Innocent

Chapter One

"Don't. Touch. Me." I gritted my teeth and yanked my shoulder away from his hand. I got up and yanked the door open. Knowing that I wasn't being followed, I ran to the nearest bathroom stall and cried.

***

"You need to bring that energy more." I smiled but kept punching the bag as hard as I could. My trainer steadied the bag and I hit harder. "Stance." I quickly checked my footing and changed positions. I grimaced that I always had bad posture. "Alright, I think that's good for today." She looked down at the bandages around my knuckles and I grinned wide when I saw the deep red. "Lets go practice in the ring."

I nodded and grabbed my water bottle. I held it over my head and opened my mouth. I had barely drank any of it and let the soothing coldness fall down my neck and down my body. I looked down at my sports bra and then flexed my abs. They glistened with sweat and I was mesmerized.

"Tanner!"

I looked up and ran over to the benches. I didn't want to make my trainer mad because she could easily knock me out. I took my shoes off and massaged my foot. I unwrapped the bandages around my knuckles and watched as my blisters bled. I sprayed my hands with the disinfectant and waited for the burn to appear. I shook my hands off and bandaged them again and grabbed my mouth guard. I took my hair out of the sloppy ponytail and repositioned it so it was higher and off my neck. I looked around for the head brace and pulled it on.

"You ready?" she asked. I growled in response and she smiled at me. She put her mitts up and I hit them. Right, left, right-left-left, kick. "I need you madder!" she yelled. I growled at her and hit harder. "You're being predictable! Catch me off guard!" I pounded harder and harder until I felt the blisters begin to reopen. "Come on, Tanner!" I hit again and kicked. Losing my balance, I felt myself fall on my back. When I looked up at my trainer she was smirking down at me. "I think we're good for today."

She threw the mitts off and helped me up. She instantly hit my head playfully and I took the helmet off and popped my mouth guard out. I sat down at the bench again and relaxed.

"Is the AC even on?" I yelled.

"It's on high Tanner," she replied back. "Quit complaining you don't hear Aaron complaining."

I gritted my teeth. I hated being compared to other people. I grabbed my bag and headed towards the showers. I stripped and let the cold water take over my body. Unwrapping my knuckles, I washed the blood off and noticed that I had more blisters. I smiled at how proud I was over the fact that I worked hard today.

I turned the shower off and stepped out. I felt myself shiver and wrapped a towel around my fit body. I chucked my gym bag on a bench and looked for my locker. I turned the dial and retrieved my new clothes that I didn't want in my gym bag. I looked over at it and threw my dirty clothes in it. I needed to seriously throw the bag in the laundry also.

Once I tied my sneakers and combed through my hair, I threw it up in a sloppy bun and headed towards the gym entrance. I looked for my mom's car and spotted it five minutes after. I grinned as I walked to it but it slowly faded when I saw my mom wasn't in there.

"Mom's running late from work so she told me to come and get you," my brother, Luke told. I felt my body tremble as I put my gym bag in the backseat. I looked up at the sky and felt my voice shake as I spoke.

"I-I think I-I'll walk." I looked at the ground and heard my brother groan.

"You're crazy." He rolled his window down farther and leaned over. "It looks like it's going to rain and this is a bad part of town."

"S-so?"

"You're wearing a sports bra." I motioned towards the building. "You're my little sister, if anything happens to you it would be my fault." Knowing that I would refuse, he clasped his hand around my wrist. Out of pure panic, I wrenched my arm away and I fell to the ground.

"D-don't touch m-me."

"Chloe, are you okay?" I heard Luke get out of the car and he towered over me. I felt my body shrink and I started shivering even though I was sweating.

"D-don't call me C-Chloe!" I managed to yell. "It's T-Tanner."

"Clo-ee." He smirked down at me and I felt tears overflowing from my eyes. I looked up at Luke once before taking off and realized that the smirk was replaced with a frown.

I heard him yelling after me but I couldn't keep the tears from coming. I hated crying. I felt so vulnerable whenever I let my emotions out. That was one of the reasons I was taking boxing, so I could get all of my tears and anger out. Also so I could protect myself.

I ran down the street and kept going even though people were staring at me. I was going to attempt to run all of the way home but I knew it took ten minutes in car; it would take at least twenty minutes with my running.

I managed to do it though. When I got there, no cars were there and I knew Luke was probably still searching for me, mom was still at work, and dad was probably riding with his friends.

With my jittery hands, I managed to grab the spare key under the loose stepping-stone. I jiggled the door open and dashed in my room. I felt myself shuttering as I closed my bedroom door and locked it.

I rolled down the door and stared into the blackness of the dark. It was peaceful without anybody home and I could relax without worrying about my dad or Luke barging in my room.

I turned my desk lamp on and pulled out my diary from the secret compartment. I felt tears roll down my face as I read it and started writing. Today's entry was barely two lines on the paper.

When I heard the door slam open downstairs, I pushed my diary in my desk and flew to my bed. I pulled the blankets over my head and attempted to fall asleep before mom tried to barge in.

"Are you in there, Chl... Tanner?" I heard Luke say. I felt my muscles tense. "I don't know why you hate the name Chloe. It's a beautiful name, that's why mom picked it. Anyway, I hope you're alright and nothing happened. Mom has pizza downstairs if you're wondering and your gym bag is by your door." I heard some shuffling outside of my door and didn't let my muscle un-tense yet. "I'm sorry about early."

I watched underneath my door as the shadow was removed and the light was turned off. I listened to my stomach growl but paid no attention to it. Instead, I forced myself to sleep.

Only to fall into a series of nightmares that I couldn't shake.