His face was expressionless through the curtain of smoke. He lowered his hand to his knee again, his eyes still on me. I coughed and waved my hand in front of my face.
"Did you see a kitten around here?" I asked.
He blinked, but didn't reply. Awkward. I wrenched my eyes from him and looked around. There!
A little ball of black fur curled on the other side of Jamison, almost invisible. My wide eyes swung to him. He didn't move, and he hadn't looked away from me. I had the absurd notion that he wanted to scare me off. Tough luck. Wild horses couldn't drag me away from the kitten.
Besides, any apprehension I might've had about Jamison flew right out the window. No one who let a kitten curl next to him that way was bad.
Two bowls, one filled with water and the other empty, were next to the wall.
"Are you the one feeding it?" I asked.
He didn't reply, but his hand didn't raise the cigarette to his lips. I really needed to see that kitten.
"Excuse me," I said, almost walking over him to the other side.
When I glanced at him, his brows were a little furrowed, and he was still looking. I could just imagine his inner monologue. How dare this girl not scurry away when faced with my frightening eyes and bleeding knuckles?
I crouched down and looked at the kitten, ignoring him. It was asleep, its body rising and falling with even breaths. I couldn't be sure until I had a proper look, but the kitten was around seven weeks old, maybe a little older?
I touched a finger to the black fur and glared at the cigarette in the guy's hand. "Do you mind? It stinks."
He didn't move. I sighed and picked up the kitten. Its little meow melted my heart. I checked, it was a female.
"Well, hello there," I said, holding her face to mine. She meowed again, lazily blinking those blue eyes. Awe. She was the cutest little fluff ball.
I looked at Jamison. "She can't stay here alone," I said. "She's too young, and it's going to be too cold at night. Are you going to take her home?"
His eyes turned to the black kitten I held against my chest. Her purr was bigger than she was. Jamison looked back at me and shook his head, almost imperceptibly.
"Then I'm taking her with me," I said, putting her back on the ground. She immediately sauntered to Jamison and jumped on his arm, her little claws trying to find purchase in his skin.
He put the cigarette down on the ground and helped her up, bleeding knuckles and all. His hand was so big but gentle on her.
I glanced at him. I didn't know what that fight was about or why everyone seemed to find him scary, but anyone handling a kitten with that gentleness was not bad in my book. The way the kitten curled in the crook of his elbow made it clear she had done it before.
So he'd been feeding the kitten and keeping her company. Nope. He wasn't scary at all.
My stomach growled out loud like a ravenous beast. Jamison looked up, his brow arched and a hint of something in his eyes.
Oh my God, that was mortifying!
I cleared my throat and pointed at his knuckles. "You should get those looked at."
Then I stood up and walked away, hoping the ground would open up and swallow me. Once I was out of the alley. I put my hand on my stomach.
"You just couldn't wait until I walked away, couldn't you?" I grumbled under my breath, my face flaming hot. That's what I got for skipping lunch to look for a kitten.
The kitten's meow echoed in my ear. She was totally worth it.
When the last doorbell rang, Lia and I ran out of class. My heart beat fast. I really hoped the kitten was still there. Maybe Jamison moved it? But he didn't seem like he would. He seemed fond of her, so he would naturally do what was best for her. Right?
We ran against the flow of students to the back door, which was closest to the alley.
"Wait, I have a stitch in my side," Lia said, slowing her gait and holding her side, looking like she had ran a marathon.
Her hair was a silky waterfall down her back, and the t-shirt she wore was a better alternative compared to the oversized hoodie she'd come in this morning. She always began the day looking like she couldn't care less, but as she woke up, her appearance would improve, from hair to makeup in the break between classes, she looked presentable by the end of the day.
"Seriously?" I asked, slowing down as well. The hallways were almost empty here. "You really need to exercise, girl."
"Oh, shut up," she said, breathing in deeply. I rolled my eyes and looked ahead. My steps faltered.
Ahead of us was the principal's office. Next to it stood the tall figure of Jamison. He was leaning a shoulder against the wall, staring at the flame of lighter in his hand. He flicked in on and off. The click-clack of the lighter echoed in the hallway.
"You don't think he's going to burn the school down, do you?" Lia asked in a whisper.
I shot her a glance. "Don't be mean."
She grew quiet as we grew near, our steps were almost in tune with the sound of the lighter. Jamison looked up. Our eyes met.
I didn't want to be rude so I smiled at him, expecting him to just ignore me.
A tiny grove formed between his eyebrows. And, to my surprise, he gave a slight nod and looked back down at the fascinating flame.
Lia and I walked past him. As soon as the backdoor was closed behind us, Lia pulled me along with wide eyes.
"What was that?" she asked in a loud whisper, looking behind her as if expecting Jamison to pop out of nowhere.
"What was what?"
"You know what!" she hissed. "Since when are you two so chummy?"
I laughed. "I literally just smiled at him to be polite. Is that being chummy?"
"You didn't even know the guy existed this morning."
I sighed. She wasn't going to let it go. "He's the one taking care of the kitten."
She stopped and looked at me, her face empty. A slow blink. "He's what?"
"He's the one taking care of the kitten. I met him when I went to look for the kitten at lunch," I told her, pulling her along toward the alley.
The afternoon sun was so strong it felt like it was shining right above our heads. The sound of the football team training echoed in the air. Shouts and laughter and whistles. I squinted against the sun. The football field was down a green slope from where we stood. Steps led down to it. I could almost see Scott fooling around. He was the biggest guy in the team.
"Well, that's... unexpected," Lia said thoughtfully. "I would've expected him to strangle kittens for a hobby, not-"
I laughed. "Oh my god, Lia. You're horrible. What did the poor guy ever do to you?"
She pursed her lips, then she sighed. "Okay, okay. I might be a bit biased because of all the talk going around town about him being a dangerous asshole," she said. "But just because he was nice to a kitten, doesn't mean he's safe to be around."
I rolled my eyes.
"Seriously, Sapph. Be careful," she said. "You're too trusting sometimes."
She looked genuinely concerned, so I threw an arm around her shoulder and dragged her forward. "I will. Don't worry about me. I'll just sucker punch him if he gets mean."
She snorted. "You'll probably break your hand."
Remembering his strong jaw, I nodded. "I probably would."
We found the kitten in her spot, eating out of a bowl of fresh wet food. He must've gotten it for her. A little blue blanket was folded next to the bowls of food and water.
I looked pointedly at Lia, who was frowning at the set up. She glanced at me and groaned. "Okay, I see what you mean."
Lia grabbed the kitten while I grabbed the blanket- which smelled surprisingly clean- in case the kitten was attached to it.
We made our way to Lia's car. I hopped in the driver's seat, Lia took the passenger seat, the kitten in her lap. She couldn't get enough of the feisty black baby.
I called Sally at the shelter where I sometimes volunteered on the weekends. Minutes later, she called me back saying there was a foster home ready to take the kitten in. I knew the couple, so I dropped the kitten off in their place, much to Lia's chagrin.
"You should just adopt," I told her once we were on our way.
I was still behind the wheel of her white Camry. I didn't trust Lia's driving as much as I didn't trust anyone else's. I just couldn't be in a car if I wasn't driving it. She shook her head when we stopped by a red light.
"I can't even remember to feed myself sometimes, let alone a cat," she said. "I'm not responsible enough to have an animal."
"True." The light turned green. I drove forward.
"Hey! You're supposed to say no."
"I'm your best friend," I said. "I'm not going to lie to you. You're almost as bad as Scott."
She wrinkled her nose. "No way. Scott is way too nasty."
Remembering the mess of his room, I couldn't even defend my brother. He was nasty. We turned and the old warehouse came into view, looming down the street.
"Oh, by the way," Lia said. "There's this party-"
"Nope," I said, drawing the car to a halt in front of the gym.
Lia huffed. "You should come."
"So you can abandon me and stick to your boyfriend again," I scoffed. "No thanks."
She knew she was guilty as charged, so she didn't argue any further. She gave me an innocent look. "I'm sorry?"
I laughed and grabbed my backpack from the backseat. "No, you're not," I said. She stuck her tongue out. I stepped out of the car. "Thanks for the ride. Do you want to try today?"
She got out of the car and walked around to the driver's side, eying the old warehouse with distaste. "Physical activity when I absolutely don't have to. No thanks."
Shaking my head, I closed the door and waved as she drove away, definitely past the speed limit. That girl was a menace.
The old warehouse was a boxing gym, with old stained brick walls and a massive door covered mostly in glass. I had been coming here with my father since I could walk. I stopped for a couple of years when my father passed away, but came back after and didn't stop since.
I walked past the parked cars and into the warehouse. A reception desk stretched next to the door on the right. With a file cabinet behind it and a door that led to a staff room. In the middle of the warehouse were two boxing rings. A fighting cage was in the far left of the space. All around, gym mats covered the floor and mirrors covered half the walls. Tow dozen punching bags lined up next to the back exit; a large door that led to an outdoor training area with a running track and tires for lifting.
Right across from the front door was a hallway that led to the locker rooms and the backroom where Steve, the coach, kept most of the things we used frequently like spare wraps and jumping ropes and medical stuff.
The faint smell of sweat and old leather, the light pouring in through the large windows and the rhythmic sounds of fighting and sandbags being punched greeted me, it was my second home.
"Hey, Emma. New book?" I stopped by the reception desk. Emma sat with a new book in front of her face, the computer screen lit right next to her. She peeked up, her brown eyes smiling. "Yeah, it's pretty good. I'll lend it to you after I'm done."
"Looking forward to it," I said. Fishing in my backpack, I found the novel she gave me last month and put it on the desk next to her 'Go away, I'm reading' mug.
"You liked it?" She asked, lowering the book. Her black curls were in two pigtails today. She was the daughter of Steve, the gym's boxing trainer and co-owner. I'd known her for years, from before when I used to come here as a child with my father. She used to babysit me most of the time as she was a few years older.
"I did. I might have wanted to punch the main character a few times. But it all worked out in the end."
She laughed. "That's true. She was frustrating," she said.
Glancing at the back of the warehouse where another ring was, she leaned forward, putting her face in the way of a sun beam that slithered in through the high windows. Her brown skin glowed golden. "The devil spawn is here today."
I groaned. "I'm really not in the mood for him."
"No one ever is," she said, shooing me away. "Now, shoo, buttercup. I just got to the good part."
"Rude." I laughed, walking away.
I had taken a few steps when she called me back. "Hey, Sapph!"
I turned. A banana was flying my way. I caught it, just barely. Emma was a firm believer I should cut down on snacks. It was one of the few things we disagreed on. So often she would bring me fruits or homemade energy bars. She was an angel. "I love you, you know that, right?" I called out.
She chuckled and blew me a kiss. "I love you, too, sweet pea."
Someone whistled. I looked to the side. In the ring, Brandon was leaning on the ring's rope with his elbows, his hands in blue boxing gloves and his smile peeking through his headgear. His opponent was emptying a bottle of water in his mouth.
"Carry on, girls," Brandon said with a wicked grin. "Don't let us interrupt you."
I chuckled and glanced back at Emma. She rolled her eyes and raised the book to hide her face, but not before I caught the rise of color in her cheekbones.
"Get your mind out of the gutter, Brandon." I wagged my finger at Brandon and resumed my way to the locker room. Those two should just go out already.
The women's locker room was empty. I ate Emma's gift, then changed into my loose boxing shorts and t-shirt, both black. I picked up my boxing gloves, my pink hand wrap and bottle of water, then jogged out.
I sat down on one of the benches next to the ring and began wrapping my hands.
Brandon was back to sparring with another guy. His opponent looked to be in the upper range of Brandon's weight class, but Brandon played with him. Brandon was a professional boxer. I remembered him when he just started a few years ago. He used to frequent this gym more often. But he had to find a more specialized boxing gym before going pro. He still visited some times. Mostly, I suspected, so he could see Emma.
Steve stood outside the ring, watching the fight with his deep set sharp eyes.
"Watch your left, Manny!" Steve called out, but Manny was too slow. Brandon's left hook caught him, and he staggered back before dropping on his butt. Oooh, his tailbone must hurt.
Steve jumped into the ring and checked Manny, who seemed like the only serious injury he sustained was to his pride. That butt fall was not graceful.
Brandon removed his headgear, jumped out of the ring and sank down beside me, removing his gloves. "Hey, Sapph. Long time no see."
"Hey champ," I said, flexing my hands once I finished wrapping them. "How are you finding life in the big, bustling city."
He chuckled. "You know I still live here, right? I just train there."
"I know, but we don't see much of you," I said. He ran his fingers through his sweaty blond hair, his bright blue eyes on Emma.
"Yeah. Training and stuff, you know."
The cage rattled. We both looked. One of the guys was peeling himself off the cage's fence and throwing a kick to his opponent.
"So," Brandon cleared his throat. "How's Emma?"
I grinned. "Emma is fine. Very fine."
He shook his head, rubbing my hair with his fist. I pushed it away.
"She's so fine that last week, one of the new guys asked her out," I said.
He froze, his eyes snagging to Emma again. "Yeah?"
"Yep."
I stayed quiet. He shifted next to me, scratching his cauliflower ear. He only lasted a few seconds before asking. "And?"
"And what?"
He gave me a warning look. "You know what I mean brat. Are they going out?"
"No. Not yet," I said, standing up. I jumped in place and smiled at him. "But the guy is pretty persistent, so who knows? Maybe he'll grow on her."
I jogged away, leaving him to stew in his thoughts.
Emma's older brother had been a professional boxer. He'd lost his life due to an injury he sustained in one of his fights. The two had always been close, and a few months after he passed, her mother lost her life to cancer. It left Emma traumatized.
I didn't know exactly what happened between Emma and Brandon, but I could only guess it had something to do with him pursuing a professional boxing career. Because she and Brandon had always been close, and the rift between them started after he went pro.
"Sapphire!" Steve called out before I could make my escape. I groaned and looked at him. Still crouching next to Brandon's opponent, he pointed to the backdoor. "Give me twenty minutes of sprint intervals outside. You've been slacking off on your roadwork."
"How would you know?"
"I know." He pointed to the door. "Go."
Ugh. He could always tell. He was right. I'd hoped he wouldn't notice. I dragged my feet to the jogging track outside. Two guys and a girl were lifting tires, their faces glimmering with sweat in the late afternoon sun.
Thirty minutes later, I went back inside, my t-shirt sticking to my back from sweat.
Steve was in the ring. He ushered me to him. The old man stood in the corner, his dark hair cropped close to his head, and his skin a shade or so darker than his daughter.
"How do you feel?" he said in his gruff voice.
"Good," I said, strapping my gloves. He took over the task.
"I get to train with you today?" I asked, looking around the busy gym. There were a few guys who I knew were amateur boxers. They needed Steve's attention more than I did. I was simply doing this as an exercise.
"I need to take a break," he said, then raised his voice out loud. "And these bastards have been skipping their damn cardio, so they won't be getting into the ring anytime soon!"
I pumped my fist together. I caught Fernando's eyes as he dragged his feet outside with a few other guys. He was a few years older than me. I'd known him since I was a child. He choked himself and stuck his tongue out. I chuckled. They were so dramatic. Cardio was not going to kill them.
Steve donned his black and red boxing mitts and moved to the center of the ring, holding the mitts up for me. "Let's go."
The familiar focus that sharpened my senses whenever I boxed blanketed my mind, and I got into it. Right hook. Right hook. Jab. Left hook. Jab. Uppercut. Jab. Jab.
"Footwork, Sapph!" Steve said, throwing a punch with his mitten. I ducked and launched in another set of punches, moving my feet. "Good."
By the time Steve lowered the mitts, sweat dripped down my entire body, my heart raced and my arms and legs felt like jelly. The familiar exhilaration coursed through me. Oh. This felt so good.
I put my hands on my knees and focused on my breathing.
"Good work, kid," Steve said, patting the back of my head with his mitt. "Take ten, then you're sparring with Kieth. He's new so go easy on him."
I raised my head and grinned at the old man. He was full of it. Keith might be fourteen, three years younger than me, but he was already bigger and stronger, and Steve and I both knew he was going to go pro one day.
Steve looked around, spotted Keith near a punching bag, and called. "Keith! You're in ring number two with the Baby in ten minutes."
I didn't even bother telling him not to call me a baby. I would always be a baby here. I'd been coming since I could barely walk, and all long-time members of the gym called me The Baby.
After a short ten minute break, during which I chatted with Fernando and Elena, who'd both been coming here almost as long as me. Aaron, aka the devil spawn, strolled nearby. He glanced at me and changed his path toward us. Great.
"Hey, Sapphire," he said, his sleazy eyes looking me up and down. I held onto the towel around my shoulders tightly. Don't hit him on the face with it. Don't hit him on the face with it.
"Hey, Aaron," I said, "what's up?"
"Nothing, nothing. You're going with Keith next, I heard," he said. "The guy is a little too much for you, isn't he? Your pretty face might get scratched. You should stick to fighting with girls."
He laughed at his own joke. Though he was not joking. The sexist pig was the same age as me, but he went to a different school, thank God for that.
Fernando and Elena looked as bored as I was.
"Oh yeah? Last time I remembered sparring with you, you weren't so mouthy," I said, giving him a tight smile. "Maybe we should go for another round one of these days, you and I. I'm sure you'll change your mind real quick."
Fernando coughed in what sounded suspiciously like laughter. Elena nodded solemnly. "Yeah, Aaron. You should."
Aaron chuckled, his face tight. "I was feeling a bit off that day, you know."
"Oh, I'm sure you were," I said. "A girl like me couldn't possibly hold her own against a guy."
I wasn't delusional. I knew that men were statistically stronger and more athletic than women. That was just a fact of life. But that didn't mean that all men were stronger and more athletic than all women.
So while I knew Keith would soon be a better boxer than me, I also knew that Aaron was all empty threats. He was physically stronger, but his skills were mediocre, at best.
"Sapph!" Steve called from the ring. He glanced at Aaron with a frown. "Get in here, you're up."
Keith was already jogging in place in the ring. He was tall and almost painfully thin, but it had only been a few months since he joined the gym. He would be putting on those muscles pretty soon.
I climbed the ring and put on my headgear and gloves. Keith gave me an awkward smile. From the few times I spoke to him, he struck me as a sweet guy who was still trying to find himself.
"Alright, kids. Stop when I say so. Keith, Sapphire has been boxing since she was a tiny little thing, so you should be able to learn a thing or two, got it?"
Keith nodded, his face pale under the blue headgear. "Got it."
Steve climbed down and stood by the ring, Brandon came to join him. "Alright, go!" Steve said.
Keith and I moved. He was very fast, and his longer limbs gave him a better reach. Steve gave him pointers as we went on.
"You're dropping your guard after your punches, Keith," Steve called. "Get those damn arms up!"
Keith instantly raised his arms, his eyes following me. He threw a right hook. I ducked down and inside his guard, taking advantage of his low guard again, I threw an uppercut. It caught him in the chin. I hadn't actually thought it would connect. I'd thought he would dodge.
But it hit his chin. He staggered back, looking dazed. I immediately stepped back.
"Hold up!" Steve called, jumping into the ring.
He sat the boy down in the corner and crouched in front of him. I hovered nearby, feeling guilty.
"Is he fine, coach?" Brandon asked. Standing outside the ring, he leaned his elbows on its floor.
"He'll be fine," Steve said, standing up. He looked at me. "He's lucky he got his first uppercut from you, kid."
I smiled, relieved. Then Keith was holding his nose. "Uh coach," he said, his words muffled by his hand. blood dripped down his nose. Uh-oh.
"It's just a nose bleed, boy. You're not gonna die," Steve grumbled. But he was already helping him outside the ring. "Let's go put some ice on that jaw."
Steve was a grumpy old man, but he was a softie inside. I sighed and punched my fists together, feeling the remaining jitters of the fight.
Brandon grinned. "Maybe we should go a round you and I, Sapph."
"Yeah, right," I said. "I don't want to be minced meat anytime soon, thank you very much."
He chuckled.
"We should have a go, Sapph," Aaron said, coming closer. His smile was so smug it made me wish he was the one I'd hit and not sweet Keith. "You said so earlier, right?"
I did. I looked at the hallway leading to the backroom. Steve didn't like it when underage kids sparred without his permission. But he was taking his time. Aaron looked smug, standing there, I wanted to wipe the smile right off his face. Preferably using my fist.
"Okay," I said, knowing well I would get a proper scolding from Steve later. But maybe he wouldn't hear about this.
Yeah, right.
The devil spawn grinned and jumped in. He was already in headgear. Brandon looked between us. "I don't think this is a good idea, Sapph."
Aaron chuckled. "Yeah. you're probably right, Brandon. Sapph only hits the new comers."
Asshole.
"It should be fine," I told Brandon without taking my eyes off of the asshole. He was already jogging in place, an excited gleam in his eyes.
Brandon cursed. "Fine. But you stop when I say so."
Aaron didn't even wait for Brandon to finish. He lunged right in. The sneaky asshole. I jumped back and focused on the fight. My head gear had come a little loose. I'd wanted to fit it before the fight, but he was already swinging his right. I stepped to the left, then dodged his follow up jab and threw a right hook. He dodged, but my left caught him. His glare under the headgear was unmistakable.
Right then, a voice rose over the gym sounds. "What the hell do you two think you're doing? Stop right now."
Steve. Crap. I immediately stepped back and lowered my guard, expecting Aaron to do the same. Just as I turned to look at Steve, a punch caught the side of my head.
I saw stars.
My eyes watered, and for a second, it felt like someone speared a knife through my left eye.
Chaos ensued.
Through blurry vision, I saw someone push Aaron roughly back. Brandon. Elena crouched in front of me. Only then did I realize I had fallen down on my butt. Then Steve was removing my headgear. He saw my face and cursed, Elena winced. I just knew it. I would have a lovely black eye.
Great. Just great.
--- ---- ---
Hey guys!
How did you like chapter 2? I hope you enjoyed it.
Don't forget to vote and comment!
PS: head for my Instagram for a sneak peek of chapter 3! (My IG username: when_mia_writes)
Much love <3 <3 <3
M.B.