Sunshine

Chapter 12

I decided to go down to the gym and just run. I have always loved running and I was always naturally good at it.

I jumped on a treadmill and just began running. I put in headphones and blasted music and tune out everyone around me.

I just focused on my breathing and the lyrics, and I didn't even notice Steve walking over to me until he pulled out my headphone. I turned off the treadmill and grabbed my water bottle sitting down on a bench mounted to the wall.

"Hey Steve," I said before taking a sip of my water.

"Hey, are you okay? You seemed pretty shaken on the jet." He came and sat next to me.

"I will be." I said before taking another sip of my water.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Steve has always been a second father figure to me when Dad was gone or just absent.

"I don't think I'm ready to tell just yet." I could feel how low the mood was getting. "But I am in the mood to start training," I said nudging him. Hoping that he would agree but it probably wouldn't.

"Sure, why not." He said standing up and I just sat there in awe.

"Really!?" I said excitedly.

"Really. Tony said it was ok so why not." I said as he held out his hand being the gentleman as always.

"Ok well then let's get started."

For the first hour, we just warmed up and stretched and Steve was surprisingly flexible. Don't ask me how or why but I guess he has to be flexible to do all those flips.

He moved over to the mat, and I thought he was going to teach me how to fight but instead, he grabbed a punching bag and that's what we did for the next hour. He went through punching bag after punching bag. Blowing a hole in each of them while I just stood there punching the same spot hoping that I could at least break some of the threads but that didn't happen.

As I kept punching and punching more and more of the dream came into my head. I tried to stay focus on the pounding sound that my fist made when they hit the bag or even how sore my knuckles were getting but nothing could stop me from spiraling back into that awful dream.

Soon the alarm for us to switch came and we put the punching bags back. Steve got onto the mat and I did too.

"Ok stand with your left foot forward." He instructed and I did as I was told.

"Are you going to make me put my jacket on and off?" I quipped and he just looked at me like I was crazy. "Oh my god. When we are done, we are watching Karate kid." I rolled his eyes and continued with the lesson.

By the end of the day, I could block a few hits and throw a good punch but that was only the first day and I was tired and in need of a shower. I ran up the stairs to my room and jumped into a nice warm bath.

I added just enough bubble bath to where a thick layer of bubbles was on top of the water. I let the bubbly water wash away all the events of the day and I almost fell asleep, but someone knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

"Dad." I didn't know if I was ready to see him yet, but I couldn't hide from him forever.

"Come in." He walked in and looked around the bathroom before finding me buried in bubbles.

"Ha, How's the water?" He asked walking over to me.

"It's real nice," I said trying not to think about the nightmare but every so often I would see his dead glossed-over eyes. "Do you need something?" I wasn't trying to sound rude, but I wanted to finish my bath.