A Locked Box

Chapter 12

   Blow after blow echoed around the empty boxing ring. Kat relentlessly attacked the sand-filled dummy, her emotions channeled into her fists. Nothing would stop her, not even Axel's constant pleading. She paused, turning to the older man. "I'm the one paying you,"

   "And I'm the one who is supposed to make sure you don't hurt yourself," Axel said assertively. He pulled her bandaged hands away from the punching bag and directed her to the ring. "Sit and I'll make sure you don't damage your hands anymore,"

   "I'll be fine," Kat mumbled. She drank the last of her water and wiped her sweaty forehead.

   "You haven't slept at all night and need a break before school," Axel said as he unwrapped her now pink bandages.

   Kat snorted. "I don't need sleep right now. What I need is to release stress,"

   Axel glanced up from his work. "If you want to relieve stress, come tonight for a match. Just don't put anyone in the hospital,"

   "I wouldn't think of it," Kat said, rolling her eyes. She bit her lip subconsciously. Was she ready to fight another person? It would be just like a punching bag, a very lifelike punching bag that can do more than just swing on a chain.

   "So, I'll spread the word. Should I bet on you?"

   "If you want to, I don't care,"

   Axel finished rewrapping Kat's knuckles in clean bandages. "These aren't for you to keep punching, they're there to keep your hands clean from infection," he said, eyeing Kat knowingly. "If you leave now, you can make it home in time to get ready for school and take a long needed shower,"

   Kat sighed. "I hate you right now,"

   "And I'd hate you if I came to school and a girl smelled as bad as you do right now,"

   Kat rolled her eyes. "Fine," she stood, pulling on a gray hoodie. "I have a day off today,"

   "Good, that gives you at least four hours of downtime before you're needed here,"

   "Okay," Kat left without a goodbye. She jogged home and practically leaped into the shower. The warm water ran quickly but it was still relaxing. She pulled on the black blazer of her uniform before grabbing her school bag. Her eyes froze on the envelope. After a second, Kat picked it up with trembling fingers. Shoving it into her room trash can, she walked determinedly out of her apartment. Her walk to the school building was brisk, the morning mist refreshing against her now clean skin. Sitting down at her desk, she felt a smile crack onto her usually expressionless face.

   "What has got you in a good mood?" Devin asked as he sat down at his adjacent desk. He was smiling.

   Kat smiled up at him. "I've have gotten zero sleep,"

   Devin chuckled. "And that's a good thing?"

   "Nope," she popped the p. "I am so tired right now that I'm slap happy,"

   "You sound high,"

   "I feel high," Kat confessed, running a hand through her hair.

   Devin laughed. "I feel you,"

   "Did you have your demons keep you awake all night?" Kat asked Devin hopefully.

   "No," he rubbed his eyes fruitlessly. "My father had kept me awake for the majority of it though,"

   Kat nodded understandingly. Their conversation was drowned out as the teacher walked in and started the day's lecture.

   Kat waited patiently for her meal, tapping her fingers on the table. Quick movement made her turn to the nearest window and stare through. No one was there, she could have sworn she saw something or someone. Devin sat down with two trays in his hands.

   "What are you looking at?" he asked as he placed one of the trays in front of Kat.

   Kat turned back. "Nothing, I thought I saw something," she downplayed her suspicion. Devin did not need to know about her looming past and what she had escaped from. Or what she had thought she had escaped from. She started to eat, awaiting Devin's promised question. After a couple minutes of silence, she looked up from her food. Balancing the chopsticks on her tray, she raised an eyebrow. "What? No question today?"

   Devin looked up. "Oh, well, I didn't think you wanted to answer today,"

   "Why?" Kat was confused.

   "Because of how tired you are. If you're as slap-happy as you were earlier today then you might not answer as honestly as I would like,"

   Kat smirked. "You have no faith in me," she sipped on her provided drink. "I've been more exhausted than this and done far worse,"

   Devin pursed his lips, reading too far into her words. Kat brought him back with a wave of her hand.

   "Ask me your question,"

   Devin hesitated before speaking. "Why are you so cold?"

   "You have to be more specific than that," Kat said, chewing on her food. "There are more than one definition to the word cold,"

   "I mean as in guarded like a locked box," Devin said, making Kat smile. "Why are you smiling?"

   "Your metaphor was funny," she ate another bite of rice. "Well, if you must know, its part of my personality. I am just a guarded person,"

   "Someone isn't just born to be so guarded as you are," Devin stared pointedly at her. "You must have experienced something to be so cold to others,"

   Kat sighed. She continued to eat, avoiding Devin's gaze. He had been right in the sense that she would not want to answer. After a couple seconds of silence, Devin's smile dipped into a frown.

   "I'm right aren't I?"

   Kat brushed her tongue over her teeth in frustration. "I already answered your question,"

   Devin stopped her from standing. "You didn't answer it honestly so you still have to answer," his grip on her shirt sleeve was unsure as if he was struggling to know if he was mad or worried.

   Kat met his gaze with a fire in her coal colored eyes. It made her eyes look like liquid onyx. "I didn't lie," her hands clenched into tight fists. "It is part of my personality because of what I had to become so early on in my life," she pulled her shirt out of his grip and stormed off. She left the school building; she did not want to go to class. Her legs carried away blindly.