Bad plan.

9

     I stormed into the gym, throwing my bag to the corner. Stupid director, stupid movie, stupid Karl. All of this was so stupid, all I wanted was to go home. But nooooooo, I was stuck in a room with the one other person who didn't want to be here as much as I did.
   "Renee, are done having your tantrum?" His smooth voice bellowed out from behind me.
    "Excuse you?" I twirled on the ball of my heel, my voice raising a notch, eyes landing on him.
    "Your acting like a child." He stated, gently setting his bag down.
     "I'm acting like a child?" I almost screamed, I knew I was starting to loose my cool. I took a deep breath, trying to swallow my anger, I ran my hands through my hair. "Let's just work on this."
    I turned my back to him, trying to just breath, trying not to scream. Maybe at this rate I would kick him again in his stupid perfect face again. That would make me feel better, blow off some steam.
     "Renee," he said softly. Fine we'll work without the scripted dialogue. I spun quickly on the heal of my foot and kicked at him, catching him by surprise. "Dammit kid, can we just talk."
     "Fine, you talk..." I stated through gritted teeth, striking out at him, he dodged. "I'll work."
    "Why are you so angry?" His face set as stone as he blocked my punch.
     "Why?" I seethed still coming at him. "Maybe cause you've been giving me the cold shoulder."
    Punch, punch, kicked him square in the chest, he sprawled out on the gym mat. I walked back to the starting point again, I heard him groan as he got to his feet. I wish I could say I felt bad, I really did, okay maybe I felt the tiniest bit bad but damn it felt good.
    "Me? Have you seen the way you've been acting?" He yelled, I spun again on my heel and kicked out going through the same movements I had just done. Really I don't need the script for this, as long as he talked I knew when to started the fight.
    "What about me?" I yelled, throwing yet another punch at him, he brought up his arm, blocking it.
    "Always on Chris, hanging on his every word." He stated through gritted teeth, he jumped back from the kick that landed him on his rear moments earlier.
    "Chris seriously?" I yelled, tripping over my foot, almost crashing to the floor. I huffed, walking back to the starting point. Here go again.
    "Yes, Chris." He stated, turn kick, dodge, punch, block. At least we had this part down.
    "You think I'm interested in Mr perfect hair?" I yelled angrily at him, as I threw kick after kick.
    "That's all that's in those tabloids." He stated between dodges. "Pictures of you and him."
     "Who cares!" I yelled, punching him in the jaw, I glared at him. Really? Could he be that stupid? Who cares what the tabloid wrote, what those nimrods thought. I walked to the center of the room, my back to him, chest heaving. I could do this all day.
    I felt the sweat trickle down my temple, and my shirt was starting to cling uncomfortably to me. What had been a sour mood had turned into pure hatred of being here. I could feel my hand twitch as silence encompassed the room.
    Karl's hand on my shoulder cause me to jump, I hadn't heard him approach. I looked over my shoulder at him, his face had soften as he looked down me. And for a moment it was like the calm center of the hurricane, I knew that this moment wouldn't last long. One of us would say or do something, and it would be over. But just for that moment, I saw the look of the man I had started to fall for.
    "I care what they think." His voice was soft and gentle, his eyes flicked to my lips.
    "Tell that to the blonde." Yep there it was, the back side of that hurricane, the one that could tear down the rest of the neighborhood. And as usual, it came from me.
     "Renee." He groaned, kick, almost caught him. And then came the torrent of punch, and kicks, I replayed the moment her head popped out.  "Will you hear me out?"
     "No." I yelled, as I continued my onslaught, not realizing how close to the end of the scene we were getting to.
     "Alright!" He yelled, seizing me by the waist slamming me hard to the mat.
    "Karl." I growled, trying to pull out from beneath him.
     "Nope, zip it kid." He stated, his eyes hard as they pierced me to the mat. "That blonde was my sister, her hotel reservations were canceled last minute so I let her have my bed and I slept on the couch. I've been trying figure out a way to talk to you since I made an ass out of myself at the bar."
     "You?" I shrieked. "How did you make an ass out of yourself at the bar?"
      "After you didn't say anything, I panicked. I got pissed off at myself that I read too much into this. So I went defensive and have been avoiding you ever since." He explained, you sir didn't make an ass out of yourself. I did by not speaking, can we please clear that up. "Then you and Chris started hanging out, and constantly around reach other. I know I don't stand a chance against him."
     "Karl you're an asshole." I sighed, banging my head against the mat.
     "I'm the asshole? You're right I am, I should never of treated you like that. You're my friend, and I want that back." He said, the fight in his voice gone. I was his friend, that was it. " I just want things to go back to how they were before that night at the bar."
      "Karl.." he cut me with a shake of his head.
       "Please, can we try?" There was desperation in his voice, he was begging to my friend again. Nothing more, my heart hurt, I had missed my chance yet again as he pulled his weight off of me. Maybe it wouldn't be the last time I would have my chance.
      "So long as you bring coffee tomorrow." I told him, taking his hand he offered to help me up with.