Prompt: Coming Undone | Word Count: 1200 | Genre: General Fiction
Disclaimer: *Some cursing, possible blasphemy*
Chantal pushed up from the padded gym floor and sucked deeply against her mouth guard. She ran her tongue against the front of it. The plastic device was smooth, but bulky. It pushed on her upper lip and forced it into a pout. No, you couldn’t pout with your top lip. This was an overbite. Chantal sucked at it again, swallowing the excess saliva that the mouth guard was so great at provoking.
I am never going to get used to wearing this thing… any of this stuff.
Chantal tilted her head back and rolled, shoulder to shoulder. The helmet wasn’t heavy, but the extra weight was enough that she could feel the shift in balance. The thick, foam pads squashed her cheeks and turned her into a puffed up, sweaty mess. Chantal shook out her gloved hands and thickly padded shins and feet, took a deep breath and steadied herself. She raised her gloves to head height, one slightly in front of the other and looked toward her opponent. He was watching her, hands always at the ready, his stance steady. Getting used to the gear was hardly her biggest worry.