The next day at school as I was walking the halls to my class I was getting stares and sideways looks from most of the other kids. “Hey Daniel!” I saw my friend Tim, pushing his way through a cluster of kids, trying to make his way to me. Finally making it, we high-fived and he started speaking in a hushed tone.
“I heard you got into a fight with the Joe Leahman and John Tavarro.”
“Yea, Joe picked Tiffany up by her ankle and I lost it Tim, I ended up kicking the life out of all of them.”
“All?”
“Yea, He brought two other guys with him.”
He leaned even closer and began whispering“Wait, there were four guys?”
“Yea. Joe, John, and two others I didn't know.”
“And they sent you to Juvie for that?”
Momentarily taken aback, I cocked my head to the side. “I wasn't in juvie man.”
“That's not what Trevor said. Word is, you spent three days in Juvenile Detention!”
I started laughing, causing him to him to ask. “Seriously?”
“No man, I didn't go to juvie.”
His eyes widened and he put his hand up for a high five. Slapping it and shouldering my bag, I walked into my classroom. As the teacher droned on, I couldn't help but think, {This is gonna be good. I'm the guy who beat up the school bully.} I enjoyed my new found celebrity Status as the kid who beat up the bully, high fives and slaps on the back were numerous that day.
On my walk home from school, I saw a car pull pull next to the curb in front of me and I immediately recognized Michael Neal, as he got out of the car and walked toward me.
“Hey Mr. Neal, whats up?”
“Well Daniel, I have been thinking. Your mom said that unless it's free you cant train with me. So I'm making it free. If you can promise me, that you will be in my yard every day, rain, shine, or snow, I will train you to be the best.”
I enthusiastically nodded a yes since I was too happy to speak
“Ok great,” He said with a chuckle, then his face turned serious. “Everyday, directly after school, first time you're late, I will not train you anymore. Understood?”
Nodding another quick yes I ran for home, anxious to tell the good news to my mom.
“Mom! Mom! Guess what!”
“Calm down Daniel, deep breaths.” After a moment, she said with a laugh, “Ok now, what is so important?”
“Mr. Neal said he will teach me for free! Can I mom, please?”
“Free? You're sure that's what he said?”
With a quick roll of my eyes I replied, “Yes mom, that's what he said.”
After a moment or two of thought she looked at me with a little bit of pride in her eyes. “Of course you can Daniel, just please, be careful.”
“Thank you so much mom! This is gonna be so cool!” I yelled, pumping my fist in the air. I went to my room, remembering the Karate movies I had seen, and trying to copy the moves of the fighters in them.
This is gonna be great!
At six o'clock the next morning I got out of bed not having slept at all, but oddly enough not a bit tired. School did not start till 7:30 am. but I could wait no longer. I walked into the bathroom and looking in the mirror, whispered "Today is the day." I took a quick shower and brushed my teeth, fixed my hair and got dressed in a white T-shirt and dark blue jeans. As I went down the stairs toward the kitchen, jumping over the last six or so, I landed with a loud thump right behind my mother who whirled around quickly and screamed, dropping her coffee mug which shattered into a million pieces.
YOU ARE READING
Ghost Skills
AcţiuneDaniel Stevens is a young man who spent most of his life training as a fighter. Alone in Chicago at nineteen years of age, he finds himself saving a convenience store clerk from being robbed and killed. After thwarting the robber in the only way he...
