You lean forward, closer to the other person. I know that sounds stupid at first, but this is important.”

Noelle nodded.

“Okay. Next, you have to bend the elbow of the arm they’re holding until it touches their forearm and your knuckles touch your shoulder,” I explained, showing her exactly what to do in slow motion.

A disbelieving look appeared on her face when my wrist came free from her grasp.

“Your turn.”

Noelle looked almost a little nervous when my fingers clasped her wrist, her pulse thrumming beneath the pads of my fingers, eager and alive. My own heart was racing in my chest, overwhelmed at the proximity—Noelle was close enough for her hair to tickle my arm, close enough that I was sure she could hear the hitch in my breath when she leaned forward like I had shown her.

A moment later, she was triumphantly waving her hand about. “I did it!”

“You did,” I said, sounding embarrassingly breathless. “Well done!”

“Can I go again?” she asked, rocking back and forth on her feet with childlike excitement.

I nodded and grabbed her arm again.

This time I didn’t even have to direct her through the steps.

She was just as triumphant as the first time when she got free, eyes sparkling with victory. I had never seen her this open or this radiant with joy. I had never seen her this alive.

The idea that I was the one who had caused that grin, the one who got to see it, made me feel just a little bit dizzy.

“I guess that’s today’s lesson,” I softly said.

“Wait, that’s it?”

I pointed at the clock that hung above the door. “Didn’t you say you had basketball practice?”

“Oh. Right.”

“Do you . . . have any more questions?”

Noelle seemed to think about it for a moment. “Isn’t fighting also throwing people to the floor? Can you do something like that?”

“You want to get thrown to the floor?” I asked, a little bewildered.

She shrugged. “I want you to do something cool.”

“Wasn’t this cool enough?”

“It was, but still.”

“Noelle . . .”

“Come on,” she said, the teasing glimmer back in her eyes.

“Are you scared? Or are you just not good enough at self-defense to—”

She was on the floor even before she could finish the sentence, an audible gasp ringing through the hall; I had kicked her feet away from underneath her.

“Was that cool enough for you?”

A smirk tugged at her lips as she propped herself up on her elbows. “Not bad, Greene.”

I held my hand out to help her up. Knowing Noelle, I probably should’ve anticipated it. Still, I let out a startled shriek when she used her momentum to drag me to the floor, sending me crashing onto the mats next to her, all the air knocked from my lungs.

She rolled onto her side to look at me, her face only inches away from mine, laughing as I did my best to glare at her.