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Tina had tried everything to get closer to Jimmy Jr. First, she danced her way toward him, but that ended in disaster when she tripped and knocked his head into a wall. Then she tried singing, hoping he might be drawn to her voice. Instead, she got pelted with paper balls by annoyed passersby. So now, she was down to his last known interest: wrestling. Specifically, wrestling with Zeke.

Which is why Tina was currently in Zeke’s backyard, her arms wrapped around his waist as he coached her.

“Next, you’ve gotta plant your feet firmly, but make sure to spread ’em just a bit,” Zeke instructed.

“Uhh…” Tina shuffled her feet a few inches apart, glancing down to check her form.

“You’re losing your grip, T.” Zeke placed his hands gently over her arms and gave a firm squeeze. “If you let go too easy, your opponent takes control and—”

With a sudden movement, he spun around and wrapped his arms around her middle. “You lose.” His eyes locked with hers.

Tina stiffened. “This is harder than I thought.”

“That’s alright,” Zeke said, releasing her. “You’re a beginner. Nobody nails it on the first try. Heck, my first time, I got nailed right in the nads.” He burst out laughing.

“Sounds painful.”

“Oh, it was.” Zeke wiped an invisible tear from his cheek. “Alright. Want me to show you another move?”

Tina hesitated. “I don’t know…”

“C’mon, girl! You can’t quit after just one session. Here.” He turned around and bent slightly. “Try putting me in a headlock.”

Tina blinked. “Wait… what?”

“A headlock. The one I always use on J-ju,” Zeke said, tapping the side of his neck.

“Uhhh…” Tina stepped back, unsure. “I don’t know. What if I hurt you?”

Zeke didn’t answer right away—then he snorted.

“T, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I’m not exactly fragile.” He flexed his arms and patted his bicep. “Tough as steel.” He glanced back at her with his usual crooked, cocky grin.

Huh. Tina swallowed hard.

“Alright,” she said.

She stepped behind him. “How do I…?”

“Just wrap your arms around my neck.” She did—gently, almost like she was afraid of squeezing too hard.

“Now lock it in a little.”

Tina tightened her grip.

“Good, good. Now—” Zeke bent forward slightly. His back pressed against her chest. He was warm. Solid.

“You’re slipping, T.”

Tina blinked. Her grip had loosened again. She quickly adjusted.

“Nice. Now I’m gonna try to break free. Your job is to keep me locked in. Think of it like giving me a noogie.”

“I’ve never given anyone a noogie.”

“Oh.” Zeke paused. “Okay... then think of it like you’re trying to tame a wild horse.”

Oh.

“Okay.”

“You ready?” he asked, glancing back.

Tina nodded firmly.

And the next thing she knew—she was flying.

“Tina!” Zeke shouted, startled.

She landed hard on the dirt, her glasses askew. Yep. That definitely felt wild.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t think you’d be so light! Are you okay? You didn’t hit your head too hard, did you?” Zeke rushed to her side, words tumbling out in a panic.

“I’m… alright. Just… need a minute,” Tina gasped.

“I’ll get you an ice pack!” Zeke jumped up and ran toward the house. “Be right back!” he shouted, nearly slamming into the screen door.

Tina slowly sat up and flixed her glasses. She touched the back of her head. No bump. Just a bit winded.

She didn’t expect Zeke to be that strong. Or maybe she was just light?

Either way, he had a lot more muscle than she could handle. If she couldn’t even keep him in a headlock… how was she ever going to get closer to Jimmy Jr.? She sighed.

Something cold pressed gently against Tina’s head. She looked up to see Zeke kneeling beside her, a worried look on his face.

“I’m really sorry, T. I didn’t mean to go that hard. I guess I forget my own strength sometimes,” he said with a small laugh, scratching the back of his head. “You okay?”

Tina placed her hands over his, steadying the ice pack. “Yes. I’m alright.”

Maybe it was from running, or maybe it was the sun, but she noticed just how red Zeke’s cheeks had turned. He quickly pulled his hand away.

“That’s a relief,” he paused. “Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all—”

“No!” Tina shouted, startling him.

She winced and turned away, embarrassed by her outburst. “I mean... I don’t want to stop. This might be the only way I get closer to Jimmy Jr., and I don’t want to give up too soon.”

She looked up at Zeke, her eyes full of determination. “Please keep teaching me. I know I can do better.”

Zeke looked at her for a long moment, then sighed and shook his head with a small smile. “Alright, T. We’ll try again.” He offered her his hand.

Tina looked at it for a second, then took it.

She set the ice pack aside as Zeke turned his back again. “Just please don’t go flyin’ this time,” he said with a chuckle.

Tina wrapped her arms around his neck. “I won’t.”

Zeke leaned forward again, but this time, Tina held her ground. She leaned back, tightening her grip. When he tried to sidestep her, she nearly lost balance but caught herself, planting her feet in a solid stance. Reel him in, she thought.

They struggled for a bit until Tina pulled back with enough strength to pin Zeke tightly against her chest lifting him slightly off the ground.

“Okay! Okay! I yield, I yield!” Zeke tapped her arm quickly.

Tina let go, and Zeke caught his breath, turning to her with that familiar crooked grin. She felt her own lips tug into a smile.

“Ha! You’ve got some fight in you, girl. J-ju’s never lifted me off the ground like that. Heck, he’s never lifted me, period.” He laughed.

Tina let out a small chuckle. “That was good?”

“Uh, yeah!”

Tina felt a surge of pride. She’d actually done it, kept her stance, held her grip. She clenched her fist and whispered a small, victorious “Yes.”

Zeke joined in, raising his arms in celebration.

Just then, Tina’s emergency phone buzzed. “Looks like it’s time for me to be heading back.” She flipped it open and read the message.

“Aww, just when I was about to show you how to do a leg lock,” Zeke said, slumping a little. “It’s one of my signature moves.”

“Don’t worry,” Tina said, pocketing the phone. “We can do that next time.”

“Next time?” Zeke looked at her, a little surprised. “You want to do this again?”

“Well, yeah.” Suddenly, the afternoon felt a bit warmer. “I mean, if I’m going to win Jimmy Jr. over, I need to learn more moves. And… that can only happen if you keep teaching me.”

She glanced away shyly, adjusting her glasses.

Zeke grinned. “Yeah. You’re right about that.”

She nodded. “So… I’ll be going now.” She started walking toward the house.

“Ah—let me walk you out,” Zeke said, jogging to catch up.

When Tina’s dad pulled up, she climbed into the car, gave Zeke a small wave, and they drove off. She glanced in the rearview mirror, watching as his figure grew smaller still standing there, waving.

She looked down at her hands, remembering how calloused Zeke’s were. How solid and firm his body felt—but also kind of… soft. She brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear and smiled to herself.

“Why are you covered in dirt?” Bob asked, noticing the greenish-brown smudges on the back of her shirt.

Tina let out a long groan.

——————————————————————-

Back in the yard, Zeke watched the car disappear down the street before slowly turning back toward the house. He rubbed his fingers together thoughtfully.

Her touch was so soft… and her chest…

He froze, eyes wide. His face turned bright red.

“Stop it, you dirty dog,” he muttered, smacking his own cheek lightly. As he walked back toward the house, he couldn’t help but feel the fluttering in his chest.

He stepped into the backyard again and grabbed the forgotten ice pack from the grass. It was still a little cold in his palm.

Zeke stood there for a moment, staring at it like it held some secret. He thought about the way Tina had looked at him—determined, nervous, but trusting. About the way she cheered when she got it right. About how close they’d been. Literally.

He let out a deep sigh.

“J-ju, you lucky bastard,” he muttered, shaking his head.

Here's your shitty 420 post + an angy child, I'm finna go get blazed ✌️