My College Years Part 23

By Corbin

How life tests the endurance, patience, and sometimes faith of one young 
Woman.

**********
 
Many of you may be amazed to find out that I am rather well traveled, not sure 
why I think that. Anyway, my Aunt works for the Sumitomo Corporation and my 
Uncle (who is English) for a Beijing Company, he actually setup their first 
remote sales office here in the U.S. 
 
So, I've been to England, Japan and Hong Kong and I always take a friend or two 
when I travel (when possible as I hate traveling alone). I also always try and 
mark off some time to 'roll' with anyone and everyone that allows me too. 
'Rolling' as in 'Grappling', it's fascinating to work with other styles and I 
find that the Chinese women are VERY, VERY aggressive, so are the Russian women 
but I find they (Russian) are quick to loose their composure and fall back on 
'catfighting/underhanded' techniques when things don't go their way.
 
"Whoa...WHOA!...slow down, we are just practicing." I try to remind them.
 
The last girl I grappled with overseas was Luda (short for Ludmilla). She was 
tall, at least my height and damn tough, but had a bad temper. I don't like 
wringing respect out of people, but she gave me a burn across my neck when she 
grabbed the collar of my Gi and dragged it across my throat to choke me. I had 
just scooted out from under her for the umpteenth time when she got pissed off 
(She was always getting pissed off) and I felt the fabric grind against my skin. 
Now THAT pissed ME off and I scissored my legs around her waist nice and hard 
forcing an uncomfortable groan out of her body as I continued to scoot and go 
for a hold on her left wrist. As my body scooted her arm was being forced into 
an uncomfortable position although she still would not let go, but her grip was 
beginning to loosen nonetheless. Finally, I pushed on her wrist and she lost the 
entire grip, it was now time to teach Comrade Luda a lesson, thus I powered her 
left arm up behind her back pushing her wrist up between her shoulder blades 
until she yelped something in Russian, and then screamed. She won't tap, 
she never taps, you gotta break the bitch's limbs or make her scream before she 
gives up; I made her scream 'cause I'm nice like that :)

Who's your momma now!

Thank god she didn't bite me, I don't trust those Russian girls.
 
Grappling, no problem I can take her, but it seems her forte is catfighting 
(Which I've never been in one thank god. Well, depends on your definition of a 
Catfight; For me it would include scratching, hair pulling, gouging, breast 
scratching...all that nasty stuff.) Anyway, Luda is a freaking wildcat as she 
proved later that night, taking out four other girls in a bar fight that broke 
out. Let me put it this way, take several nationalities (Chinese, Korean, 
Russian and a smattering of others; mix a little alcohol and you have a nice 
concoction for a potentially volatile situation). 

Me? I make a straight line to an exit door when any shoving or fighting breaks 
out, no thank you.
 
Another topic and small rant:
 
Do I have any regrets? No!
 
What the hell am I talking about? 
 
Competing at higher levels, be it fitness/bodybuilding/martial arts, and believe 
you me I've faced an onslaught of pressure over the years to do all of the 
above. I believe it all comes down to priorities; I would rather do other things 
with my time then travel to various competitions and such. I think my mindset at 
the gym speaks for itself: LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE! Just because you are also a 
female/male fitness nut does not mean we are automatically buddies and are 
members of some exclusive club. 
 
NO I don't need you to spot me!
 
NO I don't need you babbling words of encouragement into my ear so I can do one 
more rep!
 
NO I don't want to list what my workout routine is on a weekly basis!
 
NO I don't want to tell you what vitamins I prefer!
 
NO I don't want to enter a competition!
 
NO I don't want you to sponsor me!
 
NO I won't endorse your products! NOR pose in front of a camera while working 
out (Okay, that's a partial lie, I did one exercise spread/advertisement but 
you'll have to find it on your own and that's all the clues I'm going to give 
away)  NOR will I wear a freaking itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny bikini to a photo 
shoot! 'Oh you don't like the full back bottoms we are providing? Here, wear a 
thong.' NO, YOU WEAR THE THONG MR. CAMERAMAN...then again, I'll pass, I can live 
without seeing him in one of those.
 
(OH WOW...I LOVE THIS SONG!! 'Hanging by a moment' by Lifehouse, it just came 
on the radio...sorry...anyway as I was saying.)
 
YES I am dating someone! NO I still will NOT consider going out with you, I JUST 
TOLD YOU I AM INVOVLED WITH SOMEONE!
 
I am going to get a tee shirt printed up with the above so I don't have to 
Repeat myself.  Actually, it's not a problem anymore, and that's the way I like 
it! Oh and then you have the male-ego maniacs who can't EVER take a hint and 
continue to talk to me even if I have headphones on, not even looking at them as 
they talk to me.
 
I know allot of women who are determined to prove something, you know, kick 
ass and take names, all that junk. Well, more power to ya! Good luck!
 
Me? I do things at my own pace and am content ruling my little corner of this 
universe :)
 
**********
 
Sharon slowly dissolved the moment by standing up, "Well, I'm still worried 
about you." She moaned, oh shit I'm not out of the woods yet, here it comes or 
here something comes.
 
"What for why?" I remained sitting looking up curiously, unable to fathom what 
Sharon was getting ready to drop on me now. Oh I had many suspicions, but 
playing dumb was my first choice.
 
"Well for starters, look at you!" Sharon waved her right hand in my direction.
 
"What?" I sneered with angry contempt, "What nit-picky thing are you going to 
beat me up on now?" I really hated it when Sharon would go on a tangent about 
how I dressed.
 
"Fucking look at you, you look like some hippie, granola, mess of a..." 
 
"Thanks allot Sharon!" I yelled, looking up with a wounded expression on my 
face, 'She knew how to hurt my feelings although I rationalized that it was for 
my own good.'
 
"You think I'm wrong? HUH? Your hair is a mess, do you even use a comb 
anymore? And what's with the oversized tee shirts and everyday you wear the same 
damn crappy worn out cargo shorts, and those flip flops, holy shit, those nasty 
things are ready to walk away on their own!" Sharon continued her critique, 
"What is going on! Why are you letting your appearance go?"
 
"Dale doesn't seem mind." I replied with a sneer, but my voice was weak, it cut 
my deeply to have Sharon standing here saying these things, "There's nothing 
wrong with me."
 
"Nothing wrong!" Sharon leaned back in faux shock, "Nothing wrong she says?" 
Sharon's eyes darted about the room as if looking for someone else to suddenly 
appear and agree with her assessment.
 
"What are you talking about?" I shook my head while my heart beat faster, 
wondering if Sharon knew something that I was totally oblivious to.
 
"You have no idea? You just walk around La-de-da-de-da..." Sharon performed a 
little semi circle prance, flipping her hair over her shoulders while looking up 
in the air in a somewhat clueless manner.
 
"Get to your point already." I sighed, but knew that one more cutting remark 
would push me over the emotional edge. I didn't know how I was holding back the 
tears as it was, my whole body felt rigid, afraid that the slightest movement 
would cause my facade to break down and so I began clenching my fists tighter.
 
"My point..." Sharon said, becoming more serious, "...is that I hear all these 
rumors, like stuff going on between you and Nikki."
 
"Will you leave that alone already, one time you walk in and she's giving me a 
massage." I just rolled my eyes.
 
"I'm not talking about that crap! I'm talking about a reliable source of mine 
that saw you two lip-locked in a parking lot one night, what the fuck is that 
all about? Good god Corbin, please tell me your not involved with her 
romantically."
 
"Bullshit!" I bolted to my feet, but my heart was pounding frantically, suddenly 
everything took on a whole other meaning to hear that people had seen me and 
Nikki being physical with one another, and suddenly my head was spinning. God my 
knees feel weak, I think I might pass out, my privacy was being invaded out in 
the open for people to secretly manipulate and gossip, I felt nauseous.
 
"It's not bullshit, I know you and I see how you're acting AND don't you think 
Dale will freak out if he knew you were fooling around with Nikki like that?" 
Sharon continued.
 
"Oh god." I moaned and placed my palms against the wall as if I was going to be 
frisked by the police. The muscles along my shoulders and back tensing with 
stress as I would alternate bending my left then right knees to hide the shaking 
in my legs. A shaking that was all the more evident due to the muscle definition 
along my calves and thighs.
 
"...did you also know that Dale is on the verge of hearing that something is 
going on with you and Shelton?" Sharon said in a bit more quiet tone.
 
"WHAT!" I spun around, but gone was all the anxiety replaced by total hostile 
fury, "Who is saying that? What the fuck! What do you mean on the verge!" I took 
several steps towards Sharon. But the brunette seemed unfazed as she casually 
placed her hands on her hips while tapping her right foot.
 
"Damn it! Talk to me!" I reached out and grabbed Sharon's bare shoulders, 
literally shaking her back and forth.
 
"WATCH THE DRESS!" Sharon huffed and slapped at my forearms, pushing herself 
away, "My god, do you know how much this costs?" Sharon quickly surveyed her 
straps and made a few adjustments. "You think everyone out there is just all 
wonderfully supportive of you two? Hell no, allot of guys and girls would LOVE 
IT if you two broke up." Sharon said as she brushed some lint off the front, but 
quickly looked back up "Allot of guys would just love for you to be back in the 
single scene again."
 
"Well that's not going to happen!" I snapped, "Why are you just telling me about 
this now?" I waved my arms frantically, "And Shelton? Oh please...we're just 
friends!" I made a pained, confused expression.
 
"You two had lunch together last week?" Sharon raised an eyebrow suspiciously.
 
"We were at the same fucking Deli Sharon! At the same time! And we decided to 
sit down and chat. YES I know he likes me but we are just friends...oh my god, I 
mean...What the fuck!" I spun around and paced towards the bed and back towards 
Sharon as my hands roamed all over my head and stomach with nervous energy.
 
"Now do you see Corbin?" Sharon folded her arms across her chest.
 
"No I don't see Sharon, fuck them...I don't care, let them talk all they want, 
it wont change anything." I sighed and shook my head in disbelief.
 
"Oh you're so right it won't change a thing." Sharon, ever the perfectionist, 
adjusted the straps over her shoulders again as I surveyed the hint of cleavage 
that rose up from the front, low swooping curve of her outfit and she made 
another adjustment, "Gossip never infiltrates relationships and causes issues."
 
"Anything else I need to know?" I turned around more resolute now, trying to put 
on my best game face, only this was no game, I felt like my private life was 
unraveling.
 
"Oh, yeah, one more thing...this..." Sharon took two steps forward and her left 
hand swooped around, smacking my right shoulder, echoing off the mostly bare 
walls with a loud *POP*.
 
"OW! WHAT THE FUCK?" I jerked my shoulder back, my left hand flew out and 
pushed Sharon's right shoulder causing the brunette to retreat two steps. 'It 
really didn't hurt, just the shock of it.'
 
"That's for fighting!" Sharon said with a disapproving shake of her head.
 
"What?" My eyebrows pinched together, again in confusion.
 
"And I told you watch the dress! I swear if you hurt one fiber on this dress I 
will kick your ass for sure," Sharon rolled her shoulders, "...and I'll do it in 
my high heels too, how'd you like that? Get your ass kicked by a chick in high 
heels?" Sharon raised her eyebrows with that taunting cocky look of hers. 
 
"Fighting Sharon? What fighting? What are you..." I shook my head but acting was 
not my best ability and it showed. 

"On the soccer field genius, and you knocked some girl down in a bar, then 
threatening someone in the parking lot..."
 
"Hey, they started it!" I spat right back defensively, "If you think I'm backing 
down, well never again Sharon." I jabbed my left finger at the small empty 
space, which separated us.
 
"Well no more!" Sharon stepped in.
 
"What do you mean no more?" I turned away but gave a quick glance over my 
shoulder like 'Who are you to tell me what to do?' but suddenly I felt another 
shove come, this time on the back of my right shoulder. I had to quickly put my 
left hand out to brace myself against the wall or else fall into the nightstand 
next to my bed.
 
"Stop it Sharon, I mean it..." getting angry at this confrontational tactic.
 
"Go ahead tough girl, start with me since you like fighting." Sharon stepped in 
leaving only about an inch between her and I. I quickly turned around to step 
aside but Sharon tracked my movements leaving me with little maneuvering until I 
was literally in a corner of the room, "Where are you going? I'm right here." 
Sharon waved her arms out to the side to keep me from getting around her.
 
"Stop it Sharon." I complained with a nervous smile, not sure if Sharon was 
being serious or what I was trying to do, "Leave me alone, what are you trying 
to prove?" I turned to my left, then right, but each time Sharon stepped in 
front, pushing and bumping her torso against my body threateningly.
 
"The question is, what are YOU trying to prove?" She quickly replied, "Hit me." 
Sharon suddenly said.
 
"What? I'm not hitting you!" I almost stuttered and got a bit blushed in the 
cheeks, "Now stop it!"
 
"Why not?" Sharon placed her hands on her hips.
 
"That's a stupid question." I rolled my eyes and tried to squeeze between 
Sharon's left arm and the door on my right.
 
"Not till you tell me why?" Sharon's left hand flew up and shoved me back into 
the corner, which was no easy effort, but fortunately I didn't resist and went 
with the push. Honestly, Sharon knew she was playing a dangerous game, she had 
never cornered me before and probably wasn't sure how I was going to react, but 
was probably praying that I didn't snap and pound her into dust. 
 
"Come' on, you're my friend Sharon, I'm not hitting you." I sighed and even 
seemed to relax a little, but that was nothing to the relief Sharon suddenly 
showed as it looked like I was caving in emotionally instead of exploding 
physically.
 
"Your friend? I am?" Sharon cocked her head to the right with a confused look, 
"Why can't you look me in the eyes and say it, "Just tell me what your thinking, 
I mean look at you, your ready to explode right now, you're unraveling, what's 
happening to you?"
 
"Tell you WHAT? What do you want to hear?" I snapped, "And are you happy now? 
Huh? Making me cry, that's what you wanted isn't it?" I groaned and quickly 
brushed the tears from my cheeks, but they kept coming. "You're never happy 
until you emotionally beat someone down are you Sharon? That's when your at your 
happiest and you call me your best friend?"
 
"I am! I'm trying to help, I don't know what else to do!" Sharon replied as her 
own composure started to fall apart.
 
"You call this helping?" I sighed with a roll of the eyes, "Pushing me into a 
corner while yelling at me?"
 
"Don't take your frustrations out on other people Corbin, your going to get into 
trouble! If your upset, come to me and take it out on me so we can talk 
about it, I want to help you!" She reached up and gently touched my shoulders, 
but I smacked them away.
 
"This isn't helping!" I growled.
 
"You keep shutting me out, not telling me what's going on or bothering you." 
Sharon kept trying to give me a hug, only to have her efforts repeatedly 
rebuffed, "You're going to get into some real trouble if you start anymore 
fights...and I know you can take care of yourself, I'm talking about this 
getting out of control and you getting into some kind of Academic trouble 
because of it. You're too damn smart to continue on this track."
 
"You want to know what's bothering me?" I sighed and finally let Sharon's hands 
slip around my shoulders.
 
"Of course I do." Sharon whispered.
 
"You want to know what's really upsetting me? And you can't laugh." I lowered my 
head and sighed into the comfort of my friend's warm neck.
 
"Just tell me, whatever it is..." Sharon stroked the back of my head soothingly.
 
"I don't have anything to wear to the party next weekend."
 
"What?" Sharon stopped patting my back and shoulders, not at all expecting that 
response.
 
Taking a deep breath I then leaned away, "I don't have a dress and I don't 
Know well..." I rolled my eyes as I fought to admit the truth.
 
"Hey I understand, don't say another word." Sharon beamed, she loved 
this, she loved shopping and this was her dream moment. She always wanted to 
peel away all the athletic clothes, Target, and GAP crap and do some real 
dressing up on me.
 
"This is going to be sooooo GREAT!" Sharon was almost bouncing on her toes as 
she hugged me again and again enthusiastically. But I suddenly began to have an 
anxiety attack as I nervously wondered what Sharon's wheeling-dealing mind might 
have in store for me.
 
Look, all you guys have to do is find a clean pair of underwear, but not us. You 
have NO IDEA the pressures we are under. Besides, I think it was a combination 
of things that just swelled up inside of me. I mean, I felt really pathetic not 
having the confidence to pick something out on my own. But honestly, for the 
first time I wanted to look nice, radiantly beautiful and glamorous, no more 
dressing down, well, at least for this upcoming event.
 
"You're beautiful." Sharon said and held her breath, "Look at you, your tan, in 
shape, in fucking phenomenal shape..." Sharon leaned back starring down at my 
arms, chest and shoulders, "...you just radiate confidence, you just wait!" 
 
I nervously glanced away, "Thanks Sharon".
 
Well isn't this dandy, things are all patched up with Sharon but now Nikki was 
getting pissed at me. You see, I have to admit, I had started to make excuses 
when it came to making time for Nic, things were getting just too confusing. I 
wouldn't come right out and say it, but I knew I had started to see something 
more develop between us, but I wasn't ready to commit myself in that direction. 
Yes I had some pretty deep feelings for her and still do, but I still liked 
guys, I still wanted to date Dale...I dunno...
 
 


  
My_College_Years_Part_23