The Ten of Them – Chapter 2: A New Home

The thirteen-year-old has Hazel eyes and lighter brown hair then her sister. The twelve-year-old like her sister probably has A cup breast on a 30 inch frame, with slim waist and hips. Kathryn with her tenth birthday tomorrow is he probably stands four foot four, probably only in a trainer bra and maybe a waistline of 18 inches, and 22 or 24 inch hips and shoulders. I can see the difference a couple years will make.

Edward her fourteen-year-old brother asked Kathryn the past potatoes he said. “Hey Katie cat reach me the potatoes.”

Kathryn tensed I could see her looking at me through her peripheral vision to see if I would do something. I gently correct Edward by saying. “I think since tomorrow is Kathryn’s birthday she’s a little too old for that name now.”

Edward teases me a little. “Oh you think you can make me stop.”

I turn to the coach and he gives me a wink. I face Edward and say. “Edward, I could probably make you stop, but I’m a guest in your house and it would be rude for me kick your ass.”

Edward not one for backing down says. “Is LA boy afraid I’ll kick is ass?”

Little more forcefully I state. “First I’m not LA my name is John or you may also call me JJ but I’m not LA or loser ass.”

Notice the coach is whispering something in his wife’s ear. She gets a devilish look and giggles as she shakes her head yes to her husband. The coach says to Edward and I. “It looks like you’re going to take this outside to settle this. I don’t want you breaking anything. So if you two are going to fight about this I wanted it a fair one.”

I nod to him. “Do you want us to wait till lunch is settled or should we take it outside right now?”

Kathryn whispers in Maria’s ear, Maria turns to Krystal and seems to repeat what Kathryn told her. This goes from one girl to the others as is passed along. Each of the sisters looks at me then back to their brother. Finally Michelle asks. “Dad is it true you’re going to let Edward get is ass kicked?”

The coach answers. “Well if he’s dumb enough to start something with someone he knows nothing about, it’s about time he learned a lesson.”

Edward looks a sister with anger in his eyes. “Who said I’ll get my ass kicked, everybody knows where the three toughest boys in the County.”

The coach laughs. “That might’ve been true last week, but JJ moved in now I don’t think that’s true anymore. Everybody knows how tough Los Angeles can be.”

Edward even gave his father and angry look. He turns to me and says. “Right now, you and me in the backyard.”

I calmly tell him. “Before we start I want you to agree that if I put you on the ground three times, it’s over, and you’ll never call her anything but Kathryn and only Kathryn from now on.”

He angrily says. “What will I get if I put you on the ground three times?”

I reach into my wallet and pull out a hundred dollar bill. I set it on the table than say. “If you make it back in before I do, because I’m on the ground you can have it.”

Edward laughs and says. “Only a 100.”

I chuckle and return and say. “Okay, I still have my birthday money.” I pullout four more hundreds and add it to the first.

The coach picks them up. “I’ll give them to the winner.”

The girls are wide eyed seeing the money I dropped like it was nothing. It seemed to only make Edward angrier. He jumps up and heads towards the back door storming through, I calmly rise and walk through the door he left open. He’s walking in circles in the backyard fist clenched at his side.

I look at Edward calmly and say to him. “You should never fight when you’re mad. You have no control, you will lose.”

Edward turns and looks at me anger rules his mind, he shouts. “What the hell do you know; you’re just some stupid city kid.”

He steps in leading the left jab; I step back and to the right. I have anticipated this I know he’s throwing a right hook as soon as that’s left begins to draw back his right arm speeds forward. He doesn’t know how fast I am. He is thinking I had stepped into his kill zone. I move a little further back and down out of the way of his punch. Missing his weight falls forward so he’s off balance forcing him to step closer to me, I trip him as my hand firmly pushes them further off balance. He falls turning to land on his ass. I calmly say. “That’s the first one.”

He scrambles to his feet, as I calmly stand there. I am standing out of his reach forcing him to move to attack. He comes throwing punches and jabs, I either step out of the way or slap them aside. Taking two quick steps backwards I force him into a lunging punch. I catch Edward by the wrist and throw him over my shoulder forcing him to land skidding on his ass. I calmly say, “That’s the second fall. One more were done.”

His sisters laugh from the porch, while his brothers remain silent. Edward jumps to his feet and charges, I drop into a three-point stand and watch as he takes the last few steps as he begins to bend over to grab me I lunch forward into his thighs and raise up pushes him completely off the ground and he completely flips in the air landing on his ass for the third time.

I stand over top of him, and calmly ask. “Is it over like you agreed? Do I have to let you throw yourself around the backyard for another half-hour?”

Edward takes a deep breath, that last time knocked the wind out of him. In a moment he raises his hand it’s not a fist so I help him to his feet. It seems his anger was knocked out as well as his breath. When he comes to his feet he looks at me then shakes his head before saying. “Dad was right. I should have got to know you before trying to kick your ass.”

I tell him quietly with my back facing the others. “If you had asked I would’ve told you. I have a third Dan in tae kwon do and a second Dan jujitsu, a Dan is a black belt.”

Edward asks. “Could you show me some of those moves?”

I smile and calmly tell him. “Only once you control your anger. You will be able to do those moves. So if you want to learn how to do that first. I will.”

Edward rubs his ass. “Yeah that last time you put me on my ass was something.”

I say lightly. “I thank you Dad probably can show you that last move better than me. It’s from football not martial arts.”

Edward laughs. “I thought I recognized that move.”

Walking back to the porch Edward says. “The deal is I can’t call her anything but Kathryn.”

“Yes, that just about sums it up. If she lets you call her something else that’s up to her.”

Edward looking at his brothers says. “So if she doesn’t like it, you’re coming back to change my mind about it.”

“That would be correct.” Then I look at his older brothers, and then I ask them. “Could I ask you kindly to stop misusing your sister’s name?”

The two older brothers both laugh. Mark says. “I’ll tell you what you make me the same offer you did with Edward.” I shake my head yes.

Mark steps off the porch, he doesn’t take a step before he throws a punch, I counter and he lands upon the ground. This time I only let him stand before I move in and put him on the ground, for second and third time. I stay in the yard and wave to Michael Junior to come and join me. He calls. “Same deal?”

“Sure same deal.” He steps into the yard more cautiously than Mark a cooler head than Edward. It doesn’t matter much as he throws a two punch combination I move faster than I had before holding less back. Three quick throws later I’m now walking back onto the porch. The Coach hands me the $500.

Edward, Mark and Michael finish launch standing. After lunch I excuse myself and asked Helen if she needed anything from in town. She thanked me, but didn’t require anything.

After I left the coach asked his sons if they learn anything by it. Edward spoke first. “Never fight when you’re angry.” Mark and Michael both said. “If we’re in a fight we want JJ as our ally.”

The coach points out to them. “You took on an unknown opponent. That is not wise.”

They each laugh in agreement. Edward asks. “Dad did you know he was a multiple black belt?”

His father replies to them. “He told me he possessed five. You do know how some people boast. I got a feeling he’s not that type.”

Kathryn comes by as Mom and I were just leaving; I noticed she changed her clothing she now had on an attractive sundress. Kathryn asks. “Mom remembered she did need something from town if you’re going by the department store. If it’s okay I’ll come and get it, mom give me the money for it.”

Mom says. “The bank is in the same location, so that should not be a problem.”

Kathryn shyly asks. “JJ this isn’t going to interfere with you getting me a birthday present, is it?”

I chuckle and tell her. “I thought getting your brothers to only use your name correctly would be a good birthday present.”

Kathryn gives me a quick hug. “That was an excellent birthday present. But what if they start calling me that again?”

I smile to her saying. “I told Edward, I would changes mind for him if he started doing that again. I guess I could get a birthday card and write in it to remind everyone not to call you that.”

Kathryn smiling and pleads only like a little girl can. “Oh yes please, that way they’ll never go back to doing that.”

Mom inquires. “Did I miss something?”

Kathryn burst out the statement before I could stop her. “He talked my brothers into fighting him, so when he put them on their ass three times each. They had to stop teasing me by calling me Katie cat.”

Mom scours over at me and utters. “I told you to go make friends not enemies of the neighbors.”

Kathryn giggles and informs mom. “My brothers want him on their side if they ever get in a fight from now on. Oh and dad says thank you, they’ve actually started helping.”

Mom opens the door for Kathryn putting her in front with her. Mom asks. “Why would they start helping just because JJ came over?”

Kathryn giggles then says. “First they’re too sore to set down. Dad told them you’re over helping him with the tractor. Said he needed to reward you so any time you come over to assist him you can spar with the boys. My brothers decided if there is nothing for you to do. They wouldn’t have to spar with you.”

Mom laughs and says. “We’ll have to stop by and say hi to your mom on the way out.”