Standing at the entrance of the fighting gym, I felt like a tiny ao the heavy steel doors. The sounds of fists striking pads and rhythmic shouts of fighters seeped through the walls, making me a little nervous. The receptionist had made it very clear that parents were not allowed ihe gym proper because many parents get a little squeamish seeing their kids fight or hit or something simir, so here I was all alo was a little daunting task when I have had Steve and Kathy's support with me all throughout the st few years. I guess, I had gotten a little pampered because of that.

  I took a deep breath, clutg the strap of my backpack so tightly that my knuckles turned white. Yet, I knew I couldn't let what happened ba school again.

  I pushed the door open and was immediately hit by a wave of humid air mixed with the st of sweat aermination. The gym buzzed with activity—people of all ages w on various equipment, pung bags swinging bad forth, jump ropes spping against the ground, and trainers shouting instrus.

  "Hey there, champ. You new?" a voice called out.

  I turo see a tall, muscur man with short-cropped hair and a friendly smile walking towards me. He wore a bck tank top and shorts, his muscur arms were covered in tattoos of different kinds, the most promi being a horse. I was tempted to make a joke about him pensating for something else with that tattoo, but I reigned in my instincts. These instincts to mouth off were the ones whie iuation in the first pce.

  "Uh, yeah," I cleared my throat and regained some of my fidence back. "I'm Troy."

  "o meet you, Troy. I'm Marcus, the coach. What brings you here today?" His voice was warm and reassuring, making me feel slightly more at ease.

  "I… I want to learn how to defend myself," I admitted with feigned bravado.

  Marcus' eyes never left my face which was not at its best at the moment.

  "Okay," He ceded with a serious expression after a few moments of evaluating me. "But if I got to know that you used what we teach here to hit someone else unprovoked, I'll make yret it."

  I agreed vehemently, "I promise I won't."

  Marodded, his expression turning jovial once more as if a switch had been flipped. "Well, you've e to the right pce theeauay Thai and Krav Maga here. They're excellent for self-defense and building fidence. Follow me, and I'll introduce you to the basics."

  I followed Marcus through the gym, weaviween other students and trainers. We stopped at a er where a group of kids around my age were practig uhe watchful eye of a very shapely female instructor.

  "This is inners' css. They're just starting out like you," Marcus said, gesturing towards the group. "Hey, Maya!" he called to the instructor. "This is Troy. He's joining us today."

  Maya, a bruh a kind smile and sharp eyes, waved us over. "Hi, Troy. Wele! We're just about to start with some warm-ups. Why don't you join us?" Her voice had a weird at that I couldn't pce exactly.

  I nodded and quickly set my backpack down, slipping into the line of kids. We began with simple stretches, Maya demonstrating eae patiently. The movements felt stra first, but I mimicked them as best as I could, feeling my muscles slowly loosen.

  "Since we have a few new faces joining in this session," Maya began after the s were done, "I think I should tell you that Krav Maga is the most dangerous fighting style anyone learn. It was developed by Israeli Defence Fore 50 years ago, and it teaches ohing above everything else: How to survive in a fight. It doesn't matter what dirty trick you use. As long as you e out on top, you win. But there are dowo it as well, which basically revolves around practig it. Here, in a enviro, we 't teach you lethal moves. Muay Thai, oher hand, is a martial art purely fhting. It teaches you to take hits, and deliver them with much more iy. The downsides are that a real life oppo won't wait for you to nd a hit, they will fight dirty."

  That was a big drum.

  "That's why, here at this gym we bihe two csses together so that we you tank hits like a pro Muay Thai fighter and deliver cheap hits like an expert Israeli soldier."

  My eyes widened in realization. So that's why they focus on two teiques rather than just one.

  "Alright, kids, let's begin with Muay Thai first," Saying that, Maya led us through some basic teiques.

  She showed us how to stand, how to throw punches and kicks, and how to move our bodies in coordination. My punches were awkward at first, my kicks unbanced, but I kept trying, determio get it right. Maya's encement and corres helped me improve with each attempt.

  After 45 or so minutes, we had a five minute break, before we moved on to Krav Maga. She taught us how to break free from holds and how to use our surroundings to our advantage. I found this part particurly iing. I could see how these teiques could help if I was ever fag more than one enemy again.

  By the end of the session, I was exhausted but exhirated. My muscles ached, and I was drenched i, but I felt good about the whole thing. I didn't want these lessons to stop at all.

  (Break)

  "Do you think we should ge Troy's school?" Kathy asked her husband worriedly that evening after tug her tired and bruised boy in his bed for the night. "Teag him to fight is not the solution to him getting bullied."

  "I don't think ging school would be necessary," Steve answered, "He will begin shooting right after the Christmas break. If yreeable, and everything goes acc to the pn, we move back to London in March, as soon as Troy is done here."

  Kathy looked flicted, "Are you sure that's wise? He wants to work in more movies. I have never seen him happier than when he was shooting for [Sex-Ed]. Moving back to London may disrupt that."

  "I'm making [Harry Potter] for him," Steve turned around and gave his wife a look. "Don't you remember the time you scolded me for buying the rights to a whole book series on the word of a kid?"

  "How many times would you make me regret that?" Kathy rolled her eyes. She was very vocal about what she thought of buying the Harry Phts. That was until the book sales exploded in both the US and the UK. The subsequent sequel was also met with overwhelming response. So much so, that other producers had even offered them a million dolrs, just to buy the rights of the first book. An offer that Steve had refused.

  "As I was saying," Steve tinued, "I will strongly lobby for Troy to star as Harry. But I ot be sure as the studio will think twice before casting anyone in a produ costing in hundreds of millions. Then there's also the matter that the whole cast must be British. Once approved, the pre-produ and casting alone will take most of the 1999. If we move in March, we begin the work early."

  "Do you think he will agree to move in March?" Kathy asked ed, "What about Evan?"

  "They had a bit of a falling out," Steve said hesitantly, "He is all alone in that school, Kathy. That is why I took him to the self-defense css today. I know he won't bee Bruce Lee in his limited time here. Despite what you think, I know he is not as fortable in LA as in London. We go back there and things could go back to how they were earlier. If he wants to take up a movie, he take something up in London. Sure, their budget and produ are much different from Hollywood but it is the work that he wants, not money."

  "You know I alrefer London over LA," Kathy said after a few moment's silence, "But what about Troy's education? Do you want him to be homeschooled? o to some fancy private school for this same sario to repeat? What about college, huh?"

  "Let's not talk about things that are so far away iure," Steve halted Kathy's line of questioning, "I want him to have the best education, but he is much more ied in ag and has the talent for it. If the Harry Potter films bee a hit, he could be a household name aing roles would hardly be ing for him. As far as his schooling goes, he is bored in school. I think private tut would be better for him."

  Kathy took in a deep breath a out. She wanted her son to be a kid for a few more years, but it seemed as if he didn't want to.

  "Okay, I'll agree to it. Moving to London early, that is." She relented, "But you will talk to him about it."

  (Break)

  I rejoined school the Monday following 'the i'. I was dreading walking into the because I khat everyone would be judging me, but I had no choice. The c on my face had gone down signifitly, and I looked mostly normal now. I was still a little sore, but it was because of all the training I had been doing at my new fighting gym for the st four days. It was good that they were closed on Mondays because I desperately he rest.

  Still, I loved every part of it. The only dowo it all was that I'd be able to do it only for a month before leaving for Phidelphia, aually for London.

  Steve had put all the options in front of me and frankly, the thought of going back to Londht after [The Sixth Sense] was sounding more and more appealing. Earlier, I thought Evan would be back to normal within a few days, but now I was not so sure I wanted him to.

  As I walked into the css, every kid decided that staring at me covertly was good for their eai. This time, kids weren't even trying to cozy up to me after I got the three bullies expelled. I didn't mind the soce, as much as being gawked at.

  It was during recess that my former best friend gathered the balls to verse with me, "Hey Troy, we talk?"

  Just st week, I would have gdly taken the olive branch from him, but not anymore. "What's there to talk? I'm going away, remember? Then you spread as many rumors about me as you want." I s him. It came out much more vicious than I was aiming for.

  "I-I di-didn't spread rumors about you." He stammered.

  "Yeah? I didn't tell anyone about my film. How do they know? How did Jeff know about it? Huh? Tell me." I demanded as I was almost in his face, apoplectic with rage.

  He shrank bato the chair behind him and unsciously fell over on the seat. His eyes instantly teared up and within seds he started sobbing. Even though it was recess, the students around were enjoying the free drama. But I didn't care about them o.

  "Oh stop with the rainfall and grow the fuck up. Will you cry every time you have a problem?" I shouted.

  He hastily rubbed his eyes with the back of his sleeves, but it didn't help him much.

  "I didn't say anything at first," I tinued, ign his tears, "I thought, it's okay, Evan will be back to normal in a few days, but no, you had to go and tell everyone what I told you in fidence. I say only ohing to you Evan Spader, you are a very shitty friend."

  With that, I stormed out of the to get away from all the crowding of the kids. I didn't cry. I had promised myself that I wouldn't appear weak in front of anyone anymore. Yet, it didn't help the pain I felt as the realization sunk in that I had called off my only good friendship in this life.

  _____________________________

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