"Hey, you got this."
"Don't give up now!"
"Just a little longer you can do it!"
"Stay strong!"
"Dude! How is she kicking your ass?!!"
That's last comment was rick. And yes, I was. I was totally kicking Nathan's ass. He looked tired, out of breath. I was sweating but not as much as he was.
I had to go through some of Ryder's work out gear that could possibly fit Nathan, but he seemed huge. I finally found some clothes that could fit him and changed into some myself.
We had both put gloves on and stepped into the ring. Little did he know he'd be losing.
To... me.
As hard as that is to believe.
Nathan very lazily tried to throw another punch, but I ducked and ran to the sides of the ring, kicking off one of the padded poles and jumping in the air, landing an amazing right cross on him.
He fell to the floor and just laid there, not moving.
I thought I had knocked him out for a second, but then he opened his eyes.
"I-.. give.... up..." he said between breaths.
"WOOOO!!!" I shouted, raising my arms up in the air, celebrating my success.
I heard tommy ring the bell as the rest of the guys all came up into the ring and lifted me up high.
I couldn't help myself from laughing. Rick was going pretty much crazy, running in circles around Nathan who was still lying on the floor. But Jamey and Tommy had both walked over and lifted me onto their shoulders.
I gently squeezed both of their shoulders and they gently kneeled down and let me off, I walked straight over to Nathan and gave my arm out.
"Come on Nathaniel." I said, assuming his full name expecting a reaction. And a reaction I got. Everyone in the room gasped, but Nathan didn't say a word. He simply looked at me with a weird gaze.
It took a a minute or two and eventually, without a word, he took my hand.
Except I didn't get to pull him up.
"Heyy!!" I screamed as Nathan pulled me down on the floor next to him,
The guys were all laughing and so was I.
I couldn't help but turn to look at Nathan's face, he was looking at the ceiling and laughing, a genuine laugh.
I wonder how often he laughs like this...
"What the hell is going on here?"
Oh shit...
Ryder.
I lifted myself up on my arms and looked at the doorway to find Ryder standing there with Parker.
Parker!!
"Uhhhh... hi.." I kept taking in big breaths from the lack of air due to our laughing fit.
"Hi. Wanna explain what the hell is going on here?" He was angry and flustered.
His fists looked about the same as Parker's, who seemed extremely pissed off.
Which just made me mad.
"Do I wanna explain?" I squinted at him, I could sense the guys slowly stepping away, Nathan stayed with me though, keeping his head down.
"Why don't you explain! You just disappeared telling me that you'd be back soon!"
I turned my head to one of the clocks to look at the time
"It's almost Midnight! You jackass! Why don't you explain what happened."
I was standing up by now. My arms crossed as I shot daggers towards Ryder.
I could feel Parker looking and staring at me, trying to get my attention.
But he meant nothing now.
"I had business to take care off. Which is non of your concern. But just because I leave doesn't give you the right to have strangers over at my house."
"Our house! Ryder. And these aren't strangers. These are my friends."
I stood my ground
"They are strangers to me."
"Oh Are they now? Because these people are apart of Parker's gang. Your rivals."
Ryder didn't know what to say next. I knew he had to have recognized the boys.
Mic. Dropped.
"Didn't I specifically give you all orders to not go anywhere near this house or her." Parker finally spoke up.
He told them to stay away from me?! Dick move.
"Yes but you hadn't told us where you are going and we-"
"Don't answer him Rick". I interrupted
"What did you just say?" Parker questioned, stepping closer to the fighting ring. Ryder didn't even stop him, he was just leaning up against the doorframe.
Nathan has also stood up by now, giving my arm a light squeeze. When I looked at him he was slightly shaking his head.
I understood his warning, but I didn't listen to it.
When I looked back at Parker, his eyes were glued to Nathan's hand on my arm.
Why would he care?
I cleared my throat and his eyes snapped back to mine.
"You don't get a say in who sees me or not. You can't tell people to stay away from me or avoid me! That is not your place Parker. You have no right."
"He might not. But I do..."
Ryder stepped in front of Parker, but wasn't stopping him.
"Dads back athie... And he's not gonna leave until he has you." He said honestly.
"Well Yeah Ryder. We knew that, what else is knew?"
"No Athie... a few of my members spotted him at the high school.... with some of the guys in the Crimson Kings."
My eyebrows cocked
"Crimson Kings?.." I asked
"It's my Brothers gang... they know you are alive now. All this time, Ryder had Everyone thinking that his family died and his dad ran off. No one knew you were still alive, for your own safety. Your dad is back, and now people know that you are his sister."
Parker explained.
I didn't exactly know what to say. I was ordinary before all of this. And now I'm not. Now I'm involved with gangs and a rivalry and shootings and kidnappings. Why couldn't I have stayed normal.
In a stupid high school where my only problem was the football star.
"How the hell do you know about this?! Why are you even here!! You practically tell me that I'm the one who killed my own family, then You leave, then you show up again! WHY?!" I screamed
"You what?!" Ryder yelled, stalking over to Parker and grabbing him by the neck and pinning him against the wall.
All of the boys started to move forward but I turned around and gave all of them a look.
They seemed helpless. I know that they had to help Parker, but he didn't deserve help right now.
"You worthless piece of shit. How the hell could you ever say that to her?! You told me you'd protect her, that you'd never hurt her!" Ryder shouted in Parker's face.
"You think I don't know that! I did what I had to do! She's safe if I'm gone. She needs to leave Ryder."
Really?! That was his excuse to what he said.
That I'm better off without him?...
I was raged, pissed off, other words for being utterly and completely infuriated.
I didn't say any other words, but I quickly took my gloves off and threw them towards the lockers, then jumped off of the fighting ring and started to walk out of the room
"Athena where the hell do you think you are going?!"
Ryder let go of Parker, dropping him to the floor, and tried to stop me... but I wasn't exactly having it.
As soon as he went to stand in front of me I whipped my body around, grabbing his arm and reaching back, pulling him over my shoulder and flipping him over.
Ryder landed on his back and let out a huge breath of air
"Ooohhhhhh!" I heard Ricky shout, all of the other kept their comments silent.
Parker was looking at me as if he had never even seen me before. As if he didn't even recognize me.
Bitch.
I was finally able to walk out of the room and started getting up the stairs. I had just opened the door and turned a corner, about to walk upstairs to my room until I saw a hooded figure enter the home floor of the house, in an instant the figure dropped a metal object of some sort, I didn't know whether or not the man had seen me, but I moved closer to the wall, slowly walking up.
The metal object was rounded, black, and had a single blinking red light...
Oh shit.
"BOMB!!" I screamed, opening the door again and trying to get to the basement level, but the bomb went off.
All I had heard was a loud boom, then the door was ripped off of the hinges. The force of the bomb sent the door, and me, hurtling down the stairs. My eyes were closed but I could still see orange, and dark red, my skin was too hot for my liking.
My body roughly landed on the floor and I could feel myself tumbling away.
When I tried opening my eyes, I saw flames, flames everywhere. I could see a body next to mine, but I wasn't sure who it was.
"A-Athena..." I heard someone whisper, I tried to reply back, but I couldn't speak, I could hardly breath.
I tried hard to stay awake, but the darkness took control of me, second by second...
and before I knew it, I was out.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>