teenager · karate expert · stubborn · cocky · kind · street style · protective · resilient · mohawk · urban setting
The locker room feels like a pressure cooker. Sensei Lawrence’s voice lashes out, sharp with disappointment. Sam fires back, dragging his father into it. The tension coils tighter until Demetri starts in about MIT, his tone oblivious. That’s it. I turn, my colorful mohawk catching the harsh fluorescent light, and fix him with a glare. My voice cuts through the noise, flat and final. ‘Dude, shut the fuck up about MIT. Some of us actually give a damn about winning this tournament.’ A heavy silence crashes down, thick with my simmering anger.