Chapter 1: Will
"Yadol!"
"YADOL!"
"Ahop!"
"AHOP!"
"Yool!"
"YOOL!"
The class echoed their master with one last punch, then they straightened up and bowed, just as he did. Dozens of onlookers cheered as the students relaxed and beamed at their parents watching them.
"Great job everyone!" said the master. "Really great job. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves and learned a little bit about what it means to be a martial artist: honor, strength of character, purity of heart. Never go looking for a fight. Only use your skills in self-defense. And above all, respect others."
"Thank you, Will Weston!" cheered the MC. Will bowed to his class again before leaving the performance space. "And remember, kids: if anyone's interested in taking more of Will's classes at the Youth Center, be sure to pick up a brochure at the Holiday Help Desk near the parking lot! And please stick around for our Annual Cedar Grove Cliff-Diving Competition starting in just ten minutes!"
Will pulled a towel from his duffle and dried himself off. Even for early July, and even though a light breeze wafted off the lake, it was hot up on the cliffs. Will was happy to have offered to give an introductory lesson in martial arts for all the kids out for the Fireworks Festival, but now most of the afternoon was gone, and he had hardly seen any of his friends. He pulled a watch from his bag. Three hours to fireworks. Most of the crowd would probably stay here, at the top of the lower cliffs where some tree cover might keep them cool until the sun went down and the fireworks show began over the lake.
"Not too bad out there," said a voice. Will's friend Jack clapped him on the shoulder. "I recall learning those moves from you last year."
"You've come a long way," said Will, and he meant it. Jack had always been known more for his gadgetry than his physical prowess, though he was the top shot on the university's archery club. The club called him Hawkeye; the frat houses called him Four-Eyes. Will always admired Jack's level-headedness when it came to bullying. All the same, nothing wrong with teaching the guy how to defend himself. Just in case.
"You're a good teacher," said Jack. "It takes a rare individual to be able to teach both me and Ewan at the same time."
That was the truth. Where Jack was solid as a rock, Ewan reminded Will of a bat caught in a hurricane. Ewan hadn't bothered with his ADHD medicine since high school. He said it turned him into a zombie.
Will and Jack looked across the narrow gap to the higher cliffs, where a dozen shirtless men were stretching. Ewan wasn't hard to spot – he was the tannest of all of them, and he wore a red-white-and-blue Speedo that left little to the imagination, just as Will knew Ewan preferred it.
Some old TV theme song began to play in Jack's pocket. In a flash his phone was in his hand. "Jess," he said, "where are you?" he asked. "You missed Will's… Your language is as colorful as ever, sis."
Jack's twin sister. Red-dyed hair, lots of leather, even more attitude, and a mouth that would make a sailor blush. Jack's limitless patience was probably the only reason she was still alive. Any lesser brother would have strangled her to death years ago.
Jack dropped his phone back into his pocket. "Jess said she watched your class from under the trees. She also said that she's going to go read in the car until it gets dark."
Jess was convinced that she was allergic to the sun. She usually just slept during the day, but Jack and Jess still lived with their parents, and their parents had all but physically thrown Jess into Jack's car so that she'd go to the lake for the day. Apparently, they'd called her a "lesbian vampire". Jack said that he had taken it harder than she had, but Will had to wonder how Jess could stand living with parents who were so disrespectful.
"Ewan won't mind her being gone," said Will. "I'm sure he's more interested in girls watching who are in to boys."
"Very true."
The MC climbed back up the small flight of stairs that led into the little gazebo overlooking the lake. Will was distracted, though, by a girl joining the men about to dive. Even from where he stood, Will could tell that she was stunning. The divers had noticed this as well. All of them stood up straighter and puffed out their chests. Ewan pulled his Speedo down just a little bit. The girl, however, ignored them all. Will almost laughed; she was holding a book. Ever as he watched, she noticed it still in her hand, disappeared from view, and then reappeared without it, her hand now clutched to her upper arm, as if unsure what to do with itself when not holding pages open.
"Who is that?" Jack asked.
Will shook his head. "No idea."
"I wonder what she was reading."
Will just wondered if the girl knew what she was getting herself into. Part of the diving contest involved scaling the cliff after the dive to get back to the top. Most guys didn't have the upper-body strength for that, and most girls wouldn't even try. A diver's score was partially based on their dive, and partially based on the time it took them to return to the cliff top. If you couldn't make it, you were disqualified. And while this girl looked like she was in top shape, most simply lacked the upper-body stamina needed for the climb.
"I bet she'll make the climb," said Jack.
Will surprised himself by not taking up the bet. He had a feeling that there was something different about this girl, and that she'd succeed where dozens of others – male and female alike – had failed.