"Alright, sparring time, which we all know is everyone's favorite time! Bow to your partner, and go!" The master at my martial arts school started the timer for a one-minute sparring round between the students. I got paired up with a higer ranking student who, unfortunately, has hurt me before. Yet because he apologized and I'm okay, I forgave him and continue sparring with him. 

   He throws some punches which I fail to block and get a slight it in the side. I throw a kick, he blocks, and I throw a punch towards his head and get a good nose shot in, luckily pulling back before fully hitting him. He congratulates me on a good hit, and we continue. He throws a kick, and I block it with my hand. However, it hits my thumb, popping it back. 

   "!" I curse. He stops and makes sure I'm okay, but my thumb is already starting to swell. The pain is seering through my hand, so I go to the bathroom before everyone else can see me cry from the pain. I grab my phone from my bag and step back into the bathroom to tell my parents that I'm leaving class to go to the doctor to make sure nothing is wrong.

   I change out of my gi and step out, with obvious signs that I've been crying. My sparring partner comes up, as does the head master of the class, and asks if I'm okay. 

   "I'm fine. I know you didn't do it on purpose. But I'm going to be leaving early to get it x-rayed." I tell them. They back up and let me grab my bag. I give a small goodbye to them and everyone else in the class who has halted their second round of sparring.

   After a short drive to the closest walk-in hospital (not for severe emergencies), I walk in and tell the doctor what happened and show her my swollen thumb, that is so grossly bruised. With it swelling and bruising that much in such a short time span, I know it will be horrible.

   The doctor takes some x-rays and sends me back into the room to wait for the results. After about 5 minutes, she comes in with a sad expression on her face.

   "Alright Vera. The results are not pleasant and what will have to happen is even worse." She put the x-ray onto the lit spot on the wall. She points to a spot on my thumb and there is a very evident crack.

   "Your thumb was popped in such a way that it caused a hairline fracture to form, yet something between when it happened and now has caused it to expand. It's not hard for that to happen considering it is in such a pivotal place. For now, until we can have you come back in, we will be putting on a brace which you must wear at all times except when showering, and today we will be scheduling an appointment for surgery because that is the only way it will fully heal. Without the surgery, you will always have a cracked thumb and it will cause severe pain, it will be very tender if pressure is applied, and arthritis will form much faster and earlier than it would if your thumb weren't cracked."

   I just nod my head numbly as I listen, yet also am scared as to how I'll pay for this. My family most certainly isn't rich and I'm too young to have a well enough paying job. But because I want a fully healed thumb, I make an appoinment for two weeks from now.

   I drive home with copies of my x-rays and am careful when gripping the steering wheel. My brace makes it a lot harder to drive due to how awkwardly my thumb is placed and how still my wrist is.

   I step into my home, set down my gi bag and immediately tell my parents what happened exactly at the school and at the doctor's office and when my surgery is. They tell me not to worry about the payment and that I need to focus on healing.

   Due to me not being able to hold or do anything with my right hand (which is my dominent hand), I pull open my laptop and study Korean more. I'm getting a lto better with the online classes I found, and I figured it would be a good distraction from the pain I'm feeling in my hand. I'm about 10 chapters from being finished with the course, and I feel extremely proud of myself for having come so far in studying. the last bits are the informal speak and the cursing, which I'm surprised is even included. 

   As I take on the next lesson, I think how much it'll be worth knowing all these forms of speech that seem so insignificant now. I know that it'll make watching ASC with Exo a lot easier and it make me stand out in their eyes so I can fulfill my lifelong dream of going to Korea and "accidently" bumping into them and then we fall in love and get married. It's so cliche yet it still makes my heart pound. I'm just so excited for ASC tomorrow! I get to talk with Eric and Kevin and Exo! I get to talk to Chanyeol for a bit and get special attention from all of them, even if it's only for about 2 minutes. It will make my whole outlook on life so much better and may take some of the pain away. 

   After about another half hour of studying and fantasizing about all the things that could happen during tomorrows' Hangout (which all of which are servely unlikely), I close my online courses and open up Netflix to begin rewatching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's always been my favorite show and strongly reinforces my desire to become the best martial artist I can be due to how strong and badass she, and all the other female characters, are.

   I close my laptop when it gets to be too late in the night, and put to rest my final thoughts and daydreams and then close my eyes, letting sleep and the dream world take over.

----------------------------

So the whole broken thumb thing is actually true for me. It didn't happen that way though, but it's been about four years since it was cracked. I haven't gotten surgery done (cuz I'm scared >.<) so it is permanently cracked and recently at kungfu a guy accidently hit my thumb and popped it, so it's super sore and swollen and gross. And honestly, buffy is my life (I'm listening to the Final Fight soundtrack as I write this and feel SOOOO BADASS OMFG) so if anyone on here loves buffy....hehehehhe hit me up cuz buffy is my love.

and sorry for no exo appearing yet! it will be soon!