Chapter 21: The Day Before

Tomorrow is the All Valley Karate Tournament. I'm pushing myself extra hard at the gym today. As I'm working out, I see Chase come in. We nod at each other and spend a decent amount of time working out.

"Hey, you wanna come over to my place and spar?" Chase asks after we finish up.

"Sure, why not?" I say. Chase drives me over to his house and we begin sparring in the garage. Chase strikes first, attempting to kick me in the stomach. However, I use the drum technique to push his leg away. He then tries to roundhouse kick me in the face but I duck under it. I then block all of his punches using Wax On Wax Off. When there is an opening, I punch him in the stomach.

"Damm." Chase says.

"It's okay. You wanna know how I beat Steve during the house fight?" I ask. Chase nods. "I analyzed his fighting style and found his weak point. While he was protecting his body and face, I could easily sweep his legs." I explain.

"So, how do I find a person's weak point while also fighting them?" Chase asks.

"You analyze them while on defense. Here, I'll show you. Attack me with everything you got" I say. Chase nods and begins throwing punches at me. I'm able to counter all of them while also trying to figure out Chase's weak point. I notice that his face is completely exposed. The next moment I block a punch, I front kick Chase right in the face and he stumbles back.

"Sorry, you okay?" I ask.

"No, it's all good." Chase says.

"You see what I did though? As soon as there was an opening, I struck." I say.

"Okay, I think I get it. Anything else I should know for tomorrow?" Chase asks.

"As soon as you attack, you have to be prepared for a counterattack. Blocking is crucial." I say. Suddenly, I get a call from my mom. "Hold on, I need to take this." I say.

"It's all good." Chase says.

"Hey Mom, what's up?" I ask.

"I need you to come home immediately. There's a detective over here and he wants to talk to you about Steve and your brother." My mom says.

Third Person POV:

Steve was sparing with Robby.

"Let's see how well your defense is." Robby says. Robby goes to punch Steve but he blocks it easily using the drum technique. When Robby goes to kick Steve, Steve manages to block the kick. That's when Robby goes for Steve's legs and sweeps them. However, right as Robby is about to kick Steve in the chest, Steve rolls out of the way and gets back on his feet. "Okay, I'm not gonna hold back anymore. Try going on offense now." Robby says. Steve attempts to kick Robby in the face but Robby is easily able to catch Steve's leg. He then punches Steve in the chest.

"Dammit!" Steve shouts.

"You have to be prepared for every counter attack. Make sure you truly know your opponent before closing in. Now, do exactly the same move and try again, I won't go as hard on you this time." Robby says. Steve nods. He tries to kick Robby in the face and Robby catches his leg again. However, when Robby goes to punch Steve in the chest, Steve pushes his arm away. Then, Steve uses the weight of Robby's arm to push himself upwards and use his free leg to kick Robby in the chest.

"Not bad." Robby says.

"You totally could've blocked that." Steve says.

"Yeah, but it felt good to hit me, right?" Robby asks.

"Heh, yeah." Steve says.

James's POV:

I arrive back home to see both my parents and a Detective sitting in the living room.

"Hello, I'm Detective Alfonso. I'm here to talk about Steve and your brother. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?" Detective Alfonso asks.

"Uh, okay." I say while taking a seat.

"How long have you known Steve?" Detective Alfonso asks.

"Since the first day of school, the day after I moved here." I say.

"Has he always been harassing you?" Detective Alfonso asks.

"Yeah." I say sadly. Detective Alfonso nods.

"Let's talk about your brother now. The night he passed away, did he show any indication that he would be drinking that night?" Detective Alfonso asks.

"No. He never drank before then. Every party he went to, he brought his own soda specifically to avoid drinking." I say.

"Did he ever sneak alcohol into those sodas?" Detective Alfonso asks.

"No. My parents checked all the time." I say. Detective Alfonso nods.

"I think it's time I tell you why I'm asking all these questions. We believe that your brother's death was not an accident. We believe that Steve or someone in his family is responsible for his death." Detective Alfonso states. My head begins spinning and I stop paying attention. Steve was involved with my brother's death? How the hell is that even possible? We lived in a completely different state back then and I didn't know Steve until I moved here.

"I…I need some air." I say while leaving the house. After I exit the house, I run. I don't know where I'm going, I just run. Eventually, I make it to the park and sit down at a bench. I pull out my phone and text Demetri. I need someone to talk to. I tell him where to meet me. My shock was quickly turning into anger. Steve could've killed my brother. It sounds so wrong, yet I can't stop thinking that it's true. I'm furious. I want to…I want to hurt Steve. I want to completely break him, make him suffer. As I'm thinking these thoughts, a random kid approaches me.

"Hey, are you James?" The kid asks. He looks like he's high.

"Go away, I need to be alone." I say.

"Shut up. Just because Chase said you didn't make those posts, doesn't mean you're in the clear. I still think you're guilty as shit." The kid says. I glare at him and stand up.

"Listen, you better walk away right now or else." I say. The kid just laughs.

"Pussy." I hear him say. That word. That stupid word. I lose myself. I sweep this kid's legs and he falls to the ground. I then get on top of him and punch him in the face, over and over again. I can't stop, and I don't want to. His face is now completely bloody and unrecognizable. Suddenly, I feel someone grab me. I quickly elbow this person in the face. I turn around and realize that it's Demetri.

"James?! What the hell are you doing?" Demetri asks in shock.

"I'm not letting anyone push me around anymore." I say.

"Look at what you're doing! Look at his face!" Demetri shouts. I turn and look at the damage I caused. I don't feel anything. In fact, I smirk.

"Good." I say.

"Good? What the hell is wrong with you?!" Demetri shouts.

"It seems like the only way to get anything in this world is to be violent. If I hadn't kicked the shit out of Chase, he would've never changed. If I didn't kick the shit out of this guy, he could've become the next Steve. I'm not gonna let that happen." I shout.

"James, I don't want you to turn into a monster." Demetri says.

"Maybe I need to. I'm gonna break Steve during the tournament." I say. I then walk away, leaving a hurt Demetri behind. I don't care what anyone thinks anymore. If I want to be on top, I need to beat everyone who tries to bring me down. And If I have to hurt Chase, Demetri, Eli and Miguel during the tournament to do so, then I will.

Author's Note: It seems that James has fully embraced the aggressive side of karate. When he beat up Chase and his teammates, it felt good but he still felt regret. Now, James has no regrets when he beat the shit out of that random guy. How will this change James during the tournament?

The All Valley begins next chapter and I'm so excited to write it. I would love to hear your theories on how the All Valley will play out. Will James hurt someone he cares about? Will Steve win in the end? Will Chase even do well? Everything comes to head during the tournament.

Also, what do you think the connection between Steve and James's brother is?