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Ryan's POV
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I woke up in a light grey room on an uncomfortable bed. I slowly attempting sitting up but a killer headache brings me back down. "What the hell?" Suddenly, memories of the fight came back. Wait, fight? It wasn't a fight! I was knocked out in less than a minute...by a fucking girl! I groan and apparently it was loud enough for someone to hear.
"Oh look, you're awake," a tall guy with large muscles, and a thin beard that matched his brown hair and eyes smiled down at me.
"What happened? Did she really knock me out?" I ask still stunned about it.
He chuckles, "If it makes you feel better you're the first guy to attack her head on like that."
"Seriously?" A small bit of hope fluttered to the surface.
He nodded, "Yep. But then again you were the first guy she took down that fast."
And it's gone. I sigh defeated. Jacob said it was pretty easy cash but who did he say to avoid fights with...? Was she the one that beat him so bad? "What's the girl's name?" I should have payed attention to it when he announced it.
"Caster."
"Huh? No like her real name."
"Caster," he says in a serious expression.
I frown, "Doesn't she have a normal name?"
"Yeah but no one knows, and she want to keep it that way." Will gets up, "She said thanks for the $300."
I sit in silence as he leaves. I sigh once more and grab my bag that they left. Everything was there, minus the $300. Damn. I take out my phone and text Kyle, Dude can you pick me up from the garage on Commercial Street? The Casco Bay Parking Garage.
Sure, now? he replies almost instantly. I sit up and look in the mirror over a small metal sink, I didn't look bad thankfully, only a giant wrap covering my head. The headache isn't as bad but the image of the girl who kicked my ass remained. Caster, the beautiful boxer. I'll find out who you are, believe me. I grabbed my stuff and headed out of the underground gym and waited for Kyle.
About 5 minutes later, he arrived with his new matte blue Jeep Rubicon. "Damn, you look pretty shitty."
"Gee, thanks for reminding me asshole," I grumble getting inside.
"The dude got your head pretty bad," Kyle chuckles.
"It wasn't a fucking dude," I growl.
Kyle's eyes widen and his face turns red, "Wait, so a girl did that!?" My silence answered his question.
"Shut up and drive," I hiss at him.
He shakes his head wiping away tears of laughter, "Dude, was she hot though?" I bite my lip replying the image in my mind of her face, well half of it. Long brown hair that looked soft to the touch and bright green eyes, tan skin, and great body. Kyle chuckles, "Definitely hot then."
"I only saw half her face and I didn't hear her voice." He raises an eyebrow confused. I sigh continuing, "She had makeup and an elevation training mask. But her body was muscular yet curvy."
"Oh," he says quietly. He continues driving away. "Want to go home or stay at my place?"
"I'll stay with you, honestly it was pretty stupid to go out on my first time on a Monday."
He chuckles, "Just skip tomorrow, bud."
I shrug, "Yeah, I might, you'll go in though?"
"Yep, unless you want me to stay back. Or you can get Parker to stay back with you."
I think, "I'll figure out that later. Let's just play some Black Ops 3."
Kyle smiles agreeing. He pulls into the driveway of his large cobblestone house. He parks his car and we get out walking through the garage door and at the end of the room, were the stairs that we climbed up to his separate room. It was like his own apartment, where it included a kitchen, bathroom, and a bedroom/living room with a large flat screen TV. The living room has 3 futon couches we used often. Overall, Kyle's place was the greatest hang out any teenager would dream of having to theirself.
I went to the fridge and pulled out a cold Bud Lite and a Budweiser. I popped open each bottle and hand him the Bud Lite. He grabbed Doritos and another bag of Cheetos and we set off on our adventure of beer, chips, and video games.
Four hours later, we were ankle deep in beer bottles, empty chip bags, and Playboy magazines. And at this time I was drunk as hell. "Dude, Kyle," I narrow my eyes trying to focus on Kyle then I began poking him. Except Kyle was passed out and I chuckle evilly. I get up and trip multiple times going to the kitchen grabbing a Sharpie. I stumble back and uncapped the marker. My hand shakily hovers over Kyle's drooling mouth thinking of what to do and I smile. I doodle on his right cheek whiskers, a dick on his left cheek releasing a load in his mouth, devil horns on his forehead, and a few more dicks and butt cracks everywhere else.
I laugh and stumble back into the chair. I take out my phone looking at the time, 3:02 in the morning. I groan and lay back on the couch to go to sleep.
Suddenly I was in a stadium, surrounded by a crowd and in front of me was this beautiful girl. Why did she look so familiar? Next to her was a boy a little older than her but he was hugging her like it would be the last time. Another girl with short blonde hair joined in then out of nowhere, they left the familiar girl and she looked at me pointing at me. "You fucking did this to me! You did this. It's all your fault!" And I don't know what she was talking about but I couldn't help but feel that I really did. "Wait-what did I do?" I stammer confused. She approaches me and it's really annoying how I can't tell how I know her. She grabs my shirt into her fists and pushes me back into darkness and I fall. I fall until I see the light and it's back at the stadium, back at the beginning of the dream except the girl wasn't there, only shadows and faces of people I didn't know. And as I approach-
"Wake up, dick!" cold water drenches me and I shout attacking Kyle, who had smeared drawing on his face.
"What the hell was that for? It's-" I look at the time,"7 in the morning."
He rolls his eyes, "For vandalizing my beautiful face! What else?" He kicks me away and I groan in pain and my head throbs.
"Oh shit," I get up sprinting to the bathroom and throw up into the bathroom and in the distance I hear Kyle doing the same in the kitchen sink. After I puked up the food from our food purge last night, I look at my phone leaning against the wall. I have a text from Parker and 16 from Marina, but I look at Parker's first.
Dude, Marina is freaking out about you. She heard about your little fight somehow. What the hell am I supposed to do!?
I sigh mentally preparing myself for Marina's texts. We aren't a couple or anything close to that, but she acts like it if she can outside of school.
Oh god, Ryan? Are you okay?
Ryan?
RYAN!!
Answer me!
I heard what happened.
So freaking answer me you dick.
I delete the messages not even bothering to read the last 10 from her. I yawn stretching shuffling to the couch and I begin thinking about the fight. Why would someone that good want to keep her identity a secret? If I were that good, I would enjoy showing off my name for everyone to know how great I am. Like, I'm good at street fighting, well, usually I guess. Parker is more so the brawn in our trio, but still. Caster...and why that name? Why not something more threatening, like Crusher? Eh, maybe she wanted to be a witch? I don't know! Thinking about it makes my head hurt even more and I groan in frustration.
I sigh thinking about her and I go to the mirror, I didn't get a concussion and it's only a bruise. Maybe I can go tonight and learn some stuff about her. Or now. Will said they're always open...and if she's around my age she's probably at school. I smirk, "Kyle!"
"What, asshat!?" Kyle shouts from the kitchen.
"You know that chick that beat me up?"
"Yeah," he walks over and rests his elbows on the back of the couch.
"She kept her identity a secret."
"And let me guess, you wanna know who and why."
I nodded, "Wanna help me?"
"Duh, I want to give that chick a high five for easily knocking you out." He chuckles and I punch him and he winces, "I wonder how she would do against your punches, they hurt!" he rubs his sore arm.
I chuckle, "Yeah I really wonder, but she punches probably harder."
"Oh, I bet she does. Wait when are we going to go?"
I feel more throw up trying to resurface, "When I'm not throwing up my whole fucking stomach." I bolt to the bathroom again.
~~~~~
Kyle gets into the Jeep's driver side and I look at the time, 1:09, which means I have less than two hours to do my snooping for Caster's true identity. Parker sat in the back seat eating a Burger King Whopper. He decided to skip with us when neither Kyle or myself were in first period, and I guess that's okay, as long as he's quiet. "Kyle, hurry up and drive there," I grumble angrily.
"I know, okay? And for the love of god, Parker, chew with your mouth closed," Kyle looks away disgusted. "I don't need to throw up again."
Parker only shrugs and continues as Kyle finally starts the car and we leave going to Smith Street where the secret gym was hidden.
Now I'm going to break the 4th wall here but I bet you're seriously wondering where the hell are our parents. Kyle lives separately from his parents and younger siblings because he built the room above the garage and as long as he keeps Bs and Cs, they could care less. My parents are divorced and I live with my deaf and blind aunt, so needless to say, she trusts me enough not to get killed. (PS I have no idea how I ended up with her but I'm pretty sure my parents just really didn't want me). And lastly, Parker's parents kinda gave up hope when his ADHD, ADD, Dyslexia, and just pure stupidity showed it's true colors. But at least he has a younger brother who has a 5.0 GPA and is a kid-genius. His parents' faith went straight to Tyler. Anyway, back to the real problem here.
Kyle parked in the garage and we got out. Will said guests were welcomed, as long as they don't tell anyone else the location. Apparently they got a lot of bad stuff after their rising star was killed. No one knew who he was but it was soon before some other kids at our school died. All right, enough death talk.
I turn to Parker, "Parker?"
He looks up at me with a mouth full of French fries. "Hmph?"
"I bet you can't keep this place a secret," I smirk a little.
His eyes bug open, "I sfo can!" he says with a full mouth.
"Prove it," I shrug and Kyle snickers as I knock on the door. The door opens a crack and I see only brown hair and a brown eye.
"Password."
"I got my ass served," I say to him quietly.
Will smiles, "Well welcome back! and I see you brought guests?" He looks over my shoulder and points to Kyle and Parker.
I nodded, "That's Kyle and that's Parker."
"Alright, come in. Hey, shouldn't you be in school? Or did you she punch you too hard?" Will jokes letting us through.
I roll my eyes. "No, i just didn't want to go. Plus, we wanted to find out more about her."
Will's goofiness vanished quickly. "I can't tell you anything, just leave her identity alone." I catch a glimpse of his expression and he looked depressed? Sad? I frown and look at Kyle. He noticed this too and shrugged. Then Will snapped back like a rubber band, he smiled and clapped his hands, "Okay go ahead to the training wing; your friends can go to but-" he grabs the rest of Parker's food, "no food allowed. Especially fast food."
Parker looked as depressed as Will did seconds ago as he watched his food being eaten by Will as he walks away to his office. Kyle and I chuckle as I lead them to the training wing. There were a few other guys there but most were in the rings for a quick match. Parker sat on the bench pouting as Kyle walked to me. "All right, Kyle, what did you get from that?"
"They're close friends I'm guessing, seeing how emotional he got over that," Kyle said thoughtfully.
"Anything else?"
"I think he is really worried about her for some reason. I mean if she can knock you out in one swing, I don't see what there's really to worry about."
I shrug, this is why I bring Kyle everywhere with me and not Parker. I glance over and sure enough, he had sneaked in a bag of chips. Not a surprise.
I look back at Kyle, "What do you think we should do?"
"Not ask him again. Want to ask some of the other guys here?" he suggests and I shrug.
We first go to a guy named Max; giant, blond, and with brown eyes. "Caster?" he chuckles, "She knocked me out in 3 minutes flat." I look up at him. She knocked out a buff guy who's 6'5"....damn...
"What do you know about her identity?"
"Nothing really, sorry." But you can tell, just like Will, he was hiding something. There was pain in his expression when he said this. Kyle looks at me and nods and we go to Jason.
"Hm, I just thought she was hot. I asked her on a date and she declined. But, yeah, I don't know anything about her personal life." He taps on Kyle and I on our shoulders before walking off to continue his workout. He didn't share that emotion Will and Max had, so he wasn't close with her.
After interviewing two others, Kyle and I approached the strongest guy known in our gym, Darian. "Darian, what do you know about Caster?"
Darian's blue eyes iced over cold and he looked down at us. "All I'll say about that girl is that she had a shit-ass year. She came to the gym crying a lot. And if she wants to keep her life a secret, you-" he pushes his finger into my chest and I wince, "should just leave her alone and stop asking questions." He turns and storms off. I rub my chest and look under my T-shirt, I bruise already began forming. To think she knocked him out too... I look at a wide-eyed Kyle.
"Dude, her life must suck outside of these walls...if she actually cried..." he looks down sighing. Kyle always put up a strong front and it made him seem powerful, but really...he's just a mush-ball of emotions. He only sticks with me and threatens people because well, he's my best friend and like my mother sometimes. Sometimes. He looks up, "Ryan, Carson said she comes at 3 o'clock sharp. This place is less than a half hour away from our school. What if she goes to our school? What if-"
I grab Kyle and look at him, "Breathe, you need to breathe, dude."
He nods breathing slowly in and out. "But seriously, what if we were the ones to do stuff like that to her?"
"Kyle, Carson said she started coming her three years ago. We came here last year, we wouldn't have been the problem."
"I guess so," he grumbles and leans against the wall.
"Wait, where's Parker?" I asked looking around the training ring.
"Great," Kyle groans leaning away and begins to walk around. We look throughout the whole training wing and no sign of the teenage-toddler. I sigh then I hear noise from Will's office. I scan the area making sure no one is looking and I go in slowly, peaking and sure enough there he was. Parker had made the room a mess looking for something.
"Parker, what the hell are you doing?"
He jumps up surprised, then sighs relieved realizing it was only me. "Will had food so I'm taking it," he smiles proudly.
"Dear, god, alright. Just hurry up, we gotta leave soon."
"Caster!" cheers echo and my eyes widen. Parker pops his head out from the doorway with a bag full of food. "Welcome home, sweetheart," the guys say jokingly.
I see Kyle and I wave him over. An exit is right there...we just need to slip bye everybody.
"Caster, Saul had said there's a public match next month and he thought you should join." Was that Will? or Max? I can't tell but I keep listening in.
"Tell him no, sorry," her voice was slightly raspy.
"Come on! We all know you could win the 10 grand like last time with Underworld Match-ups." 10 grand! Geez. "That's easy money!"
"I don't want money, Will. I just want my life back." She sounded like she was on the verge of tears. I hear the guys comforting her but there's only one set of footsteps that's leaving the group, and I'm guessing it's her.
"Shit," the three of us hide back into Will's office waiting for the coast to be clear. When we sneak out unseen Parker groans when we get inside. "I forgot the fucking cookies."
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Published February 19th, 2016. 3017 words.
Top picture is to show how much the mask really covers on her face so trying to discover her identity may be harder than you would think.