ONE HUNDRED AND TWELVE

I was doing pull-ups one day when I thought...

Wait, I can do better.

So I dropped down my left arm and struggled. I waved my legs in the air haphazardly and strained to pull myself up...it didn't work.

Just then I heard someone counting, fast. I looked to my side to see Mark doing one arm pull-ups like they were no one's business.

I yelled and swung my legs at him and he laughed and got down.

My arm was aching so I dropped down on my butt. Chienembe started laughing uncontrollably and I frowned at him then he said,"You're a weakling!"

I'm a weakling?!

I can do twelve pull-ups at one go and I'm a weakling?!

Fine...

"Oh really..."I said,"...then why don't you show you can do one arm pull-ups?"

"Hey, I didn't say I was strong."Chienembe replied.

Oh shoot, I can't get this guy!

The fiddle stick touched the strings of the violin, then started moving, causing them to resonate and play a beautiful harmony.

Mark started playing his violin and soon after, I joined in by playing the piano and Lucille also added her angelic voice.

Mark had written this song especially for Ms Lucy on her birthday and she was wiping her tears as she listened.

All the guests at the reception were also listening and once Mark began his solo, the crowd went wild.

He went forward while playing the fiddle and kissed Ms Lucy's hand then bowed and I began my solo, I actually couldn't believe that barely a year ago, I failed a music test because I almost raptured the listeners' ears, but now I was playing like a pro.

Lucille also began her solo then made a tribute to her in the opera like lyrics.

After we were done, Ms Lucy hugged the three of us with tears streaming down her face, she kissed Lucille's forehead and my left cheek and Mark said,"Aww, where's mine?"

She smiled and kissed him on the lips then said,"This is my best birthday ever."

The next day, after the party, I went to the school to meet Ruby and she was training with a weapon which consisted of a long chain with a dagger at the end.

She spun the chain and threw it and the dagger pierced through a soda bottle, then she pulled it back, did a butterfly kick and whipped the chain down in the process, making the dagger hit another bottle.

She then spun and the chain threw the dagger in a circular path, making the sharp dagger slice through two bottles in a row then she threw the dagger at the last bottle and pierced through it without a problem and threw the dagger backwards.

The dagger was coming straight at me and I caught it right before it pierced my eye, tilted to the side and calmly said,"Hey Ruby."

She looked at me and smiled then replied,"Hey Tommy."

"You're pretty good, but, how would you do in a sparring match against someone else... someone like me?"

She chuckled and said,"Are you challenging me to a match?"

"Are you willing to accept?"

"... okay."

She pulled back the dagger from my grip and I picked up a katana then we started circling each other. She then threw the dagger and I blocked it with the sword.

Sparks flew and I side flipped to dodge another attack then dived and safety rolled to dodge yet another.

She started spinning the chain from one side to the other then started throwing it at me.

I was using the sword to block but the impact was great and once, she was actually able to coil the dagger around the sword and pull it out of my grip.

She caught it and said,"What? Need a girl to fight your battles for you?"

I grinned, she had no idea.

I did a cartwheel round off into a double back handspring and did a back flip to dodge a low attack she'd made.

I landed and was close to her, too close for her to use the dagger. She then started using the katana but I dodged the best I could, I almost got sliced like sushi everytime, then I got an idea.

"Don't you think it's unfair how you have two weapons and I have none? Why don't you lose one? Or you think I'll win you if you don't."

She immediately threw the sword away and pulled the chain to bring the dagger closer, but I caught the chain before the dagger could get to her and pulled her closer.

I wrapped my arm around her waist and brought our faces centimetres away from each other, arched a brow and said,"Hey."

She half closed her eyes, pulled back, shook her head then said,"Tommy, please don't ruin the little that exists between us."

I shrugged my shoulders then kicked her down while she was distracted and dive rolled to get the sword then pointed it at her and let out an aha.

I then got worried as she looked really hurt then ran to help her but she pulled me down and twisted my arm and put her knee on my back and said,"It's not only you who knows how to distract people."

"Okay, okay just stop, you're breaking my arm."

She said,"Hmm, I think I'll stay in this position a little longer."

I grunted.