Night fell over Devon's house like a dark veil, soft lights dancing against the shadows as the sound of laughter and conversation echoed off the walls. Tory and Sam walked together, the weight of the previous day hanging between them like a sad melody neither of them wanted to play, the moonlight reflecting in their eyes like fallen stars trying to find the ground.
"Tory, does Devon have a dojo at home?" Sam asked, his voice thick with mild curiosity as he adjusted his waterproof shoes, the gleam in his brown eyes dancing with an attempt to ease the tension.
"I don't know either…" Tory replied, his blue eyes shining with soft uncertainty as he stared at her, his tone laden with a melancholy she tried to hide. "But I'm wearing waterproof shoes in case Johnny throws us in a creek…"
They chatted with Devon and Johnny about trivialities, the sound of their voices mixed with the noise of a pillow fight that cut through the air like playful thunder, the weight of the day dissipating for a moment in laughter and games. But after a while, silence fell like a heavy curtain as the two of them walked away, the glow of the evening reflecting what they had yet to say.
"Tory, I need to tell you something…" she began, her voice shaking with an urgency that cut through the silence like a smooth knife, her blue eyes fixed on Sam with a mixture of confession and fear.
"What is it?" Sam asked, her brown eyes softening as she stared at him, the weight of their friendship dancing between them like a flame she wanted to protect.
"Yesterday I was with Clark…" Tory said, her voice laced with a vulnerability that cut like a blade, her blue eyes shining with tears she wouldn't let fall.
"Hmm…" Sam shifted her weight from one leg to the other, the subtle movement echoing the discomfort that danced across her face as she processed the love for Clark mixed with the acceptance she struggled to maintain. "Is that what you did?"
"Huh?" Tory replied, her blue eyes wide as she stared at her, shock flashing across her face like lightning. "You know… We did that…"
As the two of them talked, the weight of the words dancing between them like a melody no one else could hear, Devon stepped closer, confusion flickering in her eyes like a curious flame. "What does Tory mean, 'did that'?" she asked, her voice thick with an innocence that cut through the air.
Johnny was silent, his eyes darting away as the weight of it echoed in his chest, before he approached the two of them, his firm tone cutting through the air like dry thunder. "Tory, what do you mean by that?"
"!!" Her eyes widened, the blues shining with a mixture of surprise and resistance as she stared at him. "Sensei… I don't have to keep talking about this with you…"
"Johnny Sensei…" Sam interjected, his voice filled with a determined calm as he stepped between them, his brown eyes fixed on him with a gentle force. "Listen, Tory and I are kind of together with Clark…"
"!!! WHAT?" Johnny exclaimed, shock crossing his face like lightning, his eyes wide as he processed.
"WHAT?" Devon echoed, her voice filled with surprise that danced like a flame she couldn't put out.
"What do you mean you two are hooking up with him?" Johnny asked, his tone thick with disbelief that cut through the air like a dry knife. "Are you serious, or did I hear you wrong?"
"It's not a lie," Sam replied, his voice firm as he stared at her, his love for Clark shining in his brown eyes like a flame she couldn't extinguish. "We both liked him and decided to share him…"
"…" Tory was silent, her blue eyes downcast as the weight of that truth danced in her chest, her love for Clark mixed with the uncertainty she tried to hide.
Johnny's thoughts: Damn it... Roby can't find out about this... It would ruin him. He loves Tory, he's always talking about her... Shit... The weight of that revelation echoed in his chest like a dark thunder as he stared at them. "If you two are sure about this, I won't say anything against it... But this isn't going to leave here. Don't tell anyone... It could destabilize the whole group..."
"If you weren't such a gossiper and hadn't overheard our conversation, this wouldn't have gotten out…" Sam retorted, his tone laden with gentle teasing as he stared at him, his brown eyes sparkling with an amusement that hid the weight of the situation.
"It's true…" Tory agreed, her blue eyes shining with mock anger as she nodded, the support between them dancing like a flame no one could extinguish.
"That's right, Sensei…" Devon echoed, his tone laced with playfulness that cut through the air like a gentle breeze.
Sam and Tory turned to her, eyes wide as they stared. "You too, Devon…" they said in unison, shock crossing their faces like lightning.
"Hahaha…" Devon laughed, the sound echoing like a melody that erased the tension, his eyes shining with a curiosity that danced like a flame. "Okay, now tell me how this all started… I need to hear that story…"
"Yeah, me too," Johnny added, his tone filled with dark amusement as he crossed his arms, his eyes fixed on the two of them with a mixture of surprise and respect. "Since this kid is dating two girls at the same time… I mean, I've done that before, but when one found out about the other, they wanted to kill me… I had to run…"
"Pff, that's just like you, Johnny…" Sam laughed, the sound echoing like a melody that cut through the heaviness of the night, his brown eyes shining with an amusement that danced like a soft flame.
"Hahah," Tory laughed, her blue eyes softening as the sound escaped, her love for Clark and friendship with Sam glowing in her chest like a flame she couldn't extinguish.
"?…" Devon fell silent, confusion dancing across her face as she tried to follow along, the weight of that story echoing like a melody she wanted to understand.
Three days later, the afternoon sun bathed Los Angeles in golden hues as I drove my car, the sound of rock music echoing through the speakers like a wild melody dancing in the warm air. I always made time for the girls, the love for Tory and Sam pulsing through me like twin flames that I wanted to protect, the care not to suffocate them a delicate dance that I learned every day. Man, what a beautiful afternoon today… How about asking one of the girls out? I know they must be tired from this training… I thought, the weight of my withdrawal from the tournament dancing in me like a bittersweet melody. Without the powers, I'm just human… Maybe a little above average, but nothing special… I picked up my phone, my fingers dancing over the screen as I called Tory.
Riiing, riiing, riiing, riiing…
"Hm?" I murmured, the strangeness cutting through the air like a soft thunder as the phone rang unanswered. Strange, she always answers my calls… What happened? I'll call Sam… Maybe she'll answer…
Riiing, riiing, riiing, riiing…
"Strange, she's not answering either…" I said, the weight of worry dancing over me like a shadow I couldn't erase. "I'm going to pop over to the dojo…"
I drove there, the roar of the engine cutting through the silence as I parked, the sound of screams echoing in the background like a melody I knew well. I walked in, the door open like a silent invitation, and saw Roby and Miguel fighting on the mat, their blows cutting through the air like thunder dancing in the afternoon light.
I walked over to Sam, who was watching the fight, her brown eyes shining with a mix of focus and exhaustion. "Hey, beautiful…" I murmured, grabbing her waist from behind, the warmth of her body against mine like a refuge I wanted to protect.
"!!!" She jumped, shock flashing across her face like lightning as she turned around, her brown eyes flashing with mock anger. "Ahhh… Clark? You idiot, I nearly died of fright!"
"Hahaha, sorry…" I laughed, the sound echoing as I hugged her from behind, the love for her dancing in me like a flame I couldn't put out. "So why are they fighting?"
"It's a qualifier to see who goes to the tournament…" she replied, her tone filled with soft determination as she leaned against me, her eyes fixed on the mat. "And it's going to be the main one…"
"Oh, I see…" I murmured, the sound of the fight echoing as I watched, Tory's scent hitting me like a familiar breeze. She stood next to Roby, who was walking off the mat in victory, her blue eyes filled with a shadow that cut like a soft knife. Tory's not well… That hair… Those dark circles under her eyes… I know her. What could have happened?
They fought, the sound of blows dancing through the air as Tory struck with an aggression that echoed like dark thunder, the score tied at 1-1. Riiing, riiing, riiing… The sound of the cell phone cut through the air, the display indicating the medical center as I answered, my heart clenching with a premonition I didn't want to hear.
"Hello…" he said, his voice thick with an uncertainty that cut like a soft knife.
"Hello, Mr. Clark," the attendant replied, her tone heavy with a professional sadness that echoed like distant thunder. "I have come to inform you that patient Grace Nichols passed away this morning… Please come to the medical center. You are not family, but you were one of the closest to the daughter and mother, and you also paid for the hospital… We needed to inform you of this fatality… Goodbye."
I stood still, my eyes fixed on the sky as the weight of that news danced through me like a melody I couldn't silence, my love for Tory mixed with sadness that cut like a sharp knife. I looked at her, her blue eyes now filled with a grief I understood, their brightness dulled like the sea under a dark storm.
Moments later, Amanda received the same call, shock crossing her face like lightning as she ran to Daniel, who heard everything and stepped onto the mat, his firm tone cutting through the air like thunder. "The fight is over…"
"Hey, that's not fair, I could have scored that point…" Tory protested, her blue eyes flashing with an anger that hid the weight of the pain dancing in her chest.
"What are you doing? I'm the judge…" Johnny retorted, his tone thick with confusion that cut through the air like a dry knife.
"Come on, I'll explain, okay?" Daniel said, his tone softening as he glared at Tory, who was yelling, "Please, don't stop the fight…"
"I'm fine…" Sam said, his voice filled with soft determination as he stared at her, the love for Tory dancing in his brown eyes like a flame she wanted to protect.
"No, daughter, it's not that…" Daniel replied, his voice firm as he guided them off the mat, the weight of the news echoing like a thunder he couldn't silence.
"Why then?" Johnny asked, his eyes narrowed as he stared at Daniel.
"BECAUSE MY MOTHER DIED…" Tory screamed, her face contorting into a mask of sadness as tears danced in her blue eyes, the effort to hold them back cutting like a sharp knife she didn't want to show.
Silence fell like a heavy curtain, everyone's eyes fixed on her with sadness that echoed like a somber melody. "Tory, I'm so sorry for your loss," Daniel said, his voice thick with compassion as he stared at her, "but we can't continue this fight… This isn't the time…"
"It's time…" she snapped, her blue eyes flashing with a determination that cut through the air like dark thunder. "I have to fight now…"
"No, Tory…" Sam said, his voice filled with a tenderness that danced like a soft flame as he stared at her. "I want to fight too, but not now… It doesn't feel right…"
"Sensei Lawrence… A little help here, please…" Daniel asked, his tone laden with an urgency that cut through the air like a smooth knife.
"It's not up to us to decide," Johnny replied, his tone firm as he stared at Tory, respect dancing in his eyes like a flame he wanted to protect. "If she wants to fight, let her fight…"
"Johnny…" Daniel said, his eyes fixed on Tory as the weight of that decision danced between them. "We'll find another way to choose the captain…"
"ANOTHER WAY? NO, NO…" she screamed, her blue eyes shining with tears that cut like sharp knives as she stared at Amanda. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND… NONE OF YOU UNDERSTAND… MY MOTHER WOULD WANT IT THIS WAY… I HAVE TO FIGHT…"
Roby stepped onto the mat, his eyes fixed on her with a compassion that echoed like soft thunder. "Tory, let's take a breath…"
"No, Roby… No…" she snapped, her voice laced with a pain that cut through the air like a dark knife.
"Tory, I know what you're feeling…" Amanda said, her voice filled with empathy that danced like a soft flame as she stared at her, "but I also know that you're not in a good place to make decisions…"
"LIE!" Tory screamed, her blue eyes blazing with anger that hid the weight of the pain dancing in her chest. "YOU JUST DON'T WANT ME TO DEFEAT YOUR DAUGHTER… WHEN THE GOES GET TOUGH, YOU'LL CHOOSE HER, NOT ME…"
"That's not true, Tory…" Daniel said, his voice firm as he stared at her, the weight of that accusation echoing like a thunderclap he wanted to erase.
"Are you sure about that?" Johnny asked, his tone filled with dry provocation as he stared at Daniel.
Tory looked at him, her blue eyes shining with tears that cut like sharp knives as she screamed, "DO YOU WANT THIS FIGHT TO END? THEN IT'S OVER!" She stepped off the mat with heavy steps, the weight of pain dancing on her shoulders like a shadow she couldn't erase, and left, the sound of her footsteps echoing like a wail that cut through the silence.
"Tory, where are you going?" Roby asked, his voice thick with concern that danced like a soft flame as he followed her with his eyes.
"I'M TIRED…" she cried, her blue eyes meeting mine for a moment, tears glistening there like raindrops that cut like soft knives before she turned and kept walking, the weight of loss dancing with every step.
I followed her, my heart pounding as I ran after her, my love for her pulsing through me like a flame I wanted to use to warm the darkness that surrounded her. "Hey, Tigress…" I called, catching up to her as she stopped, her shoulders hunched as silence danced between us. She didn't say anything, nor did she turn around, but I moved closer, hugging her from behind, my arms wrapped around her like a promise I wanted to keep forever, the warmth of my body against hers like a refuge I wanted to offer.
"Sniff… Sniff…" She cried softly, her sobs cutting through the air like a broken melody as she tried to hold herself together, her blue eyes hidden from me as pain danced in her chest. "Clark, I need to be alone right now… Please let me go alone…"
I let go of her, the weight of that separation cutting like a sharp knife as I stared at her, the love for her dancing in me like a flame I couldn't extinguish. "You know where I live, my number… I'll always be here for you, today and forever…" I said, my voice full of tenderness as I let her go, the echo of that promise dancing in the air like a melody I wanted her to hear.
"…" She fell silent, her blue eyes downcast as she began to walk, the sound of her footsteps echoing like a wail that cut through the silence, the weight of loss dancing on her shoulders like a shadow I couldn't erase as she walked away.
One week later