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Jiu-Jitsu Girl

No one at my school knows what Jiu-Jitsu is, and all the cool
kids do activities like dance or soccer. Next time, let’s pick a
normal sport, Mom.

Yes, this was a lot to put on a chalkboard—but I used my
best tiny handwriting, and it’s a big, fancy chalkboard that’s
supposed to look “rustic.” I think it makes our kitchen look like

an old schoolhouse, but when has anything I thought mattered
anyway? It doesn’t make a difference. Mom walks right by the
list like it isn’t even there. I thought she’d erase it last week and
replace it with something silly and motivational like: Enjoy the
first day at your new school!

But she didn’t, and the list remains.
And when I bring up how much I hate Jiu-Jitsu, and all
the supporting facts as demonstrated by the list, she just says

something like “The other kids are very nice” or “Give it some
time, you’ll like it.”
Yeah, right. I’ll never like it. She’ll see.
“Good job,” Devaansh says, patting me on the shoulder and
bringing me back to my current reality.

Go pat someone else, Devaansh. I hate this place.
“Okay, find another partner. Someone you haven’t worked
with. Last match,” the other coach, Coach Julian, calls out.

“Alexis, you go with Jack.”
Mom pulls the book up to cover her mouth, but too late—I
already saw her grin. Yeah, super funny to be called “Alexis” all
the time. She knows how much I hate it.
Jack does the cool guy nod as he leaps from his spot on

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