I was going to China. I couldn't believe it. "I cannot believe this. I am going to the junior world martial arts championships in China!" I said enthusiastically.
Milton chimed in, saying, "I was gonna go, but I'm not what they call, you know, good."
I couldn't stop thinking about it; I was soooo excited. "Guys, I've been dreaming about this tournament since I got into martial arts. How did this happen?"
"Mm," I hear Rudy hum, channeling my excitement into his short, preteenish body. "I may know how it happened. I might have taken it upon myself to write a letter about a certain student, and possibly sent it to, oh I don't know, China."
Jerry looked over at Rudy with a confused look. "Dude, this is important. Try to remember. Did you do it or not?"
"Of course I did it. Jack's amazing. He's undefeated. He's never lost a match in his life." I felt the familiar pulsing pain in my knee.
"Rudy, can I talk to you outside for a second?"
FLASHBACK
I remember people, my parents, my grandfather, and the EMS personnel. But I don't remember what actually was happening.
All I remember is lying on the mat in agonizing pain.
I remember being placed on the stretcher, screaming as they shifted my leg into a straight position. The ambulance doors closed and I felt the hatch as the truck started driving away.
My mom was in tears and my grandfather was just standing there, next to my cousin Kai. Kai had a smirk on his face the size of his ego.
I had just lost my first match ever, to Kai for crying out loud! But all I could think about was the pain.
END OF FLASHBACK
As we reach the doors, I hear Jerry, Eddie, and Milton talking about fortune cookies. Man, they are weird. I take a deep breath. "Rudy, not everything you told those people about me was true."
"Please, everybody stretches the truth," said Rudy with his typical crazy attitude. "I do it all the time on my online dating profile. I'm not really a bathing suit model."
"Rudy, I'm not undefeated. A kid named Kai beat me so badly that I gave up karate till I came here." I was not going to tell him that I could do karate until basically the time I got here. Well, a year's difference. But doesn't really matter, right?
"Jack, it doesn't matter. You deserve this. And that's why they sent you two first-class tickets to China. You get to bring someone—an adult, a mentor, perhaps someone who is both her and a man."
Kim smiled, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "It'd be great if we could all go."
"Wait, first-class tickets are really expensive. Maybe I could trade them in for six coach tickets."
"It's settled. Jack and I are going alone first-class—endless legroom, our own entertainment systems, and hot nuts."
"I'm just saying, it'd be great if we could all—" Kim said with her typical sass.
"I said hot nuts, Kim!" Rudy screamed, his eyes bugging out of his head.
The guys walked out of the dojo. I put on a smile, trying to rekindle the excitement I had had just moments before. "Guys, we're all going to China."