Disclaimer: I don't own the source material.
:}
Jade couldn't believe how nervous she was the next morning. Of all the things she'd done, getting Adam back into her life was one of the most important to her. But now, she had to worry about the whole rumor thing, and she just knew that everyone was going to have heard it.
She arrived for the training session bright and early, to find Stan and Adam talking to Andy. 'What are they all doing here so early?' She wondered. Carefully she approached, relying on the stealth her brother had taught her to get close enough to hear whatever it was that they were discussing.
"But with a lot of protein, you have the building blocks for your muscles." Andy was saying. "More muscles, more power."
"We work out for a lot of reasons." Stan was telling his former student. "Muscle mass doesn't equate into power, just mass. The strongest people aren't body builders. You want power, you build for power, not size. Besides, what good is all that power without the fuel to drive it. You need to eat the right mix of foods, including carbs, to run your body."
Adam wasn't contributing to that discussion. Jade quickly realized he'd been watching her out of the corner of his eye, an eye hidden by his sun glasses. Something about her reaction let him know she knew. "Jade, sorry you had to find out this way, but we started inviting Andy here to breakfast with us. Better to discuss strategy."
"Strategy?" She asked, her voice colder then she'd intended.
"He had some idea." Stan said. "We were thinking of having him in my corner. You know, at the next fight."
"Congratulations, man." Jade said, sounding honestly happy for the former banger. "But, do you really think you could help with a game plan for whomever Stan here is going to be facing?"
"Nope." Andy said with a lot of pride. "But I can be loads of help with the game plan of how to deal with the media. What to wear, how to act, give Stan here some personality."
"I have personality." Stan protested.
"Non-boring ass personality." Andy replied, smirking at his own joke.
"You know, I'm glad I wasn't part of that discussion." The goth admitted.
"But you were afraid we were discussion something, weren't you?" Adam asked.
"She was?" Stan asked.
"Like what?" Jade replied.
"Dude, it's a non issue." Andy said, trying to get Adam's attention.
"What they did is, but the fact that rumors were flying wasn't." The Sensei said.
"My friends handled it." Jade told her brother, trying to stay calm.
"Really?' He asked. "How did they kill a rumor?"
"Do you even know what the rumor was?' Jade asked her brother.
"That you and your girlfriend slept together." The elder West said.
"You did?" Stan asked.
"And it's no big deal." Andy said. "Certainly none of our business."
"But Jade is my business." Adam said. "The last thing I need is for someone to do something that causes her to react, endangering her promising career in movies."
"You forgot theater and television." Jade said calmly. "I was wazzed, beyond belief. Then I though about all the people who tried to help me out, the ones who tried to squash the rumor. Hell, Trina, my sempai, even hacked her sisters account to write an announcement about it."
"So?" Adam asked.
"So, what am I supposed to do? My rep will either survive this, or it wont." The writer said. "For now, I'm more concerned with Tori's reputation. I can rebuild, but the good girl doesn't get that shiny luster back once her reps been tarnished."
"So what are you planning on doing about that?" Her brother asked.
"My friends found out who started the rumor, so I figured a small amount of payback was in order." Jade told her brother.
"Have you ever heard Eddie Morphy's special, 'Raw'?" He asked.
"Was I even born when he was popular?" She asked.
"Don't act smart. The point is, He talked about being in a bar fight, where someone else started it, and not only did those involved sue him, but everyone sued. People who were watching sued.." Adam said. "It's got a lot of swearing, but the warning's still in there. Now, with your rep, if anything happens, who do you think they'll blame?"
"So what am I supposed to do, just let it drop?" She asked. "I can't just be a punching bag. It's not my style."
"Then find a way to get back that doesn't break the rules." Adam snapped. "Let them know your not bothered, but you don't appreciate people talking about you. Think of all the trolls out there, looking for a reason to bash anyone. Never give them ammo. Rise about, and find a way to look classy as you do it, and they seem like the smaller people they are."
Jade was dumbstruck. Once again, her brother was looking out for her. "Okay, I'll try to find a better way to deal with this, but I'm not making any promises."
"Just talk to Tori before you do anything." He urged her.
"You realize, that prank that was pulled on Dale Squires, the woman who attacked him on the talk show, that was her idea." Jade admitted.
"She came up with that?" Andy asked.
"Well, not really." Jade admitted. "I kinda came up with the basic idea, and Andre filled in the details. Then he had to go and give us credit for our work." She was looking down. "I actually felt bad about it."
"Then learn from this, and find a way that saves your reputation and doesn't leave any regrets." Her brother reiterated.
"So, what are we working on today?' Jade asked, eager to change the subject.
"Speed." Her brother said. "Stan has plenty of power, and his form is good enough, but he's going to need to be faster then his opponents. It's his best weapon in the cage. You're plenty fast, and your form gives you lots of power, but you still tend not to adjust when your opponent shifts. You two will spar while Andy and I throw tennis balls at you."
"Admit it." The writer said to her brother. "Your lost and just making chiz up now."
"It will help Stan with his speed, trying to keep up with you, while I will be able to adjust your fighting style as you move. Remember, for this exercise, we want total control, light touches only." The elder West said. "And Jade, as you figure this out, your speed will increase, so please listen to the instructions I give. You may outpace Stan here."
The rest of the morning went that way. Warmups that left Andy wondering if he'd ever walk again, then the sparing. Jade found this to be more of a workout then the warmups. She and Stan had to keep track of their every move while trying to be as quick as possible. Their limbs became blurs as they circled and struck, but each time one of them was close to hitting, they had to pull the blow back to avoid making contact. And of course, they had to be watching for the tennis balls. Like they needed that distraction at that speed.
"Okay, that's enough of that. Stan, Jade, hit the light bags. We're still looking for speed, but we want to add power now. Andy here will set up the second bag for you Jade." Adam said. "And Stan, now is when you want to work on form. Every fighter loses form in a real fight, but it's the form that gives us the power. Now work on that. Next week we will work on planning and executing attacks in the middle of a fight. Jade will love that one."
After the training and practice, Jade went to the gyms shower to clean herself up while the boys talked. Stan was going to stay and work with Andy, then they were going to head out. 'I can't believe how much has changed, and in such a short time.' Jade thought to herself. 'I'm with Tori now, Trina's a trusted friend, even Crystals becoming the kind of person I'd like to hang out with. Maybe I need the world to slow down for a moment so I can catch up.' She smiled, enjoying the thought of the world changing. Then she dressed and headed out.
"So bro, where are we eating this week?" Jade asked.
"Dad's place." He replied. "It's time we finished mending the fences. Katelyn, and Jasper, are expecting us. Even Meg's gonna be there, so we can talk things out. It's time the West family buried the hatchet."
"I thought we'd done that." Jade told her brother.
"We got closer, but we're a long way from done." He replied, smiling. "I had Meg drop me off this morning, so you can drive us to Dad's place." He took a deep breath then let out a sigh. "It's time." he said in a soft voice.
Trina was enjoying her morning when Scotty called. "Trina, great news, I was talking to some of the guys, and they were telling me that, if I got someone to vouch for me, I could go to the police academy as soon as this summer. I'd be a rookie cop before you knew it."
"Too bad your not doing that." Trina replied.
"What?" he asked.
"Sorry, but your getting that AA in criminal justice before you go to the academy. You'll get promoted years earlier if you have the collage, and this will help you in other ways."
"Your having second thoughts about me being a police officer?" He asked.
"Detective trumps a uniformed sergeant at the crime scene." She told him. "And there are a lot of ways you can be a cop. Who knows, maybe you'll discover you love working with numbers, and wind up part of the fraud division. Or maybe computer crimes. The point is, I love that you know what you want to do with your life, but I want you to have options withing the grand plan. Two years of collage won't hurt anything, and who knows, maybe it will turn into four, or six plus a JD?" she smiled.
"Why would I want to be a lawyer?" He asked.
"The police need experts on the law too." She replied. "Or maybe you'll wind up district attorney, or even the FBI. The point is, again, lets keep your options open. The police are not like the military. You can't go into the reserve while you attend collage. It will be easier to get your degree now, and then go Into the force."
He gave a big sigh. "But I want to start helping people."
"You are." Trina told her boyfriend. "Talk to my father. He got his collage degree, and it only helped him rise in the force. These days, they're looking for that extra education in their officers. Please, think about it."
"Trina, it's too late. I haven't bothered applying to any schools. I'd never get into any of them now." Scotty complained.
"What about Notrhridge Community Collage?" She asked. "They're enrollment won't start for another few weeks, and you could start with whatever classes were open. Then, you could work part time for a private investigator to earn money and learn some valuable skills while you attend collage. It'd be better then working security, and give you another person who'd write you a letter of recommendation."
"Come on Baby, it's not that hard to become a cop." The former football player said.
"But all of that would look good in your jacket, and who knows what will give you the edge when it's promotion time. Like I said, plenty of guys make it in the force, gaining rank, even sergeant, sometimes lieutenant, and never make detectives." She told her man.
"What if I like the street work more?" He asked.
"You're not stuck taking the promotion, but think of it this way. The police who show up at the scene of a crime, they stop the crime that's happening now. Who is there for the victim of the crime that already happened?"
"I see what your saying." The big guy said. "But I want to help improve the image of the police officer."
"Community relations officers, often not even cops themselves." Trina said. "You could work with the community, help the force out, and still go to school and get your degree. Then, once you have it, you go to the academy and become a cop."
"You're not going to let this one go, are you?" He asked.
"You want a career as a police officer, I'm just giving you the options within that goal." Trina said again. "I love you, and the last thing I want is for you to have any regrets later on in life."
"Please tell me you're not pregnant." He joked. She didn't say anything. Sweat beaded down his head as the long second passed with no response. "I-I'm coming over." he said in a near panicked voice.
:}
Scotty can be a cop, but Trina still wants him to be the best person he can be. Collage isn't for everyone. However, you do have more options if you get an education.
So, what do you think Trina's going to say?