Fighting For Life (published)

Wear something flattering

Aubry's POV-

I was tired and hungry. No, I was beyond tired and super hungry. My face felt stiff from the wind and the chilliness. My legs were asleep from all the walking I had been doing.

I had been walking pretty much all night. I didn't realize how many homeless people there were in this town, they were all creepy and weird. Ha, that must have been what I was too; creepy and weird. That though sunk me even lower into my depressed state.

The sun was rising quickly when I found myself sitting in front of the black metal doors of the gym waiting for someone to let me inside. I was huddled up and trying to fall asleep. I couldn't sleep though, I was too wound up and guilty.

I really didn't want to face Aiden, ever again... But I needed his fighting expertise. It was an awful situation and I felt like crap over it. I deserved everything that I got...

I would have killed for a drink in that moment. A hit off a blunt would have been amazing too. I would have even considered trying my father's drug of choice, meth. Or, they say I looked just like her, maybe I would have enjoyed my mom's favorite, heroine. I just wanted something to numb my pain, to numb my mind, to make me forget.

I sighed at my wondering thoughts. I had always been too scared to do any drugs more than weed and alcohol. They say that alcoholism runs in families, so I assumed that drug addiction did too. At that point, who really cared though? What was the point? I had no friends, no home, no money and I was more than likely dead in a few months... so what else do I have to live for?

I sighed deeply and banged my head against the door lightly. I was trying to reassure myself, but I just wasn't convincing enough for myself. I was in such a spiral, and so much anxiety and depression was in my head. I continued lightly banging my head on the door, gradually getting harder, trying to push out the plaguing thoughts in it. On the last bang, the door busted open. I managed to catch myself before falling over, but I was highly surprised at the unlocked door and bright lights that were on.

I stared at the boy when I finally spotted him standing at a punching bag while looking at me. There he was, the boy that I screwed over and hurt... and yet, he didn't even know it.

He looked better than ever with the shimmer of sweat on his body and his shirt off. I made note of the long scar on his chest, it reminded me slightly of his sister's. His hair was messy making me want to fix it. However, I held myself back. That was something that I definitely wouldn't have gotten away with, whether we were friends or not.

"Aubry? I should've known... you're always early." He acknowledged me.

I nodded and moved cautiously past him to the training room. He followed me, and wordlessly got ice packs out of the freezer. I slowly sat down and waited for the coldness to be put on my ribs. He put them on and then left the room, it was just like before. It was like nothing ever happened.

-----

I woke up shaking. I was having a nightmare, or a flashback, I'm not sure what you would call it. The ice packs were no longer on me and the lights were off. I didn't understand what was going on. I sat up and looked around cautiously. The clock that sat on the counter read two o'clock PM. I was so utterly confused, I had gotten to the gym at barely sunrise.

I stood up too quickly and gasped as my ribs protested. I had to pause to regain my composure before I continued on my mission. When I walked out the room, I spotted Aiden immediately... he was quite hard to miss.

However, he didn't notice me. He was working on his punches and hitting the punching bag with an uncanny grace. I rolled my eyes and marched up to him when he glanced at me but didn't stop.