Your Adolescent Street Fighters Ch.9
By Silvercane

“Ha! I knew she wouldn’t show!”

“Elena, we’re 5 minutes early”

“Oh,…well I bet she won’t show”

Elena, Cammy, Pullum, and Chun Li were standing out in the chilly school yard. Elena, waiting for her opponent to show up. Since, Elena had gym last period, she decided to just come straight out in her gym uniform. She was jogging in place, trying to keep warm.

“Elena, could you stop doing that”, asked Chun Li watching Elena with her head bobbing up and down. “You’re making me nervous”

“Oh, just relax, this’ll be over in half a minute…maybe less, and depending on if she’ll show up”

“Why is it so bloody cold?” Cammy said as she rubbed her hands raw and breathed out white cloudy puffs of air.

“I don’t know but this better not take long, I’m freezing my a** off”, answered Pullum, who had her legs pressed tightly together and her arms wrapped around her body, hugging all the heat she could. Especially since all the girls were wearing uniform skirts with knee socks, with the exception of Elena, who was wearing shorts, they were numb from the waist down. The temperature had dropped drastically overnight, with hard piercing northerly winds.

“Whoa, gossip sure does travel fast” Elena pointed out as students formed a large circle around the four girls.

“Look, there’s Karin”

Karin came strutting up the sloping schoolyard entrance. She was followed by a group of giggling junior high school girls. Included in the herd of sheep was Sakura.

“Bring it on”, whispered Elena through a cloud of misty breath.

“Hehehe”, Dan snickered evilly. “Cat fight”

He and Ken exchanged excited little school boy looks.

“What cat fight? I thought Elena and Karin were fighting?” Ryu asked.

“You’re so naïve”, Dan replied, shaking his head. “Man, it’s sooo @#$%in’ cold”

“I can’t see”, complained Guy, jumping up and down, stealing glances at the centralized group of girls. Instead, Guy elbowed his way through the crowd, Ken, Dan, and Ryu followed close behind, careful not to make eye contact with the pissed-off crowd.

Karin was in a Nike track-suit and she was walking at her own leisure pace. She appeared to be in no rush. Elena, on the other hand, was fidgeting like mad, and she was rubbing one leg behind the other in a repetitious pattern, trying to create some thermal energy.

“So, were you the one who spread the news?”, Elena asked Karin accusingly.

“I mean, why not, have some witnesses. I wouldn’t want you saying that you won”

“How do you know I won’t win?”

“Well, we’ll just have to find out”, immediately Karin jumped back into a stance.

“Huh?”, was all Elena could say as Karin lunged forward and performed two kicks. One hit Elena in her mid-section and the other, right across her head. Elena didn’t even have time to block, Karin was moving like a blur. Elena was thrown violently to the floor, while Karin leapt back. Then, as Elena struggled to stand up, Karin jumped towards her, swinging both hands one after another, for two consecutive hits as she neared the ground. The crowd ooohed and aaahed as they witnessed Karin’s speedy, agile moves. Poor Elena was being defeated in the first minute. Chun Li, Cammy, And Pullum watched with their mouths wide open. Karin was beating the crap out of Elena! Even though Karin was a lot shorter, and didn’t look as built, her fighting ability was definitely underestimated. Karin did a back kick, then a forward kick, and then a double jumping kick, that resulted in Elena’s nose blood spilling out like a forever running waterfall. This time, Chun Li, Cammy and Pullum, started to take a step into the action, but Elena’s fury exploded as she zoomed toward Karin executing a series of quick strong kicks. Karin could do little but be whipped side to side like Elena’s punching bag. The three girls sighed in relief. Then, who, but the principal came to ruin the entertainment. Two Jerry Springer security-looking type lugs grabbed Elena’s and Karin’s wrists and forced them into the school building. The crowd eventually divided and left the three girls and the four guys standing in the windy school yard.

“Wow, that was some fight. Not your usual cat fight” said Dan as the guys made their way towards the girls.

“I wonder what’ll happen to Elena?”, Pullum asked curiously.

“That Karin Kanzaki sure is fast”, said Chun Li.

“I told you that your friend would get hurt”, spoke a new voice.

Sakura walked up to them.

“And Karin does not like it when she is hurt at all during a fight. Your friend’s kicks are going to give Karin swollen face. I’m warning you now, it’s going to be war versus Karin and you guys”

“Like I give a s***”, said Chun Li. “Karin was fast, but she caught Elena off guard. I’m sure Elena could kick her a**”

“She’s right, Karin had cheap moves, I could beat her”, Cammy spoke up.

“Hey I think we should go to the principles office to wait for Elena”

“Yeah, okay, see you guys around”

The girls made their way into the school building, awhile the guys stood outside with Sakura.

“Well, we mind as well leave…hey Ken, you said we could try out your new Playstation game”, reminded Guy.

“Yeah, okay, let’s head over to my place”

“Bye Ryu”, said Sakura. “See you tomorrow”

“Well, well, well, Ryu has a girlfriend”, mocked Dan.

“She’s not my-“

“Whatever”, Dan interrupted and smiled.

As the girls headed for the principal’s office, Vega stopped Chun Li.

“Uh…you guys go ahead, I’ll meet you there”, said Chun Li, as Vega pulled her to the side, next to a range of lockers.

“Lovely señorita, I am sorry to see your friend beaten to such a bloodymanner”, he said in a sympathizing voice.

“Yeah, it looked pretty bad, but I’m sure it was like a scratch to Elena…so anyways, what did you want to tell me?”

“Well, actually, I have come to ask you if you would like to accompany me to dinner, next Friday?”, he said softly.

“Next Friday? Isn’t that Halloween? Well, I was planning to go to the dance with Cammy, Pullu-“

“I wouldn’t think that a lady of such class and sophistication would attend such a tacky, meaningless event”, Vega interrupted. “Wouldn’t you rather spend the evening with me, rather than going to a loud place filled with people in childish costumes?” he asked in a pleading voice.

“Uh Chun Li, can I speak to you for a moment, it won’t take long”

“Huh?” Chun Li turned around to see Fei Long. She gave him a furious look and excused herself to talk to him.

“What are you doing?! Can’t you see I’m in the middle of something?!”, Chun Li whipered loudly.

“Li, I’m telling you now because you’re like a sister to me. That Vega is bad news. You can’t go out with him.”

“Who are you to tell me who I can’t or can date? This is my business! Stay out of it!”

“I can’t, I’m supposed to watch over you”

“You have been leaving me and running off since the beginning of school. Why should you watch over me now?! You’re just jealous, so just butt out!”

“Li, I’m not letting you…”

“Tough! I’m going out with him and there’s nothing you can do about it!”

She turned around and marched over to Vega. Fei Long walked the other way.

“Is anything wrong?” asked Vega in a puppy dog voice.

“No…nothing”, she replied flately.

“So are we on, Friday night?”

“Well,…okay, I guess”, Chun Li replied. Actually, she did not want to go at all, she was hoping to see Ryu at the dance and maybe move to a slow one with him. She only agreed to go out to dinner because of her anger towards Fei Long. She was not going to show him that she was not going on the date because he told her not to. She was stubborn and had to say yes.

“Great! Then I hope you are as excited as I am, I’m taking you to…”

“Chun Li wasn’t paying anymore attention, she just nodded.

She hated to project a false attitude of optimism, while she salvaged her guilty conscience.