Wrong Time

Chapter 17: Hit Me With Your Best Shot

·Grace's POV·

Even after my grandfather's declarations, I still haven't changed my weekend routine. I have to visit Archer and proceed with our investigations.

When I arrived home from St. George on Halloween, I explained grandpa that I believed him and didn't want our relationship to deteriorate because of a past mistake. However, I didn't explain why. If I've had, I would have felt forced to tell him all what's happening since the end of summer. The only ones who are up to date are Toli and Katie. Something tells me I will be needing their help soon enough.

And speaking of the devil. They are super excited about Archer and I's weird relationship, let me tell you.

*Flashback*

"You what?!" Toli shouted in the middle of the girl's bathroom.

"I can't believe you guys kissed. Wouldn't it have looked like you were making out with the air? 'Cause only you can see him." Katie stated. I don't know if that was supposed to be a joke or what?

"Nobody saw us, so it didn't seem like that. And, we haven't kissed once, but twice."

"Shut up! You are such the tigress Grace Lancaster." They both laughed at Toli's choice of words.

"How should we call the ship then? Arcrace? Grarcher?"

"We'll think about it later Katie. Right now, Grace is going to tell us everything."

*End of flashback*

And I ended up sharing a ship name with Archer. They both know it leads me to a dead end, but it doesn't stop them to fangirl over the only boy I've felt something deep. Ghost or not.

Up in the guest room, I tied my trainer's shoelaces and adjusted my ponytail. I was ready to train. Then, I kissed my grandfather goodbye and headed to St. George - where Archer must be waiting for me, as always.

I was tremendously surprised when he told me he used to fight. Now that I'm thinking, that must be another reason why they sent him to a correctional. Those battling skills will be showed to me in less than fifteen minutes. I'm so looking forward to fight a boy whose muscles seem to be made out of iron.

Feel my sarcasm running through the sentence.

I opened the gate, passed by the building and - not surprisingly - there he was, waiting in the backyard.

"Are you ready to get your ass kicked?"

"Oh, totally. But I'm afraid that time will never come love, sorry to disappoint."

"We'll see. How about you show me those moves you so proudly claim to have?"

"With pleasure. Firstly, I need you to try and hit me. That way I'll analyze how you position your hand while throwing a punch."

Without warning, I started running towards him, fist raised. I wasn't planning on hitting him hard, just show him I wasn't completely defenseless.

He dogded me and my punch but he also looked pretty surprised too.

"Your fist position is almost perfect. Who taught you that?"

"My father. He wanted me to know the basics."

"He did a great job. Anyway, let's continue. Try to hit me at any costs. Remember I'm a ghost, no matter how hard you do it, you won't kill me. So don't restrain yourself."

After those words I tried to kick, punch and get to him. Waste of my precious time.

I was fast, but he was faster.

Archer then took my forearm in his hands and turned me around, hitting my back with his chest. Then he hit the back of my knee with his, pinning me down on the floor. My legs were in between his, his knees used as support and his hands securing my arms over my head.

"Sometimes a good defense is the best offense Grace."

"Oh really? Then what about this?"

I used the space between his bent knees to get rid of his support, making him fall on top of me. I rolled us the other way around.

Now I was on top, forcing my legs to trap him beneath me.

"How did you do that?" He asked me, mouth and eyes wide open.

"I went to some self defense classes. Not enough to fight a serial killer, but useful at the end of the day."

"Very good. I might have underestimated you."

"Sorry, could you repeat that? I didn't quite catch that."

"I underestimated you, okay? You are better than you showed while fighting the darkness. Anyhow, you still need to train with me. I'll prepare you for when the real battle starts. That time will come and you must be ready for it."

"Yes sir. At your service, sir!" I saluted him. He just chuckled at my goofiness.

A couple of hours passed and we decided to stop and rest a bit before continuing.

"How did you start fighting?"

"I started at the age of fifteen. Young, I know. It was my way to release the stress and my anger, getting them out of my system. In the past, I would normally be angry at the world because of nothing. So, what a better way to manage your anger issues?"

"Do you still have said issues?"

"No, being in the correctional helped me somehow. I guess I learnt how to suppress it until it almost disappeared. Don't get me wrong, if someone pisses me off, my anger returns. It's just not that frequently, taking into account nobody apart from you can see me. "

"I'm glad you learnt to control it before you met me. Otherwise we wouldn't have got on very well."

"I'm not sure the anger would have appeared being next to you. Anyway, you're too stubborn and would have come back without a second thought, driven by the curiosity."

Two months have taken him to read me like an open book. I like how he notices every little thing and remembers it. It's one of my favorite things about him.

I try to deny it, but Archer is my prototype as a potential partner. It scares me how my feelings for him increase intensity every time we meet, and I can't do a single thing about it.

I like him. That's a fact.

But I can't let myself fall for him. It will hurt like hell when we say our goodbyes. I'm not prepared to do it, and never will be. He's become my anchor and a huge part of my life. It won't be the same without him.

If only he was still alive...

In another life, we would go together on dates, he would have met my friends properly and I would have met his. Just being together most of the time. If only...

"A penny for your thoughts?" He shook me out of my daze.

"It's nothing. Just processing today's information, that's all."

"If you say so..." He didn't look convinced. But I wouldn't dare telling him what I really was thinking about. His ego is big enough sometimes.

"Anyway, I wanted to tell you I won't be able to come very often from now on 'till Christmas holidays. You know, exams and lots of stuff to do. A day after the school finishes, I'm all yours."

"Why the day after?"

"I promised my friends I would go to a Christmas party a jock called Blake Sanders is holding. I bailed on them this Halloween, I can't repeat it."

"I understand, don't worry. Let's make the most of this day then, until we meet again."

And hell if we did.

*****

A.N: Just a normal chapter today. The only outstanding thing is that Grace has finally accepted she likes Archer. However, in chap. 18 drama will be SO present. So keep reading!
Love,
M³