing. She held out her arm. "I'll try this time."

"Grab mine." Audenzitios responded, smacking her arm out of the way and extending her own.

Gisa uneasily reached out, barely able to fit her tiny hand around her mom's wrist. "Like this?"

"Just grab it Gisa. as hard as I grabbed yours. The harder you grab my wrist the less I'll make it hurt."

Gisa didn't hesitate, squeezing her mother's wrist as hard as she could with her stupid little fingers. They were still not quite as strong as they had been before stupid Camden broke her arm. Gisa hoped her mother would take that into account. She dared meet her mother's eyes. And in a blink she found herself bent over backwards, arm painfully twisted behind her. She couldn't move or her arm would snap. Again.

"Mother please don't break it." Gisa said, her voice barely a whimper as her mother held her arm behind her back. "Mom please, it just healed—" she squeaked in protest as her mother pressed her elbow upwards. Gisa fell hard on the floor as soon as her mom let go of her arm.

"Again. Until you can mimic my motions we'll go again." Her mother demanded, "Now grab my wrist and watch carefully."

Gisa trudged up the stairs, her head pounding. She wasn't sure what limbs she could and could not feel anymore. She bit the inside of her lip to keep tears of frustration at bay. She knew Emma was studying in their bedroom. Her mother wouldn't let her step foot out of the house. The men outside were as much to keep people out as they were to keep others in.

She pushed open the bathroom door, stepping onto the stool to look in the mirror. She frowned deeper at her reflection. Dark circles appeared under her green eyes. The purple only made them greener. Creepier. Her dirty blonde hair hung in now crooked braids behind her head, the hair disheveled and unkempt. Her whole appearance was. Gisa hated her pale skin. Her nose was crooked and she had few eyelashes. Her face was gaunt.

Gisa wiped at a tear that fell from her eyes with the back of her hand, kicking the door shut with a satisfying slam. She sat down on the floor, hunching her shoulders. Don't cry. If there was one thing not to do.

Stupid Camden. If he hadn't beat her up, her mother wouldn't have forced her to learn how to fight back properly. Stupid teacher for relaying the whole thing to her mother. Her mother hadn't come to her school since she was first in kindergarten. The teacher still taught her in the third grade and would teach her until fifth grade. If she made it that far. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Gisa hissed the curse word she'd heard her mother say. She smiled slightly. It did help.

Gisa giggled as Camden pulled on her ponytail. "Camden I mean it! Cut it out!"

"Can't." he shrugged with a boyish grin. Camden kissed her on the forehead before taking off with the hair ribbon that had been in her hair a moment earlier.

She blushed as he ran ahead of her, waving the ribbon. Her hair fell over her shoulders, much longer than she normally let it grow. Since she and Camden had begun to walk home together after school she'd started to care more about her appearance. "You're in unusually good spirits today." Gisa prodded, as she called after him. "Usually failing a test and having the teacher rip into you like that spoils your mood more."

He stopped to let her catch up to him. "Yeah well, I don't have parents he can send a note home to. The old lady next door signed that dumb note."

"You get your notes signed?" Gisa almost couldn't believe it. She clapped her hands over her mouth. "No way." she laughed. "Cam… nobody checks those note bins. He dumps them out without going through them once a month."

His face had gone slack, "No way."

"I am never going to let you live this down Camden!" She chuckled.

Camden dramatically fell to his knees in the unusually dry streets. "Gisa you wouldn't be so cruel. I'll give you your ribbon back!" a wind whistled through the narrow and empty streets.

"Get off your knees you weirdo. I won't tell anyone. He probably does check for your notes. He hates you. Any reason he has to beat you he takes. Is he still mad about that incident two years ago where—"

"Yeah maybe," he hastily interrupted. "I'm heading to my cousin's so I will leave you here today." Camden said. "Here's your ribbon." He started to leave, but he turned around quickly, "you should wear it less. I like it when your hair is down. It's pretty."

Gisa didn't lift her eyes as she wandered back to her home slowly. She meandered down a street a few blocks from her home. She fiddled with the pink ribbon in her fingers, brushing the frayed end with her fingertips. Her forehead tingled where Camden had pressed a teasing kiss. She wondered if it meant as much to him as it did to her. She was supposed to hate the gangly teen who had beat her up in grade school. But the way that he looked at her with his crooked smile... She was so sad when his freckles had begun to fade this year.

Someone grabbed her school bag by the strap, ripping her out of her head. A young man in a gray hoodie grabbed her right wrist firmly while another wrenched her bag from her shoulder. Her heart thundered, but on instinct she stepped towards him with her right leg, flinging her elbow into his sternum while simultaneously breaking his grasp. She grabbed his hand with both of hers, digging her fingers into his hand between his thumb and forefinger. She twisted it behind his back, driving her knee between his legs letting him crumple.

She was no match for his much larger companion, one of his arms larger than her whole body, but she angled her eyebrows downward and snarled, "Drop the bag or I swear you're next."

He listened.

"Gisa! Hey Gisa!" Michael called. Gisa whipped her head in his direction. "Why don't you try? This is actually a super useful trick." Michael said, motioning her to the ring.

"You have no idea," Gisa muttered, but she pulled her hair back in a tight bun and climbed into the ring. She forced a pleasant face "Show me."

She and Micheal went over the move side by side. A little different from the moves she had learned, the method of learning was completely different, but nonetheless… She looked over at Michael who spun in a circle, his arms all wrong and Gisa smiled.