FrAcTuReD (Part One) (Completed continued in Part Two)

Chapter. 23

Charla just looked at the boy with s slight blank stare, she honestly didn't really expect to see this guy again, but this wasn't the city, the likelihood of running into someone again in this town could be high unless that person is trying to go unnoticed.

"And what is it exactly that we need to talk about?" Charla asked the young man.

The young man scoffed and in that moment he rushed her, fist in the air ready to punch only to have Charla move fluidly just out of his punch and hooked her foot along his as her hand grasped the back of his head causing the man to flip to the ground.

"Whoa..." was the only thing Alex could say. Alex had known Charla had taken some form of self-defence, all things considered it made sense with what she knew of Charla's history, but she didn't fully think she would move with such fluidity.

Charla looked at him with a blank expression. "Is that all?"

Gritting teeth the man kicked out his leg to Charla, but she merely jumped back as if it was nothing, when she landed Charla handed Alex her headphones. "Hold this; I don't want them to brake."

"Why the hell does he want to fight you?" Alex asked as she held on to them.

Charla looked to the young man with a slight narrow gaze. "I don't think it's a fight that he really wants. That punch and kick didn't carry the weight to do harm, this isn't really a fight. I think he just wants to see what I can do."

"But why would he?"

Charla recalled how this young man kept swinging at her just yesterday. "It's just an assumption really, but before that." she looked back to the young man. "What's your name? I think before we continue it'd be good to at least know whose punching me."

The young man scoffed as he stood. "Do you normally ask for people's names in a fight?"

She tilted her head slightly. "I could ask the same of you, you said you wanted to talk but instead you throw a punch, had I been someone else they would have taken a direct hit."

He gave a slight smirk. "Yeah, but you aren't a normal girl. Who taught you, it's not self-taught you were trained by someone, someone really good."

Charla smiled slightly at the memory of her father teaching her the correct movements while in the countries he would take her too. "I won't deny that, but you should at least tell me who you are."

"Fine, I go by Joel, Joel Vander, are you happy now?"

Charla was quite for a moment, merely looking at him seeing how he was dressed and his bleached blond hair was done in a cru-cut and blue eyes. He wore the standard school uniform but wore a slight baggy jacket. Even though his clothes seemed somewhat loose Charla could see that he actually had some strength, he wasn't stocky, far from it; he was taller than she and had a somewhat thick muscular build. But his stance was wide, how both feet were firmly planted on the ground, giving no sign of moving.

Then she saw his hands.

Though he tried to hide them with his hands slightly resting along the lining of his jacket pockets she could see faint cuts and bruises, any normal person could just assume he hurt his hands doing something stupid but seeing how some part of his right hand was bandaged told Charla otherwise. This boy had been in several fights, he'd stand his ground no matter what, that much she knew on their first encounter.

"Joel, huh?" she said making eye contact with him once more. "I'm Charla, though you don't really want my name you just want to see what I can do. Is there anything I could say that would per sway you otherwise?"