Blair♧
It's day two of me being at Foxwood academy and I'm looking forward to my boxing session with Damien more than anything.
Don't get me wrong the boxing session with Alex yesterday was great and all, despite the name calling, but Damien is so much more laid back than the other guys. Under his presence I'll definitely be able to relax and won't risk losing control over my anger.
So here we are now with both our hands wrapped and ready to begin, my eyes are struggling to adapt to the dim lighting that Alex is supposed to be getting fixed. I can still make out Damien's figure as he rolls out his shoulders in front of me.
What strikes me though is not noticing before how vibrant his green eyes are, they are like embers of a forest, bright and full and just brimming with life. I find it comical how he can be so full of life when the only way to make it out of the arena is when you either die or get knocked out.
That's what Alex told me yesterday anyway. I cannot picture Damien killing someone at all but survival changes people. And fighting in a tight circle with someone attacking you calls for survival.
"Let's see if you can really handle what I have in store for you," he says with a smirk as he narrows his eyes at me. I roll my eyes and unlike yesterday I don't feel as self concious. My palms sweat by my sides but they don't shake, thankfully.
"If I bruised Alex yesterday I'm pretty sure I can handle you," I reply.
"Speaking of which thanks for bruising him, he needed his ego taking a down a few," he chuckles and I snort.
"And what? You're ego is somewhat normal?" I question with mock humor.
He raises his hand over his chest and says, "I am gorgeous through and through my ego is just a resemblance of that."
"Can we get started with the lesson now? We can talk about your 'amazingness' some other time," I roll my eyes.
"At least there is another time," he grins and I give him a dead look.
"Okay, so first things first, did Alex teach you about the whole mental shield thing?" He questions pulling me into the centre of the arena before stepping back himself.
I nod my head, "Yes not that I have complete grasp over it."
"Don't worry you'll pick it up eventually it'll just click one day, hopefully," he mutters that last word and I pretend not to notice. I will pick it up, because I have to.
"Compared to Alex I'm not all about the mental game. Yes being able to conceal your emotions is vital but so is being strategic. Max will be teaching you defense, Kingston will be teaching you close combat and Alex has taught you mental ability," he pauses and grins icily. It makes me shiver.
"And I'll be teaching the tricks."
He raises his guard and I raise mine keeping my hands firmly beside my head. My palms are sweaty and I struggle to keep my hands balled into fists but I am just grateful they are not shaking. I copy Damien's stance and lock my eyes on him heavily, if he is teaching tricks God knows when he'll strike.
"The most important thing about being strategic is understanding who you're going up against. If they are bigger than you, you'll need to use your agility more than your strength and if they are smaller than you, you'll need to use your fists more than your technique.
By tricking them you can then gain control over their own actions and therefore steer them in the direction you want them to go in," his voice, just like Alex, has taken a serious tone but he still has that glint in his eyes that makes him appear less threatening then he actually is. It calms me but only slightly.
"How am I supposed to think that quickly to be able to come up with whole plan to beat their technique and control their actions? What if they're smarter than me or predict my next movements?" I question, my arms begin to ache in the shoulder region and it spreads slowly through my biceps. It's like a burning sensation and I want to drop my arms but I don't want to appear weak in front of Damien. Because I'm not weak.
No, you're nothing.
I ignore the voice in the back of my head.
Damien nods his head, "again it is possible that could happen but it's never happened to me. If it does you just have to try and figure away out by using what you learn now in the real arena.
A possibility like that I might not be able to teach but I can teach you the basics. It's up to you personally to know how to get out of the tricky situation because if you are meant to be here you'll just know."
"Now," he barks making me jump out my skin and I scowl in his direction, he shoots me a flattering smile.
"Let us begin," and with that said he drops his guard and stands perfectly straight not ushering defence or attack and I frown in confusion.
"What are you doing?"
"What are my weaknesses?" He questions completely disregarding my question.
"Your guards not up," I answer with a tinge of frustration. This is teaching me tricks?
"At least you know that, I had to check," he shrugs. He moves back into a guard position and he begins to side step slowly placing his feet on certain spots of the arena by purpose.
I comply and silently circle the main area of the arena with my muscles all tense. As soon as I saw him move my muscles clamped up and the blood in my heart nearly stopped flowing.
"Lets start with the basics, am I bigger than you?" He questions and this time I don't find his question stupid, this is all part of the training. I look him up and down and it is quite obvious that he is larger than me. His height is at least six foot three, his muscles are far more defined than mine (if I even have any) and his shoulder width is probably the exact height of me. He could flatten me if he really wanted to.
"Yes," I answer as we continue to circle like sharks to chum.
"Based on my position am I aiming for defence or attack?" He asks.
Again I rake my eyes over him searching for any flaw or deficit in his stance. His upper body is held perfectly still with his hands heavily guarding his face but his right leg is pointed further more in my direction.
If he was to attack his foot would have to be nearer to the side to be able to swing for me as he would need to gather the right amount of momentum to strike. I can thank my mother for allowing me to know that one. I grind my teeth bitterly.
"Defence but if you moved your foot further over you could attack," I point out.
His forest eyes widen in slight surprise before he nods his head.
"I'm a great teacher aren't I?" He asks amusingly.
"It wasn't you who taught me that but sure," I remark.
He looks at me puzzled before he shakes his head and he takes a slow step forward. My immediate reaction was to recoil backwards and try make a run for it. I can picture it now, my mother with her hand raised ready to slap me and the stench of beer radiating from her body radiating out of her pores.
I kick myself internally and try and force all the feelings and memories behind my mental shield but I struggle and I silently battle as Damien circles me closer. The anxiety is beginning to clamber up my spine competing with the anger over who will reach my heart first and I bite down on my tongue so harshly that a metallic taste lingers in my mouth. My hands struggle to stay balled up into tight fists.
"The only way I can teach you is if you attack me first. I'll show you how you can deter an opponent with my fantastic sneaky skills," he brags.
The cockiness in his tone brings me back to reality and I smile tightly in response. The anger has overridden the anxiety and I crave the urge to let it out. What more of perfect time then now to do so.
"Whatever you say Damien," I return and re-straighten my guard.
"On the count of three attack, understand?"
Not being able to speak I nod my head in response.
"One."
The anger surges through my veins until it reaches the tips of my fingers.
"Two."
I force my anxiety and my mother behind my mental shield not allowing them to cloud my judgement.
"Three."
I then lunge.
I keep one fist near my face as I raise my other and strike his temple or more so his arm as he raises it to block my attack. He steps one foot back and aims to uppercut my side but to my amazement I am able to raise my knee and block him.
With the right side of his body still balancing from heaving forward to strike me I knee him in the abdomen and swerve back to avoid a left jab. Damien grunts in response and actually looks frustrated. Sweat already drips off his brows but with me the anger drips off my insides.
With pelt up tension I dive forward but completely forget to organise my footwork and Damien manages to hook my right leg making me collide onto the ground on both knees. I can feel them turn red raw already.
"You're just as bad as Max," I hear him mutter and he doesn't come for me despite the fact that I'm on the floor and he could easily beat me if he tried. He pushes my back flat against the cushioned square of the arena and he straddles my waist with his legs either side of me and stares down at me hard.
"In this situation what should you do? Think of a way out," he orders.
My heart slaps against my chest begging to escape as my pulse sounds loud in my ears. I feel panicked that he has me in such a vulnerable position, he could do anything to me right now. I feel the bile creep up my throat burning and I feel dizzy.
"Blair use your mental shield and stop panicking. Be sly, be sneaky, be smart."
I can hear his voice but I don't I need to get out of here. I swallow the bile back down and take a deep breath, it clears my mind and I focus. Damien is not my mother, my mother is not here, she can't hurt me. As I repeat this to myself my heart rate slows and I focus on the predicament I am in.
I am not as tall or as strong as Damien, with my own body not owning a single amount of muscle I'm going to have to rely on the agility I have.
I raise both my knees up and lurch myself forward so I crash into a surprised Damien who probably thought I was still internally panicking and I straddle his waist raising a fist to strike him but before I can strike he slaps his hand down three times on the ground.
"Yield, I yield," he says quickly and waits for me to unstraddle him before standing up slightly wincing and holding his side.
"That was good," he said before pausing to catch his breath.
"But you panicked," he adds and I knew there was a catch to his compliment.
"You are also blind," he badgers and now I'm insulted.
"Are you teaching me or shaming me?" I ask not bothering to tone down my voice. Damien raises his hands in mock surrender before wincing again.
"I wasn't being defensive, I was attacking you. Those blows I threw weren't out of protection but means to strike. You were the one defending," he admits annoyingly sounding proud of himself.
He tricked me, he fucking tricked me. I would be angry if it wasn't for the fact that I was so impressed. He stands next to me and gently nudges my shoulder.
"In the arena you can trick an opponent into thinking whatever you want them to think. You want them to believe you are weak, do it, but don't be weak. I know you are far from it," he voices and I fight hard to not blush. I look down at the ground and mumble a thank you at his given compliment. This time no insult follows.
"I used to be like you," he confesses out of the blue and I dart my head up to see his is forest eyes are full of shame. His voice is shaky when he next speaks.
"I couldn't control my emotions either because I was too kind. I couldn't dream of hurting anyone and yet as I grew older it's what I do best. I learnt that being kind and caring are not traits a fighter should have but I've always kept my humour. That I refuse to abandon. Don't change yourself for the fighting, let the fighting change you. I can see why Ace picked you."
I bite my lips in order to not cry at his kindness. I haven't heard anything as kind as this since the beginning of never and it makes me glow inside.
"You are too kind to me Damien, thank you," I respond hoping that I don't sound like I'm on the verge of tears.
He slings an arm around my shoulders and shoots me a flirtatious grin and I roll my eyes again.
"Complimenting me now are we? Think you might like me there Blair," he taunts and I dig my elbow into my side.
"God, any excuse to touch me," he pulls my hair back and I yelp and flick the side of his temple.
"In your dreams Damien Philip, I am way out of your league," I laugh and he laughs too after saying 'no one is out of my league except for Kingston' and he steers me out of the arena with his arm still slung over my shoulders and I let him. Not out of pity for the confession he made, not because I want him to like me, but because it's comforting and because I might just consider Damien to be my most favourite friend yet.
Thank you for reading this chapter, I think I might start posting chapters everyday now.
I really love Damien as writing his character just makes me smile.
Blair is still struggling with her feelings but as we can see she is slowly getting stronger.
Do you think she may end up with Damien? ;)
Please comment, vote and share.
Happy reading <3