From burning hot to absolutely freezing, Miyagi-Do and their observe stood in a freezer. Sam rubbed her bare arms. "Are there no geikos that take place in a spa?"

"It's not about the heat or the cold." Daniel shook his head her way. "It's about adapting to the environment around you and using that to your advantage."

Bryce leaned on the wall, crossing his arms as his lips chattered slightly. He listened to Daniel go on. "Look around, what do you see?"

"Arrogance." Sam mumbled toward Bryce.

"A bully." Demetri added.

Bryce hummed with a little smile. "It's so comforting knowing the two of you think so highly of me."

"Frozen London Broil." Chris looked toward the boxes of frozen meat.

"No, not the meat. Look past that." Daniel encouraged with a nod of his head. "I see the exhaustion of breath. The twitch of a muscle. Chatter of teeth. The shift of a stance. If you lean into the cold, it will heighten your senses. And then you'll anticipate the moment before your opponent strikes. And you'll always be ready."

Daniels phone rung, looking down at it before motioning around the group. "All right, circle up."

Bryce watched Sams every move as she circled the group slightly, waiting for someone to strike. Daniel did the same. "Seven."

Chris came up behind Sam, throwing a fist her way as she dodged it, blocking his other, sending her foot into his stomach. Bryce rose his eyebrows in shock, never actually seeing her fight before. Daniel smiled. "That's what i'm talking about. Five."

Robby threw his leg at Sam, having it blocked. He blocked her punches in return, Sam ducking under his arm. Robby spun in a circle to follow her, Sam kicking him in the arm. Robby turned back, kicking over her head before Sam grasped his arm, yanking it back, but Robby caught her fist before she could hit him. Daniel chuckled in joy. "All right. Let's get Demetri in there. Good job."

Sam had to look at Bryce as she walked back to her spot, throwing a disgusting look his way as she turned. Sam still felt his eyes on her, looking back as he met her eye again, winking her way.

Demetri walked into the circle. "All right, here goes nothing. Literally."

Bryce tried not to laugh at his self hate. Daniel nodded. "Set. Six."

The boy came forward, kicking Demetri harshly in the gut. Daniel sighed in disbelief. "Come on, Demetri. Look for the signs. Anticipate, you can do this!"

Sam looked over her shoulder again to Bryce, only he wasn't looking at her anymore, too focused on Demetri. Daniel nodded his head. "Come on, Demetri."

"Oh, you come on." Demetri sassed his way. "Between the cold and the shouting and the hole in my sock...i'm not sure when that happened, but it's really uncomfortable."

Bryce and Sam looked at each other again as Daniel walked forward. "Demetri, you are the most neurotic person that I know. You always expect the worst. But you could use that to your advantage. It means you anticipate. Think of it like a spidey-sense."

"Mmm, he's more of a DC kind of nerd." Bryce cut in as their eyes turned his way. "You know, considering I had to listen to all the yelling from the basement every single saturday night."

"In the comics, they call it Spider-Sense anyways." Demetri explained with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Look, Demetri, this isn't about who's fastest and who's strongest. This is about instincts." Daniel explained to him honestly, trying to break through, tapping on his head. "It's about using what's in here. You think you could do that?"

Demetri hesitated, nodding his head with a questionable look. Daniel smiled, backing up out of the circle again. "All right. Let's try it again. Remember, anticipate. Two!"

Chris went toward Demetri with a forward punch. Bryce leaned off the wall suddenly as Demetri blocked it immediately, blocking the next one and sending a punch into Chris stomach. Bryce laughed in joy. "Yeah, Nerd!"

"Woo! I did it!" Demetri celebrated as the team all smiled for him.

Daniel gave a proud look. "Five."

Demetris joyed cheer came to an end when he was kicked in the gut. Daniel shook his head. "Okay, that's okay. Baby steps."

Sam had wanted to go for an early run as she walked outside, taken back by Bryce whipping the cars down. Her feet coming to a stop made him look over. "Ah, look who it is. Come to keep my company?"

"You're actually here?" she looked in disbelief by his presence. "Where's my dad?"

"Getting me some paint." Bryce finished off the yellow car, walking her way. "You're up early. Is this a, what do you call it? Good girl thing?"

"Waking up early? Pretty sure it's a healthy person thing." she said back, holding her ear buds and phone in her hand. "I was gonna go for a run, but, seeing you put me out of the mood."

"Aw, really?" he tilted his head, looking down at her. "Why? Put you in the mood for something else?"

"You're disgusting." she shoved his chest back. "I can't believe my dads gonna let you join the dojo."

"It's not official, don't get too excited." he grabbed one of her ear buds. "What are you listening to?"

He listen to her playlist, sending a half grin back to her. "Maroon 5? I was thinking you were a Taylor Swift or Cage The Elephant type of girl."

"Let me guess. You listen to a bunch of The Neighbourhood and Chase Atlantic?" Sam rose her eyebrows up toward Bryce.

"I'm flattered you associate such fantastic music taste with me." Bryce touched his heart with a moved look. "Don't underestimate me, Samantha. I like some Maroon 5 too."

She looked in disbelief. "What? Misery and Sugar?"

"She Will Be Loved." he corrected in rerun, seeing her face soften up slightly. "Their old stuff is so much better then whatever all all the Autotune bullshit they have going on now."

Sam moved past Bryce with a hum. "Glad to know we agree on one thing."

He turned to watch her leave. "We also agree on your choose of workout attire! I dig it!"

"You joined Miyagi-Do?" Hawk asked in disbelief when Bryce got home later that day, waiting in the living room to lay it on him.

"Word travels fast." Bryce mocked, throwing his keys on the counter.

"What the hell is wrong with you? They're the enemy!" Hawk glared at his brother in disbelief.

"The enemy? Dude, grow up." Bryce rolled his eyes, trying to walk past him as the red haired boy latched onto his arm and yanked him around.

"Knew you'd turn into a pussy before long." he gave a nasty glare. "You got soft and weak."

Bryce shoved him away from him. "You better back it up."

"Or what? Gonna use some meditation on me?" Hawk laughed in disbelief, Bryce turned to leave. "Yeah, walk away. Just like Miyagi-Do taught you."

Bryce paused, turning around as he send a kick to his brothers chest, making him stumble back on the couch. Bryce adjusted his shirt after the sudden kick, watching Eli roll off the couch quickly. "Now i'm really walking away."

•

kylie speaks

ty daniel for taking
a chance on our boy!