There's A Fighter In Me

Chapter 4: Back to the gym

Here she is, sitting on a wheelchair. Those eyes filled with burning hatred, glaring at me. Why does she hate me? Have I done something wrong? I sigh and move aside, giving Mom space for her to wheel herself in.

"Do you think this space will fit this wheelchair? Are not letting me in?" she shouts at me, literally bursting my ear drums.

I roll my eyes and take a bigger step to the side.

"Help me!" she screeches. 

Jeez ! This woman can really shout. I push her wheelchair, guiding her to her room.

"Can you be faster? I want to change into comfortable clothes!"

I fight the urge to pull her hair from behind and push her a little faster. I open the door and push her in. I'm about to leave when she grabs my left wrist and twists it. I yelp in pain as she glares at me.

" Pick out some clothes for me to wear, you ungrateful child," she said, her tone filled with disgust.

She jerks her hand back to her lap and looks at me as if I was some kind of rubbish laying around her house. I walk past her, choose a cream-coloured blouse and brown trousers, handing those fancy clothes to her. She snatches them without even saying thank you and roll her way to the toilet. Now who's the ungrateful one?

I sigh, shaking my head and went to my room to see a body laying on the floor. It's Edward ! I totally forgot about him.

"Damn! Edward, I want you to get out of the house right now," I say, packing his things.

"Huh? Why?" he asks, giving me that adorable confused look on his face.

Did I just say that? What on earth is happening to you, Annie?

"My mother is in the house."

Shock fills his face as he stands up, snatching his bag.

"We'll continue this later, alright?"

"Yeah," I say, faking a smile at him. 

"I'm so sorry."

I'm actually sad that he's leaving but I don't want to be caught looking so desperate so I try to push those feelings away. He walks out the door and bades me goodbye, giving me one of his charming smiles. I sigh contently as I lay on the bed. Today was very eventful. I met Brad, invited Edward over to my house and Mom came back home without a change in attitude. But whatever. I'm not going to let her ruin my day.  

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I am bored to death at home so I sneakily creep out without Mom noticing and go to gym. As soon as I arrive, I whip out the keys that Dad had given me when he thought I was 'responsible enough' and unlock the front door. I get a strong whiff of must, febreeze and old punching bags. Smells like home.

I drop my duffel bag on the countertop and proceed to the changing rooms to change into sweats. It dawns upon me that it's been almost 2 weeks since I last came here with Dad. And now he has perished from the world, out of reach forever. There are so many gym facilities and equiptment that I don't know where to start.

I decide to warm up with a quick run on one of the treadmills before I go on to the punching bags to release my bottled-up feelings and anger. There are some things that no one will understand. Not even Tracy. Only God knows the pain I'm going through, having to put up with Mom and school, and losing Dad unexpectedly. But that is the circle of life, right? You win some, you lose some. Only I don't seem to be winning anything.

I punch and punch with every inch of my might until my muscles ache. But I am too filled with emotion to stop. No amount of 'I'm sorry for your loss' or 'that's the circle of life'-s will ever be able to ease the pain, let alone mend my broken heart. The wounds that the loss made are still raw, and every time someone brings it up, I can't help but tear up. How am I ever going to get over it if strangers keep reminding me of it? I'm expected to return to school tomorrow but I don't want to face anybody, right now. What I need is some down time with myself. A getaway would be great, but Mom would never allow it. She's rigid. Doesn't know tge meaning of vacation or meditation. All she cares about is her stupid job as some fancy research scientist in the 'best lab in town'. I've been there before and it looks like a classroom as compared to the high tech laboratories on CSI and Bones.

"Annie, is that you?"

Somebody calls my name. I gasp in shock. I guess I was too caught up in my thoughts to realise that someone hadentered the gym. I turn around to see a burly, bald man standing by the counter. The creases on his forehead shows his concern.

"Paul?"  

"What are you doing here?"

"Same reason why you're here, Annesters," he shrugs.

Paul has been working here since the day it opened 10 years ago. He may be big and burly but he has a heart the size of the moon. His personality was one of the reasons why Dad hired him, apart frim being able to lift 10 pound weights and punching bags on his shoulders.

"Annie, I know you don't want to talk about it- I didn't either when my dad passed on. But I want you to know that all of us here in Fighter's have your back, okay?"

"Okay," I say. I am so touched that I almost tear up. These guys are like my family. They take care of me and treat me better than how my own mother treats me. They never fail to surprise me every year on my birthday. Once, they even 'kidnapped' me and drove off to Disneyland in Anaheim for my eighth birthday. They are my family. Always have and always will be.

I try out some of the new equiptent until I tire myself out. As I walk over to the counter, I see a red notebook with the Fighter's Club logo on it. I flip it open and see Dad's handwriting on the first page that wrote, 'DEBTS'. There are over 5 pages recording these so-called debts. The total? 10,000 bucks.

"Paul, do we really owe banks that much money?" I shout over my shoulder. Apparently my question seems to shock Paul. Don't tell me he doesn't know about it himself.

"How do you know about it?!"

I wave the notebook in the air and raise my eyebrows. If they wanted to keep it a secret, they should have kept it under lock-and-key. 

"Well, dear, every company has debts. And it just so happens that we have not finished paying off ours."

"WHAT?! I will-"

I am cut off by my Jason Mraz ringtone. I really should change it. It's really getting on my nerves. I look at the caller ID. Unknown caller.

"Hello? Annie speaking."

"Oh hey Annie! It's Jessica. So sorry for your loss!"

"What do you want?"

"I want you to move out of the country to that little cave you came from! It was really fun not having you around, you know."

"People like you are the reason why I keep losing faith in humanity."

And with that, I hit the end-call button. How dare she call me up like that. I hate her. If she is dying and I am the only one who can help her in this whole world, I wouldn't. I'm pretty sure if the case was reversed she would let me die too.

"Hey Paul, I gotta go now. I'll be back. Then we talk."

"Okay, princess," Paul replies as he plants a peck on my forehead.

As I head out the front door, I think about where to go next. Should I meet Charlotte or go home and face reality? I decide to just return home and prepare myself for tomorrow's expected rude shocks.