Trained (Completed)

Chapter 11: Rain Check

"I used to train Kade." Clinton speaks as Marlena and him eat their dinner. He thought it'd be best to share stories of her brother, while he's away. Hopefully the tales don't make her miss him anymore. Kade is like a father to Marlena, since theirs died. One of the reasons Clinton and him got along so well. They understood each other.

Could confide and relate their feelings. "Really?" Marlena snaps Clinton out of his thoughts. It's almost as if she could read his. But then he remembers what he stated.

Yellow eyes smile. "Yeah. He's one tough fucker. Shit excuse my language Mars." She giggles. The girl is seventeen. Surrounded by many high schoolers who curse. Even her brother Kade curses like a sailor, and not because he is one.

"It's okay. But how so?", intrigued, wanting to hear more before she's shipped in the back. When Clinton's clients arrive, Marlena hides. She's shy. Especially around boys and men she doesn't know. When Palmer came in acting out, she was terrified to show her face. She hung up on Palmer, for the fear of talking.

She grew up around Clinton. So they're comfortable with each other. It's true she used to have a crush on the old fellow. But that's ceased since then. Boys at school just aren't for her. They're so...tiny compared to Clinton and her brother. She wants a built man, not some boy with no meat on his bones. The guilt follows and she feels awful.

Everyone deserves to be accepted. And some girls like that, but not her. She wants a man to protect her. Their fourteen year age difference would never allow dating. Especially since she's still a child. Kade would kick her ass. Worse yet, he'd kill Clinton, even if they are best friends. Then he'd end up on one of those, "I killed my best friend", shows because of it.

Marlena doesn't want to start drama. That's not her style. When she saw Palmer for the first time, she was taken aback. Her beauty struck her like lighting. Electrifying all her cells awake, or dead. The oxygen was taken out for what felt like minutes. Clinton deserves someone that beautiful. Big blue eyes with the prettiest thick, long, black lashes. Her hair is strikingly silky. Long and thick like her lashes. It was hard for Marlena not to compare herself.

With her brown eyes and brown hair. She feels...boring, compared to most girls. Thankfully, Clinton rips her out of the poor mindset. "He's a tank. Trust me Mars. He just doesn't quit. Never gets tired. I wonder what motivates him." But he doesn't have to wonder. He already knows. Marlena motivates him. His father's death motivates him. Their mother leaving motivates him. The man is a killer athlete.

"Wow. I want to be like that." Marlena looks up to her brother. And who wouldn't look up to Kade? With all he's been through, it's hard not to.

"Marlena, you're so special. Don't try to be like anyone else. Okay?" Wow. Clinton really is a mind reader. "What do you have planned today?"

It's almost noon. Palmer with be coming in today. Along with Rain. So it should be an interesting day. One Clinton doesn't want Marlena to be around. She drums her knuckles lightly on the table. "Going to the mall with some friends. We're going school shopping for this coming year." Marlena's last year is coming up. Kade and Clinton are both so proud of her.

"That'll be fun Mars. Get me a soft pretzel." He laughs, just joking. He's on a strict diet. No need for pretzels. "I'm just messin. It'll be hard by the time I get it." Her eyes find the ground. It couldn't have been what he said. Or was it? Girls are tough creatures to figure out. They expect men to be mind readers. "I really was playing Marlena. I don't need a pretzel."

The thing Marlena isn't telling, is that there's going to be a boy. One that won't particularly leave her alone. Her best friend Savanna invited him along. Marlena doesn't know why, because she admitted numerous times, that she does not care for this boy.