Page 66 of Exchange of Heart

‘I’ve scrolled past videos online about women trying to stay safe – especially at night – and I’ve always rolled my eyes. But that guy didn’t even hesitate! He just walked right up, plucked it out, then ran off. I’m lucky he didn’t knock me to the ground, I wouldn’t have stood a chance.’

It was bizarre to think it didn’t even cross men’s minds to worry about staying safe. That they felt confident enough to simply exist.

Corey sighed. ‘Going to the police station’s going to eat up our time here. We’ve barely searched for this damn umbrella and it’s almost midday. There’s class tomorrow then the exam next week, and we’re running out of time. I know how important it is to have your grades reflect you, not me.’

I tilted my head to the sun as though I was a human sundial. All I ever did was race against time. For a promotion, for food, for this umbrella… When would it end?

‘This park is one of the best places to find the umbrella. Someone going for a walk is bound to bring it along in case it rains. That is, unless you want to break into everyone’s houses and search their garages?’ I asked.

Corey scrunched his face. ‘Why has it rained so much the past week? I mean, it’s almost summer.’

‘The universe works in mysterious ways.’ I shrugged and turned to keep walking. ‘Come on, we can cancel your cards on the way to the police station.’

Corey didn’t move. ‘What if we’re walking away from the umbrella and it never catches up. Why don’t we wait here a bit and watch everyone pass us?’

There were a million ways to tackle this problem, and neither was better than the other.

‘Sure,’ I said.

After Corey cancelled his cards and reported the robbery to the police over the phone instead of going in, he raised his small fists in front of his face. ‘While we wait, why don’t I teach you some Muay Thai?’

My stomach dropped. ‘What, right now? Here?’

He lowered his hands and straightened his shoulders. ‘Why not? I just got robbed, for God’s sake. Let me feel like I’m not a complete failure and have some purpose. It’d be nice to know you could protect yourself.’ He pretended to check out the field behind him, but I caught a hint of his flushed cheeks. ‘Besides, you seem to hate all men, right? This is how you keep yourself from being at their mercy.’

There’s a click in my heart where a little puzzle piece connected. Corey had no intention of cutting me down to a defenceless dependent.

‘I don’t hate all men.’ I definitely didn’t hate him. ‘But self-defence sounds great.’ I raised my fists the way he had.

He turned back to grin at me, and despite being my face, a flutter went through my stomach. He grabbed my fist and pulled me closer until I stood in front of him with my back against his stomach. He placed a hand on each side of my hip, rotated my posture, then dragged his hands along my arms and gripped my wrist. I opened my mouth to make a kinky joke, but the words died in my throat. His skin on mine, his breath at my ear, the beat of his heart hammering against my back. It was eerily similar to how we’d woken this morning, and every emotion came rushing back to me.

‘Your hands always stay up, protecting your face, like this.’ His hand wrapped around mine, forming a fist. ‘Thumbs out. You tuck them in, and you’ll break them.’

Next, his hands slid down my thighs, and I suppressed a shudder.

‘This is a roundhouse kick. You’re going to lift your left leg.’ He tapped it, and I lifted it obediently. ‘You’re gonna swing it round so your foot hits your opponent’s thigh.’

I swiped my leg through the air.

‘Good, but make sure it’s the top of your foot that lands on them. I don’t want any of my toes broken.’

I tried again, this time with more confidence. Swinging my right leg round, my enthusiasm got the better of me and I toppled backwards, swiping Corey with my flailing arms. Everything happened in slow motion, yet too quickly for me to change. My hands shoved him to the side to save his tiny bones from being crushed by my giant body. His scrunched-up face looked at me like what is happening? and my equally scrunched-up face stared back with a look of your mammoth body is a hazard to society. Our bodies fell in some sort of a swirling cyclone motion until Corey landed on top of my chest, planting his elbow into my groin like a flagpole claiming his presence on the moon.

A beastly howl ripped from my mouth and my stomach flooded with a demonly presence. All the air left my body, yet somehow also filled every crevice inside. Bile crept up my throat, my hands wavering between protecting below and catching vomit.

‘Holy shit.’ Corey rolled off and placed his hand on my forehead.

I rolled to my side and tucked my legs to my chest, huddled in the foetal position waiting for death to claim me. I was done. There was no surviving this complete male experience.

‘Are you okay?’ Anyone would think he was the one who’d had his nuts hammered to the floor from the way he held his face.

I tried to answer, but a grumbling gag was the best response I could muster.

‘Take a deep breath in,’ he commanded.

I did as he said and held it as he counted to three.

‘Now let it out, along with the pain.’ He exhaled with me.