Riches Get Stitches

After Dark

After walking in thr front door, Victor came up to me with a concerned look on his face. "Who was that?" he asked. He crossed his arms looking out the window. He was in his usual ress shirt and pleated pants with shiny shoes. His sleeves were rolled up, exposing hairy arms and a silver Rolex watch.

"Just a friend." I say walking pass him. This was probably the first time I didn't sound irritated with him. "Why?"

"Well I would like to know what my daughter is doing with a boy unitl six-thirty at night. Where were you anyways?" he asks. I walk into the kitchen, grabbing one of those fancy pre-made smoothie things. I opened it up and smelled the sweet, thick, pink liquid. I took a swing and looked at Victor. "Just the gym. I was training him." I say. "Not like it matters though." I walk past him again and head for the winding staircase. I was halfway up the stairs when he called up to me.

"Just call me and let me know where you're going after school from now on. I'd rather see you than loose you forever this time." he says. I just wave a hand in the air for a response, but really, what he said made my heart skip a beat. He doesn't want to loose me. I think about giving him a sincere greating or approach, because I've been nothing but bitter to him. But then just like that, my childhood came back. I see my mom and me and Uncle Jack. Not one special event did he show up. Nothing. Bitterness was all he was getting until he proves himself.

I open my bedroom door and close it behind me. I toss my bag to the side and turn on my music and light. I had taken my hair down in the car to let the sweat dry. Gross I know, but I hated the way my hair looked and felt if I didn't do that. My room felt rather hot and stuffy, so I crack the window just a little. I feel the cool breeze blow past me and smile. I loved Spring, even the rain. I used to run around outside in it like it was sunny. I turn around and look at myelft in the mirrior. I was sweaty and tired looking. I pulled my hair up in a lazy looking bun. I turn the music up and listen to "Outta Your Mind" by Lil' Jon  blast through my speakers. Eventually, I bring the tempo down and put on "Gun Shot" by Nicki Manaj on. I bed down and begin to take my close out of my bag when I suddenly don't feel the breeze from my window any more. I look over at my window and see none other than Levi standing there, smiling and waving at me. I rush over to the window and he leans in. It was right at the chorus of the song that made this scene perfect for the way I felt.

"Hey." he said. "Mind of I come in?" he asks. I just gape at him confused, and happy at the same time.

"Um. . .yeah. How did you get up here?" I asked helping hiim in from the window.

"You guys have this later thing on the side of your house. I put my weight on it and it held so. . .I figured I'd give you a little visit." he says this like he did this all the time. He probably did, but how would I know.

"So what are you doing here exactly?" I asked crossing my arms. He doesn't say anything for a while. He just walks around my room, looking at my posteres and pictures. He points to one of me and my mom standing outside the building where my first fight was. I was fifteen and I had my hair in a messy french braid. I wore my medal around my neck and was dressed in my fighter shirt and shorts. My mom was going through kemo, so she wore aher favorite pink bandana with FIGHTER written in Sharpie on the front. We smiled from ear to ear and each held a closed fist in the air. I had won my fist match, and that's when everyone figured out I was a prodigy.

"This you?" he asks pointing to the picture. I smile at the memory and nod.

"Yeah. I was fifteen. It was my first fight and I won. My mom was so proud of me." I had to look away for a minute to try and fight off the tears that were coming. i hadn't talked about my mom in so long. It was like talking about dead relative you hardly knew. He behiind me and saw all my medals and awards hanging above my bed.

"And these are all yours?" he asks. He raises his eyebrows and looks at me.

"Yea. They're all first place prizes. All the others are just certificates and stuff." I say. I flop down on my bed as he reads and gazes at my medals.

"You're really good." he says. "You must have been a fighting prodigy or something." I smile and laugh at the irony in the situation.

"Yes." I says. He looks at me with a confused grin.

"What?"

"I was a prodigy. I won the Golden Gloves when I was sixteen. The year after that, I won Statem then Nationals. I made newspapers, magazines. I was even inteviewed for SporstIllistrated Kids." I say. He stares at me with a slack jaw and bugged out eyes.

"No way. Do you have the copy?" he asks. I nod and head t my closet. I pull down a suitcase full of articels and newspaper clippings of my success through out the years. I dig through it and find the Sports Illistrated issue with me in it and tossed it to Levi. "You're undefeated?" he asks. I nod and let him read on. "It says here you beat the highest ranking contender in junior boxing, won over fifty awards and medals, and have two national titles!" He looks up from the magazine and walks over to me. "Why didn't you tell me this?" he asks. I shrugg my shoulders.

"Never really thought it was a big deal to you. I mean, you guys have all the money you can ask for and fancy cars from Italy and Spain. I have an interveiw with Sports Illistrated and fifty medals. What good is that compared to you guys?" I ask. He sets the magazine on my bed and puts his hands on my sholders and looks me in the eyes.

"It's a lot compared to 'us guys'. Do you know how many girls would kil for ANY magazine interview? These girls are attention craving wanna-bes. They just want to look pretty, but you made it look badass. Never let anyone degrade you, and if I hear about some loser trying to pick a fight, I'll stand back and cheer you on when you kick his ass." he says backing up, holding his hands in there like he was being arrested.

"You wouldn't beat them up for me?" I ask.

"Nope. You are perfectly capeable of doing that yourself after what I saw and learned today." he says. He flops down on my bed and gets comfy.

"Sure, make yourslef at home." I joke. I walk over to my speakers and turn the misc down a little more. "You never answered my question. Why are you here?" I ask again.

"Had nothing better to do. Besides, I have this for you." He reaches in his back pocket o his jeans and hands my one-hundred dollars--cash. I drop my jaw and look at the money.

"What's this for?"

"Your first payment as my personal trainor. I told you I'd pay you." He says. He holds the money out to me, but I push it back.

"Sorry, but, I won't take your money. Besides, daddy's loaded rememebr?" I say. He still holds the money. "I've been raised knowing that if someone offers you money, it's sually because they confused you for their drug dealer. Bsides, you complemented me, befirended me. That's enough for me." I say. He shrugs and puts the money back in his pocket. I wanted to take the money believe me, but I knew better than that. Eventually, Levi left and I went to bed. I replayed our converstaion in my head. I pictured his hands on my shoulders again. They were warm and rough, and he held me in a firm grasp. Why did I think of him like this? I didn't want to think of him like this, and I really don't want him to think of me like this. But who am kinding, I mean why would he think of me like that anways? He's probably into girls like Jenna. With the high heels and the popularity and thin legs. I had Van, no popularity (in a good way) and thunder thighs. And besides, I was training him. Stuff like that is the last thing I need. I couldn't fall for Levi. I promised myself from here on out, that I will never see him as anything else other than a friend.