Leaning back to dodge the blade traveling towards his face, Alex quickly counters his opponent with a feint stab to the stomach, twisting slightly to change his attack into an upward slash, grinning as he feels the slight resistance of the fencing helmet's mesh visor.
"Hit!"
His opponent, Nick, calls out, raising his left arm before pulling off the helmet from his face. Alex removes his own mask too and grins mockingly.
"Another win for me, I guess. Do you even try at this point?"
Nick chuckles and punches his shoulder with the helmet in his hand, then walks off and places his swords on one of the racks that sit to the side of the room. While he sits down and takes a sip from his water bottle, Alex follows his friend's example, puts down his sword, removes his gauntlets, and checks his phone. As his face twists in annoyance, Nick notices, throwing Alex's bottle at him while he speaks.
"What, did they end up killing each other this time? Or did they finally decide to break up with you?"
Alex catches the bottle, taking a sip before answering his friend.
"Nah, man, they want to have our parents meet up. I am going to get beheaded."
He sits down across from his friend on the floor, putting down his phone and bottle.
"They both think that their daughters are hetero. Alice's mom might understand, but Eli's? Nah man, Victoria is going to rip my dick off for making her daughter bi."
His friend laughs and sets his bottle down too.
"I doubt that. She wants grandchildren, so she needs you to keep that dick. But, she might lobotomize you, so you can't seduce any more girls in the future."
Alex chuckles and stretches a bit before opening the buckles on his gambeson, pulling down the hidden zipper underneath to finally remove the sweaty piece of body armor. After spending a few seconds cooling down, he responds.
"Yeah, that seems accurate. But hey, at least I have two cute girls to help me then."
Nick laughs again and gives him an agreeing nod, also starting to remove his gambeson. After they are both freed from their equipment, they pack up and walk towards the exit, leaving the training hall. Turning off the light, Alex locks up behind them while Nick pulls out a pack of cigarettes and starts to smoke. Seeing his friend's actions, Alex grins and teases him.
"Does Karen know you're smoking again?"
Nick coughs and drops the cigarette, quickly stomping it out before giving him a threatening stare.
"Fuck man, don't tell her. Never happened, understood?"
With a chuckle, Alex nods and takes the pack from his friend, tossing it into the garbage can.
"Chill man, I won't tell her. The stench will."
Nick grimaces and quickly checks his hands, then gives Alex the middle finger.
"Smells like sweat, you dingus. Now fuck off before your girls start fucking without you."
With a chuckle, Alex gives Nick a fist bump, then walks over to his car, getting in and starting the motor. The soft roar of the engine makes him smile. He rolls down the window, calling out to Nick one final time.
"Well, greet her from me. See you Tuesday?"
Nick nods and sits on his motorcycle, waving Alex off as he starts its motor.
"Yeah, yeah, will do. Greet the girls from me too; see you Tuesday."
Watching his friend ride off, Alex grips the steering wheel, looking up in the rearview mirror, then steps on the gas, leaving the car park. A few minutes of driving later, he arrives at the gateway to his property. The metal gate rolls open before him, allowing him to drive up the small artificial hill that leads to the garage.
As he arrives, he spots a black Rolls-Royce Phantom. He remembers the car; he has seen it before at one of Eli's parents' parties, but he can't recall who owned it. Forced to park outside because of it, he shuts off the engine, steps out, and walks towards the entrance door of the house. As he does, he freezes for a second, spotting Alice sitting on the stairs, clearly underdressed for the weather, then approaches her with a grin.
"Alice, what are you doing here? Did Eli kick you out because you sneaked into her shower again?"
Alice looks up at him, a small blush on her face, before jumping up and rushing at him, punching his chest as she hugs him.
"Shut up, you dick; this is serious! Eli's parents showed up; I barely had time to climb out the window!"
With a chuckle, Alex hugs her, giving her a kiss. Now he remembers where he saw the Phantom; it was one of the cars his future father-in-law drove.
"Okay, bun, okay, I get it. You didn't want to get screamed at, so you fled and waited for me to come home and take the blame, right? Fine, fine, let's do this..."
Alice smiles and kisses him back before grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the door.
"Good boy. Now, let's get you screamed at by the hag."
Alex sighs, letting her pull him along into the mansion. There, sitting on one of the couches, is the blushing Eli, making herself small as her mother talks down to her. Her father, Francis, sits next to his wife, caught somewhere between agreeing with and being embarrassed by her temper. Now, with Alex and Alice stepping in, the three turn to look at them, Eli's face lighting up while her mother takes a deep breath in anger, her face red like a tomato.
"YOU! You ignorant, adulterous, upstart imbecile! How dare you cheat on my Eli with that harlot!"
With her mother's scream, Eli shivers and sinks back into herself, trying to turn invisible. Alice rushes over to her, hugging her and whispering in her ear, while Alex turns to his future in-laws.
"Okay, there is a misunderstanding here. I did not cheat on Eli; I would never. The truth is, Alic..."
He is silenced by a look from Eli's mother, who stares at him as she stands up, her purse falling to the ground before her, her voice filled with anger and disgust.
"DON'T you dare push this on my poor baby! My Elizabeth would never do something like... touch another woman! My lovely daughter is a good, Christian girl!"
"Oh, shut up, you old hag. Eli is bi; don't like that? Jump off the cliff your mansion is on."
Eli's mother falls back onto the couch in shock, her husband Francis slamming his cane onto the floor with an angry roar.
"How dare you scream at my wife! I will have you neutered and..."
Eli's father is stopped by a soft clang, and the five look down to the ground between them, where they spot a cylinder rolling toward them. A second later, there is only white in Alex's sight, a loud pinging hitting his ears as he falls to his knees in pain, his skull ringing as if it had been hit with a hammer.