Belief(Short Story)

I have been going karate for 5 years now. I have achieved the most in 5 years out of everyone in my class. 

Everyone still doubts me. They all have more experience than me. 

I try to not let that get in the way of me achieving more belts. 

Sometimes I believe them. Even my karate teacher doubts me.

Going into karate class on a Saturday morning, I can feel everyone’s eyes on me. I know their exact thoughts. It’s the same things they have been telling me since I came here. “You're the girl who is inexperienced."  “Why bother coming?” “Why should a girl like you come here?” 

My teacher treats me differently to everyone else. I’m not sure why. I’m not the youngest. 

“Hafsa?” Says my karate teacher.

“Yes sir?”

“Did you understand what I said?” He speaks to me as though I am 5 years old and for some reason he thinks I can’t speak English. I don’t have an accent. So where did he get the idea that I can’t speak English?

“I understood sir.”

“Good. Let's warm up first.”

When Karate class was over, I went to the nearest bathroom to change out of my uniform into my normal clothes when I accidentally bumped into Serena, the one who has always said the most unkind things about me. Beside her are her 2 people she considers as friends but I would say that they are like 2 sheep that just follow her everywhere.

Serena was in the middle of applying lipstick to her lips but me bumping into her messed it up.

“Be careful or next time you might slam me against a wall.” She says. “Look what you did. You made me ruin my lipstick.”

I stand up straight and stare at her with a firm and serious gaze. “First of all stop being dramatic there’s no way I could have slammed you against a wall unless I actually pushed you really hard. Second of all, I didn't make you ruin your lipstick. I can’t make you do anything.”

“Says the girl who is bad at karate.”

“I’m not bad at karate and what has karate got to do with anything.”

“Oh yeah? Well how about we test that I could attack you and let’s see how well you are able to defend yourself.” 

“No. I’m not fighting you.”

“Why are you  scared? Are you worried I am going to beat you?”

“No, I just know that there’s no point wasting my time proving myself to people like you. I don’t need to. You can doubt me as much as you like. I don't care what you say.”

“You must doubt yourself a bit. Everyone has been saying these doubts for the past 5 years of your life.”

“Even If I do, why do you care? Now if you will excuse me I have to get changed. I have a home to go to.”

Serena doesn’t move. 

“Um hello? Move. please.”

“No. Not until you admit that you doubt yourself and you're scared of me and I could beat you anytime in karate.”

“Never. I will not let myself believe doubts from people like you. I could beat you if I tried just as long as I believed in myself. As for being scared of you I will never be scared of you.”

I push past her.

“I bet you didn’t believe a single word of what you just said.” She said as I was about to go into the bathroom. 

Surprisingly, I believed every word I said. I should have believed it  a long time ago. Why should I believe doubts that people like Serena have about me? As long as I believe in myself that’s all I need to stand up to people like Serena. I won’t let myself believe any doubts that people like Serena or anyone else says about me again.