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Neil has become accustomed to this particular view of the ceiling. Often, it would be partially obscured by a flash of pastel hair or the occasional set of black spots edging in on his field of vision.
A few hits ago, Neil would have jumped back into the fight with characteristic effort and determination. But this time, Neil stays down. He attempts to catch his breath and allows his head to roll to the left. He seeks out Andrew where he is leaning against the wall, toying with a knife. He smirks at Neil when they make eye contact. Neil rolls his eyes in response and turns his head back to center so that he’s staring at the ceiling once again.
Sensing movement to his right, Neil looks over to see Renee sitting beside him and offering him the rest of her bottle of water. He considers turning her down, but seeing as she just thoroughly kicked his ass, he doesn’t think he’s imposing on her too much.
“How long did I last this time?” Neil asks, trying not to sound as out of breath as he feels.
Renee glances at the watch on her wrist where she’s had a timer running since their session began. “Nearly twenty minutes,” she says, looking back at him with a smile on her face. She looks proud of him, but she always does after they’ve sparred. Neil is pretty sure it has to do with the fact that he isn’t actively avoiding her anymore.
Neil heaves himself up into a sitting position with no small amount of effort and takes the water from her outstretched hand. He opens his mouth to thank her, but he’s cut off when a towel violently smacks into his face.
Neil picks up the towel and shoots Andrew a dirty look. It is met with absolute indifference and zero remorse, as was expected. Renee hides a smile at their antics and stands up, holding out a hand for Neil. Shaking his head, he takes her hand while debating whether to let loose the smart remark for Andrew that is poised on the tip of his tongue.
Neil is halfway to his feet when Renee suddenly yelps, jerking back and letting go of Neil’s hand in the process. He crashes back to the ground, arms flailing in an unsuccessful attempt to save himself. He winds up in much the same position that he was in just a moment before, but now he is staring up into the mischievous blue eyes of one unrepentant Allison Reynolds.
“Sup, Josten. Apparently slapping my girlfriend’s ass still makes her a little jumpy, even though I can’t for the life of me figure out why. She should be used to it by now.”
Renee tugs playfully on Allison’s ponytail to get her attention. “Maybe because I was in fighting mode less than sixty seconds ago?”
“Oh and is that how most of your opponents come at you? With a well placed slap and an appreciation for the finer things in life?”
Renee blushes in answer and tries to pretend that she didn't by rolling her eyes with a little too much force.
They continue their back and forth, but Neil’s eyes have drifted over to Andrew, where he has retreated to his original position against the wall. Neil pushes himself to his feet, grabs the towel and Renee’s now-abandoned water bottle, and makes his way across the room.
He tosses the towel to Andrew as he leans on the wall next to him, their shoulders nearly touching. Andrew turns his head to face Neil and raises an eyebrow in question, as if he doesn’t know what Neil is waiting for. Andrew enjoys this aspect of sparring a little too much for comfort.
“Go ahead,” Neil says, ready to bite the bullet and get this over with. “Don’t pretend you aren’t thinking of 100 different critiques right now. Lay it on me, Mr. Miyagi.”
Andrew stares at him for a moment before closing his eyes and taking a long, deep breath. He opens his eyes and holds up one finger.
“One,” Andrew says, “Mr. Miyagi teaches karate. That reference was ill-placed. Two,” he holds up another finger, “speed is an advantage, but you rely on it too much. Renee is smarter than you, she already knows what move you’re going to make before you make it. You have to be strategic.” He raises a third finger and points his hand toward where Allison and Renee are still flirting in the middle of the room. This one is going to be patronizing, Neil can just feel it. “You are an NCAA Class I starting striker. You really shouldn’t have hit the ground so hard when Renee let you go. C’mon, Neil. Stay alert.”
Neil is already mid-argument in his head by the time Andrew finishes and is opening his mouth to defend himself, but Andrew’s hand comes flying at Neil and he knocks the water bottle out Neil’s hand so fast that Neil would think he imagined it if he weren’t now dripping onto the ground.
“Really, Andrew? Really?” Neil asks, contemplating wringing out his shirt right here onto the gym floor.
“Like I said,” Andrew says, backing away from Neil and giving him a two-finger salute as he gets closer to the exit. “Stay alert.”
Neil keeps his narrowed eyes on Andrew until he disappears into the parking lot. Then he looks back over to see Renee and Allison making their way toward him, hand in hand.
“What’s up with the Monster?” Asks Allison. Neil bristles at the name but lets it slide when she takes a reprimanding elbow to the ribs from Renee.
“He’s disappointed in my fighting skills.”
“You’re improving,” says Renee, ever encouraging. “It just takes time.”
“Okay but if you’re spending all of your time helping Neil improve, when will you have time to teach me some skills?” Allison swoops in, unintentionally saving Neil from having to verbally accept a compliment.
Renee laughs. “That’s it! I’ve had it with you.” She grabs both of Allison’s hands and drags her back across the room. She takes a playful fighting stance and waves Allison forward to take her best shot. Allison takes a running start and leaps at Renee, bringing both of them to the ground in a heap of tangled limbs and breathless laughter.
Neil shakes his head and huffs a laugh of his own. He looks back at the pair now wrestling on the gym floor and thinks that Andrew was right; Renee knows every move that her opponent will make. But sometimes, she lets them make it anyway.
Neil turns back and pushes the door open. The sun is bright, but he can just make out Andrew sitting on the hood the Maserati. Neil makes his way toward him, eager for cigarette smoke and a hand to hold. This opponent has his moves memorized, and Neil thinks that in this case, that’s exactly how it should be.