Face me like a Woman

                Larry was a Greek boy that went to New York University (NYU).  Most of his friends were commuters.  Larry was a very confrontational boy that didn’t mind getting in fights but refused to start them.  Because of this, he didn’t get in many fights because most of the time he would talk trash to people and the other person would back off because they didn’t see a point.  He was generally a nice person but had a dark side to him. 

Like all college students, Larry found himself in a certain circle of friends.  Most of the people in his circle commuted to school or were from New York just too far to commute.  One of them, Janilsa, a girl that grew up in East New York but now lived in Long Island, always maintained that Larry needed someone to beat him up.  Only problem was, Larry was too nice and looked small so nobody wanted to fight him in fear of hurting him or lack of reason.  Janilsa had asked some of her friends to do it because she knew Larry wouldn’t back down.  Her friends, however, always ended up liking Larry so didn’t want to fight him…even after Janilsa and Larry hooked up at parties while intoxicated.  This only happened on two occasions, the first, Janilsa’s brother was there, the second, one of her closest friends that boxed and knew Brazilian forms of martial arts was there.  Neither felt it was reason enough to fight him since Larry didn’t push it too far and did respect her.  Larry and Janilsa were friends, Janilsa had no resentment for him; she just wanted Larry to learn that he can’t be in New York with a fighter’s mentality.  To her, it would be better for Larry to learn on someone she knew and could control than a random person on the street.  In a weird sort of way, she was trying to protect Larry from himself.   Larry always said he was a tough kid and could fight, but as of yet didn’t have to prove it.

Larry’s closest friends in this group were a Russian named Vonnie and a Dominican named Alyssa.  Alyssa often got upset with Larry when his dark side emerged.  Vonnie knew exactly how to handle him, so it never bothered her.  Because of this, Larry’s target for insulting was Alyssa.  To him, it was a close friend that wouldn’t take it personally.  After all, Alyssa was always quick to tease people, so she should be able to take it.  One night, when classes were almost over ending the school year, Vonnie, Alyssa and Larry went to a bar.  Originally they were going to go to a club.  Larry hated clubs so the fact that he was going put him in a bad mood.  When Larry drank, it often exaggerated his present state.  This is why when he would drink to get over being angry; it would just make him angrier.  Larry had two drunken states, the first (and most common) was laid back and sometimes flirtatious, the other was rude and angry.  Alyssa hated the latter one, Vonnie didn’t mind it because, even in this state, she could control Larry and he rarely took his anger out on her.  When he did, Vonnie wouldn’t take it personally and things would be okay.  On this particular occasion, Larry was the angry drunk.  Alyssa was trying to get Larry to start working out and put grease in his hair (Larry was against both).  Larry had grown up with three siblings and a mother that would constantly nag him about these very things, so it triggered a deep resentment that he held for his siblings.  Larry hated when someone tried to tell him how to live his life, and he thought Alyssa was doing exactly that.  So Larry let Alyssa know about all her faults and berated her.  The one insult that got to her was that Larry called her unopinionated and passive.  Namely that she refused to give her opinion about anything because she wanted everyone to like her.  This opinion was triggered by one incident.  One day at dinner, Larry asked Alyssa about her position on the war in Iraq and she said, “It’s taking place on the other side of the world, why should I care?”  Although that is blatantly not opinionated, Alyssa did let people know her opinion, but Larry ignored that and focused on the one incident.  Larry backed off a little toward the end but the resentment still bottled up inside of Alyssa.

A couple days later, Alyssa called her good friend Abraham.  Abraham was about two to three inches taller than Larry and approximately 60lbs heavier than him.  Alyssa believed Abraham knew her the best.  They had hooked up before, but tried to keep it strictly plutonic.  Alyssa exaggerated the story with what happened to Larry and asked Abraham to beat him up for her.    Abraham agreed, he had met Larry and felt that it would not be a challenge.  Abraham lived in upstate New York (as did Alyssa), but he made the trip down to the city for the strict purpose of fighting Larry.  Alyssa pretended she was not upset with the night at the bar and invited him to hang out in Flushing, Queens where Alyssa had a house with her three sisters.  Larry went there and met up with her.  They walked around aimlessly and talked.  This was a common occurrence for them, so Larry didn’t feel it was odd.  Alyssa, however, was luring him to where Abraham was.  Larry saw Abraham, and thought it was weird how they would run in to him.  Abraham shoved Larry and said, “You’ve been talking shit to Alyssa.”

Larry turned to Alyssa and was greeted back with a devilish smile.  Larry nodded his head and said, “Yea, apparently Alyssa can dish it but can’t take it, so are you here to get revenge?”

Alyssa jumped in and said, “Oh I can take it, but I’m going to prove you wrong on something.  I do have opinions; it is my opinion that you need to get your ass kicked.”

                Abraham smiled and waited for Larry to try to talk his way out of it.  But all Larry said was, “So what are we waiting for?”

                Abraham pushed Larry and he took two steps back.  Although this was physical contact, it didn’t constitute picking a fight for Larry but still the build up to a fight.  Larry pushed back and Abraham took a half step.  Abraham punched at Larry but Larry ducked and swung his arm up uppercutting Abraham.  This was Larry’s element, he was used to fighting those bigger than he and he had a short fuse so adrenaline fueled him through his few fights.  Larry jabbed the other arm forward into Abraham’s nose, naturally blinding him with tears.  Abraham took two steps back to distance himself from Larry and rub his eyes.  Larry ran forward, jumped to the side and drove his knee into Abraham’s solar plexus.  Abraham breathed heavily but barely bent over.  Larry had fallen from his momentum but shot right back up.  He sprinted again and dove into Abraham’s legs tripping him back and to the ground.  Larry pounced on top of Abraham and punched his face repeatedly.  Abraham grabbed Larry by the biceps and tossed him to the side. He rose dazed and bent down.  Larry put his hands on Abraham’s back and pushed up drilling both knees into his face.  Abraham’s nose was bleeding and broken.  He struggled to get the tears out of his eyes that came as a natural reaction to being hit in the nose.  He broke the cobwebs in time to see Larry’s punch for his nose; he sidestepped it and punched Larry in the ribs.  Larry grabbed his side for a moment but quickly defended himself.  That split second was all Abraham needed to grab Larry and throw him against a building.  Larry bounced off and tried to tackle Abraham but he remained sturdy.  Again Larry found himself shoved against the building and Abraham punched at Larry’s midsection.  He then went for a final jab in Larry’s face but Larry moved his head and Abraham hit brick.  He reacted quickly, however, and tossed Larry to the ground.  He stomped at Larry but only connected on two to Larry’s back before he rolled out of the way.  Abraham was furious that Larry ever had the advantage and yelled out, “Come on”

                Larry smiled; he knew he was getting under Abraham’s skin.  Larry knew that big people could rarely fight well due to lack of experience.  Larry had experience with his larger siblings, and even though that was just wrestling without the intent of hurting, the same strategies are used.  Larry and Abraham circled each other.  Larry waited for him to make the first move.  Abraham took a step toward Larry and Larry hopped back.  Abraham lunged forward trying to grab Larry but Larry slipped his body behind Abraham and tried to lift him.  He didn’t get far, Abraham swung his arm to try to batter Larry but Larry ducked under it.  Larry brought his arm up for another uppercut but Abraham pulled his head back and Larry hit nothing but air.  Abraham bear hugged Larry and lifted him off the ground.  He ran toward a building and sandwiched Larry’s body.  He distanced himself and punched at Larry’s face.  Anger made Abraham ignore the pain that is endured when hitting the side of someone’s face directly.  Larry ducked but Abraham grabbed him before he could move.  Abraham tried lifting Larry, but Larry wiggled through his grip.  Since Larry was tall and lanky, he was able to do this.  The momentary confusion let Larry punch Abraham in the nose again.  Again Larry ran at Abraham and nailed him with his knee in the solar plexus.  This time Abraham did bend over because the wind was knocked out of him.  Larry jumped up and put Abraham in a headlock and repeatedly jammed his face into his knee.  While Larry’s knee connected with Abraham’s face, he stared down Alyssa.  Alyssa looked on in shock; Larry hadn’t been lying when he said he could fight.  Abraham picked up his upper body elevating Larry’s body.  Larry brought his other arm around Abraham’s neck and waited until Abraham was at full height.  Larry then brought both his feet at Abraham’s chest and pushed off as hard as he could.  Both of them flew off in opposite directions to the ground.  Larry got up quickly and saw Abraham get up.  Larry didn’t jog toward Abraham for he wanted to use Abraham’s body and anger against him.  Sure enough, Abraham got up blood dripping from his face and fury in his eyes.  He dashed at Larry, Larry waited until Abraham was within arms length until he bent down, wrapped his arms around Abraham’s legs and shot his upper body up catapulting Abraham’s body seven feet in the air and crashing down on the pavement.  While Abraham was in the air, Larry flexed and swung his arms implying that it was his strength that threw Abraham’s large body that high.  The reality was it was Abraham’s momentum used against him.  Larry turned and faced Abraham’s body lying flat.  Larry raced forward and leaped onto Abraham’s solar plexus.  Abraham sat up spitting the air from his body only to be met by a kick to the face.  Larry smiled for he knew Abraham was barely conscious and that the fight was over.  He helped Abraham to his feet where he wobbled trying to maintain balance.  Larry had run cross-country so his legs were accustomed to punishment and developed strength.  Larry wrapped Abraham’s arm over his shoulders, and lowered his other arm between his legs by his knees and lifted up so that Abraham’s body was spread across his shoulders.  Larry shifted his original arm that had Abraham’s arm to the back of Abraham’s head to secure his grip.  He turned and faced Alyssa and smiled before backing up to a building.  Larry bent forward and snapped his upper body back slamming Abraham’s body into the building repeatedly.  Larry was running on pure adrenaline and knew he would feel this later.  As Larry felt his muscles tiring, he took one final look over at Alyssa to refuel his adrenaline.  He was extremely mad that Alyssa would hire someone to beat him up for that one night.  It wasn’t about hurting Abraham, it was about making Alyssa watch the battering of her good friend with the knowledge that she was directly responsible for it.  With the last burst of energy, Larry turned and faced the wall, swung Abraham’s body so that he was perpendicular to Larry’s shoulder with his stomach resting on one of them and half his body in front, the bottom half behind Larry.  Larry had one arm on Abraham’s lower back keeping him on Larry’s shoulder and the other gripping Abraham’s hair lifting his head up.  Larry then hurried forward and drove Abraham’s face into the side of the building.  Abraham slid from Larry’s grip and lied motionless on the pavement unconscious. 

Alyssa cringed as she watched the final blow.  Larry walked toward Alyssa with both Abraham’s and his blood on his face, arms, and shirt. Alyssa was too scared to move.  She didn’t think Larry would hit her, but then again, she didn’t think Larry could beat Abraham.  Larry almost always carried two pocketknives on his waist.  They would only be drawn if someone pulled a weapon on him.  As he was face to face with Alyssa he took the two knives from his waist unopened.  Alyssa stiffened up because she knew about the knives and thought Larry would draw them.  Instead, Larry handed them to Alyssa and said, “You have a problem with me, now take it out on me.” 

Alyssa said nothing but just looked shockingly into Larry’s eyes. Larry realized Alyssa’s trepidation in taking the knives so he opened them up and flipped them around so he was holding the blades and the handle was pointed toward Alyssa, he said, “Here, I even opened them for you, all you got to do is push them forward into my body.”

“I’m not going to stab you” she finally mustered

“Why not, you can’t take care of your own problems.  You have to have your friends do your dirty work.  You know you and your sisters keep talking about how you want to establish yourselves in your occupation before getting married so you don’t have to depend on your husbands financially yet now, you can’t even take care of your own problems and need a man to help you.”

Alyssa knew Larry was trying to get her upset so she would stab him.  This wasn’t the first time Larry had tried to get her to hit him, but it was the first time his knives were offered.  She said, “I know what you’re trying to do”

“I’m not trying anything, you’re just proving me right, this is your problem; you take care of it, if it helps look at what I did to your lover Abraham.”

Alyssa did look at Abraham and began contemplating to stab Larry.  Then Larry said, “Come on, face me like a man”

“No Larry, like a woman” she said as she drove the knives into Larry’s sides below his ribcage, then subsequently removed them and dropped them onto the ground.  Alyssa was pre-med so she knew where the major arteries were.  She wanted to hurt Larry, not kill him so she avoided these arteries.  Larry grabbed his sides in pain and sat down.  He was happy in a sick sort of way.  Alyssa dropped the knives and helped Larry to his feet.  Larry grabbed his wounds and said, “Good job”

Both of them went over to Abraham and helped him.  By now, he was awake but still really bemused.  Larry took off his shirt and tied it tightly around his stomach putting pressure on his wounds.  They then both helped Abraham to the car.  On the way to the car, Larry collected his knives.  Alyssa drove the two boys to her house and nursed their wounds.  All three were on good terms.  The next day, while hanging out with their circle of friends, Larry and Alyssa told them the story.  Vonnie thought it was stupid, but Janilsa was happy that Larry got cut up a little bit.  Larry’s attitude didn’t change since he won the fight.  They all stayed on good terms and kept their friendship throughout their lives.