THE ULTIMATE STANDER

Chapter One

The elevator dinged and its doors opened onto the narrow hallway. Grabbing the handlebars of my bike, I rolled it out of the elevator, only to pause in my tracks as I came in sight of a guy and a girl, standing by the doorframe of the apartment on my right-hand side. I sighed and shook my head as I knew that the couple were at it again.

The guy, probably a little over twenty, tall and built with brown uncombed hair and wearing a green T-shirt and denim jeans, was holding the frail-looking girl with long brown hair and pale skin, by her throat. He was scowling down at her small round face, looking totally pissed off about something, and having her pinned against the wall.

He shifted his gaze from the girl onto me the minute he noticed my appearance in the hallway. He looked me over before cocking his eyebrow questioningly at me. I understood the look he gave me. Wanted me to keep moving toward my apartment on the other end of the hallway, and keep to my goddamn business.

I had had enough of these two. I had gotten sick and tired of the way he always treated her like garbage. Aunt Mae would always say not to get myself entangled in other people's business, especially our neighbors'. But I was the type of person that never followed the rules. Nor did I give a damn about threats.

"What're you looking at?" He threw me a scowl. "Beat it!" His face continued to contort furrily at me. His hand still gripping the girl's throat.

I glanced at her. Her face full of tears as she gave me a fearful look. She must have been crying the entire time before my arrival.

"I said beat it!" he repeated.

"Man I heard you," I responded, as I began to move past them, rolling my bike toward my apartment. I looked through the corners of my eyes, and I saw him gave me a quick glance, before turning his attention toward the girl he held against the wall.

"Let go!" The girl struggled against his grasp, slapping at the dorsal side of his hand. "Zach, please!" He still wouldn't budge.

"Hands off," I demanded. They both turned to look at me. I had leaned my bike against the door to my apartment and standing a few feet away. He finally took his hand off of her, turning to face me properly.
The girl gave me another fearful look as she grazed her neck.

"Got a problem?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at me.

"Leave her alone and scram while I ask nicely," I answered, keeping my face straight and void of expressions.

He scoffed at me, raised his chin up challengingly. "Whatchu gon do?" he asked across the hallway.

"Leave. Now," I warned.

"Said whatchu gon do? Bitch," he added. I continued to stare at him without taking a single step. "That's wha' I thought." He turned over to the girl, and his sudden movement made her flinched and froze to the wall.

Before his hand was able to touch her again, I raced over and landed a hard side kick to his side. The force knocked him against the elevator door. The girl gasped, putting her hands over her mouth and staring at her boyfriend in awe.

Zach, or whatever he was called, groaned as he got back onto his feet. He shot me a deadly glare before racing over to me with clenched fist in the air. Grabbing his arm before it hit me; I twisted it around, bent it behind his back in an awkward angle. He screamed before I pushed him forward.

He stumbled forward a few steps before straightening himself. Turning around, he shot me another glare before making a stupid move of bringing his foot up for a front kick. I quickly took his foot in my hands, twisted it so he lost his balance and threw him to the concrete floor.

Once he got onto his feet again and, in a doubled over pose, he took off, scurrying away toward the elevator. He pressed the button multiple times to try and speed it up. He rushed into the elevator and I watched as the doors closed before his terrified face.

"Thanks," the girl said to me, as I turned to head back to my apartment.

I looked at her. My gaze fell onto the forming bruise visible on her neck. "You should probably get an icepack on that." I motioned to her neck.

She nodded and gave me a thin-lipped smile. "I'm Shanelle, by the way," she said. "I know we've seen each other a couple of times but never got to introduce myself."

"Nice to meet you, Shanelle," I responded, while she stared at me expectantly. Oh. She wanted to know my name too. "I'm Phoebe," I added.

"Nice to meet you too, Phoebe. Or should I say neighbor?"

I scoffed. "Of course. Anyway I uh . . . gotta go. Got a thing." I moved toward my apartment door.

"See you around then, Phoebe," she called out behind me.

I chose not to respond as I unlocked the door, walked into my silent apartment, placed my bike at the usual spot next to the long cabinet by the entryway, and slammed the door shut. I tossed my keys into the ceramic bowl on the cabinet before heading for a bath.

I felt my entire muscles relaxed as the cold water from the shower touched my skin. I bent my head, watching as the water streamed down the drain while I mentally planned the next day.

Visit aunt Mae before work. Get groceries at the grocery store. Probably head down to the bar afterwards.

Having decided, I turned off the shower, grabbed the towel nearby and dried off my dirty-blonde hair. I threw the towel over the hanger. Stepping in front of the mirror, I lifted my hair, which exposed the cobra tattoo drawn at the right-side of my neck, I twisted its end and held it down with a couple of hair clips. I stepped out of the bathroom naked, grabbed a shirt and panty and slipped them on before I finally hit the sack.