Knock Out

Mystery Girl

Walker

"Caden!" I shout.

"GET OVER HEREEE!" Gray calls out after me.

Caden runs through the sand as fast as he can, which isn't fast because Caden is both slow and he's gonna blame the damn sand.

"Yeah?!" he gasps for air.

"One last round of that mother fucking good ice cream before we pack?" I rub my already bloated stomach.

Caden responds with a laugh.

"WHYYY?!" Gray groans.

"You're a boxing coach!! We're gonna come back with a weeks worth of junk food!" Caden continues laughing. "But I'm down! YOLO! Let's go!"

We all run towards the car.

Caden being the last one by staggering off the beach and placing his hands on his knees.

"You are so fucking slow." Gray opens the doors to the car.

"Tell that do the sand! It slows me down!" he pants.

Told you!

**

"SUP BITCHES!" I walk into the gym with my cling.

"How'd vacay go?" one of my teenage students walk over, knocking knuckles with me.

"Good good. Probation gained like ten pounds but I'll shed er off today." I put down my bag. "Everyone in the ring! Class will start in five minutes after I take a piss!"

The students laugh as I rush to the bathroom, finally letting go of what I've been holding in.

Inspirational right?

I wash my hands and run back out, plugging in the timer and getting up in the ring.

"Are we sparring Wednesday?" Austin stands there.

"Should be." I reply, bouncing around. "Come on guys! Get your blood flowing! Move around!"

Gray and Caden jump in the ring.

"Yay!" the students exclaim.

"Alright! Let's start with some exercises!" I announce.

"Yeah!"

Everyone stands away from each other in the ring and that's when we start out stretching.

I made them do wrist rolls, arm circles, squats, lunges, and other cool shit.

Shadow boxing is their favorite though.

I move them to the bags and start them with some combinations.

Upstairs downstairs, right hands, hooks, and working on their, for some reason, weakest thing.

Pivots.

Weird tactic though. They'll get used to it.

As they hit the bags, I take each kid out every round to do some mitts.

I'll say, I did some pretty bomb shit with these goobs!

Competition has competition!

"HOOK!" I curve my wrist and Elijah gets a nice shot before the timer goes off. "Ayeee! Good job tonight buds!" I congratulate them all. "I expect this energy Wednesday!" I take off the mitts.

The kids gather their stuff for about five minutes before they all drive home or wait for their parents to pick them up.

"They're gonna kick some ass in next months comp!" Gray pats my back.

"Right!" I laugh and turn to the working machines side to see a girl I've never seen in here before. "Hey Buch!"

My man that takes care of everything while we're gone, walks over. "What's good man?"

"Who's the girl?" I nudge my head towards the area she's at.

"That's—" he's cut off by his phone going off. "Oh shit! Gotta take this!" he answers the call and runs off.

I roll my eyes and walk towards the girl with airpods in. "Hi!" I catch her attention. She takes her airpods out of her ears and smiles waving. "I'm Walker! But you can call me runner if you'd like!" I crack a joke referring to my name. "I own the gym!"

That's when she starts to do hand motions.

Familiar hand motions I've had to study.

I'm Maeve

"What's she doing?" Caden asks.

"Oh cool! Sign language!" I exclaim. "Well, today's your lucky day, Maeve! I studied sign language my whole four years of high school!" I stop to look at her. "Are you a selective mute?" I ask, obviously she's not deaf as she's replying to my statements.

She nods. 'I have for a few years now.'

"Oh wow! Well cool! These are my best friends, Caden and Gray." I point to each of my boys.

"Sup!" Caden waves.

"Nice to meet you!" Gray smiles.

Maeve smiles. 'Nice to meet you too!'

The boys look at me.

"She said you're fucking idiots and not to talk to her." I joke and Maeve gasps. "IM KIDDING!" I laugh.

Maeve smiles and the boys playfully roll their eyes.

"So do you just work out here or are you gonna take the boxing classes? Walker is the coach! Has been for the past three years! We're only nineteen. You?" Caden politely asks.

She puts up one finger then eight.

"Cool! Eighteen?" Gray questions as she nods.

She then looks at me.

'I'm just working out currently to gain strength.'

I smile. "Nothing wrong with that! I can be your personal trainer!"

She's immediately taken back and her eyes fill with utter fear.

"Are you okay?" Caden tilts his head.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to spring anything upon you." I clench my jaw.

'I have to go.' she signs before grabbing her water and keys before running out.

The boys and I look at each other.

**

"I don't get it." I sit down.

"Can't selective mutism be caused from past events or just severe anxiety?" Caden gets off of his phone.

I turn to him. "I mean, yeah. That's what I was told in class."

"Maybe she's just shy."

"Or I triggered a memory."

"I feel bad."

I sigh.

"Maybe she'll be at the gym tomorrow. I'll make a better impression!!" I stand up. "I'll give her my favorite teddy bear!" I dig into my closet, pulling out my childhood bear. "It used to always comfort me growing up! Maybe it'll comfort her too!"

Gray laughs. "You just met her not even an hour ago."

"Comfort teddy bears are always needed, Gray! Don't tell me otherwise!" I throw a coat hanger at his head, bouncing right off of it.

"Owwww." he rubs his head.

"HA! BITCH!" Caden points and laughs so Gray picks up the hanger and throws it back at him.

"AYE!" I put my hands up and they look right at me. "NO FIGHTING IN MY CASTLE!" I say like neptune from spongebob.

They all grab a pillow, so I immediately jump on my bed and throw a pillow before they do.