Fighting for Her

I woke up with a loud bang! on my head. That is, I rolled over to the edge and ungracefully slipped out of the couch, leaving my face flat on the floor. Moaning, I slowly got up, shrugging off the blanket off me.

I normally have 4-6 hours of sleep and, trust me, that's a blessing. After my family died, I had 3-4 hours of sleep each night. It's funny what on can miss, especially as simple as sleep. I looked at my cell; it was 7 a.m. Time to train.

I changed my shorts to sweat pants, put on socks and shoes, and tied my hair up. I was about to go downstairs when I realized I needed my hand wraps. They were in my room.

I tip-toed to my room and gently opened door. What I saw completely grabbed my heart. There she was, her serene face facing at me. She was laying on her side, her chest heaving up and down. The blanket was on the floor, leaving her body exposed. Her body was in a curled-up position as if she was cold.

I slowly got into my drawer and grabbed my wraps. Then, as I was about to exit, I looked at her one last time. Sighing, I slowly got down to grab the blanket, and put it on top of her. As I did, I felt my heart was about to burst. I looked at her luscious lips, oval face, and long eyelashes. I had a huge urge to just kiss her right there on the spot, never letting her go. But, of course, I didn't.

I'm no perv. And, even if I did kiss her, I'm pretty sure she'll think I'm a disgusting moron. No, I'm more than that, god damn it.

I gave her a pitying smile, and slowly went out of the bedroom, never noticing that she slowly woke from her slumber; she opened her eyes and smiled as I closed the door.

-------------------

I didn't give my 100% during training. First of all, my body was sore, especially my left arm (damn shoulder). Second, I couldn't concentrate when Amy's face was in my head. I laid myself down on the middle of the boxing ring (I know Mike makes enough money from teaching, but it seems to me that there were a lot of expensive equipment in the place. I guess I won't ask where he gets some of his extra money from). Trying to catch my breath, I inhaled deeply and slowly while listening to Break by Three Days Grace through the booming stereo.

"Seems like you had a tough morning!"

Quickly, I shifted my head to the direction of the voice. It was Amy, grinning as she hopped on to the ring. She sat next to me as I pushed the off button on the stereo's remote. As I was about to sit up, she placed her head on my stomach, leaving me more breathless than ever. I placed myself completely flat on the floor.

"Let's go somewhere today," Amy said as she looked towards the ceiling.

I shifted my body nervously. "Uh, what?"

I felt her head turned to me. "Yeah. Show me around."

I laughed, and sat up, expecting her to do the same, but didn't. Instead, her head laid flat against my lap, and those gorgeous ocean eyes stared up to mine.

"You serious?"

She smiled, showing her glistening teeth. "Dead serious."

I gave her a doubtful look. "I'm a stranger to you."

She shifted her head. "Then this is a perfect opportunity for us to get to know each other."

I pursed my lips together, full in thought. There were some places I like to see, but to her it might be a bit boring. Unexpected, too. I mean, everyone knows downtown Chicago and the beauty of it; the fast paced luxury life, concerts, parks, shops and stores, all that good stuff. But no one sees the beauty of unknown, beat up places like my neighborhood.

I raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Let me shower first and I'll show you around."

I waited for her to move. When she didn't, I gently lifted her head, while I squirmed my way out. Chuckling, she got up and headed upstairs, while I walked towards the shower room.

-------------------------

Sighing, I put my forehead on the wall while hot water shimmered down my body. It has been a long and unexpected night. Very unexpected. Well, not the gang stuff , but meeting and saving Amy. I never felt as vulnerable, transparent before and what I mean by that is there isn't one person who actually looked at me in the eye and see what's actually there: a true person, not a broken girl who lost her family and lives in a beat up neighborhood. I like that.

I smiled as I thought about her beautiful smile. Heck, she was just marvelous outside and inside, but it made me think. I miss my family and she doesn't. Oh, what I would do to be closer to them even though they are workaholics or just plain cold.

I can't be biased, I haven't even met her family, but still. People have weird ways of showing their love to their loved ones and I can't imagine a parent not loving their children.

I scratched my wet hair and sighed. Then, I heard noises on the other side of the wall (the shower room has individual walls for privacy, but exposes your little behind. I always complained to Mike that we should have doors, but he said that no one's complaining but me.)

Cautiously, I peeked around the corner of the wall.

"Can you pass me your shampoo please?" a familiar voice asked.

I whipped my head back around to my own space and hugged the wall. What the hell!? When did Amy come in?

"Pam?" she asked again," Shampoo?"

Panicking, I picked the shampoo up and handed it to her over the wall.

"Um," I said after I cleared my throat," here."

"Thanks!"

After she grabbed the shampoo bottle, I turned off the shower, grabbed my towel, and hurried to the locker room. My mind was racing as I wrapped myself with my towel. Millions of images of Amy naked popped in my head. I shrugged the thoughts off. Jesus Pam, I thought to myself, get a grip! Shivering, I half walked and half ran to the locker room.

"Hey Pam?" Amy asked quietly, barely audible," Can you bring me a towel? I forgot to bring one."

Sighing, I looked down at my feet, feeling my heart beat faster every second. I told her I'd be back; I rushed to the locker with my towel on and walked back with hers.

As I did, I heard a new noise, not the shower or the water rustling. It was more of a soft sob. Concerned, I walked to the source and found out that it was coming from Amy's shower space.

"Amy?" I asked quietly.

No answer. Gulping, I quietly and silently went to her space. She was curled up like a ball naked on a corner with her head down on her bended knees. She was violently shivering, and sobbing nonstop. I rushed over and kneeled besides her, not caring that my towel touched the water on the ground. I threw her dry towel on her back and around her, rubbing it gently; her back was facing me and she was facing the corner.

"Jesus," I sputtered as I turned off the shower, "Amy? Amy, come on, talk to me!"

Hearing the urgency from my voice, she slightly turned her head and gently leaned her back and head to me. Sobbing quietly, the back of her head nestled on my stomach. Then, almost in panic, she sobbed her heart out..

Still kneeling down with my back straight, I cradled her head. I held back my own tears while I felt hers rustling down my hands.

"Shhh," I whispered, my body shaking, "it's okay. Tell me. Tell me why you are crying."

Jesus, I thought, please tell me. Tell me how to make it stop, I can't bear seeing you like this...

"I keep thinking about last night," she whispered, "t-those guys were about to k-k-kill me. I-I don't- I don't know what I'm doing...what the hell was I thinking?!"

She continued her sobbing and babbling for a few more minutes, while I continue to hold her. I rested my right side of my face to the wall. God, I thought, I wanna stay like this forever. I want to hold her, and, God, so much more. Most of all, I want her to be happy.

Her sobbing became sniffles, and I felt her body relaxing. Eventually, my hands started rubbing the sides of her arms.

"Hey," she whispered, trying to look up.

"Hey," I said, "feeling better?"

She chuckled. "Yea, I guess."

"Good," I said, smiling," because I promised you a date."

We both chuckled and a few minutes later she eventually got up and walked towards the locker room. And there I was, still kneeling from the same spot, wanting to hold her again.

----------------------

Actually, hanging out with her was fun. First, we hopped on a bus and went to downtown Chicago, the place she wanted to go the most. I've been to downtown Chicago many times, so I know my way around.

By appearance, we didn't clash together. She had her fancy school coat, and faded black pants she borrowed from me. She barrowed my new boots and she looked marvelous in it. Her curly, dirty, blonde hair made her look angelic and elegant. Plus, the makeup she borrowed from me made her look like a goddess. Straight to the point, she looked like a celebrity walking through downtown Chicago.

For me, well, I look like any ordinary civilian. From my previous classmates, they told me I was a combination between Michelle Rodriguez and Eliza Dushku. Relations? Both of them are beautiful and can kick major ass. I had my dark grey trench coat on with black gloves, a hat, and beat up sneakers. I know, I'm very fashionable. While I was trying to survive the cold, Amy was walking through the crowds like a model would on the catwalk.

We started chatting away, not really going in to any stores, but just walking around and through the busy crowds. Eventually, we sat down to a nearby bench and chatted away.

I told her mostly everything about me; my likes, dislikes, fears, goals, etc., but I left out the murder of my family. I told her that Mike was my real father, my mother died of breast cancer, I'm the only child, and I didn't have any relatives.

"Well," she said ," it's a good thing you're an only child. Siblings suck."

I replied no answer and looked down.

"Hey," she said in concern," are you okay?"

"I want to take you somewhere," I said as I looked up to those blue eyes, "and it's a little less... fancier than downtown Chicago."

"Oh?" she said while tilting her head," And where is that exactly?"

I smiled and looked at her seriously. "Somewhere closer to my heart."

Her face softened, peaceful. Moments later, she smiled, and broke off our stare by looking down to the ground. Eyes widened, I looked down, also.

Oh god, I thought, did I just say that to her? Did I? Idiot! Hiding my embarrassment, I cleared my throat and stood up. I felt something pulling my right hand.

"Oh, no you don't Ms. I'm-too-cool-for-emotions!" she said, chuckling," Sit your ass down. I want to sit for a couple more minutes."

To my surprise, I did just that, but this time my body was closer to hers. We talked more about our dreams of the future, and random facts about themselves. Just normal chatting. We must have been there for an hour or so as I noticed the sky getting a bit darker.

"Hey," I suddenly said," we should probably go. Dark skies is a sign for 'let's get the hell out of here'"

She giggled and agreed.

I guess we really did chat too long since when we arrived to my neighborhood, it was pitch black.

Not good.

--------------------------

"Shit"

"What's wrong?"

I grabbed her hand and took her behind the bus stop. Paranoid, I carefully looked around. Clear.

"Take off your clothes."

Shocked, she quickly took her hand from mine. I quickly shrugged off my trench coat, hat, and gloves. I gave her a pleading look. Please, I thought to myself, this isn't the fucking time to ask these types of questions.

"What!? What is-"

"Quick. Just trust me on this...okay?"

She gave me a paranoid, confused look. Slowly, I leaned to her, my body almost touching hers. To my surprise, she didn't back away, but stood perfectly still like the night. I whispered to her right ear.

"This is a very dangerous place to be in the middle of the night, as you may already know. People aren't people here during the night. They become murderers, looking for blood. Blood for blood."

I gave her my trench coat, along with my hat and gloves. She didn't take it. Instead, she gave me another questioning look.

"Listen, there are more than one gangs roaming around the streets at night here. Especially the Red gang. They're...ruthless, Amy. Just take off your coat, okay?"

Without any hesitation, she took off her fancy coat, and gave it to me. While taking the coat, I nudged her to put on my coat along with my gloves and hat, which she did.

"The kind of clothes you wear makes you a target. This coat of yours is a perfect example."

"What are you doing?"

Even though she was a bit smaller than me, her coat fits perfectly on me. A little bit tight, but still fits.

"Becoming the target. People here judge the way people wear. If I didn't have any coat on, I'd be attack. If I wear this coat, I'd be also be attacked. If it's a beat up looking coat, then it's all good. I don't know why, but that's the way it works. Okay, here's the plan: don't look down at your feet, but don't put your chin up high. Don't make eye contact to anyone."

Our bodies were still close, perhaps an inch apart. I can hear her breathing heavily. She's scared.

To be honest, I was scared, too.

There was this kid at school. Jason was his name and he freshly got promoted to be a red belt. All those six months in waiting, he finally got the belt. I remember him from my history class. He always paid close attention to the females in class instead of the lectures. Stupid kid always bragging about his belt. Figures.

Then one night, one of the gangs from school decided to test his fighting capability. It was around midnight, if I remember correctly, when Jason came out from Uncle Phil's Mart and came face-to-face to five members of the Red gang. Jason always liked a challenge, especially in the ring, but this time this it wasn't the ring and there are other alternatives than a pair of fists.

Instead of fighting fair, the gangs decided to fight dirty. Jason got his pair of fist out, while the five guys got their handguns out. Jason didn't have a chance.

Tonight, I felt the overwhelming emotions Jason must have felt that night. The fear that ate away the body bit by bit, and the adrenaline rush that rushed throughout the body.

I looked at Amy square in the eye.

"I go ahead of you first and you follow me. Here."

I gave her the key to the Dojang and carefully put it in the coat's left pocket. God, I thought, this is going to be a bloody night.

"The Dojang is not hard to find. I'm pretty sure you know where it is, right? Good. Whatever you do, lock the door right away once you're inside. If I'm not back for 10 minutes...just call the police."

"What!?"

"Shh! Not so lo-"

"What the fuck do you me-"

"Just trust me on th-"

"No! This is fucking crazy!"

I closed my eyes for a second and sucked a mouthful of air, feeling it going through my lungs.

"Trust me. This is the only way."

"The fuck it is! There are other ways, I'm sure. How about you don't wear the fucking coat!?"

"You don't get it, don't you?" I hissed. "Gangs have eyes on the streets. They probably saw someone with a fancy coat walking out of the Dojang. Well guess what? They're expecting someone with the same coat going back."

"Well whatever!" she hissed back. "Why don't we sneak pass them, act neutral instead of this sh-"

"You honestly think this is just because of a coat, do you?" I asked almost chuckling. "Gangs fuck with anyone walking on their streets, with or without a fancy coat. Just the way it is."

I thought of Jason. Hell, I thought of the other kids in school that were innocent victims of gang violence: Andy, Jasmine, Ashley, Bobby, Josh, Leigh, Will, and I'm sure there are many more. Jasmine stood out in my mind. She was only seven years old who just wanted to play with her new Barbie doll that her mom got from the Dollar Store for her birthday. She played with her toy everywhere, from school to the little clothing store her mom worked at.

One night, when her mom was working and she was playing outside on the sidewalk with her Barbie doll, she accidentally bumped into a young boy. No, not just a young boy, a boy who was a member of a gang. The boy called over his friends from across the street to come over.

A couple of hours later, Jasmine's mom looked for daughter. She found her alright, on the middle of the sidewalk, naked and had multiple stab wounds all over her body.

No, there aren't any other ways, I'm afraid.

(He walked to my mother, unzipped his and my mother's pants...)

I painfully shrugged the memory away.

"It'll be alright," I whispered, more to me than to Amy," I promise."

We looked at each other, carefully analyzing the possible outcomes of the night. Her gaze felt heavy on me, like boulders being put on my shoulders. But my pounding heart became at ease, and I felt comforted.

I couldn't read her; most of the time, I can read other people's expression and body language. She slowly looked away.

"Let's just do this thing," she mumbled, as she put her hands in the pockets.

"Remember don-"

"I know, I know. Don't look anyone on the eyes, don't look down to the ground, but don't put your chin up high either."

"You're a fast learner," I smiled.

She gave no reply, but gave me a worried look instead. At that moment, it seems that she wanted to say something else to me, but hesitated to do so. Instead, she unwillingly put the hat on, and resumed to put her hands in the coat pockets.

"Twelve feet. Leave a gap between us for at least twelve feet, no more, no less. Follow me."

And on we went.

(To be continued...)