My Unusual Second Life ||Demetri Volturi x OC||

Chapter 1: Wrong Place, Wrong Time

I collapsed onto the mat with a breathless laugh after successfully submitting Riley for the fourth time.

"Damn, Elli. I always forget how good you are at grappling," Riley said as he laid down next to me. He rubbed his right bicep and turned on his side, propping himself up so that he was facing me. "You have a vicious arm bar. It is surprising someone so small and sweet can have such a vicious side."

I lazily turned my head towards him before responding, "Well, I have to get out all this college anxiety and stress somehow." I paused and winked at him before continuing, "I prefer to get it out by grinding your face into the mats."

He laughed before standing up, "I am surprised you never ended up competing in any Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitions. You really are great at it." He extended his hand to me to help me up. I placed my hand into his, allowing him to pull me to my feet.

"Well, I always said that if I was given a second life, I would want to be a fighter. It really is enjoyable, but it isn't practical for me," I said with a frown as I looked down to re-adjusted my rash guard.

He raised an eyebrow at me, "Why is that?"

I sighed while stretching my arms behind my back, "Sadly, we can't always do what we love to do for a living. We have to find something we somewhat enjoy that will allow us to make a living. That's the only reason I am going into the medical field. I mean- I enjoy it and all, but it isn't my favorite."

He smiled weakly at me, "Isn't that the truth. Do you want me to walk you back to your apartment?"

"No, I think I am going to stretch and cool down a little more," I said as I walked over to the table to grab my water bottle. I quickly drained its contents before continuing, "Thank you though, Riley."

"Will you text me when you get home," he said. His eyes held nothing, but concern.

He knew that I could take care of myself, but there had been some disappearances in the area lately. The authorities were not sure if it was a serial killer or a wild animal causing the disappearances. The bodies of the victims were never found.

"Of course, Riley. You stay safe too," I replied.

"Same time tomorrow?" he questioned as he walked backwards so that he was facing me.

"Ready to get your ass kicked so soon," I teased, which made him laugh and shake his head as he turned on his heel.

"Cockiness will be your downfall, Elli," he retorted as he wiggled his finger at me while he headed towards the door.

I rolled my eyes as I sunk back down onto the mat to finish my cool down. My body wasn't use to the cold weather of Oregon, so I had to be extra thorough to prevent pulling anything. I had grown up the majority of my life in Florida; like most kids going off to college, I desperately wanted to escape my sunny hometown. So, of course, I decided to apply to colleges as far away from Florida as possible and that's how I ended up at the University of Oregon.

The whole moving to a new place thing really helped me come out of my shell. The new location seemed to transform me into a totally new person. During middle school and high school, I was cripplingly shy. It got in the way of my naturally ambitious personality, preventing me from getting involved to the extend I wanted. When I arrived in Oregon, I decided to take up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which sparked my hidden confidence. Although I was not naturally good at it (grace is sadly not my middle name), my ambition kept me on track to help ensure that I would become the best; well, at least the best 22 year old, 135 pound female grappler.

After practicing for about 2 years at an off campus gym, I ended up becoming the president of the grappling club on campus. It was stressful, but highly rewarding in a multitude of ways. I found teaching a great way to increase my own understanding of the material, as well as rewarding to see the techniques click with students over time. Through grappling club is how I met Riley, who had become my best friend over the course of this year.