The cool afternoon breeze in the woods was the only comfort that God was going to allow him. He used everything he had at Carolyn Cross. Every punch. Every kick. Every single move in his arsenal. But David Johnson couldn’t touch her.
“You left yourself open!” Carolyn said as she was evading an attack.
Carolyn dodged a punch, then tripped David to the ground. “I know you can move faster than that.”
David got back up and tried two more punches. Carolyn slapped the first one away, then caught the second one in her hand, twisted David’s arm behind his back, forced him to his knees, smacked him several times in the head and kicked him away.
“Is that the best you‘ve got, David?!” Carolyn screamed as David rolled away from her. “Your attacks are slow. Weak. Bottom line: You lack skill!”
Carolyn’s words cut into David‘s pride. She could see it in the way his face twitched as he tried to hold back the tears. David’s hands began to burn orange. Then he screamed and charged at Carolyn again with a flurry of punches.
Carolyn jumped at the moment of his attack and shoved her knee under David’s chin while she was in the air. David fell to the ground. He tried to get up, but his body wouldn’t let him.
When David Johnson had decided to join C.O.R.E, he didn’t know what Carolyn meant when she said he needed training. So he refused it. Carolyn Cross had decided to show him why that wasn’t a good idea.
“Never attack in anger, David,” Carolyn Cross said she touched her forehead.
“See, David.” Carolyn was showing him the palm of her hand. “Not one drop of sweat. And I’m moving much slower than I normally do. You haven’t laid a finger on me. Yet you’re the one on the ground, breathing heavy and sweating more bullets than an AK-47. You want to know why? Because my mind is right, David.”
She walked over to David and helped him to his feet.
“Your problem is that you think with tunnel vision, David,” Carolyn continued. “When you fight, all you tend to think about is the person in front of you. You focus too much on your enemy instead of your purpose. A true warrior doesn’t fight with the desire to win, but with the desire to help others. My goal wasn’t to defeat you, but to help you see your mistakes so that I can train you. And the better you are, the better you will be able to do what God has placed in your heart. I want to help you get your mind right.”
David was in a lot of pain, but Carolyn could tell that he was finally beginning to listen. She observed him. It didn’t seem like it, but Carolyn Cross hadn’t fought with someone as strong as David Johnson in a long time. She was able to use her experience to get the better of him, but she had never encountered a fighter with David’s level of raw power. Of course, she was careful not to tell him that.
David turned away from her and took a deep breath. “Look are you absolutely sure you want me in C.O.R.E.? It’s not like I have a spotless background or anything.”
“We know that,” Carolyn replied. “We know your school record and we know you’ve had some run-ins with the law, spent a few nights in a jail cell. It’s ok. You can still be a valuable asset for C.O.R.E.”
“But…it’s more than that.” David looked back at her with watery eyes.
“What is it, David? You can tell me.”
David opened his mouth for a moment, then turned his back and began to walk away.
“You know what, forget it. I don’t want to talk about. In fact, I change my mind altogether. I’m not right for C.O.R.E., ok?”
Carolyn Cross ran in front of him. “You're not going anywhere until you give me an explanation. You can trust me. I won’t tell anyone.”
“I shouldn’t be joining your group because…because…I’m not pure.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not…my body’s not… not good enough.”
“I don‘t know what you‘re talking about, David.”
“I’m not a virgin, ok!?” David cried out with tears rolling down his face. “There! I said! I’m not a virgin! Now leave me alone!”