Ain't Shady Baby, I'm Hot

6

That night, Xena walked away from the warehouse $1,025 richer. And another KO on her street fighting record.

Her adrenaline was high as she kept her guard up enough to make it home where her mom was waiting up in the living room.

"Honey." Xena froze in the hallway. She heard her mom sigh as Xena came into view. "You're almost an adult. You need to be careful."

"Ma, I'm 17. I still have a year." Xena whispered as she set her drawstring bag on the ground.

"If you get caught it still goes on your permanent record. You're already fighting semi-pro. I thought we talked about this?" Her mom asked gently.

"You're right Ma. Look, I just wanted some spare cash until I could find a job that pays. I'll keep my head down once school starts next week, but I've already got two more fights. I'll tell Maurice that I am done with this stuff. That I'm moving towns again- I'll make something up. Probably will have to pay him back for using his facilities- but whatever." Xena said waving the problem off. She'd talk to him before her next two fights so it was established.

"As long as you're wearing your wig and bandanna. Clearly you have your wig on." Her mom points to the black ponytail braid still on her head.

"Shit." Her mom gave her a pointed look as Xena carefully pulled the wig off. "Well, no one saw me leave and no one followed me here. I made sure of it."

"Just be careful, Xena. Two more fights and then you have to focus on school. Then your job and semi-pro fights. You know you're next fight is in a month?" Her mom leaned forward on the couch.

"Yeah, I know. I'll go by the gym tomorrow after I go meet Kiara." Xena spoke standing up to go grab a glass of water.

"She seems like a nice person. Do you know if she'll be a junior with you?" Xena shrugged as she drank from the glass.

"I'll ask tomorrow. Hey, I'm tired, I'll see you in the morning?" Xena asked as she grabbed her drawstring and started towards the stairs.

"I'll be taking a few things up to the school tomorrow morning, don't worry nothing to crazy. I'll get your muscle to help when I do." Marie laughed at her daughter as Xena rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Goodnight, Ma."

"Goodnight, Xena."

In the morning, Xena struggled to get out of the comfortable bed. Her soft blankets suffocating as she slept like the dead. But the alarm on her phone and the sun were enough to make her roll out of bed.

Literally roll out of bed.

"Ow, shit." Xena groaned as she held her rib cage where DJ had landed a few good punches.

"You alright up there?"Marie's voice carried up the stairs after she heard the loud thud.

"Yeah!" Xena yelled down as she rolled onto all fours and rose up from the floor. Her blankets falling around her as if a cocoon cracking open. Only instead of a butterfly a damn moth was unfolding from it.

0745

Xena wasted no time as she pulled on a shirt, shorts, placed contacts into her eyes, brushed her teeth and slid on a pair of her running shoes.

With keys in hand, Xena skipped down to the kitchen for a glass of water. Marie was going in and out of the house loading up boxes into her car as Xena drank a glass.

"You want a hand, Ma?"

"No, hun. I've got one more box. Shouldn't you be going to that smoothie place? It's 8:20 already." Marie called from the front door.

"The smoothie place is only ten minutes from here, I'll leave around 8:30."

"Alrighty. Well, I'll be taking off to the school once I'm loaded up." Marie informed as she walked back into the dining room where the last box sat on the table.

"If you text me the address maybe I can catch up with you once we finish?"

"That sounds good, I'll be back inside to grab my personal items in a minute. I'll get you the address before I leave."

Xena shot her mom a thumbs up as she sat down on a bar stool. She had eight minutes to kill. Xena stared at the phone in front of her, a plan forming as she made it to Instagram.

Kildare High School

Xena clicked on the account. Then proceeded to the followers.

Raf

No results.

Xena frowned at the phone.

Kiara

Kiara Carrera

Xena snorted as she clicked on the account.

🌊 🐢 save the planet, it's the only one we got

"Kiara is a recycler, Ma." Xena jokes as she looks up from the phone.

"Good stuff. Okay, here's the address. Go enjoy your smoothie, text me when you're done. I'll let you know if I'm still at the school."

"Sounds good, Ma. I'll see you later."

Xena spent the next three minutes wandering around the house checking out the downstairs areas before leaving to the garage.

After locking up the house, Xena was tearing down the road towards the smoothie place.

Questions appearing in her mind as she drove through the streets of Kildare.

Why was the address her mom gave her not to Kildare High School but to a private academy?

And why did she have a bad feeling about starting school this time come next week?