Fighting Helen
My name is Joseph Cains. At the time of writing I was still a member of the University’s Aikido club, and I had an enormous crush on a beautiful mixed-race girl who happened to come along to the same club. This story comes from halfway through the academic year, just before her grading test. She asked me to come to the lakeside after my classes to help her practice her throws and tumbles, and I being a lovestruck fool agreed. It was one of the best foolish decisions that I have ever made. The thing about Helen Eriksen was that she was utterly beautiful. This was the problem with fighting her; it was also the reason that when you lost to her, you didn’t mind. She was about six inches shorter than I, with short …