Always

Chapter 10

LISSA

Once Mae had left and I was alone all the confusing feelings swirled in my head. I thought of how I had no idea what would happen between Niall and I, how David and Madrid had both surprised me in equally odd ways. This week had been a hassle. Also, my cold and hard punch to Macy that slightly scared myself. I didn't want to learn how to beat people up, just how to defend, but I would probably learn farther than that. After almost half an hour of torturous thinking that hurt my brain I fell asleep out of exhaustion.

When I woke up I sighed. I had gotten a decent amount of sleep. It was Tuesday and I was in the fourth week of self defense classes. Niall and Harry had told us that the number of weeks that the class went on for was undetermined. It might be the rest of this month which was the slightly cold September. I thought about how I had progressed in class and how well I had punched Macy. I frowned. I was not weak. They always told me I was weak. Always. But I wanted always to have a better meaning than that so I dismissed the sad thoughts and started my morning routine. As usual I wore workout clothes and pulled my hair back. I slipped my tennis shoes on and grabbed 4 granola bars and a water to go in the car. I walked out of my apartment and just as I closed the door remembered something. I forgot my keys. I ran back into my flat to grab them from the table.

Right as I passed through the tv room into the kitchen I tripped over my feet. I winced as I got up. Bruises were starting to form above my right hip. I clutched it as I walked slowly to the kitchen counter to where my keys sat. I wouldn't let this small bruise stop me today. I jogged back out to my car. As I did I was surprised to find that my hip was starting to hurt more than I expected it to. I had only tripped. I arrived at the gym and went to the classroom. Today I had beaten Niall and Harry, but to my utter surprise, Macy was here. People came in before our class for other purposes so the room was unlocked. She leaned against the mirror opposite me and the door as if she was expecting me. Her face was slightly swollen and purple.

She didn't look very happy. Her arms were crossed. Her hair was down and you could tell she had tried to hide some of the bruise that covered half her face. She pushed herself off the wall and walked toward me. She was fuming now. I didn't know what to do so I just stood in front of the now closed door. It locked behind me. I would bet money that she had planned for that to happen.

"Why the hell did you punch me you bitch? You aren't even that good! And the only reason you are doing well in the competition is because you are paying Niall off by sleeping with him. You are such a slut." She blew up and was now directly in front of me. Then she slapped me harshly with the back of her hand. Why couldn't she have just punched me. Now I was completely frozen. The slap. It brought back a very feminine attack style that someone used. I could hit back to a punch. But that slap hurt more than I could explain. It was the only violence that would always stop me in my tracks.

She smirked at me. I thought she would stop there. I wanted to beg her to just leave. But my lips were just as frozen as the rest of me. Macy then shoved me to the ground. My head hit the back of the door with a thud. I held my head and almost whimpered. She dragged me to my feet. I slumped but stood. She was positioning me to her best advantage. Then she punched my stomach hard and I was now in action. I only wanted to supress her this time. But after the punch I wasn't going anywhere. She yanked my hair and I fell to the ground and hit my hip yet again. She pushed me onto my back with her foot. Then she kicked my side. It was near my hip. She straddled me and banged my head against the floor roughly a couple times.

I didn't realize she would get this upset over one punch. She certainly wasn't settling the score. This was a little much. But I was violently dragged out of my thoughts by another painful hit to the ground. She was lifting my head to hit me again when Niall ran in. He held his keys and a shocked expression. I didn't want him to see me like this. I wanted to train today and if he saw me like then he would send me home or to the hospital. He quickly reacted by pulling Macy off of me. Harry and Mae came and restrained Macy, She was thrashing around. Then Harry lost his grip for a second and she was gone. Niall was in my view as I lied on the ground. His brow was furrowed as he looked so worried.

I started to try to get up. Niall then gently pushed me to the floor and warned me that I would just hurt myself more. I quietly complied. Then Niall picked me up bridal style and I was carried to his car. He drove me to the hospital. I wanted to protest but he told me to keep quiet. I winced again because it hurt to talk. I rested my head back and fell asleep. It seemed as if we were going somewhere farther away.