There were several piles of exercise equipment spread out, a few training dummies and even a weapons rack on the far wall. I heard grunts of exertion coming from my left and saw a few people who looked close to my age fighting each other.
A slim but busty young woman of average height with porcelain skin and long red hair tied back into a ponytail. Her opponent was a tall and fit young man with smooth sepia skin and neat dreadlocks braided into a French braid.
Next to them were another pair fighting. One short copper skinned pear-shaped girl with a pixie cut of honey blonde hair was going up against a very sexy warm tan skinned young man of average height with cropped brown hair who had a runner's physique.
The matches were short with both boys beating their opponents, although the red haired girl nearly beat the dreadhead. They were good sports though, helping the losers up onto their feet.
I stepped forward and took off my coat. I shouldn't show off, I know that but I'm just itching to fight these guys because I saw where each of them had openings in their movements. The sexy asian boy noticed me first, an eyebrow raised in my direction as his eyes roved over me from top to bottom.
"Elias isn't here if you're trying to sign up for a beginners class." He smirked as he regarded me.
"I'll keep that in mind. I'm interested in joining for sure but I do have a question though." I started walking around him in a wide circle while the others whispered to each other and watched from a safe distance.
"Hm? What's that?" He folded his arms and didn't move from his stance but his eyes stayed on me as much as possible.
"Does everyone here have such obvious openings in their stance or is it just you?" Was I calling him out when I had no right to? Absolutely ,did I care? Not really. His eyes weren't the only ones getting a good look in.
He rolled his neck and sighed, taking up an offensive stance. "I can't stand it when an opponent writes checks with their mouth that their fists can't cash. If you wanna see how open I really am, come at me. Otherwise, shut up and get out."
A challenge, this was what I wanted for sure. Maybe an excuse for his hands to be on me and my hands on his body but hey! I'll take my touches where I can legally get them thank you.
I assumed my own aggressive stance and winked at the people behind him. I got a smirk from the redhead and a worried look from the blonde. The dreadhead boy folded his arms and grinned at me, shaking his head at the whole situation.
"Hajime!" The boy yelled out as he rushed toward me,sending a few strikes at my head. I dodged them and back flipped,kicking my legs upward to catch his chest. His opening was his upper body, he would guard his face and lower torso but not his chest.
He took the hit like it was nothing even though it knocked him back a bit. His retaliation was a kick aimed at the top of my head. I caught his leg and delivered a precise elbow strike into his under-knee, making him stumble back and grunt in apparent pain. I stood upright and took up a defensive stance now.
This man had no idea I got my butt kicked enough by Henry on the daily. I could never beat my father, but I sure as heck learned from every loss.
"Nue that's enough. She's in a different league than what we're used to. Come on. We already have to clean this up before Elias comes back-" The boy with dreads called out to my dance partner, Nue.
"-Shut up, Adrien. This is happening." Nue barked back with a massive grin matching my own, I wonder if he was as excited as I was? Adrien shrugged his shoulders and pulled out his phone. Pointing it at our match I'm assuming he's recording his fellow student for several reasons. Better give him a good show.
This time when Nue came at me I kept my guards up. If he tried to strike I moved out of the way and around his body. I switched it up after every few dodges so he couldn't keep up with my patterns. The best pattern is no pattern after all. At some point I got cocky or I didn't expect him to pull me by my hair, sweep my legs out from underneath me and bring me down to the hard unforgiving floor flat on my back.
An audible collective gasp from the girls watching reminded me that we were being filmed.
My eyes narrowed at Nue and if looks could kill he'd be dead ten times over. "You pulled my hair?! Are you insane?"
He grinned at me, "Insane enough to win. This isnt an official match, street rules."
"What are street rules?" I asked standing up.
"There are no rules." He smirked and rushed at me again. This time I wasn't on the defensive. I blocked several of his hits and he blocked a bunch of mine. Despite the size difference between us it was easy to tell that I was no pushover, confirming Adriens earlier statement.
Alright, time to play dirty. He wants hair pulling, well I can do it too.
I bided my time and even left myself open on purpose. He struck me in the abdomen and I grunted but used that momentum to grab him by the hair and pull him down to my face, kissing him hard on the mouth.
Another collective gasp and a wolf whistle this time, though I'm not sure from whom it came from.
All that mattered was that he was stunned because I could use that. And I did so in a surprising show of strength by grabbing him by the shirt and flipping him over onto his back.
Now he's the one laying flat on his back on the cold hard floor. He groans slightly and holds up a hand. "Yame. I'm done. Kissing, really?" He sat up and rubbed his head, one eye closed and the other on me with a mischievous glint in it.
I held out my hand for him to grab. "Street rules, remember? Besides, you didn't exactly seem to mind them when they let you grab my hair now did you?"
He rolled his eyes but took my hand and stood up. His hand was warm but rough.Now that he was up close I could tell that Nue smelled like warm coffee and baked goods. Like a cafe.
I pulled away from him as my mind flashed back to something I hadn't thought of in years: The day my mother was kidnapped in front of me.
15 years ago in a small bakery in Medellin, Colombia.
I'm a little girl, watching my mother barricade her bakery as men with guns try to break in and shoot us. I cry as I hide in a special place hidden behind a wall panel.
It's all my fault.
If I had just listened to her and not gone outside without her permission they wouldn't have found us.
They wouldn't have broken through the barricade and shot my mother in the leg and knocked her out,taking her god knows where.
I wouldn't be covering my mouth as I silently sob and mentally cry out for my mother.
If I had just listened to my mother…
If I had just listened to-
"Nia!"
"Nia?!"
My mind is pulled from my flash of terror as I see the four from the gym huddled around me, my wallet in Nues hand as my head is cradled in his lap.
"Hey, you alright? You passed out there-holy shit, give her some room!" Nue let my head down gently and everyone took several steps away from me.
My chest feels so fucking tight. I start hyperventilating as fresh hot tears run down my face. It's all my fault she's gone. I lost my pills. I'm outside without Henry! Why can't I stop being a screwup for once?! Why am I glowing with teal lights?!
Wait…Teal lights? Not lights, electricity of some sort. Building up in me…I want to let it all out. I need to let it all out!
My hands cover my chest and I scream as the light that was within me escapes and goes out like an expanding halo. It knocks everyone away from me and scatters all the equipment toward the walls. Glass windows explode and the lights go out,leaving everyone in the dark.
What did I just do? Whatever I did, that panic attack is now gone.
I can hear police sirens in the distance, probably responding to what just happened here or handling another emergency because of it.
I look towards everyone and silently thank god that they're all still breathing. Explaining away what I just did may be possible but killing people from a light explosion is not.
Gently tapping on his face I try to wake up Nue first. He groans in his sleep and his eyelids flutter like he's trying to get up.
"Mmm, Nia? What happened?" came a soft feminine voice from behind me. It was the blonde headed girl.