Too Equal For My Taste

Chapter 21: Two Friendly Rivals

After hearing Ken's laughter from the house, Mike had had it. He couldn't bear the smile anymore. That hateful smile upon Ken's face. He felt as though he must eat or be eaten. He could stay quiet and deal with it, ignore it, and live; or, he could do something about it. Since starting a fight with him at that moment was not smart, he decided to hone himself before doing anything reckless and rash.

"Dad," he looked up at his father as he walked in. "I wanna take Karate."

"What?"

"I wanna take Karate."

"Why, so you can fight Ken with it," Tom asked smartly.

"Dad, I can't stay small forever," Mike protested. "I wanna take Karate, so maybe I won't have to fight him. Then he'll know I'm better than him."

"We'll talk about it with your mother, and then we'll decide," Tom said lowly.

As they were choosing the Christmas card, Tom brought the subject up. "Kate, Mike wants to take Karate."

Mike looked up hopefully for all the good that did. Kate answered immediately as if without thought. "No."

However, it wasn't only Mike who protested. Tom also made a point. "It's great the hone a young mind, and Mike will be so ready for high school when he goes. Honey, this is foolproof, and"-

Over the protests, she gave in, "Ok, ok, take it. Not Karate, but another more specific kind. Tae Kwon Do will do it. Lessons for that are closer. One violent act from Mike though, and it's off."

"Deal," Mike said promptly.

"You got yourself a class," Tom said, patting him on the back as Mike ran upstairs to tell Jake and Sarah. "Use it wisely."

That weekend, Tom enrolled Mike in Tae Kwon Do class, and there Mike received his own Karate robe. As Mike had practiced the first jab, two more came in, and that just made everything worse. And what a mistake it was for Tom and Kate not to take Mike out and put him in a different class, because there was Ken, standing with his father.

Mike could've screamed aloud, but he screamed on the inside instead. Ken! Ken! Ken was there! Now he had to fight evenly with him. Mike hoped Tom and Kate would not take him out, and his hopes prevailed, because it didn't even cross their minds.

"Ken in this class," Tom asked Jimmy as he sat beside him, and watched the first lesson.

"Yeah, he begged us yesterday," Jimmy nodded, sitting beside Tom. "So, what's your reason? Your kid wanna beat up my kid?"

Tom laughed, "Might be the case. But I'm thinking Tae Kwon Do would soften Mike a bit, and he wouldn't need to hurt anybody."

"That's basically the same with Ken," Jimmy agreed. "I'm hoping that if he knows he can do it, he won't need to do it. That's the case with every kid. It really softens them up, and there's no need for violence. We have enough wars for one century. God knows if we need another."

Tom laughed heartily, and fell into conversation with Jimmy.

"Now, Tae Kwon Do is all mostly kicks," the master explained to them.

Ken was beside Mike, and both had to resist the urge to do an example of what they learned on each other. The master went on, "However, there will be some jabs in the second lesson. With practice, you will be able to do something like this:"

He turned to his equal, and they bowed. The two went at it equally and none to prevail for one minute before bowing once more.

As the lesson went on, different attacks were learned, and Mike itched to try them on Ken. However, his wish did not come till later. The entire lesson was long, and breathtaking.

The instructor gave them five minutes break, and Mike and Ken walked beside each other doing nothing. They didn't talk. Ken just wiped his forehead and looked over at Mike to see if he was doing the same.

Their bags were in the same spot, so they walked the same way, and both opened their bags. It seemed Tom and Jimmy had left them to get a lunch before coming to pick them up, so the two were alone. Mike would've loved to pick a fight with Ken now, but he didn't feel up to it. Ken took one large gulp, let out a lot of breath, and sat down. Mike did the same, and sat beside Ken.

The two didn't talk to each other much. Not much. Mike looked over and said, "Breathtaking."

"If I wasn't so out of breath, I'd"- Ken started, but was interrupted.

"Everyone back in!"

Ken and Mike hurried back in. Mike didn't know why he was getting friendly with Ken. Ken was practicing Tae Kwon Do with him, and he might as well get used to him. "Ok, now we do some free fighting before exercising." By instinct, Mike and Ken faced each other, especially because they were beside each other the entire time. "Bow, and attempt a kick or jab."

All thoughts of peace left, Mike went straight for jabs. Ken went for kicks. Mike hit Ken's foot out of the way, and crouched the other. It was really amateur, and it was only a forward kick meaning nothing.

Mike actually hit Ken with a jab, and his spirits soared. Ken shook his head. "Heh, sorry."

"Oh, it's"- Ken hit with a hard and unsuspected kick. "Ok."

Mike stepped back after the blow.

"Calm down!" the instructor yelled over the blows. Mike and Ken weren't the only ones taking it further. A couple behind them was going for each other as if they were already pro, even though they were only yellow belt.

Mike bowed first to end it. Ken bowed back. "Fine, peace."

The lesson ended like that, and the two walked back outside to meet Jimmy. According to him, Tom had left, and wanted Jimmy to drive the two to their neighborhood. That was probably to push for them to make up. Mike thought it was taking it too far, but he didn't want to smash any chances, and decided not to give Ken any signal he still hated him.

In the car, the two both sat in the back, leaving the front empty. For a bit, and quite awkwardly, the two conversed a tiny bit, casually and cautiously. Jimmy hid his smile as they rode home.