Freedom

Fighting

~Chapter 3~

"Again!" he yelled.

I punched the bag twice and gave it a roundhouse kick. I could feel the sweat trickle down my body. I was dying of heat in my spandex long-johns and my hoodie.

"Again!" I heard him yell.

I took a few hops and let my fists rain down on the punching bag. I could hear my fathers voice in the back of my mind. I stopped and took a breath.

"Do it again Shay!"

I ripped my hoodie off not really caring that I was only wearing a white sports bra. I let my fists and feet fly at the in a series of punches and kicks.

"Good Shay." I heard him say.

I kept throwing blow after blow at the bag imagining it was my dad.

"Ok Shayna. You can stop now." I heard. It sounded so far away.

"Shayna! Stop!"

I felt strong arms around my shoulders and my first thought was to fight, but I knew that I shouldn't. This wasn't the enemy. I felt myself sit down and the arms stayed around me. I felt numb all over. Like my body was underwater and I was floating in a daze.

"You ok?" That voice snapped me back to reality.

I lifted my head up and looked into the green eyes that were staring at me. My breath hitched a bit and I nodded. "Thanks Caleb."i said.

He shook his head. "It's ok."he said soothingly.

Caleb was my mentor. He had started training me when I was fifteen. I knew that I had to learn to fight to make myself stronger. He was now nineteen and he'd taught me everything I knew and had even landed me a job at the gym on mondays and thursdays. He also stayed with me after hours to train. He had been the only trainer who had agreed to do so and at first I was afraid that he was looking for something more than just training but he'd proven to be a nice guy. I didn't want anyone to know that I could actually fight which was why I trained after hours on most night. I never wanted my dad to know that I could stand a chance against him.

"Shay? You sure you're ok?" he asked me again.

I nodded.

I suddenly realised that I was sitting wrapped in Caleb's arms and legs in only a sports bra and spandex. I tried turning away and standing but he held on tight. It wasn't that I really wanted to leave his arms, it had been a while since anyone had really held me like that, but I knew that it was best if I did. It wasn't that what he was doing was wrong either, I considered him my friend and trusted him but he was shirtless and sweaty and above all he was good looking so he had to get off. 

"Shay," he whispered. "you can talk to me." I shook my head, forced his arms off of me and stood up. I might consider him my friend but I didn't think I'd ever be able to talk to him about anything really.

"Again?" I asked him, positioning myself in front of the bag.

I waited a few seconds and turned around to look at him when he didn't answer. He was lying down propped up on both elbows, looking at me strangly.

"Again?"I asked a second time.

Caleb shook his head and and tilted it sideway.

"How did you get those bruises Shayna?" he asked, looking at the bruises on my bare skin.

I was shocked at first. No one had ever seen those. I grabbed my hoodie off the floor and put it on.

"Fighting." I told him and shrugged.