surprise, Jason almost held his own with him. Ell’d been covertly studying Phil’s amazing musculature, so was watching them at this game. She wondered if she could break through the distance Phil always kept between the two of them by joining into something he enjoyed. She walked over to them and said, “Can I try?”
Phil just ignored her but Jason said, “Sure cuteness.” Ell stepped forward with her trademark crooked smile and then noticed that everyone’s attention had suddenly focused on her. The girls rarely ever challenged the guys on physical contests and Jason was a real stud, so her act had grabbed the squad’s attention. But, she was kinda pissed about being called “cuteness” and in addition the spotlight gave her a little stage fright. She felt heart beat start to throb. She felt herself slipping into the zone and took a couple deep breaths to damp it down, reminding herself not to go too fast. However, she did kinda want to put Jason in his place so she didn’t force herself all the way out of the zone.
“I’m usually pretty good at reaction time stuff,” she said nervously, putting her hands over Jason’s. Inwardly Phil sneered because Jason was very good and he was sure Jason was gonna put some hurt on her. Then Jason flipped to strike but her hands were gone! The first time he flipped and no contact! Phil blinked.
Jason said, “Oooohh, got lucky.”
Well , Phil thought, after all, usually there’s a little luck involved in not getting smacked, especially the first time you play. Part of winning is guessing when your opponent is going to flip and actually starting your withdrawal before he moves. Lotta luck against someone as good as Jason but it can happen.
Real lucky, Phil thought to himself. But it won’t last.
Ell put her hands back out, palms up and Jason put his on top. Her pulse sounded as a slow throb in her ears and she realized that she had slid deeper into her “zone” than she wanted. She knew she’d jerked her hands away too fast when they were on top but thought no one had noticed. Slow down! She reminded herself. So, at a pace that felt slow, she pulled her hands out from under his and slid them smoothly out and around to come down on the backs of his hands. She realized from the fact that his hands hadn’t even started moving when hers were coming down that she was still moving way too fast! No! She tried to slow more in the last milliseconds but it was too late. Her hands smacked his. It sounded like a gunshot! The palms of her hands stung badly and she wondered what it was going to feel like on the more sensitive backs of Jason’s hands. Ell danced around with her fingers in her mouth, mumbling, “Sorry, sorry, too hard, too hard.” Jason’s hands flew downward with the force of the blow and his eyes widened as he realized just how badly he’d been beaten.
When Jason put his trembling hands back out there, the backs of his hands were scarlet! Phil saw with amazement that Jason’s eyes were watering! Ell asked, “You OK to go again? I really am sorry.” Jason just nodded, an astonished/apprehensive look on his face.
Phil watched with wide eyes. She didn’t hit him hard again but she whacked him over and over with ease, maybe twenty—thirty times. Then she seemed to realize how people were gawking and suddenly slowed down. Way down from the blurs her hands had been before and Jason finally managed a pull away. But before he got to try slapping her again, the squad was called to “form up” for the lecture.
Over the next few weeks, other people would occasionally try to get her to hand-slap but she always had an excuse and, if it happened, Phil never saw it. He thought of challenging her himself, but didn’t. He told himself that it was because he couldn’t stand her, but really, deep inside… he knew that he didn’t stand a chance against her.
They had some self-defense/combat sessions in Basic. They were aimed at developing self-confidence
Phil just ignored her but Jason said, “Sure cuteness.” Ell stepped forward with her trademark crooked smile and then noticed that everyone’s attention had suddenly focused on her. The girls rarely ever challenged the guys on physical contests and Jason was a real stud, so her act had grabbed the squad’s attention. But, she was kinda pissed about being called “cuteness” and in addition the spotlight gave her a little stage fright. She felt heart beat start to throb. She felt herself slipping into the zone and took a couple deep breaths to damp it down, reminding herself not to go too fast. However, she did kinda want to put Jason in his place so she didn’t force herself all the way out of the zone.
“I’m usually pretty good at reaction time stuff,” she said nervously, putting her hands over Jason’s. Inwardly Phil sneered because Jason was very good and he was sure Jason was gonna put some hurt on her. Then Jason flipped to strike but her hands were gone! The first time he flipped and no contact! Phil blinked.
Jason said, “Oooohh, got lucky.”
Well , Phil thought, after all, usually there’s a little luck involved in not getting smacked, especially the first time you play. Part of winning is guessing when your opponent is going to flip and actually starting your withdrawal before he moves. Lotta luck against someone as good as Jason but it can happen.
Real lucky, Phil thought to himself. But it won’t last.
Ell put her hands back out, palms up and Jason put his on top. Her pulse sounded as a slow throb in her ears and she realized that she had slid deeper into her “zone” than she wanted. She knew she’d jerked her hands away too fast when they were on top but thought no one had noticed. Slow down! She reminded herself. So, at a pace that felt slow, she pulled her hands out from under his and slid them smoothly out and around to come down on the backs of his hands. She realized from the fact that his hands hadn’t even started moving when hers were coming down that she was still moving way too fast! No! She tried to slow more in the last milliseconds but it was too late. Her hands smacked his. It sounded like a gunshot! The palms of her hands stung badly and she wondered what it was going to feel like on the more sensitive backs of Jason’s hands. Ell danced around with her fingers in her mouth, mumbling, “Sorry, sorry, too hard, too hard.” Jason’s hands flew downward with the force of the blow and his eyes widened as he realized just how badly he’d been beaten.
When Jason put his trembling hands back out there, the backs of his hands were scarlet! Phil saw with amazement that Jason’s eyes were watering! Ell asked, “You OK to go again? I really am sorry.” Jason just nodded, an astonished/apprehensive look on his face.
Phil watched with wide eyes. She didn’t hit him hard again but she whacked him over and over with ease, maybe twenty—thirty times. Then she seemed to realize how people were gawking and suddenly slowed down. Way down from the blurs her hands had been before and Jason finally managed a pull away. But before he got to try slapping her again, the squad was called to “form up” for the lecture.
Over the next few weeks, other people would occasionally try to get her to hand-slap but she always had an excuse and, if it happened, Phil never saw it. He thought of challenging her himself, but didn’t. He told himself that it was because he couldn’t stand her, but really, deep inside… he knew that he didn’t stand a chance against her.
They had some self-defense/combat sessions in Basic. They were aimed at developing self-confidence
Similar Books
