As Maia walked into her karate class, she thought about whether Calum's compliment had an underlying meaning or was simply polite.
Rather quickly, though, all thoughts she had ever had in her life were temporarily eradicated as she saw the gray ruins of what once was a cosy and sophisticated studio where she had spent some of her most valued time.
The area seemed to have become a construction site.
"Excuse me," she called.
"Excuse me, why did you knock down the Dojo?"
After several attempts at asking, a man with visible shadows under his eyes finally looked at her drearily, mumbling,
"Sorry darl', but your sensei guy's had a fatal heart attack. Died last night at home. This ain't a Dojo anymore. We're leasin' it out as some typ'a hippy shop. If you got a complaint, go talk to old mate over there."
Maia had to resist rolling her eyes as the man pointed in the vague direction of a large group of people.
"His name's Booker. Sorry again, love. No more karate."
Maia couldn't get out fast enough, as a tear rolled silently down her cheek.
She drove straight to Mali.
-+-+-
"No, Mali, you don't understand.." Maia said in between sobs.
"But... It's just a Dojo."
"It's not just the Dojo! It's-it's the sensei, he's dead." She replied weakly.
"You can't have known him for too long." Mali put her arm around Maia.
"Since I was 16." Maia blubbered.
"Wow... But why would you need to do karate for that long?"
"Because... My mother..." she tried to speak, but had never really succeeded at this particular subject of conversation.
Her mother.
"Your mother? What about her?"
"I..." she sobbed loudly.
"It was late, and she left for this party, at the pub... And she didn't come back for a day, but I just assumed she was sleeping at a friend's place... But she came back covered in her own blood."
Maia took a deep breath.
"Mali, she was raped. And she got aids.. And she told me to get karate lessons to protect myself and I didn't take her seriously until she... Died. That's why that Dojo and that Sensei means so much to me."
Maia buried her face in Mali's shoulder as she whispered,
"That's so unfair, Maia. I'm so sorry."
And they sat like that for a while, until Calum conveniently came home with 3 tubs of ice cream, chocolate, and a stack of movies.
-+-+-
"Shit Maia. Are you ok?" was the first thing Calum said as he walked in the door.
"What do you think, stupid?" Mali remarked.
"Shut up. Hey, do you want some ice cream? And chocolate? And movies? Because I have all of those." He waved around the two plastic bags he held in his hands.
Maia nodded silently.
Calum grabbed a spoon from the kitchen and plonked down on the couch next to Maia.
"Here. Choc chip, cookie dough, or strawberry-caramel?" He held out the buckets of ice cream in front of her. Without hesitation, Maia went for the cookie dough. Duh.
As she dug in, she heard Mali and Calum fighting over the strawberry-caramel flavoured ice cream. Her lips quirked in a tiny smile.
Turning around with his hand smothering Mali's face, he pulled out the stack of movies with his free hand.
"Pick."
Suddenly, Calum's hand jerked away from Mali as his hand swung around and hit him in the face.
"Oh my god, Mali. I legitimately just punched myself in the face," He turned to Maia, "did you see that? Did you see me punch myself? Do you know why that happened? Because your friend here licked me."
Mali giggled from behind him.
"That's ok though, I used to do that with my little brother." She croaked out quietly.
Calum's face changed as he said,
"Man, you've really been crying. I'm sorry." He reached his arms out and pulled her into a hug. She whispered a thank-you as Mali awww-ed in the background.
Calum let go and handed her the stack of DVD's, and she immediately picked The Perks Of Being A Wallflower.
"Rad movie choices, mate." Calum smiled at her.
HEY MY BRETHREN
ayy wtf this flirting shit be between calum & maia lol pls
kk ly hope u like this pls vote & stuff
-taco
