But I liked how different I looked when I saw my reflection in every one of the outfits. They suit me so well.

"They suit you so well. You have a great body." One staff complimented. "Thanks." I mutter out. "You don’t need to thank me. It is true." Dad also asked for some little makeup kits to be added. I was given powder in a beautiful, opal expensive looking flat compact case.

An eyeshadow palette. A eyeliner. Lipstick and lip glosses." My reluctance did not matter. Dad was hell bent on getting them for me. He paid and we left.

"Consider those your weapons for war." He says in the car. "I’m puzzled." Getting me new clothes all of a sudden. Mom is going to freak out hell when she sees these clothes.

She has always preferred the dull looking clothes on me. I understand that she did not want me to attract attention. Even with all the jeers at school about my clothing choices, I did not feel the need to change it. I am not going to school for a fashion parade. I’m going to learn, and study only. "We just got rid of one of the reasons you are being bullied.

Your mom should have been the one to do this with you. But we both know that she wouldn’t. So I had to take it up. If Agent Roderick goes shopping with his daughter. Why can’t I? It pains me that my mother is no longer alive. Had she been, she would have been happy to give you the same feminine seduction lessons that she gave Piper."

"Seduction lessons? Where is that coming from?"

There was an awkward silence before he speaks. "It is best if you figure that out yourself. Let us move on to the next matter."

"The next matter?"

A martial arts. . .studio?

Dad and I are sitting and watching two adolescent boys wrestling and tackling each other to the ground. A scene that has me flinching as if I was the one fighting and getting hit.

I glance at Dad who seems to be enjoying watching the wrestling and even muttering comments on it about how one of the participants tackling skills is weak. I asked him why we are here and he says. "We are waiting for the master. He is the one we are here to see."

"Okay. But I mean what is the purpose for bringing me here?" I really hope it is not what it looks like and what I am thinking.

"Can’t you tell? I want to register you in for some self-defense training." I instantly felt a dread.

"What!" Just at that moment, someone comes in. A man the size of a small mountain. The two boys who had been wrestling stopped to bow to him before continuing.

"Gweneth, I’d like you to meet Tianjin. A guru and master in all martial arts. Tianjin, this is my daughter, Gweneth." I look at the incredibly tall, giant like man in front of me. He looks like those samurai’s I have seen in movies and webtoons. He is a little on the chubby side, bald head.

Eyes like moonslits and a scary tattoo of a tiger’s jaw on his chest. He looks Asian. He glances down at me.

I feel like a pebble at the foot of a large statue. He grunts before shifting his gaze to Dad. "Agent Calloway." He calls in a heavy tone. "I wish I can say that this is a pleasant surprise. And that I am happy to see you."

"I’m a little hurt. Is that how you treat an old friend?" Dad says in a tone of pretense sadness. Judging by his casual, familiar tone they are more than acquaintances.

"Old friend my butt!" The man fumes.

I think more like butts because he must have the butt of nearly a dozen people. The big man does not seem happy to see us. My Dad.

"How bold and shameless of you to show your face here after what you did." Even his voice sounded large. Almost like a roar.

"Really Tianjin? Have you forgotten that I helped you escaped the maximum prison sentence you would have gotten for those smuggling and dealership two years ago? I heard that you are still into it and on an even larger scale now by the way. I am guessing prison time would be even much longer now with no concealed evidence." That was a subtle low threat. The man immediately understands and relents. "Fine. What do you want?" Oh. So that makes him a criminal.

"Now that’s better." He smiles, then gesturing at me. I want you to have her trained in self-defense. Not those iron breaking kind. The one just right and enough to beat someone up without much sweating. A little favoritism would be nice and well appreciated." Dad explains. The man hums, staring at me. "Does she want that?"

Learning self-defense is not a bad idea. But it looks like it is inevitably going to hurt. Dad chirps in with encouragement—saying I needed it. "You shouldn’t be all girly and weak." He added. He is right. I do probably need this. But we all tend to be iced up and nervous with thrumming anticipation when faced with something that they have never done before. It’s pretty natural. "I want it. I do want it." I answer with a little conviction.

All of their faces appear in my mind. How satisfied and happy they get by humiliating me and watching me suffer. To them it is more than fun. Calyx Lamont. I would so much love to punch that useless pretty boy face of his and knee him hard in his crotch. I would give anything to do that just once. I would also like to do the same to Curtis and Lucas. Just a punch for Dominic because he is not fixated on bullying me like the others are. He looks at me in ways that bothers on helpless pity. His brown eyes profoundly saying that his hands are tied. He didn’t like what his friends were doing, but he could do nothing about it.