CHAPTER 23:
Slushi Gecko?
Quinn

Don't think too much about it.

In this case, they're your-

"Two!"

I rapidly looked around but the redhead kid came at me from behind and jutted his elbow into my ribs.

-enemies.

"Come on Quinn, I know you can react quicker than that," Mr. LaRusso expressed.

"Can we please take a break? This heat is brutal," Sam asked.

Yeah.

And I need an ice pack.

"You guys wanna cool off? Alright, I think I can accommodate that."

Yay!

____________

No!

"So, you couldn't take the heat of Shochu-Geiko, so Khan-Geiko should be more to your liking."

"Aren't their any Geikos that take place in a spa?" Sam asked as we all shivered in the meat freezer, and I unconsciously scooted closer to Robby for more warmth.

"It's not about the heat or the cold. It's about adapting to the environment around you and using that to your advantage. Look around, what do you see?" He gestured to the meat ridden freezer around us.

"Frozen meat?"

"No, not the meat. Look past that. I see the exhalation of breath, the twitch of a muscle, the shift of a stance," He pointed out the most obvious things that weren't known to us because of our concentration on getting warm.

"Adapt to the cold and it will heighten your senses, and you can anticipate the moment before your opponent strikes and you'll always be ready."

Forcing the brain to connect to the body.

All in your mind.

"All right, circle up."

Sam got in the middle as we circled her, enclosing her but also giving her the advantage of seeing our breathing and the way our visible breaths would move if we did.

"Seven!"

Chris immediately moved to strike her, but the cold almost enhanced the way she was able to see. She dodged his fist by blocking it and then kicked him back.

Almost like she predicted it.

"That's what I'm talking about," Mr. LaRusso cheered.

Still cold though.

"Five!"

Robby went in for a kick and she blocked it with her arm, and a series of in sync movements followed of them continuously blocking and striking until they both caught eachother in a bind.

It made me a bit jealous to see how well they worked together.

I have a long way to go.

"Let's get Demetri in there," Groaning, Demetri walked up and prepared himself for failure.

"Alright, here goes nothing. Literally."

"Six!"

And he got kicked in the gut.

It's almost like he just doesn't want to react.

"Come on Demetri, look for the signs. Anticipate. You can do this!" Mr. LaRusso encouraged.

"I can't do it, Mr. LaRusso. Between the cold, and the shouting, and the hole in my sock - not sure when that happened, but it's real uncomfortable," He tugged at his sock.

"Demetri, you are the most neurotic person I know. You always expect the worst, but you could use that to your advantage."

For a guy in AP Biology, you'd think he'd have that figured out.

Then I drifted off into my own world. I've spent days at the producers office, working on a song that I actually love and am proud to call mine. But as always, the insecurities of my own voice would flood into my head.

Was I trying hard enough? I wasn't sleeping much, but that's all for hard work. And it's the summer, so staying up late is. . .fine. . .

"Quinn!" My knees buckled and I collapsed onto the floor, black dots clouding my vision.

"Quinn, what's wrong?!" Robby asked, catching me before my head could hit the concrete.

"N-nothing, I'm fin-" But when I tried standing up again, my legs felt extremely weak.

"Robby, take her inside."

"No, it's fine-"

"Clearly not," Robby replied as he picked me up and we walked out of the freezer.

I mean, who needs a lot of water?

Sleep is optional, right?

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Hope you all enjoyed! Yes, Quinn overworks herself, she's done it since middle school to feel as smart as the kids who could talk. Even after finding her voice, it's a hard habit to break.