Life's Unexpected Turn

Chapter 6: Sparring

*Parker's POV*

I hastily extended my arms above my face, blocking Shay's quick jab. Damn, that was close. I'm glad I could move my hands fast enough before that hit landed directly against my cheek. Shay smiled proudly the second I successfully avoided her move. I wonder what my best friend is going to do... She is calculating, intelligent, and knows what she's doing in a fight. I threw a punch her way, but that didn't stop her as she attempted another swing at me. When I dodged it, I followed through with my own right hook.

She ducked with ease, almost elegantly.

Our arms were up, steady, yet guarding. I could tell we were both ready for whoever took the next strike. As we began circling one another, Shay squinted her eyes at me, smirked a bit, then said, "We've been going at this for a little over ten minutes now... You still got some more fight left in you, Park?"

"Yeah, I'm good..." I answered, taking a couple of breaths as I raised my right eyebrow at her sudden slight smirk, "This is simply a warm-up. I'm not stopping until you're the one yielding."

"Competitive, are we?" Shay teased. She's got something up her sleeve; her tone and current mannerisms are some of her easier tells.

"Says the woman who gets peeved every time I land a hit on her," I quipped, smirking back at her.

Shay grinned, rolled her eyes at me, and added, "Alright, I'm not going to hold back as much this time around, be sure to remember what I've taught you. You'll need it."

Before I could reply to her, she lunged forward, and it startled the hell out of me. I wasn't quite ready for that because her punch struck me right under my sternum, knocking all of the air from my lungs. As I caught my breath, it only took a second until Shay attacked me again. Suddenly, with a swift low sweep that, unfortunately, landed, I fell to the ground fast. I scrambled quickly, getting to my feet as fast as I humanly could, but my best friend was faster. I couldn't ready myself and stop what happened next. With speed I didn't know she had, Shay hurried around me, grabbed my arms, and pinned them from behind.

Oh, shit. Not again.

The last time Shay used this move on me, she didn't trip me as she just did, so I wasn't prepared. It makes sense, though... In a fight, anything can happen, and this is why she's been training me. I want to be ready and able to defend myself should anything occur. I don't want to be a victim ever again. She will probably try to use the headlock move like last time if I don't maneuver myself fast enough.

"Come on, Park. You know what comes next if you can't successfully get out of this. Now, show me what you've learned, and don't hold back either. A real attacker wouldn't, and you know it. You can do this," Shay said to me. She is absolutely right. Remember the steps, Parker!

Here goes nothing.

I moved my hips, angling them as much as I could to one side, which caused my friend to tighten her hold on me. It's now or never. I took a quick breath and stomped my heel onto her toes, making her grunt. This allowed me to get my elbow free enough to jab it backward toward Shay's chest. My hit landed correctly, but it wasn't strong enough to weaken her hold on me. I can't stop now. I continued repeating that action until it hurt her enough that she needed to block my next attack.

Her grip finally loosened.

I quickly turned around in order to proceed to the next step, subduing my opponent. Shay taught me the best way to do that was to strike my adversary in the nose with the heel of my hand in a fast, uninterrupted thrust. Doing that attack would most likely end up breaking their nose. Thus, giving me enough time to get to safety by providing me with the upper hand. 'All that matters in any fight is to find a way to gain the upper hand.' On the first day we began training and doing self-defense lessons together; those were exactly Shay's words.