little toy guns

Battle plans

When we were done with our run we went back to my house it was still empty. I let Marty off of the leash and went to the refrigerator I got a bottle of water for myself and then tossed one at Xander. He caught it and began walking to the door.

"Where are you going?" I asked. He turned to look at me.

"Am I welcome to stay?" I could not help but laugh at him.

"Yes sit." I said sitting on the couch and grabbed the clicker and turned on the T.v. I was flicking through channels and as I passed over some shows that seemed to have Xander's attention. I stopped on a few that looked okay then I came across When the Stranger Calls. I clicked on it and I heard Xander groan next to me. I looked over and could not tell if it was about the movie that was so widely hated or the sixty-pound German Shepard that was in his lap like the big baby she was.

"Marty off." I told her and she crawled onto the couch between us. She looked up at Xander and whined.

"I know Mart she is rude disturbing our alone time." Xander joked. I laughed at the sad boy look on his face.

Xander went home at the end of the movie and soon after Marty and I went into my room and watched old silent movies.

The next day I got ready and went to school. I found someone waiting by my locker but it was not Xander. At a quick glance, he had short black hair, tan skin, and brown eyes. As I opened my locker the boy stared at me. "How can I help you?" I asked not looking at the boy but the inside of my locker.

"You the girl that was hanging out with Xander?" He asked this caught my attention.

"Xander? Who?" I asked playing dumb. As fighters, we had short tempers we all had that one fighter who could not get over a loss.

"You don't want to play dumb with me." He said pushing me into the wall of lockers. Being early in the morning we were practically alone. I grabbed his hand on my shoulder and spun him around with his face now pressed on one of the lockers. I leaned on his back and whispered in his ear.

"Ya well you don't want to play with me at all," I said tightening my grip on his arm. "What do you care if I do or don't know a kid named Xander?" I asked.

"Were friends God! You did not let me finish. He came over to my house and left his book there. I have to get going to my own school now if you would let me go." Said the boy as he pulled a reading book from our English class out of his back pocket. He walked off with a huff once I let him go. Xander said he did not know anyone from our town. I opened the book flipping through it. In the back of the book, it was scribbled angrily

"YOUR END IS COMING SOON TOO!" I glanced around to see if the kid was still around. There was no sign of him. I slumped down my locker door as I waited for Xander. Once he showed up I told him a boy had dropped off his book he took it and said thanks. I let it go thinking he would tell me if something happens. It could have been written by anybody, right?

After school, we went straight to practice. On the walk there I kept thinking about the book I told him I had left mine at school and asked him if I could borrow his. He told me he had spilled water on it. I nodded.

We went a few rounds with the pads and then with each other. After the workout we were back at my place doing homework my mom was out of town for a few days and my dad was still at the gym. As we shifted from math to English I saw the book fall out of Xander's bag.

"What happened to it being water damaged?" I asked picking it up. Xander brushed aside the question. "Who was he, Alexander? He called you Xander. He knew I was hanging out with you. Who is he?" I asked. Xander told me not to worry. "He manhandled me in public at my own school just for knowing you. I deserve to know who he is." I said somewhat angry.

"I'll tell him not to touch you, okay?" He said.

"Fine," I said focusing on English.

Things were tense after that and once homework was done Xander excused himself to leave and I did not try to stop him. I went down to the gym and took Marty. The gym was closed and Dad was probably headed home. I put my phone on the doc to the loudspeakers. I pounded the heavy bag until my bare hands were sore. I walked away from the bag grabbing the fighting dummy. As I got it set up in the practice ring Marty caught my eye she was being petted by someone. I looked up to see Xander. I quickly went back to looking only at the dummy. After a few rounds, Xander slid through the ropes.

"Your pretty angry at me aren't you?" Xander asked. He walked behind the dummy and held its shoulders. I quickly tried to bring my fist down on Xander's hand. He pulled away. I turn around, glaring at Marty thinking she was a trader and, getting a drink of water. When I turned back around I was faced with Xander's tan chest. He had two more tattoos on his collarbone. I looked up to meet his eyes.

"If your going to take your anger out about me on something it should be me." Xander said. He was barefoot the same as me and in workout short. His long hair was pulled away from his face. His normally brown eyes were black in this lighting. Your gonna go far kid by The Offspring was coming out of the speakers. His stance was relaxed. That was his first mistake. I took two quick gabs at him. Both to the lower part of his ribs and then took a quick single slap at his face before hopping out of the ring.

"Really that's all you had left in you?" He yells from behind the ropes.

"I'm not mad at you. No, actually I am. I am pissed as hell that you won't tell me who that kid is." I said raising my voice.

"He is nothing to worry about." Xander said and got out of the ring coming over to me.

"He is a good two inches taller than you. Wich makes him eight inches taller than me. He is at least twelve pounds heavier than you which makes him twenty-one pounds heavier than me. Tell me what's not to worry about again." I said walking up to look at Xander.

"I beat him and you can beat me so you don't have to worry." Xander said.

"So you have fought him?" I ask relaxing now that the truth is coming out.

"He's just a sore loser. I told my dad about it and he has talked to him and his coach." He said retrieving his shirt from the floor.